17 years earlier ...
"Rock-a-bye, baby
In the treetop.
When the wind blows,
The cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks,
The cradle will fall,
And down will come baby,
Cradle and all.
Baby is drowsing,
Cosy and fair."
Bright greens eyes finally shut and fall into a deep, dreamless sleep. Placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, she carefully places the infant into her crib. Smiling internally, she watches as her daughter's chest slowly rises and falls. With a final glance at the baby monitor, she leaves the room.
"Okay, Emery's asleep."
Entering her bedroom, she finds her mate already fast asleep.
"And apparently you are too."
Amelia wasn't surprised to find him asleep. Aaron worked incredibly long, grueling hours to provide for their family. She wished she could help ease his burden but somebody had to watch Emery. Seeing as they were alone with no help, she had no choice.
Grabbing her nightgown, she made her to way into the ensuite bathroom for a shower. The warm water eased the tension in her muscles, finally allowing her to relax. As grateful as she was for her daughter, she wished she had her mother beside her to help. It had been two years and she missed her so much. Maybe in time, she'd see her again. Pushing the thought aside, she focused only on cleaning herself.
Suddenly, she heard a distinct crashing sound. She froze, waiting for a following sound to confirm what she believed she heard. Even with her heightened senses, the water made it difficult to hear anything else. No other sound followed but she felt incredibly on edge. Without another thought, she shut off the water and quickly dried herself off. Throwing the night gown on over her head and wrapping herself with a robe, she stepped out of the bathroom.
Cautiously entering the bedroom, she found that Aaron was no longer in their bed. A sense of unease swept through her and she tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach. As her eyes scanned the dark room, she struggled to see anything clearly. It was only when she went to leave the room that she found his body on the floor beside their bed.
"Aaahh!"
A blood curdling scream tore from her lips. Blood surrounded him, as he laid there flat on his stomach unmoving, lifeless.
Her husband.
Her mate.
The lights suddenly came on, momentarily blinding her. Even in that brief flash of blindness, she knew he was here. The creature from her nightmares. The man responsible for everything that had gone wrong in her life. The man she had hoped she'd escaped.
He was here.
Crumpling to the floor, she crawled towards the man she loved. The back of his white shirt now entirely stained red. She wept painfully as she felt her heart shatter in half.
"No, please, Goddess no," she prayed hoping none of this was real. Instead this was all just a bad dream; one that felt very real. One that she'd desperately try to forget.Turning his body over, she screamed at the terrifying sight before her.
His eyes had been torn from their sockets. Blood poured down his mangled face onto his neck. His shirt was torn down the middle, revealing a giant gash in his chest. Blood continued to pour from the opening even as she reached down to cover the wound.
