Chapter 5

“I’m sorry,” I said, feeling silly for saying that to someone who was just a figment of my imagination but compelled to apologize for all the same.

“Never be sorry, mi amor. I will take whatever time you give me.” I smiled at his sweet words.

“Now that I am here, what would you like to do?”

“I wish we had time, mi amor, but you are nearly at your destination now, and I must get back. I will visit you soon and explain everything, I promise.”

What the hell was wrong with me? My dream guys were always weird like they actually had somewhere else to be. Sometimes I wondered if my subconscious was trying to make them seem more real.

“Okay Kai, sure thing. Next time I want less talking and more body action.” I would never say stuff like this to a real guy—I wasn’t that kind of girl, but I let my inner vixen out to play with my dream guys.

“Believe me, there will be no talking just you screaming my name, mi amor.” His words sent shivers down my spine. He bent down and kissed me with such hunger that I swear I could have come just from kissing him.

I put my hands around his neck and gripped the back of his hair, moaning into his mouth. I wanted him right here, right now. I needed him inside of me. I lowered my hands to undo his jeans, but he grabbed them and pulled away from me.

“There isn’t enough time for that, mi amor, but rest assured I will make it up to you next time.” the smirk on his face telling me he knew what that kiss had done to me and he loved it.

“Fine, but next time I might be the one playing hard to get,” I said while still pouting at him.

“Go now, my love, and I will see you soon.”

Before I could respond, the darkness started to overtake me, but before I was fully out of my dreamland, I heard Kai whispering.

“Please try to understand and forgive me.”

***

I woke to Stevie shaking me, a worried look on her face. I looked around and realized I was lying on the ground, the car parked haphazardly nearby, with Chase and Alex on either side of me with similarly anxious expressions on their faces.

“Why are you all looking at me like that? And why the hell am I on the ground?”

They all shared a look that I couldn’t read. I felt once again as if I was being left out of a secret.

“You were shaking, and we tried to wake you, but you wouldn’t wake up, so we got worried and stopped. What the hell happened?” Chase asked.

“I fell asleep.” Geez, I didn’t know being a deep sleeper was a crime. I didn’t understand why they were freaking out.

“No, Ryan, you weren’t just sleeping. You were shaking and glowing. What the hell happened when you were asleep?” Stevie demanded.

Shit, I needed to figure out what the hell this glowing thing meant. It normally only happened when I was really angry or scared. I was actually starting to get worried, but I couldn’t tell the others that.

“I was just having a weird dream, okay?” I obviously couldn’t tell them that I was trying to seduce one of my dream lovers. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks even thinking about mentioning such a thing.

“Tell me about the dream, Ryan, please,” Alex pleaded, none the wiser as to the reason for my heated state.

“I would really rather not, but thanks for worrying,” I said, hoping they would drop it.

“Ryan, come on” Chase urged.

“It was my dream, and if I don’t want to tell you about it, I don’t have to.” Chase let out a huff of air then looked me straight in the eyes.

“Well, when you start glowing in a public area, it then becomes our problem, but this isn’t the place to talk about it, so let’s get a move on and get to the cabin.”

I nodded, knowing they weren’t about to disclose any information they had on the whole glowing thing until we got to the cabin, and I was in no position to argue, given my refusal to discuss the dream, so I reluctantly got into the car.

---

Once we arrived at the cabin, the boys started unloading our bags and supplies, and I stood on the porch for a moment, taking in the view. To get to the cabin, you had to go along a dirt road that if you didn’t know it was there, you would never find it. Thank God I wasn’t driving. The cabin was surrounded by dense woods and very isolated; it would be the perfect place for someone who needed a break from real life.

The cabin was old, but sturdy by the look of it. It was a faded brown color, with dark green porch columns much like the color of the trees surrounding the house. The small porch on the front held two old rocking chairs that would be perfect to sit in and watch the sunset. I loved being here already and smelling the fresh air that the mountains and trees offered us.

As I was taking one last look around before heading inside, a shiver ran down my spine. It was that same feeling I had in my dream, of someone watching me. I felt a shiver run down my spine. I looked around the wooded area and saw nothing. Even so, I high-tailed it inside to find my sister and cousins.

As I entered the cabin, I was awestruck. The outside may have looked run down, but the inside was like something from a magazine. The entryway was decorated with antlers hanging on the wall, and just past that, the main living area held a beautiful set of gold and cream armchairs and a three-cushion couch. Next to that was the dining room and kitchen. The dining room was huge, with a long table fit for a castle, flanked by bench seats on either side.

“Close your mouth before a fly gets in there, squirt,” Alex said with a laugh.

“Sorry, it’s just I didn’t expect it to look like this inside! You know, since the outside could use a refresh.”

“Don’t judge a book by its cover, cousin. All is not what it seems.”

“Yeah, you can say that again. So, which one is my room?”

“Third door on the left, and there are towels in the hallway closet. Each room has its own en suite, so at least we don’t have to hear you, two girls, fighting over the mirror,” he said, smirking.

“Shut up, Alex, but thanks.”

“You will love your room, it has a daybed and a great view of the landscape.”

“How do you know that?” Alex looked around the room, searching for the others I assume. He finally pulled his gaze back to me and sheepishly replied.

“I saw it when I put your bags in your room.” Okay, I wasn’t convinced, but I would let it go for now.

I set off down the hallway to find my room and wash away the couple of days of travel residue I could feel clinging to me. The room that was mine for our stay was the nicest room I’d ever stayed in. It had a massive, four-poster king-sized bed in the middle of the room, with a bearskin rug at the foot of it.

I had a beautiful view of the mountains, and right below the window was the day bed Alex had mentioned. I loved this place already. Tearing myself away from the view, I grabbed some clothes and headed into the bathroom for a quick shower. After that, I was hunting down the others to get some answers and food. I needed both as soon as possible.

As I was leaving my room, I heard the others arguing, so I quietly shut my door so I could sneak down the hall and eavesdrop on their conversation. This was becoming a habit.

“She is going to want to know the whole story, Stevie.” I could hear the irritation in Alex’s voice.

“I will tell her everything she needs to know, especially if he is visiting her in her dreams now,” my sister replied.

“We don’t know for sure it is him she is dreaming of. We can get the protection of the coven and the pack to keep her from him but if he knows she is alive, he will be coming for her, and we all know that it’s not an if, it’s a when. So we need her to know now,” Chase snapped.