Everyone's Mate (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 25

I knew. I knew I was having a nightmare.

And yet, I couldn't wake up.

Alex's eyes clouded my vision. They were sparkling blue, glowing in the dim moonlight. We stood on opposing sides of the river, facing each other. The water was calm; almost peaceful. Trees were on my side, bushes and ferns on his.

I smiled at him. I waved. I tried everything to get him to notice me, but something was amiss. He was looking beyond me, as if waiting for something. I turned and searched the forest, but could see nothing but darkness between the trees.

And then a girl stepped forth, appearing miraculously from the pitch blackness that grew ever closer. She wore a shimmering gown and had flowing red hair. She was gorgeous. I couldn't recognize her, but I knew I had seen her somewhere.

Alex's face brightened like a thousand suns when he spotted her. He waved, and my heart froze.

"Who is she?" I went to ask, but when I opened my mouth no sound came out. I grasped at my throat, and with startling clarity finally realized a part of my throat was swollen in the shape of a bite mark. Try as I might, I couldn't remember why.

"Alex!" I strained to call out, but yet again my voice got caught in my throat.

The girl walked across the water that stilled where her feet touched it. She ran to him, jumping to his side of the river. He caught her in his arms and twirled her around, a great love and affection in his smiling eyes as he looked up into her face.

I didn't understand. Couldn't – wouldn't.

I tried to follow, but when I stepped in the river, it felt like fire licking up my leg.

I yelped silently, jumping back. Why couldn't I go to him? I looked up at them. Who was she? Why did he look at her like he...like he used to look at me?

He kissed her, then. I'd been expecting it, knew it would happen, and yet it still brought me to my knees. With each kiss that he laid upon her lips, my side twinged in pain, drawing strangled whimpers from my lips as I cradled myself.

Alex startled, as if hearing me, and turned to look in my direction. His eyes caught mine and held them.

The girl then, turned to look at me too. Their faces simultaneously gnarled in disgust.

"You monster," They said in unison.

"No!" I screamed back, reaching for them.

"You break everything you touch," The girl said alone this time, and with a look of fear she turned and fled, breaking out of Alex's hold.

Alex looked heartbrokenly after her before gazing upon me once again. He wrinkled his lip. "Who would ever want you?"

I screamed out now, the pain immense. Alex ran away too. Everything became blurry. I painstakingly pulled myself to a standing position, but my knees crumbled out from under me the next second, and I fell into the river.

Just like before, the river burned me, only this time it encompassed me whole. The breath left my lungs in a rush, and when next I breathed in, I tasted ash.

I coughed and choked on the stuff, feeling my insides turn to mush, feeling the darkness take me, and then I was suddenly in a blackened room standing before an illuminated mirror.

My reflection was a surprise. Standing there was someone who looked vaguely like me, but wasn't. Long black hair surrounded an elegant face. Bright upturned eyes stared back at me, as blue as the Caribbean sea. Long eyelashes cast shadows down pearl-white cheeks. A gently cut jawline led to a pale graceful neck. A strong swimmers physique greatly reminiscent of my own made the already beautiful person that much closer to god-like. This creature was almost ethereal in its beauty, enchanting and mesmerizing.