I could feel myself being shaken and my name being called but my eyes were firmly planted on the large beast in front of me. His eyes shone red and his fangs dripped with drool, his nails coated in my blood as his body lurched at me again, going for my neck this time.
''Jaidan!'' My eyes shot open and my voice burned with screams and ragged breath.
A hand sheltered my head and a familiar calming rumble filled my ears as my eyes darted around my surroundings frantically searching for my attacker.
''It's okay, mate. It was just a dream.'' The person holding me whispered in my ear before he started kissing all over my shoulder, calming my body's shudders of fear.
''Tatum.'' I whimpered.
He continued to hush me and rock me back and forth for a few more minutes before lifting me and making his way towards the warming heat of the hot pools.
''This will calm you down.'' He didn't waste any time taking off my clothes and just walked into the water, socks and all, lowering us until I was sitting in his lap, my arms wrapped securely around his neck and our heads buried in each other's shoulders.
Half an hour had passed before I finally calmed completely and I was finally able to take notice of hardness beneath me, making me bury my face further into his muscular neck remembering feverishly that he had gone to bed naked.
''Are you calm now?'' He rubbed soothing circles into my hips that caused me to sigh in appreciation.
''I'm sorry.'' I whispered.
''There's no reason to be sorry. What did you dream of?''
I kept quiet, not wanting to think about it but his hand slowly moved further under my shirt that had floated up under my arms, his fingers ghosting over my flesh and up towards the scars that burned in memory and I visibly stiffened.
''They'll be gone soon.'' He kissed the mark on my shoulder and my head involuntarily tilted to give him more access.
As his kissed turned heavier on the sensitive skin and his canines scraped the mark, a group of males made their way through to the pools but stopped dead in their tracks, a black haired guy around Tatum's age led them and sneered in our direction.
''I can't believe you actually chose an omega.'' He spat the word omega as if it was a sin and my body flinched at the malice.
''Middle ranks who can barely hunt should use their time wisely before they run out of it.'' Tatum's eyes shone their bright silver and he stood and ushered me to his side.
''And you have a job to do. Alpha is looking for you and you're spending your time pampering a weak creature who barely looks like he can carry the clothes on his back let alone contribute to the pack.'' His shoulder bumped Tatum's as he made his way through the pools before shooting me a murderous glare. ''Omega's don't belong here. We don't want the past to repeat itself do we?''
As Tatum went to lunge at the group, I raised my hand to his chest and it surprisingly stopped him from advancing but his wolf was still present, his breath heaving and his body shaking with the early stages of the change.
''It's fine. I'm fine.'' His eyes darted down to mine and then back to the guys behind me. ''Can we please go now?''
With a final growl, Tatum led me back towards his room where he gave me a fresh shirt to wear that looked like it would reach below my knees and that it did. It fell off one shoulder and sagged to my knees.
''Are you okay now?'' I asked as I sat on a bench but before he could answer Alic came through the door furs.
''You have to go to your father.'' He spoke strongly to Tatum before turning his eyes to me and smiling softly. ''I'll look after your princess.''
''I'll be back soon.'' Tatum growled frustratingly at the man and exited the room before nodding to me to answer my question.
''A tour?'' Alic held his hand out to me.
I stood and made my way towards him, his nose wrinkling in distaste before he threw my still damp clothes at me as they were the only clothes I had here.
''Tatum might like you with no pants on but with your hormones going crazy right now, I'd prefer feeling safer with you wearing pants.'' My face flushed at that and I quickly put on my pants to his amusement. ''Now how about that tour?''
Alic weaved me in and out of tunnels showing me the different rooms for different ranks and introduced me to wolves of all shapes and sizes- mainly tall, scary looking people that could crush me in no time- who seemed to either be really interested in why I was here or really on guard about my presence.
We had bumped into the man from the pools earlier and Alic introduced him as Dustin, a middle rank wolf who should have been a high rank if he wasn't 'an asshole who chose the life of an idiot over the life of a respected dominant'.
''And this is where we chow down.'' Alic gestured to a large room with many stone benches and tables that looked like it could fit all four packs inside.
''Beta. The Alpha needs you to take the hunting party out.'' A medium built, middle-aged man lowered his head to Alic.
''Isn't my nephew done yet?''
''No. Alpha says they're having trouble getting this one to talk.''
''My nephew is losing his magic touch.'' He smirked. ''Can you make your way back from here Princess? I can't keep a bunch of hungry wolves waiting.''
''I'm sure I'll manage.'' I looked down the corridor we came from and nodded to Alic.
''If you get lost, cry a little and I'm sure your prince will come.'' He laughed and left the cave.
I huffed at his back and made my way down the long hall, weaving in and out of different tunnels, backtracking and trying to find my way towards Tatum's room without much success.
Eventually I made my way to a tunnel that seemed to go further into the cave and slope down as stairs. It probably wasn't a good idea to go down it but there was barely anyone around to ask for help and even if there was, there was little to no chance of me being able to approach them.
With the hope of a way to Tatum's room, I descended further into the cave and heard grunts of pain as wells as growls and whimpers. Fearing for someone being hurt, I made my way closer to the noises and saw a large man beating another man tied to a chair. They were both covered in blood but when the attacker turned his head, I caught the glimpse of eyes that were now so familiar.
Thank you all for being so patient xx