Please not the previous chapter was incorrectly titled and missing a chunk of it's beginning. When it's cleared for republished you will gain that extra. I apologize. This was caused because my laptop battery failed and caused an error with saving. I have a new laptop now. Thank you for your patience.
“Not what I had planned or by choice if I’m honest with you.” Raven said to Lily. But Luna Wolversen caught their attention by busting out laughing.“You joined the ranks then in a long line. I had wolves running for cover because this one got frisky in his study on the sofa. Did warn me about what he might do? The poor human widow he’d kidnapped along with her son. No, he didn’t. So, there I am yelling at one of the most feared wolf shifters on the continent afraid he might kill me because my dead husband warned me his brother was the type to kill people who got in the way of his family. Yes, it’s overrated Raven. Just whack him over the head with a rolled-up newspaper and tell him he’s been bad and get on with living.” “Rolled-up newspaper?”“Okay, I didn’t do the newspaper thing. That was his mother to his father. Believe me when I say the ones everyone fears are a mess. You should ask his mother about the state his father was in when she first met him. He’d fallen out of a
“Am I correct to believe what you just said, the protections that prevented us from entering the Dream Realm aren’t working so I could follow Raven in. Taking my physical form and objects with me? Leave the realm in a different location later. Like the dragons do.” Dominic asked the Oracle. He couldn’t believe what he heard. It boggled his mind not because he could enter the Dream Realm again, or that he could do it in his physical form. It’s the fact those creatures could cross over into this realm and harry them which bothered him more. The innocent was in danger. The Red River Pack was an example of how dangerous these things were. “Yes, Alpha Jones. That’s what I’m saying. Just like the dragon shifters do. Add in I suspect we’re on a timeline as well. After they have everything repaired, we don’t know what they will do with her. We do know these gods can be killed so it’s an option and a warning.” Lily said. She watched him and enjoyed the changes in his ex
“So, just wearing these makes it impossible for them to find me? No one will pull me into the Dream Realm. Or track me? Is that right? Are you sure?” Raven asked. She stared at the heavy necklace that now hung around her neck. It looked like a cheap piece of costume jewelry and nothing special at all. Tarnished silver. “Yes, that should work for now. On to finding out what’s going on with the others. If we can get the information we need. Then we can get this show on the road.” Lily went a computer and sent off an email. “Okay, now we must wait. I’m sorry but I’m not even sure where to send you in there and the place is vast.” “That makes sense. I’ve never wanted to wander around there. It’s scary as anything. Things get crazy and everyone is always telling me to stay away and how dangerous it is. So, I did. I tried.” Raven said. She gave a little shudder. The place had a cold gray almost dead feel to it. With landmarks from the past and present in
“Is there a way of tracking her? If the nightmares can hunt us. We’re wolves don’t tell me we’re useless at hunting.” “It’s not that Raven. It’s finding someone who knows how to do that who’s willing to risk going back in there. The complication to that is finding the person willing to keep silent about what we’re doing. Add in, will they be missed out here?” Lily hated saying this to her. But the truth was, they had eyes and ears of several factions waiting for an opportunity to do many things. Some of those opportunities were worse than others, but no one wanted any of them to happen. That’s why Lily hated being what and who she was. The fact she had to grow up the hardest way possible and learn lessons the worst way didn’t matter. She had to deal with her regrets in the dead of the night alone these days and pray no one paid the price if she screwed up again. Lily had seen snippets of Raven’s life and not by choice. The Goddess or som
“Are you sure you are okay with explaining this to the Pack over a video call? What about how the Pack feels? Won’t they feel like they are being dragged down or used? Shouldn’t they have some kind of choice in this?” Raven asked as they settled into a set of guest rooms at the Oracle’s Facility. “Pet, stop it. Packs aren’t a modern convention. Yes, I’m fine with telling them they have a mission over a video call. If they don’t appreciate it that’s their problem and maybe they need to find a new Pack. I’m sick of stepping around everyone worrying about how they feel and how they’ll react. We fucked up and now we’ve a chance to do something to repair our mistake. A Pack isn’t a democracy in a modern sense so it’s not like I’ll be voted out. It’s a lot more difficult than that too get rid of an Alpha, but we still must be careful. Honesty is important. But honesty and how the details are disclosed must be tempered. That’s where the limit is placed. Who learns wha
Raven soon learned the others consisted of four. There were five people who could do what she did and fell within an age range where they could physically do the job. The others were either too young or too old. There were two wolf shifters, a druid, a vampire, and a bear shifter. All they needed to add to the group was a mage and a dragon. Why? To round out the main controlling factions and have most magic types covered. The group would have fourteen going in and scattering to manage different parts of the mission when the time came. But until then Raven and Dominic would need to wait. They’d meet the others so if they encountered them, they’d know they could trust them and how the should expect them to act. Lily still hadn’t found that supposed dreamer who spoke to Raven. This disturbed Raven a lot. She’d almost been sucked in by whoever they were, and she may have gone with her at the time. Or believed anything she’d said.
Raven hadn’t expected training to include fight training for her. She thought she’d learn about building the Dream Realm or maybe interacting with things and creatures there. But it wasn’t, they put weapons in her hands and expected her to learn to shift with speed. When Striker, their head training instructor insisted, she start strength training. Raven lost her mind and broke. Dominic was furious when he found her crying in the corner of the training area. Striker and he almost came to blows three times that week, but now there was nothing Raven could do to stop Dominic from going after Striker. She knew it would be a mess as the two males would be evenly matched. But Raven didn’t want a war happening either from this. So, instead of following Dominic, Raven went in search of Lily to see if she could do something about this. After all, Striker was one of her people. She didn’t want there to be trouble between them from this. “Lily. Lil
“What is going on in here? Has everyone and his uncle lost his mind? STOP!” Lily’s voice rose at a steady pace until she screamed the last word. The protectors and mates were all fighting among themselves. Not sparring or training. They were slugging it out and ripping into each other. Lily knew this would happen it had to. This is what happened when you dropped too many strong-willed leader types into one space. Then didn’t give them directions on where to look for leadership. Lily saw this happening and now she had to deal with it. But Dominic was the lynch pin right now. She had to get him to go to Raven and get them to bond. Without that trust they wouldn’t be able get through this. She wasn’t a large being by anything and getting between several scrapping large almost feral males wasn’t a smart idea, but she did it anyway. She wasn’t sure what she was screaming or who she was screaming at, but Lily wanted them to stop and take notice. It took s
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