Dominic took Raven back to our living quarters because the healer insisted Raven rest like some hothouse flower. She half expected him to ignore the healer’s recommendations, but he insisted Raven rest and follow all the instructions given to her. Eating, resting, and now looking, she was alone in Alpha’s living quarters after what felt like forever. Raven didn’t believe he’d ever trust her alone again. He left her to handle the investigation and his duties as Alpha. She’d noticed something odd as they’d made their way back up to their apartment. The silence and staring were odd and telling for Raven. Though she couldn’t understand what the silence meant. It could be icy disdain, detachment, or respect. She deemed it improbable. Raven rested, even though she doubted she would. Hours later, Dominic returned. He climbed into bed with her. Dom intended on sleeping, but Raven snuggled up to him when he least expected it. A simple check told him she wasn
Raven woke to find Dominic beside her. His arms wrapped around her. She couldn’t decide if he held her in a possessive or protective way. Raven knew she’d learn which when she learned what his mood was to her when he woke up. She wanted the truth, but could she handle it? Why hadn’t Dominic told her about what he’d found? He seemed so determined to find answers and punish those guilty of harming people. But Raven wasn’t sure if he was searching for who framed her mother because that’s who killed his mother. Or if he intended to find out what happened to her mother. Did she dare him to solve what happened to her mother? Or explain to her how he feels about her? Raven wondered if she asked for more trouble than she could handle if she dared him again. How would he react if she dared him? Raven never expected his first over the top reaction. After mating, would he react like this, it seemed, odd? Again. Females were supposed to be emotional with changi
Paul reported into Dominic a week later. “How is the Luna?” He asked, catching Dominic off guard. “She’s doing better. Most of her injuries are gone. Remember, how she remembers her aunt’s face with vagueness even though she’s her mother’s litter mate and twin? That appears to extend to entire periods of time in her life.” Dominic tried to keep his anger and frustration from his voice, but he couldn’t do it. The arm of the chair he sat in suffered his wrath too, as his claws gouged into the wood. “What? How did this happen?” Paul sounded as confused as Dom. It explained so much about her odd behavior. She seemed so broken. Well, if she didn’t remember chunks of her memories. Then yes, she would feel broken. How did they miss that? Dominic assumed that she’d remembered her time with a person whose face blurred in her memory. Not that the memory was gone. “Uncertain about it, but I won’t pressure her to know. I made the mistake of asking h
“What? Where is she? Did Klyne provide any information about Hilary’s whereabouts or survival? What is going on there?” “No. I’m still waiting to get that answer now Dom. Sorry. Alpha Klyne’s in surgery. But we did find out what attacked them, and you won’t like what they’re claiming it was.” “What?” “Nightmares.” Dominic said. He could hear the unease in Paul’s voice as he said this one word. The initial thought: black horse, red eyes, fire-breathing. That’s just one of many versions. These monsters were gatekeepers of a sort. Meant to keep shifters in their place. Not just shifters, vampires, druids, and other creatures. Nightmares are more of a catch-all name for a creature used to hunt the slave species who rebelled against their Fae overlords. The slave species trapped their Fae overlords in their home realm or dimension. It depends on the story and generation you read how it’s defined. Mages are finding magic and science-based docu
Irish Luck doesn’t require existence. Never wish it on anyone. Never mention it. Even in a third hand fashion. Irish luck is always extreme. Or bad, most often bad. “How did they manage to arrive here? I thought the realms weren’t connected anymore?” “Confirmation received - Dream Realm repaired, connection restored. Gregory cleared his throat again. He seemed uncomfortable.” The oracles seem occupied, not just with the Goddess.” “What do you mean ‘just’ the Goddess?” Dominic asked. They were aware of others who existed like her, but the others paid no attention to them. Before this, they didn’t bother with low-level shifters and similar beings. No one grasped what they meant by low. Humans were also too low. “There’s something going on. I don’t know. But I get the feeling we’ll learn soon enough, and I felt something, the Fae that are trying to enter. They'll be surprised when they meet these others. The best description I c
Raven had always loved escaping to sleep. The one place she could control everything, no one could defy her. It’s her one secret. Her one strength.However, when the Dream Realm suffered damage, it became harder. Not impossible, just harder. She’d kept it a secret from everyone. Knowing her abilities could have caused chaos and threatened her demise. One time, Raven mentioned it as a child, and they labeled her as a liar, punishing her. Beaten for saying anything. That memory stayed fresh in her mind, as if it had happened yesterday. Now she lay there pretending to sleep, listening to Dominic speak to another Alpha about nightmares and the Dream Realm. Raven tried not to shiver. She understood their appearance. They could change forms when they wanted or needed to. They could change forms to fit the task they’re sent to do or what they were hunting. In the wild hunts, they were nightmarish horses created to carry their masters, strike fear, dish out death and d
“Alpha, we have a problem that needs your immediate attention. Lyon is following Luna Jones. However, a sudden panic compelled her to venture into the woods alone. He has his phone with him. Lyon says you can track his phone.” Riley stood there before him. His face was white, and a look of panic replaced their usual calm. Dom stood up and his seat fell back. He forgot about the video call he was on. “Alpha, go ahead, I’ll deal with this.” Paul said. “I’m sure everyone would understand when their mate is in distress how it is.” Paul gazed at the wolves on the screen while lifting the chair. Male wolves would do anything to keep their mate from distress. Because a distressed Luna could cause problems within a Pack. No one wanted a distressed Pack ever. “Is everything alright?” An Alpha on the screen inquired with a thoughtless ease. They were certain that this problem was significant. “No, and yes. She’s safe inside Pack territory. We’ve
“The call?” “Yeah. Oh boy. Okay. Keep your voice down. Avoid excessive activities in the Dream Realm, if possible. It’s a secret, okay. Keep this between us, here or there. You’re a Dreamer like me. We’re almost ready to go back online, shall we say. We’re the first to have access but it’s not safe. If the wrong people find you. Well, you could find your life cut short. So, say nothing. Anyway, I caught a little of your life. Sweet mate you got. Give him a break. He screwed up and wants to fix it. Don’t ask how I know. It’s just a sick skill. But he wants to fix things. What you’re seeing now, that’s the real him. Happened because of a jerk elder.” “Which one? Can I talk to them?” Raven asked. She didn’t know why she trusted this Jade, but she felt she could. Sharing a secret created a bond of trust between them. It made a weird type of sense. “Mitchell or Martin, I think.” Elder Martin was absent, but Elder Mitchell was present. Raven n
Raven had gone to the meeting with Dominic and they’d discussed the situation along with as many of the complications as they could predict. Gregory had expressed his appreciation that they’d brought this idea to him before they had put anything into play. It meant he and the Council of Alphas could make plans to counteract any negative fallout.She had to admit she wasn’t sure if they’d be welcome to bring their Pack into the Dream Realm. Or if they would leave this realm entirely. It’s too early to know how they would proceed with this plan.The Dreamers had spread out and had begun to use their training. Stabilizing the timelines, dealing with the more aggressive shadow creatures, and learning about the abandoned things within their area. They had to record everything and the state it was in. With their contact with the mages it wasn’t difficult to reach out to other species who possessed magic. Much of the lost magical items were responding to one kind of magic or another.
“Brigid says she’ll be in touch soon with scheduling so we can have a rotation of sorts. That way we can have a consistent rebuilding going on inside the Dream Realm. So, how are we going to run this place around all that? I don’t even know what anyone thinks about all of this because no one’s dared to speak to me. It’s like they think I’ll unmake them or something.” Raven said to Dominic as she returned from the Dream Realm where she’d had a meeting with Brigid and the other Dreamers. Dominic had seen the changes in her and the Pack. He’d said nothing to anyone about his idea of taking the Pack into the Dream Realm and becoming part of the enforcement powers there. He could see their Pack as a foundation of a future power.He wanted to support Raven the best way possible and he didn’t think he could do it from here.“Raven, love. Everyone is in shock because nothing is how they thought it was. They’re trying to figure out where they and you now rest in the world. People have
“Dominic, don’t worry about it. I know you don’t have to explain to me. When you disconnect your call with me I received a message from someone that explained what was happening.” Lily said as soon as they returned and she made them sit down to eat a meal.“Then can you explain it to us?” Dominic practically begged Lily to explain what they had witnessed even though she hadn’t been there to witness So, he wouldn’t stop the stow for anything and allow her to explain what she’d pieced together through some of her very odd channels, not that any of this was straight forward.“Please tell me she isn’t doing the biggest mistake of all time.” Raven stepped in now and she was practically begging to know that they weren’t letting her do something foolish. It was something they’d all been questioning since Brigid first said she was going to investigate the situation and she didn’t want anyone else going with her, because she didn’t like the idea of the risk. She had Het’ Tur and she didn’
“Does this mean that the danger is over?” Raven asked Brigid as she looked over the woman’s shoulder to see the males in the golden armor.“My family is gone and they won’t be offering the Dream Realm to the Fae again as a travel hub. But there’s still other dangers that they and the Fae abandoned in my realm without my permission. Then there’s the instabilities within it created by their interference and war of Dreamers. Add in now I have the dimension version of surprise boarders complicating all of this.” Brigid glared at the male standing in the golden armor watching her explain this to them.He stood with his guards in eire silence. They hadn’t drawn a single weapon or removed a piece of armor including helmets.“You have got to be kidding. How exactly are they dead? Did he say how he killed them? I mean if he killed your father. How is he alive? Why was he in the prison and not on the throne?” Heather didn’t sound like she bought the story he’d given Brigid.Brigid blink
“What about my brothers? Or brother? What ideas do you have to deal with them?” Brigid didn’t blink, but her tone was her reminding him of the situation she faced rather then asking him for help with a solution.“When I got through with him. He knew I was your mate, but he couldn’t do anything about it and he’d not be the one to sit on your father’s throne.” Het’ Tur said. He was smiling and trying not to laugh. He’d been angry with the brothers. They’d been so focused with their plans and emotions. This was why her brother was going to kill her. She was alive to work for him, but when she escaped he acted like like she’d betrayed him. Or she’d tried to kill him. Het’ Tur knew Brigid had never done anything to betray or hurt any of her relatives.“Het’ Tur, how did he ever learn about where you were or that you were my Fated mate?” Brigid didn’t understand how her brothers would have discovered him among the masses. Or that he was connected to her. That’s what she was asking, but
“That? Is your reaction Lady Brigadetta?” Het’ Tur asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. Brigid winced at the name he used to her question before she looked at him in disbelief.“The woman no longer exists and you know that. She hasn’t existed for so long that I can’t tell you the last time I heard someone say her name. The noble house died ages ago and the few that didn’t have been fighting each other trying to finish the job of ending that noble house. I’ve been surviving in my own way doing my own thing until recently. But I will not answer to that name ever again.” Brigid stood up to him. She didn’t want to be that woman. Her past would stay there and she was determined of that.“Do you have a choice to do that? Really?” Het’ Tur asked in disbelief that she would believe she could believe change her life like this.“Welcome to the modern era and a new realm Het’ Tur. Here, I have the right to chose the way I lead my life. I choose how my life unfolds here.” Brigid s
Dominic didn’t know how to ask Brigid about Het’ Tur. If she didn’t know he was her mate. How would she react to his claim? She must help him get Raven back. First Dominic wanted to contact Lily. He wanted her thoughts on Het’ Tur. Did she know anything about him or what he was talking about? Could she tell if he was lying about anything? Any confirmation of facts he’d been giving out would be appreciated by him.Lily answered faster than he expected. “Lily, I don’t know where to start. Well, I do. Raven’s been kidnapped by a creature who says his name is Het’ Tur and is Brigid’s mate. He wants to exchange Raven for Brigid. Who is he? Do you know him? Do you know if he’s telling the truth?”“Oh, wow. I haven’t heard that name in a long time. A very long time. He was the Head of the Crystal Lord’s Guard. He disappeared when the Crystal Lord did. Mind you that time period is a historical mess. There’s a lot of deaths and missing persons. Missing treasures and all that. He’s ther
“We are stronger together than he can ever be. After all, the fool killed his mate and his offspring. He has nothing, but the fool believed that because he can’t die from old age that he’s all powerful.” Het’ Tur shrugged and acted like he found this entertaining as anything. “Wait, he’s immortal. But not eternal. Is that what you’re saying?” Dominic waved a hand momentarily distracted from his need for his mate by the discovery he’d learned. The big bad wasn’t as big and bad as he’d thought. “That is exactly what I have said. My mate understands this, but her brother appears to not understand it. I want to use it against him once and for all. He seems to use it easily enough against his relatives. I see no reason why I can’t use it against him before he uses it against my mate.” He seemed at ease with the knowledge that death was a lot easier and permanent than it was expected to be. Dominic wondered if he understood how permanent. Permanent was.
“I’m told, I have you to thank for doing what I couldn’t do.” The tall leader in his golden armor stood tall and straight and spoke to Dominic. His posture was stiff. One of his men held Raven’s unconscious body behind him as they lingered close to the portal. Another armor man held a squat brick colored statuette which Heather assumed was the anchor they searched for. “I’ve not said who I am and I’m not sure what I’ve done that you couldn’t do.” Dominic was off put by this creature. After all, it stood almost three times Dominic’s height, and he was fighting his instincts not to try to find it’s throat through the armored gorge. He wanted to get to his mate now. “There’s no need I can see it was you. But I still want her back.” The creature was certain in this as if he saw something only he could and that he felt made him superior to everyone else. “However, I don’t have that luxury.” Dominic crossed his arms struggling with his patienc