Dark Stranger The Dream

by I. T. Lucas

  "Oh, that's plenty enough... It may take them some time and some cash to find someone to dig through the phone records, but when they do, it will be child's play for them to zero in on your subjects' cellular signal and locate them. We are probably out of time already. Call Syssi and tell her to stay home, and if she is on her way to the lab tell her to go back. I'm going to pick her up myself. Text me the info for the boy. I'll send Guardians for him as well."

  The line went dead.

  CHAPTER 27: KIAN

  Shoving the phone in his back pocket, Kian barked at Brundar and Anandur to follow and rushed out the door.

  He had never imagined that the Doomers might pose a threat to Syssi, thinking they were only after Amanda. Now, frantic with worry for the girl, his body pulsing with pent-up aggression, he couldn't wait for the elevator to descend fast enough.

  Catching his reflection in the mirror, Kian realized that he looked like he felt—vicious. But he couldn't care less if his face showed his murderous intent.

  As he raced through the parking level toward the Lexus, Anandur's and Brundar's heavy boots pounding behind him, he was inundated with gruesome images of Syssi in the hands of his enemies. Like snippets out of a nightmare, they were flashing in his mind one worse than the other.

  Snarling, his lips peeling away from his elongated fangs, he vowed that if anything happened to her, if the sick fucks laid a finger on her, hell had not known the fury he'd unleash on them.

  Amanda's text, reassuring him that Syssi stayed home with a headache and was fine, did little to calm him down. He wouldn't relax until he had her in the safety of his keep.

  Ranting and cursing at LA's goddamned traffic, Kian was lucky he didn't get pulled over driving recklessly as he did—speeding and weaving in between lanes. Growing worse with every passing moment, his anxiety for Syssi felt like physical pain, constricting his chest and twisting his gut.

  Shaken by the ferocity of his reaction, Kian was forced to admit that she'd awoken in him something that he believed had been long dead. Feelings that he had sworn off long ago because experience had taught him that they were nothing but a prelude to disaster.

  Kian had loved once.

  It had been so long ago, the memory of the actual events had faded, but he still remembered the pain of it ending.

  Her name was Lavena, a beautiful seventeen-year-old mortal girl. He had just turned nineteen. Too young and too inexperienced to know better, he fell head over heels in love with her. And as the young often do, he believed himself invincible; there were no obstacles he couldn't overcome, no difficulties great enough to deter him from his beloved.

  Disregarding his mother's dictum, he ran away and married the girl. They loved each other passionately, and as he tended to the small farm he'd bought for them, and she to their modest home, for a short time they lived in simple bliss.

  Slowly, though, Lavena's mind began showing the effects of the frequent thralls he was forced to subject her to. Even as impetuous as he was, he knew he had to make sure she never found out what he was.

  Lavena grew distraught, believing she was losing her mind; finding herself time and again spacing out and forgetting where she was or what she was doing.

  In his effort to lessen the damage, Kian refined his thralling technique to a level of fine art, doing his best to keep it minimal, but the episodes kept coming. By the time he realized the fairytale had to end, it was too late. They were expecting a child.

  Their life together became a nightmare.

  At first, he tried to abstain as much as he could. When it became clear he couldn't hold back his raging immortal hormones, he resorted to the use of prostitutes.

  Kian hated himself, hated what he was doing to the girl he loved, hated the kind of twisted life he was forced to live.

  Lavena became distant and mistrustful. No longer blinded by her adoration, she began noticing that he never got sick and that his scrapes and bruises would disappear just as soon as he got them. She began to fear him, believing he wielded some kind of dark magic.

  He had to leave.

  It was easy to fake his own death. All it took to convince Lavena and the rest of the villagers that he had been mauled by wild beasts was for his torn, bloodstained tunic to be found in the woods. With no body to bury, his wife buried that shirt.

  Shrouding himself, he watched from a distance as Lavena mourned his death, as she delivered their beautiful, healthy daughter, as she got better, as she married a widower with four kids of his own.

  Kian kept coming back. He watched his child get married and have children of her own. He watched them live their lives, get old and die while he remained unchanged; their lifetimes but a blink of an eye on the horizon of his own.

  Years upon years of gut-wrenching sorrow and regret.

  Kian had vowed never to be that stupid or careless again.

  He had kept that vow for nineteen hundred and seventy-six years.

  CHAPTER 28: SYSSI

  Startled by the screeching sound of tires, Syssi ran up to the window to see if anyone got hurt.

  Except, with her guesthouse being at the end of the driveway in the back of the lot, only a small section of the street was visible from where she stood to peek from behind the curtain. The main house was blocking the rest.

  She didn't see a car, but clearing the side of the main house were three large men. One rushed down her driveway, leaving the other two at the curb.

  What was going on?

  Fear gripping her, she let the curtain drop back into place, stepping sideways to get out of his line of sight. But as he kept getting closer, the sound of his pounding boots thundering in the quiet of the peaceful morning, her fear morphed into panic.

  The guy was huge, and to her panicky mind he looked like a menacing predator closing in for the kill. Except, as his face came into focus, she gasped, recognizing him.

  It couldn't be: she lifted her hand to her forehead, backing away from the window.

  Was it possible the dream had been a premonition? Or did all that Kahlua addle her brain, and she was seeing things; superimposing the face of her dream lover on that of a stranger?

  Not sure she had the guts to find out, Syssi took another step back.

  The man must've seen her backing away and figured he was frightening her. Slowing down, he stopped several feet away from her front door.

  "Syssi, it's me, Kian..." he called out, "Amanda's brother. Don't be afraid. Please open the door."

  With her hand on her heaving chest, Syssi moved back to the window and pushed the curtain aside to take a better look.

  Kian? Amanda's brother?

  Her frantic heartbeat slowed down a bit, but her hands were still clammy and shook with a slight tremor.

  What was Amanda's brother doing in my dream? What is he doing here? Is Amanda okay? Why didn't she mention him in her text?

  Suddenly worried about her friend, Syssi rushed to open the door. "What happened? Is Amanda okay?"

  "Amanda is fine... I'm sorry to have given you a fright, but we have a bit of a situation... Everything is under control, no need to panic, but I do need to talk to you. May I come in?" he asked and stepped closer.

  Now that he was standing right in front of her, towering, she took a good look at his strikingly beautiful face. And even though she felt markedly better, her worry for Amanda assuaged, she still felt wary of him.

  Syssi swallowed nervously.

  Amanda's brother seemed even more intimidating than her conjured dream-lover. With all those muscles coiled and ready to pounce, Kian looked like a killer. The tension and menace radiating from him were a sure sign that the situation was not as trivial as he tried to make it sound.

  "Yes, of course, please come in." Syssi smiled a tight little smile, gesturing for him to follow her while doing her best to pretend that he didn't make her nervous and awkward as heck.

  The stranger that wasn't a stranger...

  Walking in behind her, he closed the door. As he foll
owed her inside, the place seemed to shrink with him in it, and suddenly she felt trapped, struggling to get air into her lungs as if Kian had somehow consumed all of the breathable air. And yet, as she felt the heat rolling of off him at her back, a rush of awareness coursed through her body, tightening it all over.

  Unable to bear the tension, she whipped around only to find herself a fraction of an inch from his solid chest. Afraid of what she might see, she hesitated a moment before looking up at his face.

  Syssi inhaled sharply. His eyes were the most intense shade of blue she had ever seen. She felt enthralled by them. Hypnotized.

  Wow, waking up must have been a dream within a dream, and she was still sleeping, still dreaming, and conjuring this gorgeous man, those amazing eyes.

  She wondered if he would feel real if she touched him. Except, remembering how very real he had felt in her dream… well, that obviously offered no proof one way or another...

  Syssi waited for him to say something, or at least kiss her senseless, but instead he kept boring into her eyes; holding her captive.

  It felt as if he was pushing at some mental barrier inside her head, the pressure at her temples getting progressively worse until it shuttered, and a flood of submerged memories came barging to the forefront of her mind.

  As she struggled to process and assimilate the influx, Kian kept watching her with those hard eyes of his.

  At first, Syssi felt as if her head was about to explode from the tremendous pressure, but as it eased and the memories rushed in, she was certain she was losing her freaking mind.

  Kian at the lab, the danger, rushing to the car, the penthouse, that kiss, the dream... What was real... What was a dream?

  Searching his eyes for answers, Syssi found reflected in them the burning desire she felt for him. Except, his seemed more like a predatory hunger, and she remembered that look from before. It was real.

  Overwhelmed, she took a step back.

  Kian looked so intimidating as he loomed over her like a mountain of a sex-starved man. And yet, curiously, now that she remembered him, she was no longer afraid. Excited, anxious, needy, awkward... yes... but not afraid. For some reason, she felt she could trust him. Kian would protect her.

  And Syssi had no reason to question her infallible instinct. It had never steered her wrong before.

  Which brought back the issue of what the heck he needed to protect her from, and what really was going on?

  "What...?" she began.

  Kian cut her off, gesturing for her to stop.

  Clearing his throat as if trying to bring some moisture into his dried-out mouth, his voice came out sounding like gravel anyway. "I need you to pack a bag, you're coming with me,” he commanded and then waited for her to do as she was told.

  "Really? Just like that?" Syssi cocked an eyebrow.

  "I'll explain everything on the way. The situation I had mentioned before makes it dangerous for you to stay. We need to get out of here, ASAP. Please hurry up and pack only what you'll need for a couple of days." Kian took hold of her shoulders and turned her around toward the bedroom, playfully smacking her butt as if to hasten her on her way.

  Taken by surprise, Syssi jerked her head back, giving him the what-the-hell-do-you-think-you're-doing look before strutting to the bedroom.

  She smiled under her nose as soon as her face was turned away.

  What was it about this man that when delivered by his hand a move that she would've found offensive coming from anyone else had brought her a delicious tingle of arousal.

  He had a lot of nerve, though, pulling that one on her like he had the right. Playing around as if nothing was going on, and without bothering to explain what the hell it was that was going on...

  Rushing, she opened drawers and threw items of clothing on the bed; yesterday's bizarre events and this morning's panic attack enough to convince her that she needed to get away. But from whom or what? She'd soon find out. Kian had promised he'd explain.

  Still, she shook her head as she pulled her overnight bag from under the bed, dumbfounded by her strange memory loss and its sudden return.

  She had a feeling Kian had something to do with it. But what? Had he hypnotized her? And if he had; When? How? Why? Could she really trust him if he had...?

  Was she a complete idiot if she did trust him?

  Syssi was packed and ready to go in a matter of minutes, hurrying as she brushed her hair, applied some eyeliner, and stepped into her platform slides.

  Five inches taller, dolled up, with her brushed hair falling in thick, shiny waves down her back, she left her bedroom more confident in her looks but less so in the soundness of her mind.

  That extra minute spent was so worth it.

  Kian's eyes widened as she walked back into the room with her duffle bag slung over her shoulder, the heat in his eyes making her feel sexy. Walking toward him, she even swayed her hips a little before her confidence faltered. She searched his eyes to gauge his reaction.

  As if guessing what she was looking for, Kian gave her an appreciative look-over, his hooded eyes letting her know how much he liked what he saw.

  She smiled, wordlessly thanking him for his mute admiration, then losing her nerve, lowered her eyes, her momentary bravado replaced by an embarrassed blush.

  In two quick strides, Kian closed the distance between them and reached for the duffle bag. Slinging it over his shoulder, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close against his side.

  Syssi stiffened momentarily, not sure what to make of the possessive move. It definitely wasn't the casual type between friends. It was something more. And though she didn't want to read too much into it, it felt incredibly good just to go along and lean into him as if it was the most natural thing for her to do.

  As they walked out the door with their arms around each other, she sensed it was a new beginning. But of what? And as they kept going down the long driveway, the feeling intensified, shaping into a strong premonition that she was never coming back.

  She didn't know the why or how of it, or if it was good or bad. Regrettably, it was in the nature of premonitions to be vague; revealing only a hint of an outcome and very little if any of the particulars.

  Syssi wondered if there was anything she would terribly miss. The furniture belonged to her landlady, all her photos were safely stored on her laptop, and the rest of her stuff could be replaced with as little as a thousand bucks. Except her Precious, of course.

  Her BMW convertible was the only luxury she had accepted from her parents, and she loved that car. Precious would go wherever she went. Leaving it unattended on the street was out of the question.

  "What about my car?" She turned to Kian.

  By then they had reached the curb, joining the two imposing men standing guard. One was a huge redhead, the other a slightly smaller, gorgeous blond. Both were looking her over with unabashed male curiosity and appreciation.

  Tucking her closer against his side, Kian tightened his hold. "Give me the keys." He held out his palm, staring daggers at his companions.

  Puzzled by his abrasiveness, she lifted her eyes to look at his angry face. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

  Pointing dismissively at the men, he barked, "The big red oaf's name is Anandur, and Rapunzel's name is Brundar." Partially blocking their view of her with his body, he finished the introduction. "And this is Syssi, Amanda's assistant."

  Sidestepping Kian, the one named Anandur smiled and brought his lips down to her offered hand for a kiss. "Enchanted.”

  Did she imagine it, or did Kian just hiss?

  Brundar bowed his head without saying a thing, but his lips curled up slightly, suggesting he was suppressing a smile.

  This time, there was no hiss.

  "Which one is yours?" Kian asked, closing his fingers over her keys.

  "The blue BMW over there." She pointed.

  He tossed the keys to Anandur, who caught the dangling thing midair, and mock-saluting Kian walked over to her car.


  "Brundar, you're driving,” Kian ordered, opening the SUV's back passenger door for Syssi. Motioning for her to scoot over, he joined her in the back seat, and settling close to her, placed a proprietary hand on her thigh.

  Smirking behind the thick curtain of her hair, Syssi wasn't sure what to make of Kian's behavior. He was acting like a jealous boyfriend.

  On the other hand, it was entirely possible that he was always rude to these guys, or that the animosity between them lingered from something that had happened before. In either case, it had nothing to do with her.

  Still, whatever the reason, Syssi didn't mind the feel of his body pressed against her side, or his fingers closing around her knee. On the contrary, it felt nice. It had been so long since she had enjoyed this kind of closeness...

  Suddenly overcome by an intense yearning for it, her gut twisted with a sense of loss as she realized how improbable it was for something meaningful to develop between them.

  She was such an idiot.

  One hot kiss and one erotic dream didn't constitute a relationship or even a fling.

  What was she thinking?

  Syssi sighed. Wishing for it wasn't going to make it so.

  But in the meantime, she could pretend a little and enjoy the warmth of togetherness. Even if it was all an illusion. For the duration of this adventure, she decided she would let it unfold and deal with the consequences later.

  CHAPTER 29: KIAN

  Holding Syssi close, Kian savored the feel of her. Still worried about how haggard she had looked when he had first gotten to her place, he glanced down, but her face was hidden behind her hair.

  Damn! The girl had looked ashen as if she had been sick or tired from a sleepless night, and her pretty face had been pinched with worry and fear.

  It was his fault. He must've harmed her somehow with his thrall last night, and this morning had scared her out of her mind, galloping down that driveway the way he had. The fact that he had no choice did nothing to ease his guilt.