SOLOMON

 I was currently sitting at my desk in my bedroom looking at papers Noah gave me. Papers about the war that is to come soon. I was looking at all the areas Kendrick could easily attack. He could come at any day. 

I also had to organize a pack meeting in the grand hall. They needed to know that it wasn't safe yet. We don't have our peace yet. 

I look at the time and see that I needed to go to a meeting with Xander, Noah, and Eddie. We had to discuss the plans for this war. We had to prepare. 

AYLA

"Milo, it's time to sleep. it's late and you need to wake up early."

Milo groans, "But 'm a big boy now, Ma. I can stay up later now."

I pull his blanket over, "No Baba. Even Big boys listen to their Mamas. Xavier listens to his mama, Kieth listens to his Mama. Are you going to listen to your Mama?"

Milo sat there thinking about it and then nods his head, "I'm a big boy."

"Yes, you are. Now hop into bed, baba." He climbs into bed and I grab the blanket and tuck him. 

I kiss his forehead, "Good night, my love." I whisper. I get and am about to turn off the light.

"Wait, Ma!" I turn to him and he is sitting up, "I'm not even tired. Can you sing to me?"

He hasn't asked me to sing to him ever since we got here. It reminded me of all the nights he would have to sleep in the closet, so then he wouldn't see the horrible things Kendrick did whenever he came around.

I sat next to Milo and run my hands through his hair as I began to sing the song that had brought him comfort since the day he was born...

"One evening when the sun went down and the jungle fire burning..."

His eyes slowly closed and his breath became even by the time I finish the song. I was always jealous of how fast he could fall asleep while I stayed up paranoid that Kendrick would burst through the door. 

I lean and kiss his forehead, "Good night, Baba."

I quietly get up from the bed and went to the door. I look at him through the cracks of the door as I close it slowly until it is completely closed.

I turn around and I freeze when I see Solomon was sitting right next to the door.

His eyes were closed and his head was leaning against the wall.

"Solomon?" I whisper.

His eyes open slowly and they turn to me.

"What're you doing?"

My heart was racing when his eyes stared at me with longing.
"I was listening." He replied quietly.

"To me?"

He nods silently and looks at the ceiling, "I would listen to you sing even back when you were in the Attic.  I didn't even know it was you, but it calmed me. I see now why. It was you singing."

I gulped. I looked away from his longing gaze and I walked past him to my room. As I was about to close, when a hand stops it.

"Ayla wait!" Solomon intervened.

I looked at him and I glared, "Don't Solomon. Just stop...please."

I could tell through his eyes he wanted to say so much, he wanted to fix his wrongs.

"Please Ayla. Can't we just talk?"

I opened the door wide and stand up straight, "You have no right to ask me something like that," I scowled deeply at him. I was in rage, "What happened when I just 'wanted to talk,' you wanted nothing to do with me because you hated me for some crazy reason."

I step closer to him and I point hard into his chest, "The difference between you and me right now...is that I have a REASON to never talk to you ever again."

I could see Solomon knew he was paying the price of his unforgivable actions.

I shake my head and sigh, "Just leave me alone, Solomon."

He stood there for a while in silence, just staring at me. I could see the storm battling inside of his dark eyes. His jaw was clenched like he was physically trying to stop himself from saying anything. His chest rising and falling at a fast pace. 

He took a tense step back but never broke eye contact. And then, he turned around and walked away. I closed my door, and I sank down to the floor. I felt relieved he finally got the message, but strangely enough...I felt as if some more pieces of my heart had broken off and gone missing. But I have to ignore it. I can't let Solomon get to me right now. He's in the past. I have to try and make a better future for Milo and me. 

I go to my bed and crawl inside. I tuck myself deep into my blankets. It's stupid, but blankets have a way of comforting you like no other person could. It envelopes you in a beautiful warm sensation and makes you feel protected even from the scariest of things. So I use this illusion to my advantage. I snuggle myself in the blankets and close my eyes. 

I open my eyes and I'm back at the attic. I frowned and looked around. How did I get back here? I was in bed. I turned to my side and saw Milo sleeping next to me. I felt my heart soften at the sight of my beautiful boy. I turn him over and I scream my head off. His eyes are rolled back in his head and there was blood everywhere. I scream and I cry, I try to find what was wrong, but I was pulled back by a powerful force. 

I landed on the floor and groaned. I got up and my eyes widened when I was now in a field. A field full of blood. There were dead bodies everywhere, bodies that I knew, faces that I recognized. Among them were the two little boys, Xavier and Kieth. Zapora was dead with her hand over her belly. Noah and Mia were slashed up with blood all over them.

I look down to my feet and see Milo and Solomon dead. I fell and screamed in pain. I held them both in my arms, "Not them. Not my boys. Please not my babies." I screamed. 

A shadow was cast over me. I looked up and see Kendrick smiling down at me like he did none of this. 

I growled, "You killed all of them. Why did you kill all of them!" I shouted. 

He bends down to eyes level and chuckles evily, "Oh my precious Ayla. I didn't kill them," he leaned forward and growled, "You did."

I look down at my hand and I see a bloodied knife. I killed them. I killed a whole pack. 

"NO! it can't be true! I did none of this!" I got up and attacked Kendrick, "You Monster!"

But whatever I did, he wasn't getting hurt. He laughs at me, "I'm not the monster, precious. You are. You killed this pack the moment you stepped back into it. They won't survive this war. I will kill every last one of them. Including your son and your beloved mate, Solomon.

"No! No! no!"

Kendrick grabbed a hold of me and said, "You can save them all though. You can save Milo and Solomon."

"How?" I asked frantically.

Kendrick grabbed my hands with the knife and he turned it around, pointing it towards my chest. And then he shoves it inside of me.

 I gasped awake and I sit up and am met with Navy blue eyes.

My heart felt like it was vibrating against my chest. My lungs were burning like I couldn't get enough air.

Solomon was sitting in front of me with wide eyes, holding my shoulders firmly.

I panicked. This was another dream. Ha going to pop up some where again. I shove Solomon back and crawl up against the wall. "Stay away from me!" I screamed.

Solomon held his hands up, "Hey hey...it's okay Ayla it's okay. It was just a dream."

I shake my head fast. My eyes kept flickering around the room...waiting for Kendrick to turn up and take me, "You're not real," I whispered, "This is still a dream. This is his messed up way of getting me back." I said with a breathless and shaky voice. 

Solomon shook his head, "No Ayla. No. You're not in a dream. This is NOT a dream."

I bring my knees up against my chest, "Yes it is. You're not real. None of this is real." I felt my eyes well up with tears as I kept shaking my head.

Solomon came closer to me and I tried to crawl back more. I growled at him, trying to prevent him from coming near me.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you Ayla. Just let me do this."

I was shaking as I let him come near. His eyes never broke contact. He slowly took a hold of my shaking hand and put it against his chest...right above his heart. He came even closer and said firmly, "I'm real, Ayla. You're real. This is all real. There is no Kendrick, there is no attic. You're back home and you're safe."

I sat there silent for a moment as I felt his heart beating hard against my chest. His heartbeat was so strong.
I looked back up to his face through my tears, "Th-this I'd real." I said shakily.

Solomon nods his head, "This is real."

I felt my tense body finally relax and I release a long held breath. I was in the real world. My dreams are getting more and more realistic.  A sob escaped my mouth. When am I ever going to escape him.

I grabbed a hold of Solomon's shirt and squeezed the material in desperation, "He's always going to be there Solo! He's never going to leave me alone! He's going to take me again. Please please PLEASE don't let him take me!"

Soul instantly wrapped his arms around me and pulled me firmly against his body, "Ssshhhh...breath Ayla breath. You're not in the dreams anymore. You're safe."

I shook my head against his chest, "I'm not safe...I've never been safe. I wasn't safe with you before I left...and I'm still not safe now. You can't protect me. No one can."

"I will protect you Ayla. I would die for you. You're not there, you're here with me in my arms. He'd have to kill me before getting to you."

I took a deep breath and started to relax. I wasn't in the Attic. Kendrick isn't here. I was safe.

"That's it. Just breath, little wolf."

My heart rate began to decrease to its normal rythm. I climbed out of Solomon's arms and gulped. I just stared at him. He came straight away without hesitation. I don't even remember the last time he reacted in such a...mately way.

I shook my head. No Ayla. You can't. You can't afford to think like that. He will do it again.

I tucked my hair behind my ear and looked away, "Ummm...I'm sorry. The nightmare was just very realistic."

Soul shook his head, "Don't apologise. I'll always be here."

I look at him straight in the eye, "No you won't...and I don't need you to be here."

He stood up straight and frowned. His nose began to flare slightly. He was getting angry.

"Leave. I appreciate you helping me, but you should leave now."

His eyes were intense. His jaw clenched as he took deep breathes he spread his arms out, "Okay then." He drops them back to his side and turned around to leave.

He opened the door, but didn't leave straight away. His back muscles rippled underneath his shirt as I heard him breathing hard.

Without turning around he said, "If you ever need me for anything...you know where to find me," he looked over his shoulder, "And you're wrong. I will always be here...even if you don't want me. I will. Always. be here, little wolf. Don't forget that."