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Chapter 206
~Zara’s POV~
The cool night air slipped through the slightly ajar window, brushing against my skin as I lay nestled against Snow. His steady, soft and rhythmic breathing was to the tranquillity of the room.
The earlier passion between us had left warm and content. I snuggled closer to his chest, feeling the strength of his arms wrapped protectively around .
The way he held always made feel safe, as though nothing in the world could touch when I was with him.
But tonight, sleep felt elusive. My mind kept replaying snippets of the day, from the warmth in Snow’s gaze to the lingering unease at the edge of my thoughts.
The faint buzz of my phone on the nightstand pulled from my musings. Careful not to disturb Snow, I reached over and unlocked the screen.
The ssage was from Ivan.
My stomach tightened as I read the words:
Ivan: So, the Lycan King has his sights on you now, huh? Must feel like a prize. Tell , Zara—did you whore yourself to catch his attention, or was it just luck?
Anger surged through and my grip on the phone tightened. I wanted to scream, to throw the device against the wall, to storm into Ivan’s life and make him regret every vile word he’d ever said.
But I couldn’t. Not now.
Snow shifted slightly beside , his arms instinctively pulling closer in his sleep. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. Ivan wasn’t worth waking Snow over.
I turned off the screen, placing the phone face down on the nightstand. Closing my eyes, I willed myself to forget the ssage and focus on the warmth of Snow’s embrace.
Eventually, sleep ca, but it was not the restful reprieve I had hoped for.
************
The dream ca swiftly, pulling into a world of shadows and mories.
I was standing in a forest—a dense, dark place with towering trees whose gnarled branches stretched like claws against a starless sky.
And there, in the clearing ahead, I saw myself.
My lifeless body lay on the ground, pale and still, a stark contrast against the dark earth while Ivan and Clarissa stood over , their faces cold and indifferent.
"Get rid of it," Ivan said, his voice devoid of emotion.
Clarissa snorted, tossing her hair back. "And here I thought she’d put up more of a fight. Pathetic. Co on."
"No need speaking to dead at. She was good for what she was good for. Now, it doesn’t matter anymore."
"Well, if not for her father’s company, you wouldn’t have had to bear with her all these." Clarissa stared at my body like garbage, and I hated them even for it.
Bunch of bastards.
Together, they lifted my body and carried it deeper into the forest, their footsteps crunching against the dead leaves.
I tried to move, to scream, to stop them, but I couldn’t. My limbs remained uncooperative, and my voice sounded like a faint murmur in the wind.
They dumped my body unceremoniously near a large, moss-covered boulder. Without a second glance, they turned and disappeared into the darkness.
I wanted to weep, to rage, but my attention was drawn to a new presence.
From the shadows erged a figure—a woman draped in flowing robes that shimred faintly in the dim light. A staff adorned with bells and trinkets rested in her hand, each step she took making the ornants chi softly.
Her face was obscured by a veil, but her aura radiated power. She stopped in front of my lifeless body, tilting her head as though studying it.
"This is not the end," she murmured, her voice rich and resonant.
She removed a pendant from around her neck, a green jade stone set at its center, and placed it on my forehead. Her lips moved in a chant, the words foreign but rhythmic, each syllable carrying a weight that seed to ripple through the air.
A sudden burst of light erupted from the jade stone, enveloping my body in a brilliant glow.
"It is not yet your ti to die," the woman said, her voice growing louder, echoing through the forest. "You still have much to do, Zia Gold. Return and fulfil your destiny. This ti, I shall et you in your next life."
Her words struck sharply, causing my breath to catch as her head abruptly snapped toward .
Her veil fell back, revealing eyes that blazed with red light, piercing through the darkness and locking onto mine.
She could see .
My body shuddered under her gaze, and before I could process what was happening, a scream tore from my throat, yanking out of the dream.
***********
I bolted upright in bed, gasping for air. Sweat trickled down my forehead and soaked through my nightwear, my heart hamring like a drum.
The room was dark and quiet, the only sound Snow’s steady breathing beside . He lay undisturbed, his face peaceful in the faint moonlight streaming through the window.
I ran a trembling hand through my hair, trying to steady myself. The dream had been so vivid, so real.
As I swung my legs over the side of the bed, a na flashed in my mind, unbidden. A na that felt both foreign and familiar.
Zia Gold.
She knew . Knew my real na and what I needed to do. There was no doubt I needed to find this woman using so clue or sothing.
I needed to know about so many things—the jade stone. The chanting. The woman’s fiery gaze.
I had no idea what it all ant, but one thing was clear—I couldn’t ignore it.
Quietly, I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Snow. My movents were quick but deliberate as I dressed and grabbed my phone, the na of a place etched into my mind like a beacon calling to .
I didn’t know what awaited there, but I knew I had to find out.
My destiny demanded it.
Updat𝓮d from freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.co(m)
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