Oracle Days

Chapter Twenty Two

I woke up to the unfamiliar scent of sandalwood and something richer, like aged oak. My eyes fluttered open, only to be met with the oppressive darkness of a room I didn't recognise. Thick velvet curtains blocked out any trace of sunlight, and the faint glow of a dying fire in the corner cast long, flickering shadows across the ornate furnishings.

The bed beneath me was softer than anything I'd ever felt, the sheets silky and cool against my skin. A canopy of dark fabric loomed above me, its intricate embroidery shimmering faintly in the dim light. My fingers brushed over the edge of the quilt, feeling its luxurious weight. This wasn't my room.

Panic clawed at my chest as the events of the night before came rushing back, or tried to. My mind was a haze, fragments slipping through my grasp like water through cupped hands. I remembered tension, the argument with Xavier, the sharp sting of his words. After that... nothing.

I sat up abruptly, the room spinning for a moment as I did. My heart raced as I took in the details of my surroundings. A grand dresser with an enormous gilded mirror stood against one wall, its surface littered with strange trinkets, a silver comb, an ornate dagger, and a black rose preserved in a glass dome. To my left, a door stood slightly ajar, revealing a glimpse of a dimly lit corridor.

I pressed a hand to my temple, willing my memories to piece themselves together. How did I get here? Who brought me here? My last clear thought was Xavier storming out, his wolf disappearing into the woods. Had something happened after that?

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, my bare feet brushing against a lush rug. The coldness of the room seeped into my skin, but I ignored it, focusing instead on the questions swirling in my mind. The faint echo of footsteps down the hall made me freeze, my breath catching in my throat.

Was I safe? Or was I somewhere I absolutely shouldn't be?

A creak shattered the silence as the door pushed open, spilling a thin ribbon of light into the room. My breath hitched as a tall figure stepped inside, his presence filling the space like a storm rolling in.

"Good, you're up," he said, his deep, authoritative voice cutting through the haze in my mind.

Alpha Elias.

I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the faint light as the realisation hit me like a thunderclap. This was his room. The ornate furnishings, the imposing aura of the space, it all made sense now. My heart sank as I took in his composed yet unreadable expression, his piercing eyes locked onto me like a predator sizing up its prey.

"What...?" My voice came out hoarse, my throat dry. "Why am I here?"

Elias leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest. "You don't remember," he said, his tone as much a statement as a question.

I shook my head, a faint, uneasy heat crawling up my spine. My pulse thudded in my ears as I scrambled to piece together the fragments of the night before. "No, I don't," I murmured, trying to keep my voice steady.

He stepped farther into the room, his movements deliberate and controlled, like he was trying not to startle me. "You were out cold in the woods," he said simply, his sharp gaze softening just enough to make me question whether it was concern or calculation behind it.

I stared at him, trying to make sense of his words. "Out cold in the woods? From what?"

He hesitated for a moment, his jaw tightening. "You fainted. Likely from exhaustion... and everything else you've been through."

My hands curled into fists in the quilt, my memory stubbornly refusing to cooperate. The argument with Xavier, the suffocating weight of the night—it had all built up into a fog I couldn't shake. But why was I in the woods?