Zoya's P.O.V
My eyes snapped open, and I found myself gasping for breath as if I had just emerged from the clutches of a suffocating nightmare.
The sheets clung to my body, drenched in sweat, and a shiver ran down my spine despite the warmth of the room.
My heart raced, its frantic beats echoing in my ears, and a sense of unease gripped me like a vice.
Before I could even comprehend what was happening, Cam was at my side, checking my vitals even before I had time to register what was going on.
I could hear her urgent voice, calling out to the others, and the sound of footsteps hurriedly approaching our room.
"Ezra, she's awake!" Cam's voice held a tone that was in the middle of relief and concern, as if she had been worried about me, even though my mind was still trying to connect the dots in my memory.
And then, in what felt like mere moments, Ezra was there too, his worried eyes locking onto mine as if trying to decipher the depths of my distress.
His presence alone was a soothing balm to my frazzled nerves, and I found myself instinctively reaching out for him.
To say that he made me feel safe in that moment of disorientation was an understatement.
His arms enveloped me in a gentle embrace, and I pressed myself against his warmth, as if seeking solace from the invisible storm that had rattled my senses.
"Ezra," I murmured, my voice betraying the fear that still held me captive.
"I'm here, Zoya," he whispered, his voice a reassuring murmur against my ear. "You're safe now."
Around us, the room seemed to fill with concerned faces, the pack members who had rushed to my side. Silas and Anika were here as well, and I swallowed my confusion to focus on more pressing matters, as well as the flashes of pain in my chest when I saw him.
Slowly, my memories of the incident returned to me in flashes…and so did the fear.
The presence of my pack around me offered a sense of security, but the remnants of whatever had haunted my sleep still clung to me like a lingering nightmare.
A cold chill crawled up my spine, and I shivered in Ezra's arms.
"I... I don't know what happened," I admitted shakily, my fingers clutching the fabric of Ezra's shirt as if anchoring myself to reality. "It was like... like I was trapped, suffocating. We're not safe."
Ezra's grip tightened, his fingers brushing my hair gently as if to soothe me. "You're all right now," he murmured, his voice a steadfast promise. "We're here with you."
Ezra's arms around me felt like a lifeline, grounding me in his presence. His words were meant to reassure, to comfort, and yet, the residue of fear still clung to me like a relentless shadow.
But despite his attempts at soothing me, I couldn't shake the feeling, the nagging sense that true and complete safety remained just out of reach.
I took a deep breath, attempting to steady my voice, and yet, the tremor that underlined my words was unmistakable. "No, Ezra, you don't understand. We're not safe."
Confusion flickered across Silas and Anika's faces, evident in the furrowing of brows and exchanged glances.
Anika's voice was soft, tinged with concern as she questioned, "Zoya, what do you mean?"
My fingers tightened involuntarily on Ezra's shirt, my gaze shifting between the faces that surrounded me. "Something's wrong... in that house."
The words felt like a confession, a whispered admission of a truth that defied logic.
Under the weight of their gazes, I felt like a misbehaving child who had to admit to her parents that she had done something wrong. Because it was only then that I realized... I never told Ezra that I had gone to his old house in the first place…
Silas frowned, his eyes narrowing as he tried to grasp the gravity of my statement. "What could be wrong? It’s just a house."
Anika's expression mirrored the same bewilderment as she leaned in closer. "Did you have a nightmare, Zoya? When I found you, I checked the entire house. There was nothing unusual."
I shook my head, my mind vividly replaying the haunting images that had shaken me to the core. "No, it wasn't a nightmare," I insisted, my voice quivering slightly. "I know what I saw. And I did see something... in the mirror."
Their confusion deepened, and I took a steadying breath, gathering the courage to recount what had played out in the depths of my subconscious.
I was afraid…more about my confession than their reaction…because this was about their beloved Lily…
"I saw Lily," I began, my words coming out in a hushed whisper. "She was in the mirror, surrounded by fire. Her face... it was like she was trapped in some kind of inferno. Like she was trapped in… hell."
Silas and Anika exchanged another glance, both seemingly struggling to comprehend the gravity of my words. Ezra's grip tightened around me.
A heavy silence descended upon the room as the weight of the revelation hung in the air, and I could see the flicker of uncertainty in their eyes.
It was so quiet you could hear a piece of paper fall to the ground, never mind a pin.
It was as if I had spoken of a taboo topic, and they didn't know how to tell me it wasn't appropriate.
Both Silas and Ezra looked disturbed, and I had a sinking feeling that they wouldn't believe me.
They wouldn't call me a liar, I knew that, but they wouldn't believe me either.
"Lily?" Silas's voice held a mix of disbelief and pain, the name of a ghost from the past that seemed to haunt us all.
Just then, I had a fleeting worry cross my mind. What if Lily was haunting me for getting involved with her lovers now that she was gone?
What if she was out to get me?
Was that what she meant when she told me it was 'my turn next'?
Would she go as far as hurt my baby as well?
I nodded, my fingers trembling as I pressed them to my stomach, the memory continued to play out in my mind's eye. "Yes, Lily. She looked... tormented," I repeated. "It felt like she was in some kind of hell."