by Kenya Wright
“How could we both have had the same dream?”
“Because you’re mine.”
I frowned. “Do you have a more logical theory?”
“That’s as logical as it gets for my kind. Magical things occur between a bonded pair.”
I bit my lip.
“This scares you?”
“Yes.”
“It scares me too.” He kissed my forehead, but I could tell he wanted to do more. A groan escaped his lips. He dragged himself away and headed toward the door. “Goodnight, Imani. If you need anything, I’ll be right across from you.”
“Okay.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “Thank you.”
Chapter 12
Imani
Aiden left.
The door shut behind him. I took in the space. Although luxurious, the whole cabin felt strange. I’d wanted a moment of peace to think things through. Then he disappeared, and I instantly yearned for Aiden to return.
Today. . . tonight. . .everything. . .is no longer what it should be.
I couldn’t get ahold of my thoughts.
Sleep. It will all make more sense after some sleep. . .can I even sleep?
I went over to the door, locked it, and then stared at the wooden surface. The vision of Aiden’s werewolf returned to me.
If he wants to get through this door, he will. Nothing would stop him, especially not a lock.
A cold shiver ran up my spine.
I went to my bag, pulled out my nightgown, and headed to the bathroom. Inside, clean towels and washcloths sat on a wooden shelf. I closed the door, took off my clothes, and turned on the shower.
Waiting for the water to warm, I stared at my naked body in the mirror.
Being suspended in that witch cloud had hurt. My sides ached. My arms were sore. Surprisingly, no bruises covered my body. I ran my hands down my curves and stopped at my stomach. I knew I was sexy. Staring into the mirror, I would have totally fucked me. But a guy like Aiden. . .all muscle and chiseled strength. . .
How was he able to want me?
I shouldn’t talk like that.
I turned away from the mirror and thought of Aiden’s words.
“Because you’re mine.”
He was adamant about us being together. It was a part of this whole magical world of his—one that had my mind fogged and logic in a daze.
This is all fucking crazy. Will I ever be the same after this?
I stepped into the shower. Warm water sprayed along my body. I moaned from the soothing liquid.
A noise sounded off in the distance.
Was that a. . .howl? No. My mind is just playing tricks on me.
I poured soap into my cloth and rubbed suds all over my body. Part of me wished the liquid were full of magic. Then it could wash the whole day away. I turned around and let my hair get wet with the water. Since I wore it natural, I would have to detangle and blow-dry the kinky strands, but the warm soothing water slipping along my scalp was worth the future trouble.
Another soft moan left my lips.
The howl sounded again.
I widened my eyes.
Okay. I didn’t imagine that. Is the person howling because of me?
I poured shampoo into my hair. This time I moaned just to test it. The howl sounded.
Fuck. Who is that? Aiden or one of his. . .pack members?
I hurried with washing and made no more noise. After that, I shut off the shower, toweled, and put on the nightgown. I wrapped another towel around my hair.
No more howls came.
I walked into my bedroom and checked the door. It was still locked. Again, it didn’t matter, but for some reason, that gave me comfort.
Stop worrying about Aiden coming in here. He saved me. He will continue to protect me. I feel that truth deep down in my bones.
A howl sounded outside of my window.
I jumped a little. My hands shook. I turned off the bedroom light and tiptoed over to the window. I made sure to slowly peek out the side.
There, a massive white wolf sat outside my window.
What the hell? That’s not Aiden.
Aiden had bright silver fur—almost metallic. The moon’s light would have reflected off of his fur. Maybe even made it shimmer.
The white wolf howled again and then sniffed the air.
He’s smelling me?
I backed up. I didn’t know which one of them was the white werewolf. I hurried to my door, unlocked, and opened it.
Shit.
Aiden stood in the hallway, leaning against his door. His shirt was off. His hard muscle lay on display. He had those huge arms crossed in front of his chest. Those eyes glowed golden, lighting up the dim hallway.
Shocked, I stood in the middle of the doorway. “Umm. . .”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.” I lowered my gaze, unable to help myself. His belt was unbuckled. The top button was opened like he was caught in the middle of taking off his clothes. My heart picked up.
Those eyes brightened as if he could tell my body’s reaction to him.
The howl sounded louder.
That’s right. I came out here because of the white wolf.
“I. . .uh. . .” Clearing my throat, I brought my view back to his face. “I was wondering about the white wolf outside of my window.”
“That’s Blaze. I’m too tired to shift and snap his neck.”
I gulped in fear. “Why is he howling outside?”
“He heard you moaning in the shower.”
“He can hear that good?”
“We all can.”
“Oh.” I ran my fingers through my wet hair. “It wasn’t because. . .well, you know. . .I wasn’t doing anything to myself.”
“I know.”
“How do you know?”
He licked his lips. “I imagine you would have made more noise than that. At least, I would make sure you did.”
My face flushed with heat. My heartbeat increased again.
Aiden whispered, “Relax.”
“Because. . .you can hear my heart too. I keep forgetting.”
He nodded.
“Blaze can too?”
His jaw twitched. “Yes.”
I let out a long breath. “I was going to dry out my hair. Would that disturb everyone?”
“Not at all. It would just make everyone intrigued.”
“How?”
“We’ve been fighting and camping out with each other for too long. It’s nice to have a woman around us, filling the camp with delicious smells and. . .different sounds.”
“Delicious.”
He licked his lips again.
The howl came out for a few seconds. Then a whimper snipped that away.
I glanced over my shoulder. “What was that?”
“My Delta went to handle Blaze.”
“Your Delta.” I looked back at him. “The redhead that came and helped in the forest?”
“Exactly, you’re getting the hang of this.”
“Kind of.” I widened my eyes. “What do you mean he handled him?”
“Blaze would have sat outside your window all night howling for your attention. Damian probably pounced on him by surprise, snapped his neck, and dragged his big beast back to his cabin. Blaze will wake up in a few hours.”
“Will he howl again?”
“I’ll have some strength back in a few hours. Blaze won’t try it then. This was his best opportunity to make a play.”
There was so much information. All I could do was make note of it all.
“So. . .breaking your neck doesn’t kill you?”
“Silver through the heart. Bronze as well, although humans don’t use weapons like that anymore. Certain liquids could poison us. A decapitated head would be the end of us too. But it’s pretty difficult to get to our heads without being our dinner.”
I opened my mouth.
“That was a joke.”
“Oh.”
He yawned.
“I should let yo
u get some rest.” I inched back.
“Or. . .” He unfolded those muscular arms. “If you have more questions. . .”
“You’re exhausted, and I have a lot of hair to deal with.”
He gave me a weak smile. “Do you need help with your hair?”
A nervous giggle left me. “I’m fine.”
He placed his hands into his pockets. I wished he would pull the jeans down one inch. It was a crazy thought in the middle of all the insane things happening. But any warm-blooded woman would have agreed. He watched me drool over him.
I bet he knows how turned on I am.
I edged back again. “Okay. I’ll. . .see you in the morning.”
“Unless you need me to tuck you in after you’re done with your hair?”
I smirked. “I can do that myself, thanks for the offer though. Get some rest. You look tired.”
“Then, maybe you should tuck me in.”
My nipples stiffened under the gown. My arousal moistened the center of my thighs.
Aiden raised his head and inhaled.
I parted my lips.
A dark growl left him as he returned his view to me.
“Can you. . .” I sighed. “Can you smell when I’m turned on?”
His voice went low and seductive. “What do you think?”
There would be no secrets from him. He could hear me moan in the bathroom, smell my pussy get wet, and even catch the change of my heartbeats.
Lust coated his next words. “Would you like me to help you with that?”
I inched back. “As I said. . .I’m fine.”
“You sure are, Imani.” Those golden eyes flared. “Have a good night.”
“Thank you.” I closed the door. This time I didn’t lock it. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly why. My body craved his touch, even if my mind was shaken by him being a werewolf.
Deal with your damn hair and then take your hot ass to bed. He is a werewolf. Seriously, Imani? Are you that horny?
As I detangled my hair in the bathroom, I wondered what Aiden looked like naked. From that view in the hallway, he had the body of a gorgeous man. There would be no doubt that his cock would be impressive. But how big? He could shift to a wolf. Could his cock shift too? Or do some special tricks?
I shook my head and returned to my hair. When I finished, I placed it in a ponytail, cleaned up the bathroom, and collapsed into bed. No more sounds came from outside.
Before closing my eyes, I checked my phone. My sister had called me five times. I should have dialed Harper back, but I had no idea what I would say.
Hey, sis, I’m staying with werewolves right now. These creepy-ass witches are trying to kill him and me, so I’ll call you later. Also, there’s a werewolf watching over you. His Alpha told me he wouldn’t hurt you, so everything is awesome.
The sexy vision of Aiden in the hallway returned to me.
Even after all of this, I am so horny around him. What the hell is going on with me? Is this bond thing for real?
While the night air during the summer always soothed my nerves, this evening my breaths came out stifled. Tension gathered in my shoulders. And even crazier, an ache for Aiden’s presence rose in my heart. I wanted him next to me, even if I didn’t quite understand what was going on. I felt safe with him near.
Unable to fall asleep, I stared above me. The moonlight played with shadows on the ceiling, creating a movie of darkness and light. I knew it was all my imagination, but shapes formed in front of me. Wolves. Lots and lots of deadly wolves racing through a forest.
Go to sleep.
I rolled over and buried my face into my pillow. Minutes later, sleep seized me.
A new dream came.
A lavender moon hung above a dark sky empty of stars. I stood at the center of a forest, but it was nothing like I was used to. Black trees blazed with bright orange fire instead of leaves. However, none of the flames burned the branches. They were a part of the tree.
The air smelled of cotton candy.
I saw no one around. I looked down at my legs. I was barefoot and wore the white nightgown I’d fallen asleep in. I checked the warm ground. The grass was white and high. It swayed in the cool wind.
A dark voice sounded behind me. “Imani.”
I spun around.
Aiden stood before me, only wearing the same jeans. They were open just like in the hallway.
“This is a dream.” I kept my voice low. “But is it just a dream?”
Aiden stepped forward. “I think this is just as real as the last one.”
“Why do you say that? You could just be a Dream Aiden. Wouldn’t Dream Aiden say that?”
“Then let’s test it. Let’s see if we both remember this.” He closed the distance and captured me in his arms.
I could barely catch my breath.
He lowered his mouth, landing a kiss and devouring me down to my soul.
A moan left me.
Leaning back, he growled. “My beast goes crazy when you make that sound.”
I panted. “Your beast?”
He kept me in his huge arms. “Conri craves you as much as I do.”
“Conri?”
“That’s his name.”
“Did you give him that name?”
“My mother did. It means ‘wolf king.’”
I widened my eyes. “So. . .you’re. . .two different beings?”
“That’s one way to look at it.”
“Sorry, if I’m asking. . .crazy questions—”
“Keep asking. You need to get used to it.”
I moved from his arms.
He growled again. Two large fangs appeared at the top of his mouth.
I swallowed. “Are you shifting?”
“Conri wants to come out. Usually, I let him have control of our dreams.” He gestured all around us. “This is his forest.”
“You both dream the same?”
“At times. Believe it or not, his dreaming can be more complex.” Aiden looked around the forest. “He hates fire in real life, but loves it in his dreams.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Conri is all about pushing through his fears. He’s toppled over many, but fire is still one he can’t get over. So this forest is a sort of practice run for him.”
“Whose dream was the last one?”
Aiden gave me a silly grin. “We were on a staircase, and I was wearing a tuxedo. I’m sure that was your dream.”
“I can pull you into my dreams?”
“You can.”
“And if it was your dream, where would we be?”
“I don’t know where we would be.” The eyes shifted to golden. “However, you would be naked, probably on your hands and knees.”
“Wow. Your nose didn’t wiggle.”
His fangs grew an inch longer. He sighed.
I raised my eyebrows. “What’s wrong?”
“Conri is going to take control since it’s his dream.”
“And if he does?” Fear rushed through me. “Is he. . .dangerous?”
“With you, he’ll be harmless. He’ll be more bark than bite. Plus, he’ll never have complete control.”
“But. . .”
“You’re scared?” His shoulders bulged. His face reshaped. “Fuck—”
And then Aiden exploded into a massive wolf. There was no time to comprehend it. In waking life, the shift took several minutes. In the dream world, it was seconds.
I jumped back.
Aiden’s massive silver wolf loomed over me.
I parted my lips. “Aiden?”
He growled. His eyes blazed with rage.
“Sorry.” I cleared my throat. “Conri.”
The rage left. He lowered his huge head to my face. My heart pumped fast. Fear rose in my body. I wanted to run away and scream, but all I could do was stand in shock.
The silver wolf placed his big snout an inch from my face. And then he did something completely unexpected. He licked the side of my face, leaving a long-wet trail from m
y chin to my forehead.
“O-kay.” I wiped my face. “Nice to meet you, Conri.”
The huge wolf wagged his tail.
“Um. Hello.” I slowly raised my hand.
Conri licked my fingers.
I laughed. My heartbeats slowed.
He stared at me as if waiting for me to do or say something.
I gazed at those huge fangs. “Can I. . .touch you?”
He wagged his tail harder.
I reached my hand out and touched the sharp tip of one of his fangs with my finger. He lapped at it.
“I guess. . .you’re not so bad. . .” I let out an unsteady breath.
He raised his two paws as if sitting on his hindlegs and exposed his cock to me. And it was a monster. Pretty much as long as my arm, but as thick as my lower leg. Hair surrounded the root.
“Wow.” I jumped back. “That’s not. . .happening over here. I don’t know what you’re doing or if this is intentional.”
A whimper left him. His cock bounced a little.
I raised my hands in the air. “Hey. That’s life. I don’t know what I can tell you.”
Conri dropped down on his front two paws, lowered to the ground, and rolled over as if he wanted me to rub his belly.
“Umm.” I shook my head. “I would, but. . .your. . .penis is going to be all in the way. If you could just calm that down a bit.”
He rolled back over and jumped my way. So close, he sniffed my hair, lowered his nose, and sniffed my butt.
Barking, he jumped back and wagged his tail.
“Well.” I shrugged. “What else should we do?”
Barking, Conri rushed off.
“What?” I watched him race away and disappear into the flaming forest. “Where are you going?”
He barked as if telling me to come with him.
I ran forward. “Slow down!”
He barked far off in the distance. And then my body rose in the air.
“What the fuck?” I frantically wagged my arms and legs. My body soared after him, zipping by burning trees. “Oh my God! Does Conri have control of me in the dream too?”
And then I woke up.
Sweat coated every inch of me.
The sheets stuck to my skin.
I stared at the ceiling.
The sun lit up the whole room.
Chapter 13
Imani
That dream was insane.
I wiped the sweat off my forehead.
