In My Wild Dream

by Sasha Lord

  “ ’Tis the truth,” she exclaimed. “I once heard one of the elders describe it. The white pony had a brown patch covering his ears and pole, appearing like a crown. She called it a coronet marking.”

  Cadedryn’s gaze traveled up to her coronet, an elegant silver band woven with fine blue and lavender ribbons. It fastened in place a length of light blue silk, which covered all of her hair except one smooth black curl. “Your hair is quite dark,” he stated, his tone abruptly serious. “Particularly with such light blue eyes.” A ripple of awareness made him turn back around. A gentleman should not have unruly thoughts about virginal ladies of the court, especially not when he expected the red-haired woman who looked so similar to this one to be waiting for him just beyond the tree line. He shifted, trying to adjust his position in the saddle.

  “Yes,” she replied, her thoughts also straying to the cabin. The horse stumbled, thrusting her against Cadedryn’s warm back, and she was forced to wrap her arms around his waist to maintain her seat. She trembled, and as soon as the horse steadied, she pushed away from him and took a deep breath.

  Cadedryn shivered as her breath whispered across his neck, then frowned with irritation at his reaction. He should not be responding to her this way. She was an innocent member of a well-respected family. He needed to concentrate on the tiger-colored lass waiting for him in the crofter’s hut. She was the more appropriate recipient of his lustful thoughts. She was the type of woman who would understand such base emotions. “Try to sit up straight,” he grumbled. “Your lack of balance is upsetting my stallion.”

  She glared at him, her back stiffening.

  He frowned at her abrupt withdrawal. For a moment, he had relaxed and forgotten his intention to deposit her as quickly as possible before returning to the cabin. “I hope you have learned to take care. That attacker meant to kill you. Someone has linked our names together and thus placed you in jeopardy. Forget your dreams and forget me. I will cause you nothing but pain and I do not wish to be the cause of your distress. I advise you to stay close to the castle and find your pleasure in events that involve the entire court.”

  A wave of compassion flooded her. She could hear the buried loneliness in his voice. He needed her, even if he was not aware of his needs. “And how do you find your pleasure?” she asked gently.

  “I do not concern myself with pleasure.”

  “Don’t be foolish. Of course you do.” She paused and smiled slyly behind his back. “What about women? You told me before that all men seek women for their satisfaction.”

  Cadedryn’s chest tightened and he had to force himself to breathe evenly. Her husky voice reminded him of the woman from last night. His groin twitched and he shifted in the saddle to relieve his rising discomfort. “You should not be talking thus,” he said, then clucked to the stallion and adjusted his breeches.

  “You are the one who brought a man’s desires to my attention.”

  “You pushed me too far and I said some things I should not have.”

  Kassandra leaned closer to him and clasped her arms around him, barely containing a laugh. “You suddenly seem tense. Perhaps you ought to relieve your stress,” she said.

  “I intend to,” he grumbled as he tried to ease out of her tight hold.

  “That is good,” she answered as she laid her cheek against his back. “I hope you find something to do to relax. Life should not be burdened with such anxiety.”

  “Believe me,” he commented dryly, “I have my amusements.” Kassandra’s statements were only fueling his desires and increasing his nervousness. He rose in his stirrups and stared at the sun through the trees. It was well past the time of his meeting with the tiger kitten.

  His desire turned to irritation as they entered the castle courtyard and he pulled the horse to a standstill. He had killed the boar for her, yet she hadn’t even asked how the hunt had ended. A boar hunt was nearly as dangerous as a bear hunt, and men were often wounded trying to prove their valor. “You should know that I brought down the boar. The kill was clean,” he said to her, his voice clipped.

  Kassandra blinked, surprised by his sudden coldness. Perhaps her taunting had affected him more than she had intended.

  “I did not bring you a token,” he informed her as he swung down and reached to assist her dismount. “I gave it to Lady Corine.”

  Kassandra shrugged. “Such a token would be distasteful to me.”

  He stared at her, his mind churning with confusion. He had told her about the token to stir her anger and make it easier to ride away from her, but she did not seem to care. He clenched his teeth, for if he was honest with himself, he had also wanted to see her jealous, and he could not explain why. Until yesterday, he had known his path, but this unusual woman was twisting him in knots and making him forget his intentions. If he was to maintain control and ensure her safety, he needed to distance himself from her.

  “Who else knows about your earlier declarations? Who have you told that would seek to warn you away from me? Have you bothered anyone else with your ridiculous dreams? Declared deep and everlasting love with some other unfortunate knight who is now bent upon jealous revenge?”

  Kassandra pulled away, her feelings deeply hurt. “My dreams are not fickle, nor are they ridiculous. Even your friend Curtis McCafferty had the decency to ask me about them.”

  Cadedryn stilled. “What did he ask?”

  “He asked about your father’s murder. At least he cares enough about you to ask if I can help bring your father’s killer to justice.”

  Jealousy stabbed him and he glared at her. “Don’t talk to him,” he growled.

  Kassandra lifted a brow mockingly. “Why not? He was kind to me.”

  “He is the one who ran into your caravan, yet you blamed me!”

  Kassandra turned away. “You are being petty,” she ridiculed.

  He grabbed her shoulder and yanked her around to face him. “He did not kill the boar for you! He did not rescue you! Why do you speak so highly of him yet treat me with contempt?”

  Kassandra’s eyes widened. His face was twisted with agony and his eyes were nearly black with pain. Her heart thudded, and she felt his suffering deep within her soul. Dagda, she whispered silently. I have never felt contempt for you. You are lost . . . so lost within this confusing world of kings and titles. Come with me. Live with me in the forest and leave the pain behind.

  He stared at her, braced for her anger, yet her eyes were soft with understanding. She touched his hand where he brutally clutched her shoulder, and he felt shivers ripple up and down his forearm. He abruptly released his grip and stepped away. “I am not fond of you,” he growled. “Stay away from me.”

  “I am not the cause of your anger,” she told him gently.

  “But you are most certainly the source of my frustration,” he answered angrily. “I must go. You have made me late.” Then he swung back up on his stallion and galloped away.

  Chapter 10

  Cadedryn woke in a cold sweat. Moonlight shone through the open window and a cold breeze wafted across his damp temples. He flung off the covers and swung his bare feet to the floor, welcoming the cold stone, then buried his head in his hands and groaned.

  He couldn’t get Kassandra out of his mind. Even his dreams were filled with her. Who wanted to harm her and why?

  He raked his fingers through his hair and rose to his feet. The sheet slid from his waist, exposing his naked body to the moonlight, but he hardly noticed. Instead, he strode to the window and gazed out at the numerous stars shimmering in the sky like sparks cascading from a blacksmith’s forge.

  In his dream she had turned her back on him, leaving him stranded alone on the top of a windswept mountain. He had reached out to her, but was too late. Her body had shimmered and swayed, drifting down the slope like mist evaporating under the blaze of the morning sun.

  Kassandra.

  No. It hadn’t been Kassandra in his dream. It had been the other woman, the woman whose red hair and golden skin
made his body taut with desire.

  She had not been at the crofter’s hut when he had finally arrived and he had felt her absence keenly. After the disastrous ending with Kassandra, he had wanted to find uncomplicated acceptance in her arms. He had longed to taste her lips, hoping against all hope that she would welcome his caresses and respond with equal fervor.

  Instead, he had returned to the castle and spent an unpleasant evening trying to maintain a polite demeanor in front of the other lords and ladies dining in the great hall. His foster father, David McCafferty, had been sullen and rude, treating him as if he were still a young squire. Lady Morgana had chosen to sit next to David, reviving much talk about their previous relationship. To cap off the evening, Corine had pointedly ignored him, expending her charms on Curtis, who had appeared receptive to her attentions. Although Corine and Curtis had known each other from childhood, their intimacy had grated on Cadedryn’s nerves. Even the king’s public commendation on his efforts in the boar hunt and subsequent invitation to meet with him the following day had not completely raised Cadedryn’s spirits.

  He rose from the bed and kicked a chair across the chamber. He should feel exhilarated and flush with victory. There was a good chance the king was considering forgiveness, yet all Cadedryn could think about was Kassandra and her peasant half sister.

  Perhaps Kassandra was right. He was focusing too much upon his ambitions and not relieving his tensions as a man should. Once he did, this distraction would fade.

  He picked up the chair and placed it carefully back on its legs. His plans were almost complete; this was not the time to lose his determination. He would find the tigress woman and ask for her favors. Surely after one night, he could get her out of his thoughts and concentrate on more important matters.

  One floor below, a woman opened her door and her arms to her lover.

  “Are you deliberately taunting me?” he questioned as he kicked the portal shut behind him. “Do you seek to turn my thoughts inside and out until I can no longer think clearly?”

  “Is that what I do to you?” she murmured seductively as she trailed kisses along his throat.

  “You did that just by sitting near me. I can smell your sweet perfume and it makes my heart quake with desire.”

  “Last night . . . you made me remember things I thought I had forgotten.”

  “Us.”

  “Aye,” she confirmed. “Your touch reawakened me. I don’t want to lose you again.”

  “I won’t let that happen.”

  She pulled away and stared at him. “But I have obligations now. I must do what must be done.”

  He nodded, his gaze solemn. “I understand.”

  “Do you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Will you help me?”

  He gathered her back into his arms. “I always have and I always will. I know what you want, and I will get it for you.”

  She smiled and drew him forward, saying nothing more until the following dawn when she whispered good-bye as he slipped unobserved from her chambers.

  After a long and restless night, Kassandra awoke to a sun-filled room and Kalial handing her a steaming cup of mint tea.

  Kassandra sat up and took the cup with gratitude.

  “How did you sleep?”

  Kassandra frowned. Cadedryn had disturbed her all night. She had dreamed of his muscular arms and his powerful thighs. She had seen his penetrating gaze and felt the heat of his hands as he lifted her down from the stallion. It was unlike any dream she had had before, even more real than the dream that had sent her here. It was not a dream of the future, but one of the past. Each accidental touch, every shared gaze had been replayed in her mind and found its way into her restless night.

  “Not very well,” she admitted to her half sister. There had been more to her dream. It had contained a warning. Like a hovering bird of prey, a dark cloud had seeped through every scene, spreading its wings to enfold them in a dark and ominous embrace. It reminded her that she was here not only to find her mate, but also to help him, for the danger she had sensed was coming closer. Yesterday’s attack upon herself had been a diversion. The true intended victim was Cadedryn. If she truly loved him, she must save him, regardless of whether he believed her or not.

  Did she love him? She brought the tea to her lips. The refreshing scent cleared her mind and she looked at Kalial with a questioning gaze. “How did you know Ronin was the man for you?”

  Kalial laughed. “I did not. I thought he was arrogant, high-handed and intrusive.”

  Kassandra tilted her head in curiosity. “You did not know? You could not feel him in your blood?”

  “Oh, I felt him,” she answered. “He made my stomach churn and set my senses spinning, but I did not have your gift of prophecy. It took me a long time before I understood my feelings.”

  Kassandra sighed and took another sip. “I know Cadedryn is my life mate, but I fear that our lives are too different. The things that we each believe are important are as dissimilar as the sun and the moon.”

  “The sun and the moon are partners. They need each other. You must find a common ground. If you are truly life mates, then your coming together should complete a whole just as the sun must follow the moon and the moon must follow the sun.” Kalial fondly touched one of Kassandra’s red curls. “You have been too intent on the culmination of your dreams. You must relax and let the fates guide you.”

  Kassandra grinned, aware that she had cautioned Cadedryn similarly. She ought to take her own advice and stop worrying so much.

  “He is handsome,” Kassandra said shyly.

  Kalial nodded, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

  Kassandra leaned forward and hugged her sister. “Thank you,” she said. “You have helped a great deal!”

  Kalial laughed as she extricated herself and helped Kassandra place the cup of tea safely on the window ledge. “Good. Now where is your little friend? I have not seen him this morn.”

  Kassandra gasped and looked around the room, realizing that, indeed, Triu-cair was conspicuously absent.

  Kalial rose and went to the door. “Find him,” she warned, “for if a servant does so first, your pet may come to harm.”

  Kassandra rapidly donned a light dress and hooded cape, not taking time to add her disguise. The sun had barely peeked over the horizon, and most of the court still slept. With luck, she would not be noticed.

  Where are you? she asked silently as she trod lightly down the corridor and peeked into open rooms.

  You are ignoring me, came the faint reply.

  Kassandra spun around, trying to locate the source. Come, Triu-cair. You can’t do this. I have been distracted, but we are still friends.

  Friends help each other, Triu-cair answered.

  Kassandra sighed in exasperation as she sensed that the weasel was up another flight of stairs. She raced up them, then paused in concern. This floor was much different from the one she and Kalial inhabited. Its rough, masculine aura sent shivers up her spine. Come along, Triu-cair, she called with a trace of desperation. I cannot go up there!

  I won’t come down.

  “You beast!” she cried aloud, then clapped her hands over her mouth in dismay. ’Tis your own skin you place in jeopardy!

  When there was no answer, she climbed the steps as quietly as possible. Triu-cair!

  Over here.

  She saw a shadowy figure slip around the far corner of the hall. Was someone else traipsing the corridors at dawn? A sudden bump in one of the rooms made her gasp and she turned to face a closed door to her left. Triu-cair! Are you safe? she cried.

  Help!

  Kassandra’s blood thrummed in panic and she ran toward the room, secrecy forgotten, her hood falling from her head. She flung the door open and dashed inside, and saw a man about to toss a blanket over her cornered friend. “Stop!” she shouted. “He is harmless!”

  Cadedryn spun around and stared at her in shock just as she skidded to a stunned halt.

  “Y
ou!” she cried.

  “You!” he announced with satisfaction as he deftly shut the door behind her and slid the bolt home.

  Kassandra glared at him. “How dare you attack my friend!”

  Cadedryn leaned against the door and crossed his arms. “Your friend,” he emphasized, “found his way up to my room and has done his best not to leave. Dare I wonder if you sent him to find me?”

  Kassandra’s mouth opened to deny his allegation when she suddenly changed her mind and turned on Triu-cair, casting him a withering look. “You did this a-purpose,” she accused. “What was your intention?”

  You want him. Here he is, Triu-cair replied boldly.

  “I did this?” Cadedryn said softly as he trod closer and eyed her flushed face with interest.

  “I . . .” Kassandra floundered, her breath stolen by the intensity of his gaze. She did want him. She could not deny the desire that coursed through her body. Her dreams spoke the truth. She wanted to feel his hands slide beneath her clothes and caress her heated flesh.

  “I missed our appointment,” he confessed. “But I regretted it sorely. Obviously, you felt similarly.”

  She nodded, at a loss for words.

  He stroked her delicately freckled face with a fingertip and twisted a lock of her red hair around his finger. “Do I read your eyes correctly? Are you here because you want something from me?”

  She couldn’t breathe. She felt frozen, unable to respond with any measure of coherency. Her body trembled, ready for his caress. She could no more deny him than she could prevent the sun from rising. The sun and moon. Meant to be together.

  He smiled, his lips spreading in a slow, sensual grin that sent ripples down her spine. “I am pleased you came. I was going to go looking for you, but you have beaten me to the task. I am impressed, tiger kitten. Tell me,” he whispered seductively. “Are you an experienced kitten, or a curious one?”

  She looked at him blankly, not certain what he was asking.

  He lifted a brow, sensing the answer to his question in her silence. He rubbed his thumb across her lips, enchanted by the velvety softness. “I wanted to kiss you that night. Will you let me kiss you now?”