The Alpha Weredragon's Favorite
CHAPTER 48

Lyra

I slipped into a vivid dream where the colors were brighter, more vibrant than in waking life. Sounds became crystal clear, and emotions surged through me with an intensity I'd never known. The soft grass beneath my feet felt like velvet, and the warm sun on my skin was a sweet embrace.

A peaceful scene unfolded before me - a picture perfect lake surrounded by lush greenery. On a red and white checkered blanket near the shore sat two people, a man and woman with hair the color of golden wheat. Their laughter rang out, mingling with the lapping of the water against the rocky bank.

"Isn't it a perfect day, my love?" The woman said to her husband, her eyes shining with pure bliss as she gazed at him.

He smiled back, the love between them a tangible force. "Any day spent with you and our little angel is perfect to me," he replied, leaning in to plant a tender kiss on the woman's lips. "Oh, you are a flirt," she said, her cheeks tinged pink.

"That's why you married me, if I recall. My ability to sweep you off your feet... and into my bed."

The woman laughed. The sound was so infections I laughed a long with her.

"Is that all you think of?"

"Yes, and I am eager for me, as soon as you are well enough."

"The healer says next week... but if you like, this evening I can give you a little preview." The woman batted her eyelashes.

The man's smile outshone the sun. "This evening it is... as long as this little bugger goes to sleep quick enough."

Between the happy couple, nestled on the blanket, lay a baby. The tiny child gurgled happily, chubby hands reaching up to grasp at a delicate butterfly that hovered just out of reach.

"That she is. A naughty little bugger whom I love and adore." The woman scooped up the baby, holding the wiggling bundle close. "Oh, I have such dreams for you, little one. Such hopes for your future. You'll do great things, I just know it." She planted a loving kiss on the child's downy head.

I watched, entranced, as the scene continued to unfold. The father took the baby from her mother and lifted her up in his arms, gazing down at the innocent face with a mixture of love and wonder.

"I hope she grows up to be as strong and kind as her mother," he said softly, brushing a gentle finger across the baby's cheek. "With a heart full of compassion and the courage to stand up for what's right."

The mother leaned against her husband, her eyes misty with emotion. "And I hope she inherits her father's wisdom and integrity. That she always seeks the truth, even when it's not easy."

"We'll guide her, teach her, and give her roots," the father promised. "But we'll also give her wings to fly, to discover her own destiny."

The mother nodded, reaching out to take her husband's hand. "She'll know love, every day of her life. She'll know she's cherished, supported, and believed in."

"And when the time comes," the father added, his voice thick with emotion, "we'll let her go, to become the woman she's meant to be. Because that's what love is - wanting the best for someone, even if it means watching them leave the nest." Tears streamed down the mother's face as she leaned in to kiss her husband once more. "But she'll always have a home with us, no matter where life takes her. She'll always be our little girl."

As I watched this perfect family, an overwhelming sense of connection washed over me. These people, their faces both strange yet achingly familiar, stirred something deep in my soul. My heart clenched with each carefree laugh, each blissful smile.

Envy coursed through my veins, hot and biting. This baby was so clearly cherished, adored in a way I never was. Where were the loving arms to hold me? The soothing words spoken over me? All I ever knew was coldness, rejection. Resentment mingled with a desperate yearning as I watched the scene play out, so different from my own painful memories.

But why did it feel so real, this strange dream? Almost like a distant memory, dancing just out of reach. The tug of recognition tore at me. I knew them, I was certain...but how?

Like the gust of an ill breeze, the scene shifted before my eyes. The once bright and cheerful day turned overcast and cold. The laughter that had filled the air was gone, replaced by a silence that made me shiver.

The baby, who had been playing happily on the blanket, let out a piercing cry and the couple's happy laughter stopped abruptly.

A dark figure in crimson robes appeared beside the blanket a glint of silver in their hand. They lunged at a man, a blur of motion too fast to follow. The man cried out, desperately trying to fend off the attack, but he was clearly outmatched. Blood splattered on the rocks as the figure's dagger found its mark again and again. The man stumbled, his body riddled with wounds, before collapsing to the ground.

The woman screamed, a sound so raw and filled with terror it chilled me to the bone. She slowly laid the baby on the blanket her eyes, wide with fear. But instead of running, she began to transform.

Her body contorted, bones cracking and shifting. Fur sprouted, her face elongating into a snout. In a matter of seconds, she was no longer a woman, but a magnificent silver wolf. She snarled, her teeth bared, shielding her pup with her body. I struggled against invisible bonds, desperate to move, to help, but my limbs refused to cooperate. It was as if I was stuck in place, a helpless spectator to the horrific scene unfolding before me. "Hold on!" I cried out to the silver wolf, my voice raw with emotion. "Protect your baby! Don't let them near her!"

The wolf's ears twitched, as if she heard my encouragement. She crouched lower, her hackles raised, a low growl rumbling in her throat. The dark figure advanced, their crimson robes billowing in the wind. They raised their dagger, the blade glinting menacingly.

I shrieked as the figure lunged at the wolf, their movements a blur of speed and precision. The wolf dodged, her reflexes lightning fast, but the figure was relentless. They slashed and stabbed, the air filled with the sound of clashing fangs and metal.

"You can do this!" I shouted, my heart pounding in my chest. "You're strong, you're a fighter! Don't give up!"

The wolf snarled, her jaws snapping at the figure's arm. They hissed in pain, stumbling back, but quickly regained their footing. The dance of death continued, each opponent seeking an opening, a moment of weakness to exploit.

I felt tears streaming down my face as I watched the wolf fight with every ounce of her being. She was a mother protecting her child, a force of nature unleashed. Her love, her fierce devotion, drove her forward even as her body was battered and bloodied.

"Just a little longer," I whispered, my voice hoarse from shouting. "Help is coming, I know it. Just hold on, please."