by I. T. Lucas
DARK STRANGER THE DREAM
The Children Of The Gods book 1
I. T. Lucas
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Contents
Foreword
Prelude: Syssi
Chapter 1: Syssi
Chapter 2: Amanda
Chapter 3: Kian
Chapter 4: Anandur
Chapter 5: Amanda
Chapter 6: Syssi
Chapter 7: Amanda
Chapter 8: Mark
Chapter 9: Kian
Chapter 10: Kian
Chapter 11: Anandur
Chapter 12: Syssi
Chapter 13: Kian
Chapter 14: Brundar
Chapter 15: Syssi
Chapter 16: Kian
Chapter 17: Brundar
Chapter 18: Syssi
Chapter 19: Kian
Chapter 20: Kian
Chapter 21: Andrew
Chapter 22: Kian
Chapter 23: Syssi
Chapter 24: Kian
Chapter 25: Dalhu
Chapter 26: Syssi
Chapter 27: Amanda
Chapter 28: Dalhu
Chapter 29: Syssi
Chapter 30: Dalhu
Chapter 31: Syssi
Chapter 32: Kian
Chapter 33: Syssi
Chapter 34: Amanda
Chapter 35: Kian
Chapter 36: Syssi
Chapter 37: Kian
Chapter 38: Syssi
Chapter 39: Kian
Chapter 40: Syssi
Chapter 41: Kian
Chapter 42: Syssi
Chapter 43: Kian
Chapter 44: Syssi
Chapter 45: Kian
Chapter 46: Syssi
Chapter 47: Kian
Chapter 48: Syssi
Chapter 49: Kian
Chapter 50: Syssi
Chapter 51: Kian
Chapter 52: Amanda
Deleted Scene
DARK STRANGER REVEALED
SERIES READING ORDER
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES
FOR EXCLUSIVE PEEKS
Copyright
FOREWORD
Dear reader,
Thank you for choosing to read my book. It's an honor I deeply appreciate.
The Children of the Gods series is a continuing saga and is best read in order. Every 3 to 4 books a new couple takes the lead, while the previous main characters and their relationships continue to grow and develop in the background.
Written from multiple points of view and based on Sumerian mythology, the saga unfolds in a contemporary setting. HEA at the end of each couple's story is guaranteed, there is no cheating or abusive behavior, and the love scenes are hot.
While Dark Stranger The Dream is the beginning of Syssi and Kian's journey, and the steamy parts are experienced in dreams, the strong sexual theme that continues throughout the series makes it inappropriate for readers under the age of 18.
Love and happy reading,
I. T. Lucas
P.S. The long excerpt from Dark Stranger Revealed contains a steaming hot love scene that is inappropriate for readers under the age of 18.
Praise for the Children of the Gods series
“Best in the genre. I. T. Lucas pens an exceptionally well developed story. Many writers in this genre are predictable and formulaic. The Children of the Gods series is never predictable. This series stands with the best of fantasy writers - the fact that it is romance fantasy is almost beside the point. That said, even the sex scenes are well done and NOT predictable! A must read.”—9alese
“One of the best in the genre. This is an awesome supernatural romance series. It falls under the category of some of the best out there in this genre.”—murbarb1
J R Ward meet L T Lucas I am a huge fan of J R Ward and her Brotherhood books. While awaiting her latest book, I was on Facebook and read someone's recommendation for these books. The phrased their opinion as "if you loved J R Ward, get ready for an equally great series". I had to see if they were right. Needless to say, I'm on my 8th book.—Linda
“Drop everything to get into this fantasy world! Spellbinding! Fantasy, action packed, thriller and passionate all at once. Absolutely sucked me in from the very first chapter. I really enjoy reading a book with different characters views and what they are feeling and doing with the plot when reading a book. They kept my attention and couldn't wait to get the next book once I finished the one I was reading. Very addictive and spellbinding. I have read all 9 books and am waiting for the next one to come out. You won't regret ordering this entire collection.—K Bunker
Prelude: Syssi
Premonitions are tricky.
And although Syssi had been having them for as long as she could remember, she could never predict how they’d come to pass.
Yet in one way or another, they always did.
It was a curse.
Knowing something was coming, but not the when or the how, left her perpetually anxious.
Lately, she sensed a dark shadow descending over the world, a malevolence that had an oddly familiar flavor to it. An old and powerful force was on the rise, readying to plunge the world into darkness. Yet again.
It alarmed her.
So much so that she dreaded watching the news or reading a newspaper. To witness global events unfold according to her predictions only fueled their potency. And like one of those biblical prophets of doom, the foreknowledge she was burdened with was too vague to heed—even if anyone cared to listen.
And yet, although the portents were mounting, it seemed as if no one was concerned. Blinded by one trifling thing or another, most of her friends were convinced that their future was secure.
As if weapons of mass destruction were not threatening to annihilate the world, and the slaughter of thousands in Africa and in North Korea and in other godforsaken dictatorships wasn’t happening. Not to mention that hunger was still a serious problem in parts of the globe, and basic human rights were rapidly eroding in those and other parts: specifically, those of women.
It weighed on her.
Being a powerless observer sucked.
There was nothing she could do.
Except, some small part of her was rebelling against this perceived helplessness, whispering in her mind that she was wrong. It was like an itch, a nagging suspicion that she was forgetting something important, and that just around the corner, a life-altering adventure awaited.
Perhaps it had something to do with the dream that had been tormenting her for months. Infrequent at first, lately it had been a nightly occurrence, and she would wake up gasping, sweaty, shaky, and with a mean headache.
The dream always began in the midst of a heart-pounding pursuit.
Out of breath and desperate, she was running for her life through a dark wood—a pack of vicious wolves on her heels. With the hellhounds’ terrible red-glowing eyes and snarling muzzles never far behind, her panting breaths were the only other sounds to disturb the quiet of the night.
What am I doing here?
Why are they chasing me?
Dear God, I’m going to die—horrifically—they are going to tear me apart.
Her eyes darting frantically in search of help, Syssi could see nothing besides the elusive shadows the moon was casting on her path.
She was losing hope, her legs threatening to give out, when up ahead in the distance she discerned what looked like a silhouette of a man. She couldn’t be sure, t
hough. The tall shape was barely visible below the limbs of a large tree—it might’ve been just another shadow.
It remained a mystery. She’d never reached him, not even once, always waking up before getting close enough to find out if he’d been real.
Trouble was, Syssi didn’t know what to make of the dream. Was the dark stranger friend or foe? Was she supposed to run to him? Or from him?
On that, her premonition remained undecided, churning up a strange mix of contradicting feelings: a sense of trepidation, but also excitement.
Yes, her premonitions were definitely tricky.
Chapter 1: Syssi
“Watch out!” Syssi threw a hand out, bracing against the Porsche’s front panel.
Her new boss, the most talked about professor on campus, Dr. Amanda Dokani, was going to get them killed.
“Would you chill?” Amanda cast Syssi an annoyed glance before accelerating again to take advantage of an opening in the next lane over.
Syssi held her breath. The space didn’t look big enough for a motorcycle. The Porsche was a small car, but not that small. When Amanda managed to slip it into the tiny space without causing an accident, Syssi sagged in relief.
Would telling her boss she was driving like a maniac get her fired?
Nah. Not after all the trouble Amanda had gone through convincing Syssi to come work for her. Besides, they were friends. Sort of. “You’re dangerous. I’m never going to hitch a ride with you again.”
Amanda snorted. “I don’t know what your problem is. I’m an excellent driver.”
If she wasn’t holding on to the dashboard for dear life, Syssi would’ve crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. “Why can’t you stay in one lane? Do you really think all that weaving between cars will get you there faster? And anyway, what’s the rush? You have plenty of time until your first class starts.”
Amanda let out a resigned sigh. “Fine, I’ll slow down. But you need to tell me what’s gotten into you. Yesterday, you had no problem with my driving.”
True. But that had been before the disturbing foretelling that had forced itself into Syssi’s mind this morning. Amanda was in danger, the premonition had been clear on that, but the details had been fuzzy.
“I had a premonition about you.”
“Aha, I knew it. Let’s hear it.” Amanda looked excited as she peered at Syssi with a pair of big blue eyes that seemed to be glowing from the inside. It must’ve been a trick of the light—a reflection from contact lenses—because people’s eyes didn’t emit light. Though, it sure as hell looked like it.
Syssi shook her head. This wasn’t the first oddity she’d noticed about her new boss. Not that any of it was a big deal, just small things. Was Syssi the only one who noticed that there was something peculiar about the professor?
Probably.
Amanda’s students were too busy gaping and admiring to actually listen to her lectures, let alone notice that there was something off about her.
Tall and lean, with dark, glossy, short hair, deep blue eyes, and full, sensuous lips that were red without the benefit of a lipstick, Amanda’s beauty bordered on the surreal. Distracted by her looks, most people could see nothing beyond it, and at first, Syssi had been no different. But with each passing day, since she had first walked into Amanda’s lab a little over two months ago, it was getting easier see the person inside and ignore the cover.
Upon discovering that Professor Dokani was conducting experiments on extrasensory perception, Syssi had volunteered to be a test subject. What better way to explore her ability to foresee glimpses of the future than having a neuroscientist examine it?
Her results had been so exceptional that even though neuroscience hadn’t been her field of study, Amanda had pestered her to join the research team.
Syssi had politely declined.
She had an internship lined up with a wonderful architect. Tragically, though, the poor man had died of a heart failure a few days before she’d been supposed to start. So here she was, working at the lab and getting valuable insight into an ability that had haunted her, her entire life.
At least until she could find another architect to intern with.
“It was vague, as they all are, so I didn’t want to worry you for nothing, but I sensed that something major was going to happen to you—not life threatening, but life changing.”
Amanda smirked. “Hey, maybe the groundbreaking paper we are working on will get published in Nature? That would be major and life changing.”
Syssi shook her head. “The premonition wasn’t bleak but it wasn’t sunny either. Besides, we are not ready. Even I know we have to do a lot more experiments before we can prove your hypothesis.”
Tapping a long-nailed finger on the steering wheel, Amanda frowned. “I know. Tell me something, are you still getting those nightmares? The ones with the wolves?”
Syssi blushed. “Yeah, almost every night.” She’d told Amanda about the dreams, but not about the recent changes in their nature. Last Saturday, she’d gotten a little closer to her would-be dream rescuer, and closer yet each night since. His facial features were still obscured by the shadows, but she could tell that he was tall, exceptionally so, and that his body was beautifully built—lean and strong like that of an athlete’s.
Even though it was only a dream, his proximity was doing all kinds of weird things to her, affecting her in a most disturbing way. The man was like the epicenter of a force field, emitting some kind of attractant she was powerless to resist.
The way he held himself, his entire body language exuding an aura of power and confidence, was calling to everything female in her. Syssi yearned for her dream guy like she’d never yearned for any real man.
To be with him would differ from any sexual experience that she’d ever had or even fantasized about. Before the dreams had taken on this new twist, her fantasies had been quite tame, as well as the men starring in them. Kind of like her ex-boyfriend, or perhaps just a little more exciting. Gregg had been as far removed from intense as it got.
Not this guy.
He would demand nothing less than her complete and utter submission.
The shocking part was that she found herself yearning for his dominance. The concept was so foreign to her that she should’ve found it abhorrent, and certainly not titillating. Still, it was hard to argue with the very physical evidence her dream arousal was leaving behind.
Wet panties weren’t a big problem first thing in the morning, but the arousal carried over to her waking hours. Syssi could’ve banished it, forcing it off her mind, but the truth was that she didn’t want to. It made her feel alive. There was something naughty and delicious about her constant state of arousal, her yearning for the forbidden sensation, and she refused to give it up.
Not yet, anyway.
She would cast these fantasies aside once she started dating again and had a real guy in her life. It didn’t require a degree in psychology to figure out that there was a connection between the dreams and her extended dry spell.
Amanda cast her a sidelong glance, no doubt puzzled by Syssi’s blush. “The dreams are affecting you, and this is why you see trouble lurking in every corner. I think you are mixing up real premonitions with a bad mood.”
“Not likely. I know the difference. A premonition has a very distinct feel to it.” Syssi sighed. “I’m just tired. All I need is one good night’s sleep to regain my sunny predisposition.” One without disturbing dreams about a sexy dark stranger.
“What you need is to get laid. One good tumble and the nightmares will go poof. Isn’t a handsome guy part of the dream? You need to catch up to him and turn that nightmare into something naughty instead of scary; something fun like several screaming orgasms.” Amanda squirmed in her chair. “I could use some myself.” She winked at Syssi, the seductive smile on her beautiful face so sinful it had Syssi squirm a little herself. Amanda was such a sexual creature that it was impossible to remain unaffected. Especially given Syssi’s already ele
vated state of arousal.
If it were anyone else other than Amanda, Syssi would’ve been freaked out, thinking she was that transparent and that everyone could figure out what her dreams were about. But the woman had sex on her mind twenty-four seven. She would’ve turned a dream about a trip to the supermarket into something sexy.
But even though Amanda was very open about her sexuality, sometimes shockingly so, Syssi didn’t want to share this with her boss. She hid her discomfort with a shrug. “I don’t know if he is handsome or not because I never get close enough to see him. It’s not that kind of a dream.”
Liar, liar, panties on fire.
Chapter 2: Amanda
“Where the hell is he?” Amanda murmured and took another quick glance at the time before fixing her gaze back on the lecture hall’s door.
From her elevated vantage point on the podium, there was little chance she could miss Kian. At six foot four and with two distinctive bodyguards at his side, he wasn’t exactly inconspicuous, or easily overlooked.
She was just anxious for him to show up.
At last, after endless nagging and cajoling, her brother—the all-important Regent and head of her clan on the American continent—was making the time to come see her teach.
He should be here already. Kian was punctual to a fault. Unless, he isn’t coming after all.
Snatching her phone out of her purse, Amanda turned her back to the class.
Where are you? I have to start in a few minutes, Amanda texted, then waited, tapping her heeled shoe on the podium’s hardwood floor.
Don’t get your knickers in a twist. Parking the car. Be there in two.
Letting out a relieved breath, she smiled and texted back. Knickers? Really? What century are you stuck in? It’s a thong now. Get with the times, old man. And unless you can fly, you won’t make it in two.
