As soon as it was safe to come back home, we traveled the short distance to Girdwood and headed directly for the pack den where the Alphas and Elders of the Snehvolk council gathered for a meeting. Dawson has been telling them what happened and how we almost encountered the demon dog near the lake.
I can feel everyone’s eyes boring into me, skeptical, wary, because they blame me for wandering too far out of bounds. Dawson was the one who took the fall, telling them that he was the one who wanted to see something out there, and dragged me with him.
Of course, they don’t believe the alibi, since I’m the worthless omega who shouldn’t even be here, in the pack den, amongst the honorable members of the Snehvolk Council.
Alpha Elias nods thoughtfully. “So, it’s back after all these months.”
“It appears so,” Dawson concedes. “We would have stayed and fought it, but I didn’t want to risk our lives when we were so far, or disrupt the celebrations if I called for backup.”
“I wouldn’t have minded at all,” Luna Aurora chimes in. “But we were not prepared for an attack last night. I’m just glad you and Yvonne were safe in the hut. That means the protection spell worked.”
Dawson nods. “Thank you, Luna. It did work. The demon couldn’t sense our presence in that hut, and eventually, it flew away.”
“But what’s concerning is that it’s back,” Alpha Brooks grouches as he leans back in his chair, briefly flickering his eyes to me.
The pools of silver are colder than I can ever imagine mine becoming, and a shiver courses down my spine. Of course,not everyone here is set on being hospitable to me and my son, and since I’m the only omega among the alphas and a luna, I feel wildly out of place.
That’s why I keep my head down as the Alphas discuss the appearance of the demon last night, and what it means for the pack. They speak about future plans, and Dawson reminds them about their initial encounter with the demonic spirit on Girdwood soil.
Just as I glance at Dawson, my vision blurs. Without warning, I’m hauled into a trance-like state, my vision opening up to the snow-covered trees in the forest, a dark, ominous mist settling over my surroundings. As I stand frozen on the spot, the dark presence swirls toward me, floating through the air and morphing into a dog-like creature.
“The demon dog!” I exclaim, my panicked voice instantly springing me out of the vision and into the room of the pack den. My eyes fly open wide when I realize that everyone is staring at me, and I search for Dawson in the crowd.
My bottom lip trembles fearfully as I shake my head in disbelief.
“What just happened, Miss Lang?” one of the elders, Caius, interrogates.
Another elder murmurs, “We’ve seen that before with Luna Aurora.”
A horrified gasp erupts in the room. “She’s a witch!”
I snap my head in the direction of the elders, still shaking it as they glare at me accusingly. Gulping hard, I feel a set of warm, consoling fingers wrap around mine.
“She’s not a witch!” Dawson interjects through all of their accusations, turning to me. “Right, Yvonne?”
I shake my head slowly. “I—I don’t know what just happened. I s-saw something….” My voice trembles. “B—but I’m not a witch. I only saw…” I gulp again. “I saw the demon dog.”
A chorus of shocked gasps fills the air while Dawson stares at me with a frown.
“She’s a witch! The omega lied to us!” someone yells out, and Dawson growls to voice his defense, his protection of me.
“She may be a witch, but she’s not aware of her powers!”
I’m shocked when I see Luna Aurora standing up, voicing her claim. She glances at me and nods as if in encouragement, then continues, “Yvonne hasn’t lied; she doesn’t know that she’s a witch. She isn’t aware of her other powers, so how can she be lying? I believe her.”
Aurora’s stern defense sets silence over the pack den, but she comes toward me and lifts my free hand.
“You have much to learn, Yvonne Lang. But first, tell me what you saw in your vision,” Aurora says, and I sigh, overwhelmed by what I just learned, and it knocks into me with enough force to blacken my vision entirely. Exhausted by everything that’s happened, I let it wash over me, feeling strangely safe enough to pass out with one hand in Aurora’s, the other in Dawson’s.
Chapter 14 - Dawson
“You gave us quite the shock when you passed out the other day,” Luna Aurora giggles as she enters Yvonne’s bedroom. “Are you feeling any better today?”
“I am,” Yvonne says as she props herself onto her elbows. “Alpha Dawson has been making sure I get enough rest, and if I don’t, he’s threatened to kick me out of Snehvolk himself.”
Both Luna Aurora and Rissa giggle as I make my presence known at the doorway.
“Hey! I only said that because you’re too stubborn and won’t listen to anything I say.”
