Aura

Betrayal

Something within me felt guilty for not trusting Nash. The other part, my sane side, logically pieced all the evidence together. I wanted to blindly trust Nash and follow him off the cliff, but something always stopped me from taking the final step off the edge.

"I know you don't trust me. I can't blame you really." Nash startled me out of my thoughts. My body turned to face him sitting up in the bed. "We met under unusual circumstances." That was an understatement. His arms stretched out in open invitation. No matter how I tried to resist, the closer I was to him the less reason I saw in fighting the urge to stay. Something in his emanation called to me. Whether I saw him as a murderer, or a lover, his aura never changed. I answered the call one step at a time until I was propped against the wall with his arms encircling me. I wanted to believe him so much it physically hurt to deny him. "If you don't trust me, trust your instincts."

"How can I trust those when I can't even think when I'm around you? I don't understand why I can't just be me when you're around. Everything just focuses on you, Nash. It's always you." My heart raced at the confession I didn't plan on sharing. I was someone I didn't recognize with him around.

"It's the same for me." His tone was gentle, just a whisper in my ear. "Before you, I was cold and hollow. Always watching out for a pack that secretly wanted me dead. I regretted my past and feared my future. I'm not an alpha, I was never meant to lead the pack, none of us were." My eyes began to slide closed, his voice soothed away my fears. "But with you, Jessica, I am thawing and full of hope. Without even trying, you chase away my fears by just being here. Telling you my past lifted the guilt I'd been carrying, even if that means I've lost your trust for now. I'll gain it back somehow because with you I have a future." My breathing evened out and gradually I slipped from consciousness. "My mate, you are-"

I vaguely remembered this ever changing scene before me. Déjà vu had become my norm since the dreams began three weeks ago. My mind was oddly clear compared to the vision coming to life before me. Like the last time I drank the tea, the dream was vivid in every detail. The ever constant change in the scenery was slight by the way the trees moved first blowing east then like a snap shot west was the new direction. The position of the sun neared the horizon, inching closer to sunset but never quite twilight. Within the forested area corpses littered the ground, wolves and humans alike. Flora bathed in bloodshed. Dread widened my eyes as I realized unlike the last time I had this dream, the bodies didn't flash alive mid fight along with the changing scenery. The remains only withered in alternating fractions of death. Their fates were sealed.

A hand drew to my mouth as I realized only two figures remained upright, fists raised for a blow. Both werewolves were partially changed, so much so, it took me longer than it should to recognize them. Seth, with his face too narrow and nose too long. Nash, eyes narrowed to wolfish slits and teeth elongated to dagger like points. Their bodies were bloodied and knuckles raw, white a stark contrast to the gore only appeared in flashes. I watched with dismay as bone peeked through after agonizing uppercuts pierced through Nash's skin. Was this what it will come to? Seth and Nash grew up as brothers, and yet Seth's bitter jealousy to be Davis's first choice would always cloud his judgment. Even after Seth's betrayal and attempted murder, Nash wanted to save him and the pack from their terrible mistake in breaking the council's law by attempting to change humans into wolves.

Nash halved the force behind each hit but took each punch Seth dealt out. He was holding back on purpose, unable to hurt his friend and pack brother. Nash had to be stronger or else he wouldn't have held his alpha title for decades, High Alpha command or not wolves still relied on the strongest to lead. Why was he holding back? My vision was narrowed on the fight though they were still too far to hear my shouts. I ran with long strides but never seemed to move closer than I already was.

Something flashed in Seth's hand, it was small and previously concealed, but once unsheathed I could clearly make out the silver dagger. This was wrong, so different from before. What had happened to change the events so drastically from the last time I dreamed this vision?

My breath caught in my chest as the dagger pierced deep into Nash's chest. His knees buckled and arms wrapped tight around Seth in a fierce hug. Even on death's door, Nash would forgive Seth. I couldn't understand it. The supernatural pull visibly snapped on his last breath. I was free, and empty. My knees kissed the ground as I broke at the sight of Nash, lifeless like the rest. An ache throbbed from my chest outward in heartbreak. A poignant sob wrenched from my lips. I would never feel his touch again, his gaze when I wasn't looking, his aura. The pull was gone.

Seth jolted from the noise, his golden eyes fixated on me breaking. He stalked forward but I didn't care. Seth's breath misted in the frigid air. His fangs grazed my neck, and I didn't care. There was no fight in me without the strength I pulled from Nash. A single thought hazily passed as Seth bit down. If only I was here earlier to warn Nash about the silver, he would still be alive. Pain sliced through the numbness. Intense burning slithered up my veins with every heartbeat. The ache was too great, so I succumbed into obscurity.