Dream of Me (4 page)

Slowly she turned away from him to face the wall mural behind the stone alter. On the dark stone wall were three figures painted in muted shades of blues, grays and whites. Two of the figures depicted a mated pair clasping hands. In the middle was the image of their mother goddess towering high above them. As a priestess of Kalaya, Sera would never take a
sou’tali
. It was forbidden. It was the duty of the priestess to interpret the will of the goddess and assist others when in need of spiritual guidance.

“Sera…” he began only to stop once she turned around with a raised hand, staying his words.

“You’re right. I… I have no mate. But you need to tread carefully when seeking your mate, Kieran. When you crossed the threshold onto her world you risked your life. If your spirit had been trapped there your physical body would have died here.”

Running a clenching hand through his hair he paced away from Sera’s watchful gaze. Coming to stop at the moonlit doorway of the temple he lifted his face up to the full moon above. “What would happen if I tried again but this time I brought her with me?” Sera suddenly appeared beside him casting him a look of fear.

“You cannot risk it again. If something were to go wrong…” Shaking her head at the idea, she moved closer to him. Reaching out to grasp his arms, she looked beseechingly up at him. “Kieran, we don’t know enough yet to chance bringing your mate across the veil. I’m begging that you have patience and wait.”

Growling low in his throat, Kieran’s eyes flashed dangerously at her. His face rippled, revealing the beast that lurked within. “I do not like being denied my mate. Nor do I like having to court her based on a set of rules that even I don’t believe is right.”

Sera’s eyes narrowed at his anger filled words. “Trust the goddess, Kieran. Only she will decide when you shall have your mate — not you. And killing yourself will not help you obtain your mate; that is for certain.”

With those parting words, Sera slowly turned and walked away from her friend. He turned to call after her but his words died on his tongue as she disappeared from sight. Shaking his head, he left the temple. Unhurried, he made his way down the worn path that led back to the stronghold of Garmoria. As he walked, his thoughts were divided between his need for his new found mate and his honor to obey the laws of his sovereign and deity. It wasn’t easy.

According to Sera, when he had first dreamed of Elena, never had any Garmorian been given a
sou’tali
of another species before. It was new and to others it was dangerous. How would her people react to him when he finally did come for her? Not that it mattered. He would fight for his mate if he had to. She was his. He knew it.

The thought of never claiming her was too much to bear. He could feel his whole body coiling tighter as he felt on edge. Running the edge of his tongue against his sharp teeth he noted that they were longer than their normal state. Lifting his hands up he noticed his claws had sprouted deadly tips. He had reverted to his second form without realizing it. He was losing control over himself. He needed his mate and he needed her with him.

He couldn’t wait. It was up to him to find his Elena and claim her once and for all.

* ~ * ~ *

Entering her apartment on shaky legs, Elena paused to lean heavily against the front door once it was closed. Half turning, she reached over her shoulder to flip the bolt lock into place. The sound of the smooth metal sliding into place seemed to calm her rattled nerves. The events of the night began flying back to her in a rush of images. Had tonight really happened? At the thought of her attackers and how things could have ended, the fear she’d once felt resurfaced. Moving to the coffee table, her hand plucked up her phone. Her fingers froze with hesitation over the keys of the thin cell phone in her hand.

Every fiber of her being urged her to call the police and report what had happened to her but how would she explain Kieran’s sudden appearance? Grimacing down at the phone in her hand she reluctantly placed it back on the table. They’d think she was crazy but part of her was wondering the same thing. Could she be crazy? Figments of dreams do not just come to life. Why was she so desperate to believe in what she’d seen tonight?

Groaning in frustration, her hand reached up to unbind her disheveled hair. As the heavy weight of her hair fell in crimsoned waves around her shoulders she released a heavy sigh. She needed to clear her head and relax her frazzled nerves after the events of tonight. Standing, she moved through the living room, making her way down the short hall to her small bathroom.

Shedding her clothing as she went, she stepped into the bathroom in nothing but her underwear. Reaching the large claw-foot bathtub, she began filling it with hot water. Heavy clouds of steam floated around her as the air became thick and heavy. Dropping the last of her clothing to the blue tiled floor she slowly sunk into her nearly boiling bath water. Resting her head along the edge of the tub she allowed the stinging heat of the water to penetrate her muscles.

As the heat began to relax her tired muscles her eyes slowly slid closed. A feeling of weightlessness seemed to seep out of her chest. If only she could go on feeling this peaceful for the rest of her life. It suddenly became as if a warm blanket of protection had been draped around her, shielding her. Then that same soothing sensation began pulling at her, lulling her to sleep.

* ~ * ~ *

Opening her eyes, Elena found herself looking up at a dark, star studded sky. Sitting up, she found that she was in a clearing surrounded by massive, towering trees. Where was she? Rising to her feet she found that she was barefoot. Dressed in the same clothes of earlier that day, she crossed her arms over her chest as she looked around. Save for the chirping of insects, it was quiet. Was she dreaming again?

A sound of movement behind her caused her to jerk in surprise. All at once she felt her wrist tingle with heat as her heart fluttered in a strange pattern. As the sound of movement drew closer, instantly she knew he was behind her. Deep within, she could feel a part of herself recognizing him and instantly reaching out. As if by some strange way, they were connected by a length of rope, each tethered to the other. Whether her heart pounded now out of fear or excitement, she didn’t know. But she did know that if she didn’t stop this she would be convinced that she’d gone crazy.

“I shouldn’t be here and neither should you.” Turning, she fixed her eyes on Kieran standing behind her. Where her eyes were stern and guarded, his were warm and giving. They stood but a foot apart and still it felt like she needed more space. This couldn’t go on anymore. She was thankful that this time he didn’t have a monstrous sword clutched in his hand.

“Where else would I be?” Moving forward his thick, muscled arms circled her waist pulling her closer to his strong body. She gasped as tingles of desire rushed up her spine at his warm touch. Her hands came up to press against his hard chest with resistance. She needed to stop this.

“I’m serious, Kieran.” Looking away from his closely hovering face, she took a steady breath. “We can’t do this anymore — I can’t do this anymore.”

Pulling away from his embrace she turned away, presenting her back to him. Struggling to focus on anything other than how her body shivered with awareness. Her heart leapt in her chest as his hands cupped her shoulders tenderly. The heat of his skin at her back made her almost believe that he was a flesh and blood man instead of an illusion of her dreams.

“Were you harmed tonight?” his rough voice inquired softly. Not trusting her voice not to shake with emotion she shook her head silently. A breath of relief rustled her free hair from behind. His gentle hand turned her around to face him. “I wish I could have stayed with you. But soon, we will be together and you will never be from my side.”

His hands reached up to slide along the soft skin of her cheek. The strong fingers were calloused but somehow they managed to inspire warmth and tenderness with just a brush. Kieran made her feel something that she’d never felt before. But he was just a dream and sooner or later, everyone had to wake up from such dreams and fantasies.

Reaching up to lay her smaller hand over his, she pulled his hand away from her face. She forced herself to remember the deadly claws that had graced his hands and how his handsome face had changed into something else earlier that night. He couldn’t be real. Her fantasy had turned into a monstrous nightmare.

Pushing his hands away from her, she took a step out of reach. “Don’t say things like that to me. I don’t know you. I don’t want to hear them. They mean nothing to me.”

His eyes blinked down at her with confusion. Her eyes were hard and her soft limbs were held stiff and recoiled against his touch. He knew that their first meeting had not been a friendly one, but he never realized that he’d put such distrust in her eyes. Had seeing him in her world frightened her? Inside his soul — his very being, burned with pain as his heart squeeze in denial. He never wanted his mate to fear him, but this wasn’t simply fear. It was stronger than fear, it was self preservation. This was his fault. By revealing his inner beast to her, he’d frightened the only person in the world that he never wanted to. Quickly he rushed to reassure her.

“
Var’da; forever mine
, you have nothing to fear from me. I would never harm you for the world. How you saw me whilst I protected you tonight is a part of what I am. A part of me you will come to accept. It was simply my inner nature rising up, it was still me.”

She looked at him as if he’d spouted a second head. What was he talking about? He was acting as though she meant something to him and it confused her. She was reading too many romance novels before bed to dream up such a man. “Kieran, I want you to stop.”

Instantly, his hands clasped hers within his own pulling her closer. His eyes bore into hers with an unbreakable resolve. “I can’t. I was lead to you for a reason. You are my heart, the completion of my soul. I will prove a worthy mate to you. Do not doubt that. I want you to come with me, now. Say yes, my mate.”

“Mate?” she sputtered. She didn’t know what was going on, but if she had cooked him up in her own dream fantasy, she needed to end this now.

“No, Kieran. I’m nothing to you, just as you’re nothing to me.” She hid her reaction as he flinched back as if her words had physically struck him. His eyes made her want to weep, but she had to see this through. She refused to live her life in a fantasy of some dream of someone that didn’t even exist. Taking a step back from him she squared her shoulders.

“You’re not real, Kieran. I created you in my mind because I was desperate and lonely. I thought I needed someone to comfort me. Anything you say or do is because my mind makes you. You’re an illusion and you always will be. I need to accept my mother is gone and move on.” She blinked back the burning tears that threatened to choke her. Deep down the thought of never feeling his warm touch again hurt.

His look of painful sorrow slowly melted away into something else within the depths of his eyes. Something that was dark and dangerous. “I will destroy any male that thinks to take you from me. If your intention is to challenge me into winning your affections, you have my complete attention.”

“What are you talking about?” she yelled frustrated. “It doesn’t matter! You’re not real. Just stop! Leave me!” she shouted covering her ears. Moving forward, he gripped her wrists firmly before jerking them down from her face.

“I will never leave you, nor will I let you go. I will always find you,” he swore as his face tightened harshly.

She couldn’t stop the tears then. If this was all in her head, why did it have to hurt so badly? Jerking away from him she wiped furiously at her fallen tears. Pointing a finger at his stubborn expression, her voice whispered low with warning, “Don’t come for me again. In my world or in my dreams, you are not welcome in either.”

After the words left her lips she felt herself being pulled away from the dream world around them. She closed her eyes at the last instant as Kieran rushed to grab her, but his hand passed through her fading form.

* ~ * ~ *

Jerking upright as she suddenly awoke her arms sent waves of the cooled bath water over the edge of the tub. Pressing a shaking hand against her chest she struggled to stop the pain that radiated from there. It felt like her heart had been ripped out. She was certain if she’d looked down she would have seen a huge gaping hole in her chest. She hadn’t felt pain like this since she’d first been informed about her mother’s death. Why did she feel like this over a figment of her dreams? Dreams weren’t real and now she was finally free of her own delusions.

Draining the cold water from the tub, she slowly stepped onto the soaked floor. Shrugging into her red bath robe she moved in sluggish steps as she made her way across the hall to her bedroom. With a tired sigh, she weakly collapsed on top of her bedspread. She didn’t try to sleep. Instead she simply stared up at the chipped ceiling above. For a strange reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling like she’d lost something inside her, something that she knew she couldn’t survive without. What was it?

Scoffing, she shook her head in disgust. It was a fantasy, for goodness sakes! Why was she mourning it like she did when her mother died? Silently she vowed to wipe it from her mind. She wouldn’t think about it anymore. Tomorrow was a new day. A fresh start and she intended to make the best of it.

* ~ * ~ *

Leisurely her hand stirred the contents of her quickly thrown together dinner as it bubbled around the edges of the pot. The warm scent of her soup made Elena’s stomach clench painfully with hunger. It was as though her stomach was getting back at her for going without food for most of the day. She had no one to blame but herself. Earlier that morning she’d called in sick at work — not that she
was
sick at all. Something just felt off about herself, silently she chalked it up to depression due to her mother’s recent passing.