To my absolute relief, the doorbell rang announcing Shane's presence. I exhaled deeply, releasing a breath I had been holding for who even knows how long."I'll let him in," Tyler said, leaving the room once more.It felt like all eyes were on me. Staring at me and silently scrutinizing me.The room was beginning to feel uncomfortably quiet and when I heard footsteps approaching down the hallway, I was only too grateful for the opportunity to turn around, cutting off everyone's curious gazes as I awaited Shane's arrival.Hopefully he would be able to explain what I couldn't and convince David without me having to show him.To my surprise, when I turned around, Ryder had moved from the doorway and was standing just a little way behind me. His presence loomed, protective and comforting in spite of our difficulties, and I was grateful that David had called him in because I was beginning to feel like I was on some kind of trial now. Shane’s eyes scanned the room as he entered and he gave
David looked confused and a little annoyed."Just... Just try to clear your mind, okay?" I urged, not wanting him to think of anything he DIDN'T want me to see, which would likely result in me seeing exactly that.My hand trembled slightly as I reached out once more and I closed my eyes, desperately focussing on extracting a vision of MY choice. That would hopefully limit any potential awkwardness.I felt his fingers grasping mine and I took a deep breath before opening my eyes and looking into his.Falling backward through time, I tumbled through the void feeling heavy and weightless all at once. To my surprise, I found myself in the same room, only the furnishings were different.David stood beside me, his hand gripping mine tightly as his chest heaved and he looked around in confusion.The sound of a baby crying caught our attention and my eyes wandered over to a young Liz, sitting on a rocking chair near a sunny window. She looked exhausted with dark rings under her eyes and her h
We heard the door to the studio as it shut behind Ash and Ryder, leaving a stillness in its wake that seemed to amplify the weight of the evening’s revelations.Tyler sighed, his brow furrowed in a thoughtful frown as we remained hovering awkwardly in the entryway.“I feel bad for my mom,” he admitted, his voice barely more than a whisper.“Me too,” I agreed, the image of Luna Liz’s teary, exhausted face fresh in my mind.A heaviness settled over me like thick fog and I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe I had gone too far. I hadn't wanted to tell them and maybe I should have just listened to my gut for once.“I really feel like I shouldn’t have told you guys,” I confessed with a miserable frown, feeling responsible for the obvious uncertainty and pain that the twins were experiencing. My chest felt compressed by the weight of my guilt, making it difficult to breathe.Tyler shook his head and forced a reassuring smile, but I could see that it was just an act for my benefit. “No, it
Conciousness slowly began to ebb its way back to me and I reached out my hand, searching for Tyler's comforting presence. The space he usually occupied was cold and empty though.I opened a sleepy eye, sitting up to look for him. My body felt heavy and exhausted and I ached all over.As I scanned the room, a sense of disorientation settled in. This wasn’t Tyler’s room, but it was vaguely familiar. I tried to make sense of it, my mind still foggy with sleep, when a strange fluttering sensation in my stomach made me look down.I froze, my breath catching in my throat. I had a big, pregnant belly. Adrenaline coursed through me, banishing any remnants of sleepiness and panic filled me as I recognized the room from my vision.My heart raced, my breathing becoming short and ragged. “This can’t be real,” I whispered to myself, struggling to make sense of it.When I fell asleep, I didn’t look nine months pregnant. My mind whirled, trying to grasp at any logical explanation, but the panic clou
The realization filled me with relief, but I was still apprehensive. I didn’t know exactly what I had seen, but it had felt so real and so terrifying and I was struggling to come to terms with it.“Are you okay?” Tyler asked, reaching out to touch me in a gesture of support but I pulled away instinctively.“It’s okay,” Tyler murmured again, raising his hands to show me that he meant no harm as he tried to reassure me. “You had a bad dream,” he explained.It was a dream... Just a dream.I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves and calm my breathing.“Deep breaths,” Tyler encouraged me, taking a few of his own, hoping I would mimic him.I did, but it took a while to slow my frantic pace.“There you go,” he whispered reassuringly when I seemed to be calming down.I closed my eyes, leaning back against the headboard as I tried to focus on my breathing.“Better?” Tyler asked, his voice gentle.I kept my eyes closed but gave a small nod, willing myself to accept that none of it was
The seemingly offhanded comment shook me and I almost lost my grip on my mug of tea, but somehow managed to hold onto it as I turned around to face Ryder.I was just outside the doorway to the kitchen while he remained hovering near the kettle, watching me as intently as I was watching him.I hadn't told him about the dream about the black wolf, nor did I mention that my own wolf had somehow miraculously turned black. What did he know and how did he know it?“What black wolf?” I whispered, my eyes searching his for answers I wasn’t sure I wanted."The one that ran into the door," he replied tentatively, sounding a little unsure of himself now.The words sent a chill down my spine.“But that was just a dream,” I insisted, shaking my head in denial.Ryder's expression turned to one of awe. "Dream manipulation..." he whispered quietly, staring at me as if I was some kind of otherworldly being.I shook my head angrily. “I didn’t manipulate anything, okay?!" I stated defensively. "It was a
Tyler pulled me closer, deepening the kiss as his fingers wound their way through my hair."If I'm not mistaken, I think I said I would owe you one," he murmured softly, a mischievous smile blooming on his lips.I couldn't help but smile in return. "That does ring a bell," I agreed with a smirk.Without warning, he shoved me backward on the bed, leaning over me and kissing me again as his hand wandered down my body, his fingers soft and searching.I wrapped my arms around his neck, smiling against his lips as his hand tugged the oversized t-shirt I was wearing up, exposing my panties.He pulled them aside and began to trail an eager finger over the cleft, eliciting an excited giggle from me.Irritatingly, my panties kept trying to snap themselves back into place, prohibiting his movements."I'm afraid these will have to go," he announced seriously, snapping the elastic waistband around my hips."If you say so," I replied, completely unfazed.He slipped my panties down, tossing them to
I woke up to the familiar warmth of Tyler's arms wrapped around me, the steady rhythm of his breathing the only sound in the silent room. It was comforting, reassuring in a way that made me feel safe, like nothing in the world could touch me as long as I was in his arms.Snuggling closer to him, I let the sensation wash over me as I listened to the rise and fall of his chest.It was Sunday, and Tyler usually had Sundays off. For a brief moment, I entertained the idea of spending the day doing something fun, just the two of us. But then reality came barging its way through my mind and I realized that we'd probably end up at The Fortress, poring over dusty old books about the Elysian line and black wolves.The thought made me frown, my mind inevitably circling back to the events of the night before.Ryder’s words had shaken me. How did he know about the black wolf in my nightmare if I hadn't told him about it? The possibility that it was just a lucky guess seemed too far-fetched and the