Chapter One

The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.

-Paul Valery

Forest of Divination, Faerie

 Fawn

I felt a blissful warmth spread through my body and moaned. The vibration of my lips was met with something soft and wet pressed against them. Then more firmly and I felt a nip at the top one. Automatically I opened a little and was rewarded with the most intoxicatingly slow lip and tongue. Oh my, this is the best dream ever. I’m so comfortable. My dream bed is, well…a dream. Ha! Moaning and arching my body, I try to encounter my teasingly slow kisser, but all I get are lips and more soft sweeps. Annoyed, I make a put-out sound and go in deep with the kiss. That gets me a warm hand to the side of my face and more vigorous kissing. Oh, yes! Now we’re talking. I moan and stretch up like a cat begging for a pet, and the hand at my face slides down my neck and between my breasts, pausing before sliding to the side of my waist. No, no, dreamy man! Going for the gusto, I grab his hand and push it to the heat he created between my legs as I pull him in and lick his lips. The hand between my legs rubs over clothes. Really? The dream had been going so well. He rubs me lightly through my clothes and zones right in on the magic spot. Gently and teasingly rubbing in small circles and then back and forth, and when he finally gives the little bit more pressure my body craves, I release his mouth and cry out. That’s when the loud rumbling growl comes; the noise and vibration knock me out of dreamland.

I open my eyes and come face to face with a real man? Maybe? …Are those pointed ears? Holy shit, Batman! What in the hell is going on here? I must still be dreaming, but the breeze that ruffles my hair and the crisp smell of forest feels very real.

 His face is so close that I can see his pores along with the incredibly attractive five o'clock shadow growing through them. Those eyes, though. With the dilation going down to tiny little pupils, I can see that they’re a bright blue, and the striations are glittering and sparking. Silver moving around in them like mercury intermittently. I was so dazzled by them that it took a minute for me to start observing the expression on his face.

His face says turned the hell on, but also, he seems just as fascinated with my eyes and features as I am with his. I watch as he takes in my face, hair, and ear as he moves my hair behind one. He meets my eyes again and holds them. The look is tender but becomes so intense that I can’t hold it, and I move my eyes down to his masculine neck. Well, that’s no good either. The man is too attractive to be real. I feel my lids lower slightly as I imagine running my tongue along it, and I feel a strong clinch between my legs. He draws in a noisy, deep breath jerking my attention back to his face to watch his nostrils flare with it. Then he leans back with a chuckle and satisfied smirk.

 Well, that was embarrassing. But, it breaks the spell he has me under. This dream is turning away from where I wanted it to go. Typical! I hate having embarrassing dreams. But, embarrassment seems to be my way of life, so of course, my dreams would also be.

I can’t help but check him out. The man or …fairy man? Those ears are so distracting, and he has three piercings with tiny silver hoops along the back rim near the top.

Okay, so he's definitely a fairy, and he has thick, black hair in an artfully messy, short style, a dark complexion, and a five o clock shadow over a sculpted face, with a strong jaw and perfectly straight nose. His blue eyes seem to glow within all that darkness. The silver has disappeared now. That's weird; I liked it. His full lips are wickedly curved. I suppose he's amused with my perusal. He looks a lot like a sexy Latin man but with pointy ears. He’s well over six feet tall, lean, and packed with muscle. I can make out his sexy abdominals through the black t-shirt he’s wearing. The sleeves of which are stretched to the limits over his biceps. A sleeve of tattoos down one arm ends at the wrist. Dark jeans but distressed and soft looking encase narrow hips, muscled thighs, and I can’t see right now, but I’d be willing to bet my entire closet of shoes that the backside is perfection as well. A black belt and band across his chest hold two swords at his back, his leg straps hold daggers and combat boots round out the picture of lethal male beauty. Did I think fairies wore old-fashioned clothing and jeweled weapons? Apparently, Fawn’s very own fairy dream man doesn’t.

A horse neighing breaks my concentration, so I glance around, and  I better remember this dream when I wake up because this is some prime fantasy novel fodder. Maybe I could finally write that book.

The horses, two of them, one pristine white with a very pale pink mane, tail, and hair around the feet, the other solid black. They were huge, muscular horses with the big hairy feet the Clydesdales are known for. Wowza! The white horse was eyeing me from the side. So I smiled at her, and she threw her head and nickered.

That wasn’t even a drop in the ocean of otherworldliness surrounding me, though. I was in the middle of a forest with trees that would make the California redwoods look like shrubbery, and they had pale pink trunks and white leaves. They were so massive that I felt like an insect in comparison. The ground was covered in white leaves. It was the most beautiful place I’d ever seen. The breeze stirred, and thousands of tiny, almost snow-like white leaves drifted everywhere. You would think it would be cool and gloomy in a forest, but it felt like a spring day, and huge shafts of sunlight broke through trees everywhere. It seemed to bounce around all the white, giving the forest a dreamy glow.

A line of Gnomes? I don’t know, but they were small and stout males, and it looked to be around seven of them who stood in a row in front of a nearby tree.  Lord love 'em! How cute they are! They started taking their hats off and nodding at me as I observed them. They all had white hair in different lengths and styles. Some with kinky curly hair and some straight. Some had braids almost to their feet. Some were portly and some slim. Each had varying, distinct features that set them apart, only their height and white clothes being the same. I nodded back, smiled, and said, “Hi,” with a little wave. A few of them blushed, and they all shuffled their feet, but they all smiled and waved awkwardly like it was something they had never done before. I guess they had witnessed me practically begging for it. How mortifying!

 I looked back to my dream fairy, and he stood with his hands on his hips watching me, so I repeated my smile and lame wave to him.

“How is my lady feeling?” he asks.

I cleared my throat. My voice was croaky. “I’m fine; how are you?”

He grins, “I’m wonderful. Are you sure you don’t feel dizzy, anything unusual?”

I felt fine, but now that I was sitting up, I noticed I was in a beautiful twin-sized bed with a shimmering gold frame. I wore a gown with an empire waist; it was white, and the neckline was tight and low, showing some cleavage. I couldn’t resist trying to pull it up a little, but it didn’t budge. I was on a bed in the middle of a giant forest. Hum... channeling fairytale bedtime stories, Fawn?

“My throat is a little croaky, and I'm confused about what's going on. My name is Fawn. Can I ask yours?”

“Fawn, that's a lovely name, and I'm Fallon.” He took my hand and kissed the palm. That was intimate for strangers, but after what we had been doing, it was tame. Though, it felt very untamed, seeing as a spark shot from my palm to my lady parts.

I blushed, and he cleared his throat and turned to the Gnomes. “Guardians, do you have something for her throat?”

One of the Gnomes stepped forward holding a gold mug. “We do, my King. This should help with any side effects from the enchantment.”

My King? Whoa…when I have a fairy dream, I go all out.

He brought the mug to me, and I noticed the contents looked like molten gold but smelled like hot chocolate. I took a cautious sip as they both watched me, and it was delicious, not too hot at all, so I drank in earnest as my throat really was parched. And whatever it was, it felt like bliss to my system.

“Wow! This is good …umm, Guardian, sir. Thank you.” I might be dreaming, but even in dreams, I have manners.

“You’re welcome, my lady, and you can call me Noble. May I introduce you to the rest of the Guardians? We've been so eager to meet you.”

“Of course, I’d be honored to meet them!” I said with a smile, then glanced to see that Fallon was checking me out. I had felt his eyes on me. It was like a warming sensation everywhere his eyes went.

The rest of the Gnomes approached us, stopping a short distance away. They were so small. Only about two and a half feet tall and so cute hurrying over on those short little legs. Once again, they lined up, and Noble made introductions gesturing to each in turn as he called their names.“This is Brave, Loyal, Vicious, Courage, Wise, and lastly Mischief.” I smiled and nodded to each in turn. Mischief displayed the biggest grin and winked at me. I giggled and winked back. Then they all spoke in unison, “A pleasure, my lady.”

“Oh, none of that, my lady stuff.” I waived my hand. “Just call me Fawn, and it’s a pleasure to meet you as well. Can you gentlemen tell me where I am?  I’ve never seen a place so beautiful.”

“You’re in the Forest of Divination, within the realm of Faerie. You’ve been here for some time now, under Guardian protection and enchantment,” Noble answered. He looked uncomfortable as he paused to await my response.

“What do I need protection from?” This dream better not turn into a nightmare. I can handle a sexy Latin underwear model look-alike with pointed ears; yes, bring it on, but this doesn’t sound good.

“We weren’t informed, Lady Fawn, but it was the Goddess Freya that requested it. We don’t argue with the Goddess of Divination.” Noble looked worried for me, and that worried me. It’s just a dream, Fawn. Get it together. Hell, enjoy it! You have hot King Fallon over there. A little dream, "bow chickee wow wow," never hurt anyone, and my dreams might be the only place I get it; the Aunties aren’t here to scare him away. I looked at him, and he looked concerned too.

“Okay, so why am I not under enchantment anymore?” I asked him for the hell of it.

Fallon’s blue eyes came to mine, and he seemed to debate his answer. He glanced at the Gnomes a minute but brought his eyes back to mine, “You’re my fated mate Fawn. I sensed you were near when I entered the forest. It was instinct to seek you out and awaken you. The enchantment was broken when I kissed you, and the Guardians couldn’t have stopped it. They couldn’t keep me from my mate. There are strict laws against it.”

“I’m you” I paused, took a breath, and started again, “I’m your fated mate. What is a fated mate exactly?” Oh lordy, is fated mate what I imagine it to be? I’ve read a few werewolf romances, and it was some biting necks business and alpha bossiness. Which is hot in some romance novels, but I don’t know what the reality of that would be like. I regress, though, because this is a dream. Maybe I need to lay off the romance novels a bit. I’m going to wake up any minute, and the Aunties are going to bust my balls with a lesson in hand-to-hand combat, archery, or swordplay. Maybe all three and an hour at the shooting range. Doomsday prep at its finest. My loveable odd aunties. 

Fallon looked like he was choosing his words carefully. “It means that we were chosen by the fates to be mates. It means that I’ll protect you and care for you. I won’t let anything happen to you, Fawn. You're mine, and I know that you don’t understand what that means yet, but you have nothing to fear of it.” He rubbed the back of his neck and continued, “I need to get you to the castle. Something is going on if Freya puts you here. We need to figure out what that is and be cautious in the meantime. I came alone because I need the Guardians, but  I wanted to keep that to myself; I usually have guards. Once I speak with the guardians, we should be on our way. If not, we'll be traveling through the night.”

I glanced at Noble, and he nodded his head, “You’re in good hands with the king, my lady. He’ll guard you with his life."

Oh... kay then. It looks like I'm the damsel. I have a ton of questions, but it’s a dream, so I’m just going to go with it and see what happens. Really, why would a Norse goddess care about anything to do with a human girl from South Carolina. The absurdity. All I have to do is glance around, though. None of this is real.

My stomach chooses that moment to growl loudly, and I realize I could really go for a taco or twenty. But, of course, a margarita pitcher would be nice too. Sadly, I bet there’s not a Fiesta Mexicana around one of these trees, though.

“Let’s get the two of you inside. We just so happen to have a meal prepared.” Noble said with a gentle smile.

Fallon took my hand and helped me up but didn’t let go. He stood close, not giving me much room to stand up. So we brushed against each other as I did. He held my eyes a moment, then stuck his hand through my hair at the back of my head and kissed my forehead. He held my hand and led me. Oh lordy, I had heard about the forehead kisses, how they melt female hearts. That was my first, and damn, but they were right. I felt all squishy inside. 

The Guardian's home was the inside of the nearest humongous tree. It had arched, four-pane windows and an arched door. I wondered how we would get through the door, but it grew taller and opened as we approached. There was a long white wooden table laden with delicious-smelling foods. The guardians were all standing around it and took their seats as Fallon and I sat. It was surprisingly elegant inside—a mixture of rustic and elegance. A high ceiling with exposed beams and a sparkling chandelier hung over the table. Bunkbeds were carved into the inner walls of the tree, and there were beautiful curly Q designs carved along the walls everywhere.

Tree roots held lanterns aloft here and there, and they branched up and around the ceiling beams. Tiny twinkling lights were glowing in the branches. There were bookshelves full of books and what looked like a witches’ potion area—comfy, plush, light blue chairs and sofas with wooden side tables. The wood on the inside of the tree was white, with only some of the twisting branches remaining that pale pink of the outside. A stunning centerpiece was displayed upon the table; it was made of pink branches, white leaves, and what looked like golden berries. I think the Gnomes must have magically grown the table and chairs larger for us because they all looked like children sitting in high chairs now, but the rest of the furniture remained child size. I smiled as Mischief handed me a bowl to dip from and pass. I couldn’t tell what any of it was, but it was delicious, and the guardians kept a steady flow of conversation going. I was so surprised by how much food they ate compared to their size. Where did they put it all?

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Fallon asked, taking me away from giggling at the guardians who were now arguing about 'who was the most handsome of the bunch. He was sitting close and had an arm thrown across the back of my chair. I guess I had been so distracted that I hadn’t noticed. I thought back. What is the last thing I remember? It was hard to recall. I must have gone to bed last. That’s usually what happens before dreaming. For some reason, I remember something awful that couldn’t have really happened. It must have been the dream preceding this one, which would have been a nightmare.

“All I remember is a terrifying nightmare that I must have had before this dream.” I really didn’t even want to talk about it. What if it comes back? I’ve had reoccurring nightmares before. So not fun.

“What do you mean by… this dream?” Fallon quirked a brow. Looking puzzled.

“This dream I’m having. A fairytale dream with a beautiful forest, handsome, funny guardian gnomes, and a sexy fairy man claiming to be my mate. All of this.” I threw my hands around, gesturing around me, and noticed the conversation had gone silent and everyone was staring at me.

“I’m a... fae male, Fawn. Not a fairy man.”, he laughed, “and you aren’t dreaming dove. This is all very real.” He smirked but took my hand and placed a kiss on it. Then entwined our fingers. “I’m very pleased you find me sexy, though,” he finished softly near my ear, and a shiver ran down my neck.

“I realize that my dream man might argue that he’s real but trust me. You are too beautiful to be real!"I shook my head. The entire room exploded in laughter but not Fallon. He was looking at me like he wanted to eat me.

“Ye are beautiful me King if ye don’t mind me saying so. The lass is not wrong about that. I can see a lass thinking she be a dreamin ye up.” Mischief nodded and patted my shoulder. “That being told, me lady, he is real. This is all real. So maybe ye should tell us about tis nightmare ye had. We don’t know if Freya divined ye bein woke by our beautiful king there or if you are now in the troubles she was a tryin to protect ye from.”

Fallon glared at Mischief. “Alright, stop with the beautiful!” He turned to me and squeezed my hand." I prefer sexy."

I couldn’t help but blush a little. I had made a fool of myself, and even in dreams, that’s embarrassing. He touched my cheek and grinned. “You should tell us what you remember. But, then, just humor me if you still think it was just a dream.”  

“Ok, I can do that. It’s strange and doesn’t make any sense, but … My aunties took me to dinner for my birthday. I started feeling strange and thought I might have developed an allergy to something I ate or had a panic attack. I was hot, sweaty, itchy, and I couldn’t sit still. I don’t know. I felt anxious for some reason. The aunties rushed us from the restaurant. They said we had to hurry and get to Helga’s place. I didn’t know why we were in a hurry or why we were going to Helga’s place. I asked, but they ignored me. Then, in the parking lot, I saw these dark shadows and men walking out of them. The aunties and I fought them, but I must have been knocked out. All I remember is fighting a scary monster and then waking here or dreaming here, or maybe I WAS sick, and I'm unconscious now.”

Fallon had listened to my memory intently. First, he froze when I mentioned my sickness at the restaurant, and then his eyes had gone dark when I described the shadow men. “How old are you? Which birthday were you celebrating?” He was looking at the table with an odd expression. Like he already knew the answer.

“Twenty-five, it was my twenty-fifth birthday.”

He nodded grimly, “And your parents? You spoke of aunts, but who are your parents?”

“My aunties are a little strange, so I’ve never been clear on the situation with my mother.” I laughed, “they said she died right after giving birth to me. They actually said she fought bravely in a battle while pregnant with me, but was badly injured then gave birth, and passed to Valhalla." Again, I giggled, "I assume she was mugged and killed or something instead. Her name was Avian Wodan. No one knows who my father is.” I sighed heavily, “My aunties are odd, as I said, but they love me. They’ve been good parents.” I don’t know what I said that shocked everyone, but they were all so still, and I could feel the surprise in the air. “What is it? What did I say?”

Fallon spoke, “Avian Wodan was once Avian Deerling, a fae princess. She was a fine warrior, and Odin plucked her off the battlefield, making her a Valkyrie daughter. All Valkyrie daughters have the surname Wodan. It is said she later fought against the shadows in Scotia rock and died in battle. That was around 900 years ago if I remember correctly." he had a dark look on his face.

“but…that’s not possible,” I whispered. Then I raised my voice, “I’m a Wodan, and I’m definitely not a Valkyrie, a fae, …Or nine hundred years old! I’m a human girl from South Carolina!” I touched my ears which were rounded like always. "See no pointy points!" I gestured at them.

Fallon looked to Noble, “How long has she been enchanted?”

“Only two years. I assume the aunts she speaks of are the ones that brought her. Freya came with them. They were Valkyrie.”

“Fuck!” Fallon said sharply and stormed out.

Oh no! My hot fae male isn’t happy. “What am I missing, Noble?”

It was Mischief that answered, “Ah lass, ye da has probably long been dead. He had some balls he did to knock up one of Odin’s Valkyrie daughters.”  He scratched his head, “The King will be just fine. It’s that he has Odin’s grandbaby for a beautiful mate. And she’s about to hit her twenty-five-year transition to the immortal female hood when she is supposed to be around nine hundred years old instead. He needs a minute to sort it. He’ll be back shortly to collect ye.” He smiled sympathetically.

I was lost." Immortal female hood?"

Noble grinned, "You've hit fae puberty. Congratulations!"

What the hell is he on about, and I don’t know why, because I didn’t even know Fallon, and I still think I’m dreaming, but my heart suddenly felt very heavy. It seemed hard to breathe. The thought that I had disappointed him hurt. If I grasped what Mischief and Noble said correctly, though, then Fallon could be in danger. In danger because of who I am. Or who they think I am. Or who my dream self is, and...  Apparently, I'm the fae equivalent of a teenager. I’m starting to wonder if I’m laid up in a hospital suffering a coma. I hope not. The aunties will threaten the staff until I wake up.

Vicious spoke up then, “My lady Fawn, Freya left some things for you to have upon your waking. I’ll take you to them.”

I followed Vicious, and we left the treehouse and walked to another nearby. The beautiful white horse walked along with us, and I stopped to pet her and tell her how beautiful she is. “She showed up right after you did, my lady. She’s been waiting on you to wake up. We’ve taken good care of her. She needs a name, though. You should give her one.”

 “She’s, my horse?” I asked.

“She’s not a horse; she’s a unicorn. The horn only comes when she’s using her magic. She’s yours, and you belong to her. Unicorns choose their fae companions. It’s rare, but it happens. You’re very fortunate. Unicorns are brilliant creatures, and when they bond to a fae, it’s as if they are one in battle. She’ll know your thoughts, and you’ll know hers.”

“Wow," I mouthed, "How cool is that!"

“You chose me as a friend, you beautiful girl?” She neighed and bumped me with her nose. I couldn’t believe it. Finally, I had a freaking unicorn! Diamonds… meh. Give a girl a unicorn!

“Thank you, gorgeous. What shall we call you to hum?... Do you like Arryn? She bumped me and nodded her head. “Looks like a yes to me.”

“Yes, it does,” Vicious nodded, “She likes it. Come along. Let’s get you ready for your journey. I have some friends that are going with you. You don't know the realm of Faerie, and that can get you into all kinds of trouble. They’ll help you figure things out.”

“Okay, sure.” I glanced around, looking for Fallon, and saw him a short distance away, chatting with the rest of the guardians. He must have felt me watching him because he lifted his head and looked at me. I smiled and turned back to look where I was going. That sadness persisted, but I did my best to ignore it. It was ridiculous, and this crazy instant attraction was ridiculous. I'm nutso!

So, when Vicious said friends, he was referring to two pixies. They were a riot, and I loved them instantly and knew we would get along just fine. Especially since the first thing they did was tease me mercilessly about Fallon. Tilly said, “ooh, King Fallon was about to lose it and rip that pretty dress to shreds.” Poppy kept mimicking his growl and thrusting her hips forward in a weird dance.

Then Tilly bent over and said, “I’ve been a bad girl, daddy.” in a husky, sexy voice. And  Poppy kicked her butt, sending her toppling on her face. A cloud of glowing pixie dust shot out, and she stuck her tongue out at Poppy. Oh yes, I’ve found my tribe of fellow dorks.

It turned out Freya had outfitted me with the most beautiful set of gold weapons, a fire opal amulet, and the most kickass outfit I ever owned. Poppy and Tilly helped me get it all on. They were surprisingly strong for being so tiny.

There was a short note that only left me with more questions. It read. Let your heart guide you. Your mother is always with you, be open to her. I cannot involve myself more than I already have; there are rules even for me. Good luck, my Fawn. Love Freya and all your Aunties.