Kaelan woke abruptly, his breath catching in his throat as he bolted upright in bed. His chest heaved as if he’d been running, and a thin layer of sweat clung to his skin. The room was bathed in daylight, the golden rays spilling through the curtains, yet the warmth of the sun did nothing to dispel the chill creeping through him.
The remnants of the nightmare lingered, more vivid than they’d ever been. For weeks, his dreams had been filled with chaos—unsettling images that vanished as soon as he woke. But this time was different. He could remember flashes: the sound of laughter, light and melodic but laced with malice. It was a laugh he was certain belonged to Liana.
Kaelan swung his legs over the edge of the bed, planting his feet on the cold floor as he ran a hand through his hair. He closed his eyes, trying to piece together the fragments. There had been firelight, flickering shadows, and whispered words he couldn’t quite grasp. The laughter echoed faintly in his mind, accompanied by the suffocating scent of something unfamiliar, almost sweet.
“What is going on?” he muttered to himself, his voice breaking the silence.
His gaze fell on the tray of food Liana had left for him the night before. The untouched meal sat neatly on the table, the contents slightly askew as if something had disturbed it. A wave of unease washed over him.
Rising from the bed, Kaelan crossed the room. As he reached for the tray, his hand brushed against something hard and unfamiliar. He frowned, his brow furrowing as he bent down to pick it up.
It was a hat—a simple, practical item, but one that didn’t belong to him. Turning it over in his hands, Kaelan felt a jolt of recognition. It was the Beta’s hat, unmistakable with its subtle marking on the brim.
Kaelan stared at the hat for a long moment, his mind racing. What was it doing in his chambers? Simon hadn’t been here—at least, not that he’d known of.
A sharp knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He set the hat down carefully, calling out, “Enter.”
A maid stepped inside, her head bowed respectfully. “Alpha, the council requests your presence at the training grounds.”
Kaelan nodded curtly. “Tell them I’ll be there shortly.”
As the maid left, he turned back to the hat, his unease deepening. Something wasn’t adding up. The laughter from his dream echoed faintly in his mind, intertwining with the questions that now plagued him.
He shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside for the moment. There were more pressing matters to address.