The Alpha's Omega Mate-Chapter 41: Just like the TV series: Stranger things.

~Dahlia POV~

The crowd fizzled out shortly afterwards but I didn’t leave. I couldn’t leave the scene even as several healers catered to Alpha Zarek, and even as they at the end of the day, wheeled him into the fortress. And while they went, my heart remained in a state of unease.

I was afraid on his behalf, scared that something was definitely off, and with the way Beta Orion seemed to be completely lost in thoughts and ultimately disheveled, I instantly knew that there was more to what was happening than what we, the onlookers, were being told.

After several hours of waiting behind to get a grasp of what was going on, I finally gave up and made my way back to my room, and by the time I did it was late in the evening and Amara and Tiffany were already there, sleeping soundly in my bed.

I sighed. At first, I wondered what they were both doing here but upon realization that Beta Orion was stuck attending to Alpha Zarek and that these children had no other place to go besides here, I stopped wondering, checked to see if they had eaten, and when I was sure that they had— from the dirty plates containing half eaten bread and soup by a corner of my room— I let them be.

I quickly cleaned up, changed into my sleeping garments and laid on the heap of clothes I had stashed on the floor as my bed was too small to contain all three of us.

And now, this was the time, I was supposed to sleep. The time when I was supposed to rest from all the drama of the day, but I couldn’t. Not when there were more things to worry about now than usual.

First on the list was the Alpha’s health.

Ever since the news of his accident reached the pack, an air of gloom had engulfed everyone. The Market women had closed their stalls early, the usual children playing about had stayed indoors, even the trainers didn’t train this evening and Beta Orion— well Beta Orion was simply being beta Orion but with a touch of worry.

My heart ached for him. I worried about how hurt he must be and was desperate to hear that he was getting any better... at least. But there was nothing yet and it scared me.

And then there was Nyx, Prince Zeke’s betrothed. Something about her presence here didn’t sit well with me. Nothing about her presence did, but I couldn’t help but wonder how she’s here with a child for the Alpha... and to top it all, a child who was about Amara’s age.

Does this mean that she was pregnant when she broke up with the prince of Silver moon pack? Had she even lied that she’d gotten with a butler when in truth it was Alpha Zarek? Or was there something else missing that I haven’t been able to piece in this stupid puzzle that keeps getting more complicated with each passing day?

A small noise startled me and I sat up only to see that it was Amara mumbling something under her breath while still fast asleep. I crawled over to her to wrap my arms around her body and to help her relax but I was immediately thrown into a state of shock when I was met with... hotness.

She was insanely hot. Burning up with an intense fever that it was a wonder that her clothes weren’t on fire right now.

In desperation, I rushed out of the room with one of my corset tops, and when I arrived by the well close to the slaves’ arena, I dipped it into the first bucket of water I found and rushed back into the room, hoping to give her a cold compress, but to my utter surprise, she wasn’t hot anymore when I got back. She was drenched in sweat.

"What the hell is this?" I muttered in both confusion and worry.

My brows furrowed together as I watched her struggle some more in her sleep, alternating between fever and bouts of sweat, and when I couldn’t take it anymore, I tapped her gently on the shoulder, whispering;

"Mara baby, wake up... it’s mommy. You need to change out of this dress."

For a solid five minutes I struggled to wake her up but she wouldn’t bulge.

Her inability to wake up and her rising and falling fever made me panic and in sheer desperation, I struck her. Hard. On her shoulder. So hard that my palms hurt—my heart too—but that seemed to do the trick because then her eyes flew open, and they landed on me.

And Hades, they were not the usual green that I have grown to love. They were yellow. A glowing feral yellow that tore through the darkness and landed on me, causing a feeling of unease to spread across my body.

I shuffled backwards, my breath hitching in my chest; "Amara?"

But she didn’t respond. She continued to stare until she began to make snarling noises under her breath.

"Amara... it’s me. It’s mommy!" I whisper-screamed at her until she blinked.

"Mommy?"

Despite the softness in her voice and the confusion on her face, I couldn’t bring myself to go any closer. I was scared shitless. And that was an understatement of the millennia. "Amara, your eyes..."

"It itches, mom." She whispered, rubbing at them but forgive me, I still couldn’t move— not when her usual hands were now paw-like, with claws, and furs so silver, it could rival the color of the moon on a clear burger sky.

I shivered.

Children of her age never shift. It never happens but there were a few exceptions for those of Royal bloodlines. Those that were born Alphas but with special gifts. And obviously, Amara was one of them.

Her father must’ve been something.

"Baby, do you feel weird? Are you okay?" I asked, still as far away from her as possible. And she nodded, rubbing her eyes one more time to look up at me.

They were now the usual green.

"I was only having a bad dream where daddy Zarreeq got hit on the head. And he didn’t recognize me afterwards." She added, causing my eyes to widen in surprise.

Going by her words, Alpha Zarek had really been struck on the head but does this mean...? Does this mean that he would lose his memory too?

No, no way.

That was impossible!

He wouldn’t recognize us. He wouldn’t recognize me! Nor our mate bond.

He was the one reason living here was seldom manageable. If that happens then I and Amara would be dead.

And Jennifer would make sure of that.