CHAPTER 7

　　DACIANA'S POV 　　As I swam across the lake, I stared at the moon with its beautiful light illuminating the lake, giving it a glittery look. It looked beautiful and captivating, like scattering diamonds over water. 　　My bones, which had been aching all through the ride, were now relaxed in the water. My muscles felt good as well. I stopped swimming and looked at the spot where Corni was standing guard, and his back turned to me. 　　I was grateful for meeting him and for knowing him, too. He was a good man, and the way he didn't think twice to help me really amazed me, even though Howard was also his Alpha. If we were caught, it could be seen as treason, and we would be put to our deaths. 　　I decided to do one more lap before I got out of the water when I felt something coil around my leg. I tried to shake it off, thinking it was seaweed, but instead, I felt it coil around my two legs. I wiggled my legs together, but it wouldn't budge. 　　I looked inside the water, and it was a freaking seaweed, only that this one looked more alive, and it had a tight leash against my leg. I leaned downward and tried to rip it off me, only to see two more reach upwards and tighten around my arm. I tried the cut it off, but it was thicker than a rope. 　　I raised my head to call for help, but I was too focused on trying to tear off the weed on my legs that I didn't know I had been pulled down into the water. 　　I wiggled and wiggled around, trying to fight it, it it was useless. I was naked with no sharp objects with me, and the leaves seemed to be increasing as they wrapped around me. 　　I couldn't see where they were coming from, just a black hole in the water. 　　I looked up and saw Corni enter the lake, swimming for me. I tried to reach for him, but my hands were trapped. I was starting to feel lightheaded. The most that I've held my breath underwater was thirty minutes, and I'm guessing I must have spent more than that while struggling with the seaweed. 　　My body jerked forward uncontrollably as I could feel the oxygen slip out of me and into the water. Black spotted my vision, but I could see Corni tear into the seaweeds, cutting them off like vegetables. I smiled and finally passed out. 　　I knew he would come for me. He always did. 　　I felt someone's lips on mine as they blew air into my mouth and then pressed their palm on my chest, pressing down hard that I shot up instantly to yell at the person and ask if they were trying to kill me, but all I could do was puke out water. My brain was muddled, and my vision was blurry. 　　I was heaving uncontrollably, and I could feel someone's hands rubbing against my back. When my vision cleared, I was staring at a thick night forest. To my left was the lake, and I scrambled away from it into a thick mass, which wasn't a thick mass technically. 　　“Easy, Easy, I've got you now.” I looked at Cirni as he tried to calm me down. 　　He looked unsure like he wanted to wrap his arms around me but didn't know how I would react, so I moved instead. 　　Pushing myself against his body, I wanted to wrap my hand around him but noticed I was wrapped in a thick blanket. After shaking off his shock at my actions, he put his arms around me and hugged me tighter. 　　“It's okay, you're safe now.” He breathed as he placed his chin on my head. I relaxed visibly, thankful that Corni had been my knight in shining armour once again. 　　“Why didn't you cry out for me? Why didn't you call for my help? The seaweed didn't pull you immediately, did it?” He asked worriedly. 　　I felt almost ashamed of what I was going to say, but it was what I deemed right at that moment. 　　“I thought I could save myself. I'm stronger than I was back then, and I wanted that assurance that I could save myself no matter what I faced. Guess I still need you to save me.” I said with remorse. 　　“Of course, you still need me. Needing a save doesn't make you weak. Admitting you can do it all on your own. No matter what it is, you should always call for me when you realise it's something you can't handle on your own.” 　　I wanted to tell him that it wasn't like that. I did want to call for him, but it was already too late. 　　“Do you know how scared I was when you weren't in the lake? I knew there was no way you had drowned, and watching your body give up air was the most horrifying sight I've ever come across in my entire life. I wasn't going to stop performing CPR on you if you didn't wake up.” Corni reprimanded me, and I felt bad for worrying him. 　　This General, the leader of the Alpha's army, a man who had gone to war and had battled so many packs and seen a thousand bloodshed with a gruesome way to die, was scared of me drowning. 　　I wanted to ask him why. 　　Why he was so bothered about me? 　　If anything, I saw myself as a burden to him. Maybe it was because he needed me for his plan. 　　I decided to keep my questions to myself and not ruin the moment, the moment where he looked vulnerable. 　　When my body stopped shivering, and he was sure that I wouldn't be going back to the lake, he packed the bag he had brought and carried me in his arms, walking through the forest. 　　“They've set up our tent.” He said, his face going back to the stoic expression he maintained as his life depended on it. 　　“Do you know what attacked me tonight?” I asked, and he nodded. “They are called the witches seaweed. Deadly things, it was never in the lake before. No matter how powerful you are, no matter how strong, it'll bring you down. The trick was to not move when they're about to circle on your feet. They'll try to tickle you first. If you move, they'll know you're a living being and drag you into the water. But if you manage to stand still, it'll eventually loosen and leave you alone.” 　　“But you battled it with your sword?” I asked. 　　“Not everyone goes swimming with a blade.” He said as a matter of fact, and I hummed before laying my head on his shoulder and being unable to keep my eyes open. 　　I fell asleep in his arms. 　　“Wake up, Daci.” I felt a light tap on my cheek. My eyes fluttered open to the rhythm of the tap. “We’re back?” I asked drowsily. 　　“Yes, I'm going to leave the tent so that you can change your clothes, and when I tuck you in, I'll go to bed.” He explained. 　　“Can't you dress me up instead?” I asked tiredly. Goodness, my bones were sore, and I really wanted to sleep. 　　“But I can't do that. Things will be awkward between us tomorrow. And I don't want that, and it'll risk our appearance in the pack.” Corni tried to explain to me, but I was hell-bent on making me change my clothes. 　　“Please.” I pleaded. “We're going to be portrayed as a couple soon. We have to learn how to share a bed eventually. Just dress me up. It can't be that hard. It's not like you find me tempting or anything.” Each word was said with a tiny little yawn and a bit of drawl. 　　Corni said something, but I had no idea what it was. I snuggled closer to him, even though his clothes were still wet from the lake, and the last thing I remember was the blanket being pulled off me and a light groan. 　　I woke up to light flashing across my closed eyes, and it was lightning. My eyes were on that tiny little space that showed me the dark sky. I had no idea what time it was, only that it couldn't be dawn yet because the clouds were thick and gloomy. 　　It didn't look like it'll rain…not yet. 　　I turned on my bed only to be met with another body in bed with me. I almost screamed until a flash of lightning illuminated his face, and I realized it was Corni. 　　Corni was in bed with me? 　　How did that happen?