by Quinn Loftis
Jewel pulled the comforter up so high that it practically covered her head. She was almost positive she was suffering from post-traumatic stress. How could she not be after having helped kill two women? Not that they’d set out to kill them, but that did not change the fact that they were dead. Anna seemed to be holding herself together pretty well, but then some people were just better at covering up their wounds.
Only a week had passed, and already the outcome of their assignment seemed bleak. Jewel had thought all they would have to do was find women—specifically, women who wouldn’t be missed by anyone—and use Volcan’s magic they way she had on Anna. The dark fae hadn’t given her any further guidance. Considering how eager he was to create this witch army, she would think he would be forthcoming about any and all information they might need in order to be successful. But then that would be logical, and she didn’t know if the psychopathic fae was logical in any way. Or maybe he just didn’t know what sort of special qualities the women needed to have. When sleep finally took her under, Jewel found herself in a dream that she so desperately wanted to be real.
“Are you actually here?” she asked Dalton. He was dressed in a pair of well-worn jeans, a grey T-shirt, and black work boots. His broad shoulders filled out the shirt nicely, and he looked strong and virile. His face was relaxed, his eyes glowing only slightly, indicating that his wolf was near to the surface.
“It is your dream,” he answered.
She nodded. “Yes, but are you only in my subconscious, or are you doing that dream-connection thing?” She wanted him to say yes. She needed it to be him. She was weak and so desperately needed his strength.
“Does it matter?” Dalton asked her, his deep voice like a soothing balm to her battered soul.
“It would be nice if it was really you and not just a figment of my imagination.”
“Why? You obviously needed to see me, to spend time with me, and here I am. Does it really matter which I am?”
Jewel laughed. “I suppose not, but I’m almost a hundred percent positive you’re simply my dream. If you were really here, you’d be on me like iron on a red blood cell. And you’d be growling at me to tell you where I am and what I’m doing.”
“That is not what you need right now,” dream Dalton said. His eyes were soft and full of understanding.
“No.” She shook her head. “It isn’t.”
“Tell me what you need. It must be great if you are dreaming of me.”
Jewel felt the tears welling up in her eyes as her chest grew tight. She moved toward him without thought, and once she was in front of her dream Dalton, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her cheek against his hard chest. Jewel’s arms tightened, afraid that if she didn’t hold fast, he would disappear.
“I need you to hold me,” she told him, her words coming through the hiccups from her tears. “I need to feel safe and loved because when you find out the truth, you won’t want to hold me anymore.”
Speaking her fears out loud seemed to be the catalyst for the storm that had been raging inside of her since taking Amy’s life. There were so many tears that she couldn’t even see. They soaked Dalton’s shirt and showed no signs of stopping.
Jewel felt as though she wanted to climb out of her own skin. The pain, fear, doubt, and self-loathing were attempting to claw their way out of her throat until she could no longer hold it back. She screamed, her hands clenching tightly around Dalton’s shirt, her body shaking, and her mind a mess of chaos and confusion.
“WHY?” She yelled as she pressed her forehead forcefully into his chest. She stomped her right foot over and over, landing on the ground in time with her rant, “why, why, why, whyyyyyyy?”
Jewel’s body shook as she let the anguish overcome her. Dalton wrapped his arms securely around her and crooned in her ear.
“Whatever it is, you will survive. You will come back to me. I will still love you, still adore you, still long for you, and want you. Nothing will change that, Little Dove. Nothing.”
His words should have given her comfort, she knew that was why she was having him say them to her, since he was just her dream Dalton, but all they did was make her cry harder. Because she knew they were only the words she wanted to hear, not truth.
“You’re not real,” she moaned against him. “You’re only saying things my brain is telling you to say. You are not real!” She roared the last part and pounded her fist against his chest.
She felt his arms tighten even more. “Regardless of whether I am real, Jewel Stone, if you did not believe the words and trust me, your mind would not have conjured them from my lips. You know they are truth. You know me. You know I will never, ever give you up. Come back to me. I don’t care if you’re whole or broken. Come back to me, and I will help put you back together.”
Dream Dalton tilted her head up with a finger so that she was looking into his very glowing eyes. She could see his love for her. it was the exact same look he’d given her just before he’d bitten her. It was a look that she longed to see again in real life, not just a dream.
He lowered his head and pressed his soft lips to hers. It felt as real as if she were awake. She could smell him and taste him as though he was not just a dream. Jewel pressed her body closer and reached her arms up, wrapping them around his neck. Her tears still fell, and her body still shook, but for a different reason than it had minutes ago. The coldness that had filled her was quickly being replaced by Dalton’s warmth. The darkness that was beginning to seep into the cracks of her armor was temporarily rebuffed by the light of his love in which she basked.
She could feel the pressure of his fingers in her back as he pulled her impossibly closer. She gasped, and Dalton deepened the kiss. His taste flooded her senses. He was ambrosia, heady and sensual. Jewel never wanted it to end. She wanted to stay asleep with her dream mate forever. No pain could touch them, and no evil could pursue them. There would be no fear, only the joy of being with him.
“I love you, Little Dove,” he whispered.
Before she could respond, he was gone, and she was left standing alone in her dream, aching for his presence and longing to be back at his side and far from Volcan and his wicked schemes.
“I love you, Dalton Black,” she whispered, wishing he could hear her.
Anna heard his name. She blinked her eyes open and realized it was her own voice that she was hearing. She was asleep, and yet she was calling for him.
“Gustavo.” She didn’t know how many times she’d said it, but she certainly knew why. She was gutted. While awake, she’d been able to hold herself together. Jewel had needed her to. But now they were both asleep in their own broken minds, and she was falling apart.
Chapter 6
“I have never experienced something so maddening. My mate needs me, yet I am unable to help her. She has called to me, but I am powerless to answer her. I would rather walk through the fires of hell than be helpless to care for my mate.” ~Gustavo
Gustavo’s wolf perked up, drawing the man’s attention inward. He blocked out the sounds of the others around him and listened for whatever it was that had captured his beast’s interest.
“Gustavo.”
The voice was almost too soft to be heard, and he would have missed it had his wolf not been on alert. He reached for her mind through their bond and found that it was wide open. She was asleep and thinking of him.
“Anna,” he answered silently. “Do you hear me? Criña, are you alright?”
“I’m dreaming,” she answered. “Why aren’t you here with me?”
“I am not asleep,” Gustavo told her. “My wolf heard your call.”
“It’s been a bad day.” Her voice was thin and strained.
“What happened?” He felt a little guilty asking because she’d been blocking him from her mind. The conscious Anna obviously didn’t want him to know where she was or what she was doing. He knew that while she was sleeping, with her protective walls down, she would be more likely to let something slip th
rough the bond. It was sneaky on his part, but he was so desperate to know if she was okay. His wolf hungered for any morsel she would share with them.
“Death,” she said, causing his heartbeat to speed up.
“Whose death, Anna?” He saw flashes in her mind, two different women, both staring up at him with lifeless eyes. He felt her pain, her confusion, and then he felt something that he was all too familiar with. Gustavo felt darkness, like a living creature, weaving its way into her mind and around her thoughts. What was this darkness, and how was it living inside of her, a gypsy healer?
“Please don’t ask me anymore questions, Gustavo,” she pleaded. “It’s just too much. I will tell you, eventually, but not yet. I just wanted to see you, to hear your voice. It seems crazy to have this need for you when I’ve never even met you.”
He wanted to ask her more. He wanted to demand that she tell him everything, but he didn’t want her to stop seeking him out, and if he pushed her, she might. His wolf, and the man as well, relished the fact that she wanted to see him, that she needed him. He’d waited his long life for her, and to know she needed him brought a comfort to him that he’d never felt before.
“That’s the way it is with true mates, Criña. Our souls long for each other. They long to be complete and whole. I have the same need of you, probably a greater need actually. I’ve always known I would have a true mate, and I’ve waited for you for so long. You never had an inkling you had a soul mate. I imagine you are overwhelmed.”
She let out a humorless laugh. “Overwhelmed would be a huge understatement.”
“I would bear your burden for you, if you’d let me,” he whispered into her mind. “I would bear your every worry, fear, pain, sorrow, guilt, all of it, Anna. You do not have to endure alone.”
“Just hearing your voice helps me bear it. Just knowing that, for now, you’re waiting for me, and want me, those things will carry me through what I’m facing now.”
“Mí Amõr, I will always be waiting for you.” His wolf growled as he felt her slipping away, the walls she so expertly erected between their bond sliding back into place. Once again, all he was left with was the awareness of her but no thoughts or words.
“Gustavo?”
He turned around, surprised to find himself standing several feet away from a group people.
“Gustavo?” Sorin asked again.
His eyes met the younger wolves, and Sorin dropped his immediately. “I apologize. I was not ignoring you,” he said coolly. “Anna had need of me.”
“You talked to her?” Heather asked from where she was standing across the clearing from him. Like the others, she’d stood up and seemed to be stretching and loosening up her stiff limbs. They’d been stationary for some time.
Gustavo nodded.
“Is she alright?” Stella asked.
“I honestly do not know.” He hated to admit it. He felt like a failure as a mate. She was obviously in some sort of trouble, and he couldn’t help her. If only they could get out of the pixie realm, he might be able to find her through their bond. Though they hadn’t completed the Blood Rites, their connection was strong already.
“She’ll be okay,” Crina spoke up. “You would know if she was really in danger.”
And as if her words had triggered it, Gustavo suddenly felt a sharp pain in his gut. He felt as if someone had plunged a cold hand into his stomach and wrapped a strong fist around his spine, jerking him forward onto his knees. He could hear the voices around him, but he couldn’t decipher any of their words. All he could focus on was his mate and the pain that was coming through loud and clear from their bond. If she’d been safe only moments ago when she’d reached for him, she was safe no longer.
Jewel awoke to the sound of pounding on the motel door. She couldn’t see any sunlight coming through the curtains, so it was either very late or very early. The pounding started again, and she flipped the covers back and slid her legs over the side of the bed.
“Who is it?” she called out as she stood up and straightened her rumbled sleep clothes.
“It’s Sly and Z. We’re the only two people who know where you are. Who did you think it was, the tooth fairy?” Sly said dryly.
“We really need to figure out a way to zap them with all this magic we have shacking up inside of us,” Anna said groggily.
“I’m in utmost agreement.” Jewel walked over to the door but didn’t open it. “Let us get dressed, and we will meet you at the doors to the lobby.”
“Sounds good, but don’t take all day,” Z called out. “We have a plane to catch.”
“What?” Anna asked as she bolted upright. “Where are we going?” she yelled back.
“Hurry up, Wheelers,” Z called back with a laugh.
Jewel shook her head and motioned toward the bathroom. “Do you want to go first?”
Anna waved her off. “Naw, you go ahead. I need a minute to get my bearings.”
Jewel did her business in the bathroom and then washed her face and brushed her teeth. It was amazing what a good face and teeth scrub could do for a person. Though the minute she looked in the mirror and saw the empty eyes staring back at her, any refreshment she’d gleaned was gone. All of the previous day’s happenings rushed to the forefront of her mind, and she once again felt the weight of helplessness settle over her like a heavy blanket. She felt so isolated and alone. Even with the comradeship of Anna, Z, and Sly, she found no comfort in their presence. Her heart longed for someone else’s company, and she had no idea when she would see him again.
Anna took over the bathroom when Jewel emerged some ten minutes later. While her partner was indisposed, Jewel gathered their clothes and packed them in the duffle bag they’d bought with their other purchases. It didn’t take her long to get it all folded and put up, and when she was done, she found herself standing at the motel window looking out into the night, wondering what Dalton was doing. She missed him. Yes, she barely knew him, but what she did know of him, she loved. He was faithful and loyal. He was a man of a character and someone she never dreamed she’d ever have a chance with, let alone hold the other half of his soul. She wanted a chance with him. She longed to have a life with him.
Jewel rubbed her hand across her face and gritted her teeth in frustration. She just needed to figure out what the connection was between the magic and the transformation from ordinary young woman to powerful witch. If she couldn’t figure it out, then she could just kiss her present and future goodbye because Volcan would have no use for her.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Anna said as she stepped out of the bathroom.
“Did you know that fruit flies were the first living creature to be sent into space?” Jewel spat out the information before she had time to process what her brain was thinking. And why on earth was she thinking about fruit flies?
Anna shook her head. “I did not know that, but I do know you must be feeling better if you’re spouting random facts. I’ve noticed when you stop sharing all that useless info in your huge brain, it means you’re past the stress bar on your stress meter.”
“I have a stress meter?”
“Of course.” Anna smiled. “Everyone has a stress meter. But everyone’s stress bar isn’t on the same level. Some are higher, and some are lower. Yours is actually pretty high.”
Jewel let out a sigh. “Well, I guess that’s a silver lining in the massive storm clouds that have accumulated over our heads.”
“Oh, wait.” Anna held up a finger. Jewel imagined if there had been a light bulb over the girl’s head, it would have clicked on in that moment. “I have one for you. Speaking of storms, did you know that there are about eighteen hundred thunderstorms happening around the world at any given moment?”
Jewel laughed. “No, I didn’t. But I do know that lightning kills more people than tornadoes every year.”
“That’s a no-brainer,” Anna said, waving her off.
They headed for the door, Jewel carrying the bag and Anna following. “Okay, bet you
don’t know this one. In 1933, there was a massive hailstorm around a city in Massachusetts, and in the hail, they found fresh, frozen ducks inside.”
She heard Anna suck in a breath behind her. “You’re making that up.”
“Nope.”
“Seriously? Frozen ducks in hail?”
Jewel snorted. “We are mated to werewolves, are gypsy healers, and have magic flowing through our veins. What about frozen ducks in hail is unbelievable?”
“Alright, alright,” Anna said dryly. “You won that round. But still, frozen ducks falling from the sky? That’s just weird.”
The warlocks were waiting directly outside the doors to the lobby when Jewel and Anna walked up. They looked well rested, which made Jewel a little irritated. And then it made her even more irritated that she was irritated over something so petty. She wasn’t usually a prickly person.
“We need to get to the airport,” Z said. “We can grab some food there. Our flight is at two thirty a.m.”
Jewel pulled out her phone to check the time—midnight. They hadn’t gotten much sleep. Maybe that was why she was prickly. Oh, and the two women she’d killed. Killing people was sure to make a person prickly, unless, of course, they were a psychopath … which she was not. At least she didn’t think she was.
“Did you know that every person has psychopathic characteristic to some degree, and psychopaths on the high end of the spectrum actually have a brain that is physically different from everyone else on the low-end spectrum?” Jewel asked, looking at Anna.
Sly looked at Z and then back to Jewel. “Why exactly are we talking about psychopaths?”
“I think a better question is why wouldn’t we be talking about psychopaths?” Anna said with a grin.
“I can think of several,” Z said. “It’s creepy, it’s creepy, and it’s creepy.”
Sly interrupted them before Jewel could explain that having knowledge about a creepy subject actually somewhat alleviates the creepiness factor. Facts are powerful.
