Dominic was passionate and a little kinky still. At least, that hadn’t changed. But the sex had somehow. Raven had had sex before, but she’d never lost the ability to make sound. Or see. But if it meant feeling like that, she would welcome that again. No one ever told her that her clit could have a noticeable pulse and how enjoyable it was to feel. Or how distracting it could be. She lay in bed wondering if he’d had sex with her to distract her from her emotional crisis of earlier. Well, it couldn’t have been that much of a burden by the way he was humming in the shower right now. Dominic seemed to be in the best mood she’d seen him in since well ever. Raven didn’t remember ever seeing him like this. Dominic left the bathroom and threw himself onto the bed when he realized she was awake. “Okay, are you still blaming yourself for something you couldn’t have known anything about? Or said anything about? Really Pet you need to stop thinking that you ar
Dominic got a frantic call from Paul hours later. “Dom we’re having problems here there have been several attacks on our people. I think they’re looking for Raven. Trying to draw here out.” Paul’s voice came from the phone hiding none of his annoyance or his anger. He wanted permission to do his worst. “Who are they Paul? I need more details than that to tell you what moves to make.” Dominic didn’t give out blanket orders without knowing the full details. Because he wanted to know what happened and who was guilty. That was how he split the hairs between him and a common criminal. Dominic had rules and a code to follow. Of course, it was complicated by the existence of the supernatural but that was a given. “It’s the little green buggers with help it seems from someone bigger. Their messing with our deliveries to all our businesses.” Dominic leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. Paul’s insulting term, green buggers, was f
“The first reports are in, and it looks like we are narrowing the playing field faster than we thought. Also, there are more individuals and groups coming forward willing to help with working on this plan. I’m glad you’re here Raven. There’s no way I could do all of this and keep my sanity. The dreams and visions are enough to handle without the people asking the questions. Then try and match the questions to the visions so that the answers can go to the correct people. It’s a tall order on the best of days. Now I’ve got the other visions added in too.” Raven listened to Lily ramble tired as she was. She didn’t control her visions. They came when they decided to. It’s another reason why Stryker was always around, someone had to catch her. “What other visions? Lily, you’re not making as much sense as you believe you are. So, what’s going on?” Raven wasn’t sure about what Lily was talking about. Lily was far too tired to talk about anything. But she was determine
Raven sat down at the conference table with Dominic beside her. The room was loud and full. Loud described a great many things within the room right now. The volume of everyone’s voices, the colors of most of everything within the room, and the demeanors of the people. It seemed that was a telltale sign of most of the Dreamers. They were creative and expressive. Which made Raven uncomfortable and concerned about herself. Because if she was anything, she was nothing like them. If she was anything, Raven was the reverse of all of them. Their mirror image. Had she been so screwed up that she’d not grown into her own? Now she felt somehow, she’d had her potential stolen from her and she wondered what that would have looked like. “Raven, hey Raven. Earth to Raven. Hello! What’s got you woolgathering?” Ellie Jenkins waved a hand over the table trying to gain Raven’s attention and pull her from her thoughts. Her orange and purple streaked hair bobbed as sh
“Someone, pinch me and tell me I’m not dreaming we really made it here.” Leisha, a tiny mage who came with her ‘talentless’ sister Dreamer said as she poked at things. Before this the closest she’d ever come to the Dream Realm in her life was a trip through a Mage Portal. Which was closer to tiptoeing along the doorjamb rather than entering the portal or skimming between two realms. A mage before this would never dare to enter this space in their physical state. That would stay to a spirit type or Dream State like the shifters. It had to do with who set up the realm as a hub to travel, and that was the Fae. They’d used it when they were active in this Realm. To move between places, but as their slaves’ travel was limited so the Fae could pull their slaves along if they wished, but the only ones who could use the realm were the early species. The ones made before the Fae learned their lesson. The Dragons and the mages. Each successive species their control of magic changed,
It took time to get there, but in this realm, time was not, and space wasn’t the same. It was all jumbled as if the people that created it didn’t understand the concept of linear time and the idea that only one thing could occupy one space at a time. This realm looked eerily like their realm but frightfully off. New buildings stood beside crumbling old ones. Only the new buildings hadn’t existed for decades, and the crumbling ones were now just being built. There were no insects or small animals moving about. No birds singing, just eerie silence broken up by a nightmarish scream or howl. The sky too was off. The fog lingered there too in streaks of gray-black sprinkled with patches of stars. But what made the sky noticeably different was the lack of a sun or moon. This realm had no day and no moon. The light came from a glow that emitted somehow from everything. From the flora to the structures. Even the very dirt that made up the ground itself. It was like a low level of
They weren’t far from the ornate gates. Welcoming as they looked, there always appeared to be an imposing and even menacing appearance to them. Raven could see the stone appeared slick, wet with something. The Princess Gates she knew were white or light grey, and ever present. The angel is a guardian for veterans and a monument to the human military. She didn’t claim to understand the backstory, but she knew this place carried a lot of the city’s, province’s, and country’s early history. Innovation, progression, creativity, and social change have been, are, and will be showcased here all in a curious atmosphere of celebration and fun. The perfect place to attract the Fae. A breeding ground for wild magic. What better place to base the restoration of this place from? So close to where the damage was done and such a powerful center. “I think we found the most likely location where they are basing the rebuilding from.” Raven said. As her eyes caught sh
“So, at some time they did the same thing in here as the humans did in our realm, but for the purpose of gathering wild magic. Like nine-day battery recharge or something?”Tom asked as we looked about the ruin. Like everywhere else the place was ruined and quiet. Until it wasn’t, Raven didn’t know how it happened or why, but the lighting, music, and a jarring number of sounds commenced at once. Like the others her senses were overloaded, and they were forced back into the now bright corridor. Stumbling over the mess they moved on through the building as the sounds settled into a steady more even pattern and the lighting dimmed to a more manageable level. “What is going on here? I don’t get this place. It looked dead like everywhere else. No plants or bugs. But that thing must have lived at one time.” Luke pointed back the way they’d come. With the lights on they now saw the remains of the displays. Dominic shifted then back to his flesh
“Raven, I’ll say this right now. I’m looking to make a shift away from it and while some people will not like this I don’t care. But I won’t tell them why because I don’t want to put you in danger. If one of my enemies or rivals decides to use, you against me or use your abilities they may try to kidnap you. So, we’ll say nothing to anyone outside of our Pack and we’ll speak with those within the Pack that must know.” Dominic said. He tried to assure Raven about her safety and his sincerity. “Dominic we can’t tell anyone about what I can do. For one thing, no one would believe it. For another, you’re right they might try to use it. I never thought they might try to use me against you by kidnapping me.” Raven felt stunned at the thought that she was agreeing with him and accepting her. “So, what do we do now? You say I’m the important one, but I don’t feel like it, and I don’t know how to proceed. Or do I say, how we proceed with this.” Raven looked to Dominic a
“We couldn’t help Tom?” Kelly asked. She’d missed their arrival and Tom being bundled off to the healing center. “No, we couldn’t. Those arrows hit him when he was in this realm. We couldn’t do anything about the poison. Even in the Dream Realm the poison would kill him, and his mate must be a Dreamer to bring him back. Everything and everyone have limits no matter how powerful they are. Well, that’s what I’ve had to come to terms with.” Raven watched Brigid’s haunted face as she said this. The other dreamers were there with them now and they’d been discussing their abilities and learning about what they could do. Their situation within the Dream Realm and how much danger they were in. What dangers came from the realm and what came from the Fae. “I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m exhausted. There’s just too much to take in. I need time to take this all in.” Raven wanted to spend time with Dominic. She had so many questions for him. How had he
Their arrival didn’t go unnoticed for long. Which they were all thankful for. Brigid, though, was in a panic. She could do nothing in this realm to help save Tom. The arrows were poisoned. At the first mention of poison, the trickle of people became a flurry. Lily got word out to the closest healing center to expect him and arranged a mage portal to get him sent right there. In moments Tom and Luke were gone with two other wolves from their Pack. Raven watched as people moved about all weary of Brigid. They were unsure how to respond or interact with her. Did they worship her? Treat her as a ruler? Approach her as a friend or an enemy? What did they do? How did someone interact with a being they thought of as a god for thousands of years? Especially, when they’re standing directly in front of them looking rather bedraggled and lost. “Reality is never what the stories tell us. I wish it was. A goddess in one realm is a nobody in another realm. What c
Dominic’s mind was still scattered, but he could move, and he did. He knew who he was and who Raven was. What was different was more than he had time to think about as they made their way back to where they needed to go. They had found their objective, and he had to push his mate to get them out of there. The enemy was in there and they now swarmed over the land searching for the small female with them. If they found her, then they’d find Raven. Both were creatures who could twist the very air of this realm into whatever they wanted. Goddess, he’d been killed hours ago. He remembered the searing pain as the Fae tore into him with a magical wild-fire spell. Dominic remembered his body being torn apart and burned piece by piece. These sick creatures created a spell that could keep their victims alive until the last piece of them was consumed. Yet, the Fae creature hadn’t realized his mate was a Dreamer and there. Brigid walked Raven through recreating
“I still don’t know if I can do this.” Raven listened to Brigid’s words and instructions about how she was supposed to build a new body for Dominic. She claimed he’d be the same as he was before. If that’s what she wanted. Oh yes, she’d hinted at the fact that Raven could tweak things if something needed changing. But she’d warned her that it couldn’t be too big of a change. Raven didn’t know what Brigid meant by that. But she was still having problems believing she could do this. How could this be something she’d be able to do? If she didn’t Dominic would stay dead. If she didn’t try, he’d be dead when they returned to their reality. If she tried and failed, at least she could say she tried. If she succeeded, she’d have Dominic back. What did she have to lose? Other than hope. “You won’t know if you can do anything the first time you try to do anything until after you’ve tried to do it.” Brigid said. She was being humorous and smiled at her in a mo
Raven didn’t know how long or where she was. But she knew something was wrong long before her mind was fully functional. When she realized that she couldn’t find Dominic that Raven knew something was wrong. When Luke noticed Raven was awake, everyone moved to her side. “Hey, hey, Luna Jones, are you back with us? Okay, take it easy. Breathe. Breathe. Calm yourself. You’re okay. It’s not what you think. We need to talk, but we can’t if you get upset again.” “Where’s my mate? Where’s Dominic?” Raven sat up from where she lay on the ground in a strange place. “Where am I?” At least she recognized Luke and Tom, but she didn’t recognize the female. “Please Luna Jones, stay calm and relax. We need to explain this to you. There’s a limited time to change the outcome and we can’t stay here long. Please listen to this. It’s unbelievable but it’s a miracle. Just listen to her.” Tom begged Raven. She didn’t know what Tom was speaking about, but sh
Raven didn’t know what happened to Dominic or how to get him back. He and the guard he’d attacked were fighting in the cage on top of the column. “How do we get Dominic down from there?” There was no way she would leave without her mate. Tom and Luke turned on her. “Luna Jones, we understand our orders and your feelings. There’s nothing we can do. You and the lady here are our priority to get out of here.” “I’m going back in there to get him back. Our Pack needs him.” Raven found Tom holding her back with the help of the female. “No, you can’t. Only a living person can switch places with him. Also, the Keeper will return at any minute. He won’t let the guard, or your friend live long.” The soft voice of the female had Raven’s reacting violently to this. “We can’t leave him behind.” As we spoke in hushed tones the creature Raven assumed the female called the Keeper returned. Raven panicked and she had to get to Dominic now. So
One cage was left up on a high column with a lone occupant. Raven gasped when she saw the being move. “They’re alive up there Dominic. She’s up there. That’s her. I know it. I don’t know how, but they won’t let us use our abilities here. So, she can’t rescue herself. They’re practically tapping her of everything she has because they’ve used up or killed all the others.” “These were the others I assume.” “Yes, I think so. At least, most of them.” “Looks like someone was angry. How are we going to reach her? They shattered all the other columns.” Tom asked. He tried to work out a way to get to her, but like everyone there it was one of those monumental tasks. “We don’t have climbing equipment, and the column is solid stone. I don’t see any cracks or veins. It would take days or weeks to work our way up making footholds if we had the gear. That’s if anyone knew how to use it. I’ve only gone to a rock-climbing gym a few times.” “
Raven stepped away from the others without a word. The males debated what they found lying on the ground, but they found nothing long or strong enough to work as the tools they needed. Luke went through his pack searching for anything. “Need out strips want. Function and form are one. Take from the scrap and bring it value, beauty, use, and form.” Raven said half to herself. She muttered under her breath as she stared at her hands as if the debris in her hands was an object to study. Her hands moved over it. Pressing, pushing, and pulling at it as she tweaked the object. The object glowed with a faint light that pulsed with each movement of her hands. “This should work to pop the hinges out.” Raven returned to Dominic’s side, and in her hands lay a thick rod and a heavy mallet. She offered them to Tom who hesitated to take them. “Uh, thanks.” When he did take them, his features changed to show a look of surprise. He felt the weight of the mallet and