Then the dream began.
.
Jay looked around him in confusion for it looked like a garden with wildflowers everywhere.
”This is one of my favorite spots although I only see it in my dreams,” a voice said and he spun around to see Emily looking at him. She had on a yellow sundress that drifted across her frame to stop a little above her knees.
“Emily,” he croaked as she laughed. He ran over to her and picked her up spinning her around in circles.
“I missed you,” he said his face buried in her neck.
“I love you,” she whispered running her hands through his hair.
He pulled back to look at her, “I love you, too, Emily Ann.” She pouted at him for using her middle name, but her brown hairs were shining so brightly that the amber hues stood out.
“Took you long enough,” she teased, and he laughed as he hugged her to him.
“Do you think you are going to wake up?” he asked her.
“I do not know. I enjoy being here for this were I find myself when I am scared or lonely,” she answered.
“Have you visited it recently,” he asked needing to know.
She smiled at him with her shining eyes, “Yes at first, but then you begin appearing. First as a shadow figure with only your green eyes giving me a clue to your identity and then later just you alone was enough.”
He ran his hand lightly down her hair, “Did you mean what you said to Sasha?”
“Every word,” she said without hesitation. Jay leaned forward and kissed her gently, but the passion flared between them like always.
He pulled away putting his forehead against hers, “Dad thinks that if I mark you then maybe you will wake up,” he confessed.
Emily looked at him for a moment, “What do you think?”
“I do not want to lose you, but I do not want you to suffer either,” Jay admitted. “Dad said it would be painful for you because of the bite and how it affects you.”
“I already have your blood flowing through me,” she whispered. “What can happen from you marking me?”
“You could die,” Jay whispered his secret fear.
Emily looked at him and she smiled at him with love in her eyes as she placed a hand on his cheek, “Then I die, but you will know that I loved you more than anything.”
“I was going to do it tonight, but I fell asleep,” he whispered against her parted lips.
Emily laughed lightly, “Since this is a dream, would you like to mark me in our dream as working up the nerve to do it tomorrow?”
Jay narrowed his eyes at her although the green eyes were blazing with happiness, “Is this a dream or a vision?”
Emily titled her head to the side as a frown crossed her face, “It could be, but I am not sure. It is just here and now at the moment.”
“Then lets take it as you say, here and now,” Jay said as he pulled her closer to him.
She just laughed but she looked at him as if asking what to do. He smiled at her then he leaned down until his face was in the crook of her neck, and Emily tilted her head to the side to allow him better access.
“This may hurt,” he whispered as he placed his arms around her waist and she nodded her head as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
He kissed her neck where his mark would go and he let his canines extend out before he grasped her tightly to him and bit down into her skin. He felt his canines go through the skin and Emily tensed in his arms at the pressure. Then his canines retracted and he licked at the punctures on her skin that were already closing.
“Are you okay,” he asked kissing her gently again where his mark was already beginning to form.
“Yes,” Emily answered opening her eyes and Jay gasped as he saw the amber hues in her beautiful brown eyes become more pronounce as the brown became a little darker.
“Jay,” she whispered looking at him with a frown.
“Your eyes,” he whispered in awe. “The amber hue that shows only when you laugh are more pronounced now.” Emily laughed and he watched in amazement when the amber hue seemed to grow within her eyes almost obliterating the brown.
“Do you like what you see?” she teased.
Jay showed her by kissing her senseless and he knew that if this was one of her visions, he would not mind being pulled into one again if it was like this one.
Jay woke up slowly as the dream faded from his mind, and he groaned with sorrow and disappointment. He looked down at Emily as he reached out to stroke her hair, but his hand froze before it got there. He saw a mark on the opening of her nightgown that Sasha and Stacy changed her into, and Jay reached with a shaky hand to pull it back a little to reveal it. His eyes widened in disbelief as he saw his mark sitting below her collarbone. It was his mark, which was simply his name and her name twined together as if by interconnecting lines, or a plant wrapping around their names making them one. He traced it lightly with his forefinger wondering how this could be possible. He marked her in a dream, or was it a vision, he was not completely positive about that, and he knew that he did not mark her before waking.
Dad, I need you for a moment he said still tracing the mark with his finger.
Yes, his dad replied. He looked down at his own chest to see the same mark on his chest. The only difference was that the mark on her, his name came first where as the mark on him, her name came first, but they still had the lines circling their names.
“What is the problem, Jay?” Stan said coming into the room quietly. Jay looked up at him in confusion then Stan saw it, the mark on Jay’s chest.
“You did it,” Stan whispered.
Jay looked at him in bewilderment, “I marked her in a dream, dad. I fell asleep before I marked her last night and I dreamt about her. In the dream, she said I should mark her so that it would give me courage to do it for real this morning, but when I woke…” he stammered off not knowing how else to explain.
“Are you sure that you did not mark her as you were waking, Jay?” Stan asked with a frown.
“I have only been awake for maybe five to ten minutes, Dad. Look, the mark is fully formed,” Jay said allowing him to see the mark on Emily. It was fully formed as if he had done it last night. The mark was weird to for even his and Cass just had their names within a moon shape.
“I do not know what to tell you,” he said shaking his head, and Jay sighed.
He pulled the nightgown back over the mark not because he wanted to hide but because he did not know how to explain it.
“Jay, you need to get out of this room for a day,” his dad said softly. “Besides, Stacy would like to sit with her daughter for a while.”
Jay nodded his head at his father before leaning down to kiss Emily lightly on the lips, and Stan looking noticed that the mark on Jay’s chest glowed a little. Stan frowned again for he did not know what was going on.
He left quietly and Jay left about thirty minutes after him for he took a quick shower, and put on fresh clothes. Before leaving the room, he gave her another kiss and pulled the covers over her. Then he stepped out of his room for the first time in eleven days.
Chapter 16
“He lives,” Mark cried as he walked into the dining room for breakfast, and Jay just glared at him.
He sat down and started eating from the plate that was placed in front of him.
“Jay,” Sasha said, “We were planning on going to the mall. Would you like to go with us?”
Jay looked up suddenly and thinking of their mark, he replied, “Yes, I would like to go. Thank you, Sasha, there is something that I need to look up.”
They left about an hour later heading to the mall, and Jay left Mark and Sasha as he headed to the jewelry shops at the other end of the mall. He was walking past a small crafts shop when he spotted something that looked a lot like the mark under his collarbone. He hesitated for a mo
ment before walking in and going up to the counter, he asked the older woman, “That symbol there, what does it mean?” He pointed to the symbol that looked like his mark. The old woman smiled her eyes bright with knowledge, “It is the sign for destiny. It is said that those who are destined to be together will have there names wrapped within the sign as if wrapping around them.” Jay looked at her as he said softly, “Like this?” He pulled down his shirt to expose the mark and the old woman looked at it closely before she chuckled. “You two were destined to meet by this mark. You two are as one.” Jay looked at her before her attention was taken away by someone else coming into the store. He saw a necklace with an amber hue that resembled the shade in Emily’s eyes and he immediately picked it up waiting patiently as she finished with her customer before paying for it.
As he was leaving with the bag in his hand, she said to him, “You are very lucky, son, for she is a very special woman.”
He grinned at her, “She is that, ma’am, and to me she is more than special, she is my everything.”
Then he walked out heading to the jewelry store and once there, he brought out the necklace showing them the amber within its confines. He wanted a ring with the same amber hue, and they said it would take some time. He nodded his head in understanding and told them he would check back, and left his number to call him when they had it for him.
He was walking back the way he came when he saw Sasha and Mark walking towards him, and he just stared at them. He could see the way Mark looked at her and how he held her hand that he was completely in love with her. The same was for Sasha because she laughed easily as he said something to her, and she looked at him with her eyes bright with happiness. Jay shook his head as he thought about the few months for they had fallen fast and although others would say that they had acted hastily, Jay knew deep inside that he would never regret it. Something told him that Mark felt the same way.
He turned his head to where the craft shop was then just stared in surprise for where he came out of not even twenty minutes ago was an empty store with a for lease sign on the window.
Destined to meet a voice filtered through his mind, and he smiled softly as his confusion melted away.
“What are you smiling at?” Sasha demanded as they stopped in front of him.
“Nothing,” he said as they fell into step beside him heading out the way they came in.
“I have a question,” Jay said to them.
Mark raised an eyebrow as Sasha looked at him in confusion, “What?”
“What does your mate mark look like?” he asked, and he noticed that they had stopped.
He looked at them and noticed their expressions where weird.
“Okay, I am sorry that I asked. I did not mean to be rude or offend you about it,” he replied.
“No,” Mark said shaking his head, “it is not that. It’s, well, are marks a little different than most mate marks.” Jay just looked at him in confusion and they sighed.
“Come on. We will show you in the car,” Sasha said grabbing his arm while grabbing Mark’s hand.
Jay just nodded his head for he was curious now.
Once in the car, Mark lifted his shirt to show Jay his mark and Jay was shocked at what he saw. The mark rested on his left side; Sasha name was at the top connected by a small line linked to Mark’s name. It almost represented a ladder.
“Sasha’s is the same way but with my name on top and her name down at the bottom,” Mark explained.
Sasha continued, “We finally found someone who could explain it to us, and they said that it meant we completed each other.”
Jay smiled for he could believe that and then again, he heard Life does work in mystery ways. Two sisters not by blood, two brothers’ blood related: two will become destined partners; the other two would be each other’s completion. You and Emily, and Mark and Sasha, are more than just mates for you are soul mates.
“Soul mates,” Jay whispered.
Sasha looked at him with wonder as Mark said, “How did you know? That was what the old woman told us. We were soul mates as we completed each other. She said that there was another pair of soul mates in our pack, but different from us as they were destined to meet and be together.” As Mark finished his sentence, his eyes widened as he looked at Jay.
To answer him, Jay lifted up his shirt so they could see his mate mark.
“Wow,” Mark said as Sasha said excitedly, “You mated with her.”
Jay frowned, “Now that is the weird thing” and began to explain to them what happened.
They looked at him in stunned silence and Jay just sighed, “You don’t believe me.”
Mark and Sasha looked at each other before Mark said slowly, “Well, you have to admit that it is weird, but I believe you, brother.”
“So do I,” Sasha said nodding her head, and Jay smiled.
“Now,” Sasha said settling back against the seat, “Let us go see a movie.”
Jay opened up his mouth to decline when Mark interrupted, “Jay, you need some time from that room although I know that you rather be with Emily. Let her mom sit with her right now. Besides, you sleep with her every night.”
Jay laughed at the truth in that statement, “Okay, let us go to the movies.”
“Finally,” he heard Mark whisper as Sasha got excited in her seat and Jay just smiled to himself as they headed to the theatre.
Later that night, Jay sat on his bed watching Emily and he gently moved her hair aside as he told her about his day. Then he sighed sadly whispering, “Are you going to wake up sweetheart, so we can do these things together?”
There was no answer and he sighed as he lay down next to her. He gently put his arms around her letting sleep claim him although in the back of his mind was the worry that she would never wake up.
Chapter 17Another week went by as they waited for Emily to wake up. After the day that Jay left the room for the first time, he was out every day doing things for his father and getting things done before he gave Mark the position of Alpha. Although their father had not stepped down, Jay needed to do some work before he could give up the position. His father was okay with it, but they had not talked to Mark yet. Jay was hoping that Mark would accept the position and he would allow him to stay on as his second-in-command, but that would be Mark’s choice. During the day, this is what he did, but he spent his nights with Emily in their room. He would either read to her or just tell her what he did for that day. Although her color was becoming normal, she had not woken up at all. If he was not talking or reading to her, he was working on reports at his desk. He made sure to eat dinner with the family every night before he went to his room for the rest of the night.
Victoria showed up in the middle of the week to the surprise of Cass and Stacy as Jay was out doing patrol for his father while Mark and Sasha had gone out to spend some quality time together.
When Victoria came into the room with a “hello Alpha Female”, Cass looked at her with surprise as Stacy just looked at her. Victoria ignored Stacy after giving her just a nod as she walked over to the couch and sat down.
“Victoria,” Cass said politely, “What do we owe to this visit?”
Victoria made herself comfortable on the couch as she made small talk before she got to the reason why she was there.
“I was hoping to see Jay,” she said after a few moments of chitchat. Victoria continued to smile politely as her mind worked. After she explained to Jay the mistake she had made and corrected, she thought, and then everything would be fine. She looked at Cass and her smile widened as she knew that she would replace her when Jay accepted the Alpha position.
Cass looked at her politely as she explained, “I am sorry, Victoria, Jay is not here at the moment. He is out doing patrol for the evening.” Cass did not mention that he would be home as he made sure to be with Emily every night. Victoria frowned slightly wondering why he was do
ing patrol, but figured that it was something his dad wanted him to do before giving him the Alpha position.
“Of course, I am sure that he is finishing up some last minute things before he becomes Alpha,” Victoria said knowingly with a smile.
Cass and Stacy just looked at one another before they turned their attention back to Victoria. Neither one mentioned that Jay offered to do the patrol to keep him busy while he waited for Emily.
“I need to get going, but tell Jay I came by. He will know how to get in touch with me,” Victoria said confident that once he heard that she had stopped by, he would call her. She said “Goodbye” with charm, but the look on her face as she got in her car would make anyone think twice. Her eyes shined with an evil light as a smirk crossed her face. She started the car attending to hurry home so that she would be there when Jay called.
As she drove away, in the bedroom which Jay slept every night, the young woman on the bed began to stir slightly as a frown begin to cross her face as if something bothered her then she was still.
When Jay came home later that evening, he had a late dinner in the kitchen.
Cass came in as he was finishing it.
“Hi mom,” he said with a tired smile. Cass kissed his forehead gently as she grabbed the empty plate and went to the sink to wash it.
“Jay,” she said quietly as she folded the dishcloth and draped it over the faucet. “Victoria came by to see you.”
Jay’s head snapped up as his mom turned around to look at him.
“Are you going to call her?” Cass asked bluntly and she smiled at her son when he began to laugh.
“Mom, I am going upstairs to take a shower before I slip into bed with Emily,” Jay told her. He got up from his seat and walked over to the sink to rinse out his glass.
He kissed his mom on the cheek, “Do not worry, mom.” He started to walk out the door, and then he stopped. “Mom, if Victoria comes back, do me a favor; make sure that no one mentions Emily being my mate or that she is in a coma.”
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