He nipped a little harder at her nipple and was rewarded with a small yelp as she came undone around him. Her whole body shook as her release ripped through her.
It was the first time he’d seen her like this. They’d always stopped just before, but tonight was different. Tonight, she was the one looking for more, and it was hard for him not to give her exactly what she wanted. The beast within him yearned to be with his other half, and he’d fulfill that need however he could.
Another low, deep growl reverberated in his chest as she reached between their bodies to stroke his still jeans-clad cock.
“More,” Nicole mumbled against his neck, her hot, wet mouth tasting the skin there.
Fuck, he was going to come right there if she didn’t stop.
“I don’t even care if it’s real,” Nicole whispered. “I don’t care if it’s a dream. I need you.”
The hybrid sucked in a breath and stilled. In his mind, they were one. It was clear they were meant to be, but this wasn’t how he wanted it to happen.
He wanted Nicole to know it was him, really him, and not just something she thought was a nighttime ghost in her mind. He needed her to look him in the eye and know that it wasn’t just a dream but forever.
Joran sighed loudly. It was time for the truth.
“Nicole,” he said. “I have something I need to tell you.”
The world around them shifted. The soft white around them faded, and a smoky haze replaced it.
The hybrid’s heart kicked up. He stood and pulled Nicole against him. A sense of foreboding and dread filled him.
Joran stared down at Nicole. He could see her fear written all over her face.
“Wake up,” he said. “It’s not safe here anymore.”
Nicole frowned. “What?”
Joran brought his face in closer. “You need to wake up, Nicole.” He glanced over his shoulder at the growing blackness behind him. “Now!”
As if his words had slapped her awake, Nicole blinked out of his arms. Joran turned once again toward the growing mass and stared deep inside. Two bright burning blue orbs stared back at him, and he knew instantly who it was.
“Erebus.”
Chapter Six
Nicole woke from the arousing and strange dream in a panic. Her heart pounded in her chest as she desperately tried to claw the covers away from her, her body still shivering.
She wasn’t sure if it was from the orgasm she’d just had or that final ominous presence. Both experiences had left her breathless in very different ways. A few long moments passed as she tried to catch her breath.
It had been so long since she’d felt that pressing feeling from her dreams. It’d never happened with Joran before but instead in her quiet nightmares where she ran endlessly from the dark presence in the deepest recesses of her mind, certain that she’d take one wrong step and eventually fall and find out what evil was behind her.
Nicole didn’t know why she was having the nightmares, but only knew that when she woke up, they stayed with her for far longer than she would have liked. Even as a child, she’d never had these sorts of haunting dreams. And as an adult, it made it even harder to process and accept. Something was wrong with her, and she needed to figure out what it was before she ended up afraid to go to sleep.
She sighed and shook her head. Maybe it was all the cases she’d been working. The sheriff might act like it was no big deal, but the recent violence had left her unsettled. A man half-eaten, pets gone missing, and brutal mauling incidents that still made her stomach churn. It wasn’t as if being a rural deputy had prepared her for these sorts of cases.
Hell, Frank had been at it nearly thirty years and had only dealt with the occasional murder. She was surprised he wasn’t more disturbed by everything.
There was also the strange encounter on the road. And Joran, the literal man of her dreams, made flesh. She had no idea why she’d been dreaming about him.
A chance sighting of him must have embedded him in her mind. She didn’t have time to worry about it now, and the eroticism of the dream had faded, her stomach still tight from the fear she’d felt in those last few moments.
Her heart still raced as she pulled back the covers and slid her feet onto the floor. For about half a second, the fleeting fear that something might reach out and grab her flashed through her mind before she shook it off. She was a deputy for crying out loud. She couldn’t let a bad dream spook her like that. If the guys at the office even thought she was thinking that way, she’d never live it down. She wouldn’t deserve to.
With renewed resolve, Nicole stepped out onto the soft carpet, following the path she had so many times until reaching the bathroom. Bright florescent lights flooded the room and nearly blinded her for a moment before she’d regained her vision. The bare white room stared back at her.
That was one of the many downsides to renting the small apartment. Nothing about the lighting there was good. Not that she’d tried to make it more homey. There didn’t seem to be much point when she was hardly ever home. Who was she going to bring? Joran?
Not to mention the loud neighbors above her who always seemed to think the perfect time to stomp around or screw was when she’d just gotten off a sixteen-hour shift. But that was apartment living, and it made the most sense for her current life situation.
Eagle Ridge was just a stop. It wasn’t going to be where she would end up and put down roots. She’d already made that decision.
Nicole had a plan. Five years under Frank. All she needed to do was prove herself and then she’d be able to move on to the big city.
The thought pricked something in her mind, and she frowned at her reflection in the mirror. Her long blonde hair slipped over her face as she studied herself. Something felt off about leaving the town, but again, that didn’t make any sense.
Nicole didn’t want to stay there. She’d not made any friends on purpose because she knew she would eventually be leaving. A feeling of unease with the plan had been floating around the recesses of her mind for some time now, and she could never seem to pinpoint exactly why. There was nothing to miss, other than Frank, and he’d be happy for her to move on in her career.
Her mind shifted back to Joran. The man who, until that very evening, she’d believed to just be a figment of her sex-starved imagination. She couldn’t explain the attraction between the two of them or her very erotic dreams, but it was clear that if anything, her body was interested in him.
Nicole shook her head and sighed. What woman wouldn’t be though? The man was built like a god and had a smile that could melt any heart. Not to mention the fact that he’d practically run at superhuman speeds to save her from danger. Twice. And the second time had been after she’d arrested him.
She groaned. She’d be lying if she claimed being around the man didn’t make her heart beat wildly. It didn’t matter. That was where it needed to end.
Joran was hiding something, and she was certain when she found out, it wouldn’t be anything good. Her body might crave the man, but her cop brain told her to be careful.
Nicole shook her head and made her way out of the bathroom into the living room. Pictures of the unsolved cases lay scattered on the table, the ones that Frank would shit a brick over if he knew she was staying up late poring over them.
A small snort escaped. Looking at brutal crime- and incident-scene photos had to affect her. It was no wonder that she’d had the nightmare again.
The bed squeaked in the apartment above her rhythmically. The moans of the couple above her reached her ears through the thin ceiling.
Nicole rolled her eyes. Another mystery solved. At least the sounds above helped explained why she’d had a steamy first part for her dream. It probably helped that that she’d basically cuffed a model.
She stepped into the kitchen and filled a glass with water, shutting out the thumping overhead. Her mind lingered on Joran.
He was so different than anyone she’d ever seen before. Ripped muscle guys weren’t usually h
er flavor, but on him, those muscles were magnificent, the sort that made her want to just rub herself all over.
Heat attacked her cheeks. Of course, she had rubbed herself all over him in her dream, and if it hadn’t taken a dark turn, she had been prepared to do far more.
It wasn’t like Nicole wasn’t experienced, but never in her life had she been like that with a man. Not that she didn’t like sex. It was mostly okay. Sometimes there were fireworks, but mostly it was just pleasant.
Joran was different. Being with him was pure fire. Her whole body vibrated from the feel of her release, and there was just something so amazingly right about the whole thing.
Nicole snorted and dumped the rest of her water into the sink.
What the hell was she thinking? It was a dream, and she needed to get a grip. This wasn’t the sort of thing a woman like her focused on. Getting laid was secondary to getting ahead. Let alone getting laid in dreams. Her career had always been her focus, and she didn’t want to lose sight of what was truly important because of a few steamy dreams.
The woman above her screamed loudly as the bed stopped squeaking. Nicole stared up at the speckled ceiling. At least someone was getting some.
“And on that note, time to head back to bed.”
Chapter Seven
Joran paced the tight confines of the cell. Every instinct in him told him to go find Nicole. It was the most primal and basic feeling he had, to protect his Vestal, the woman specifically designed to make up the other half of his soul.
The hybrid let out a low growl. Going to her wasn’t an option. Even if it were, it wasn’t like he could explain anything. To her, what they’d just shared was nothing more than a dream, and at the moment, that was likely the best thing for her. She shouldn’t be worrying about something she couldn’t do anything about.
Or was it the best thing? Joran couldn’t really make up his mind. It was clear that Erebus was after her, but he couldn’t know why.
He sighed. The situation had gone from complicated to fucked up, and it was clear that his time of keeping his distance was coming to an end. Part of him liked that, but the other part of him wouldn’t stop worrying because of the reasons.
No matter what, the hybrid would have to handle the situation delicately. His Vestal being connected to the Sheriff’s Department could mean trouble for his people. He was certain that Nicole wouldn’t mean to cause them harm, but the fact was, she was in a position to. Her arresting him was a prime example of that.
“You okay there, son?”
Joran was surprised when the older man stepped around the corner. It had been so quiet and he had been in such deep thought that he hadn’t even heard the sheriff coming.
“I’ve been better,” Joran said with a small smile.
The older man stared back at him. Joran had seen Frank around town. Nearly everyone knew the sheriff. His wife had passed on from cancer a few years back, and he’d done what any man in his situation would do, thrown himself into his job. He wasn’t totally alone, as he lived with his grown daughter not far from the station, but her presence wasn’t enough to stop the pain of his loss.
Frank was well liked, and from what Joran had heard, he was fair. No one had a negative thing to say about the man and that spoke a lot to his character.
“I’d imagine,” Frank said. “Seems like your brother has been calling up here trying to get you out. Even had our mayor on the phone.” He chuckled.
The sheriff shook his head and ran a hand through the salt and pepper on top of his head.
“Damn near had Ed in a panic,” the sheriff continued. He glanced over toward the direction of the front desk and frowned. “Not that it takes much to get that boy in a panic.”
Joran felt a tug on the corners of his mouth but said nothing.
“So Nicole said in her report that you’d been jogging last night?” the sheriff asked.
The hybrid nodded as Frank stared at him.
The sheriff arched a brow. “Big coincidence you being out there right at that moment.”
Joran could feel the man’s penetrating gaze and knew the sheriff was no idiot. A too obvious of a lie would only cause more trouble.
“It’s a small town,” the hybrid offered.
Frank stared at him a moment longer before nodding. “That it is.” He stepped forward with a set of keys and unlocked the door. “I’ve just got a bit of paperwork for you unfortunately. Seems like this was just a big misunderstanding.” The sheriff held Joran’s gaze for just a moment longer than necessary.
A threat, maybe, the hybrid couldn’t be sure.
“Seems so,” Joran said.
Frank nodded over to an office in the back and headed that direction. “Looks like we were lucky to have you around last night. Otherwise Nicole might have had an extra hole thanks to Ed.”
Joran grunted and tried to hold back a growl. Just thinking about the incident only made his anger flare up, and it wouldn’t do any of them any good if the sheriff saw his glowing blue eyes. The hybrid hadn’t thought he’d need contacts in the middle of the night and on the edge of town. Nicole seeing his eyes was one thing, but it just wouldn’t be safe for everyone to know. It was too much of a risk to his people.
They stepped into the office, and Frank sat a stack of papers in front of him.
“Sorry, son. Can’t take a shit here without documentation for the state.” The sheriff shrugged.
Joran might have laughed if he weren’t so busy frowning at the paper.
“You can sit in here until your brother gets here,” Frank said. “I’ve got a damn wall to patch.”
The sheriff left, mumbling several things about Ed as Joran turned the first page of the paperwork.
* * *
“Didn’t I warn you she had a gun?” Alec grinned as Joran stepped outside of the station.
His friend leaned casually against the car as Magnus finished filling out the paperwork inside.
Joran rolled his eyes. He knew the other hybrid couldn’t resist an opportunity to give him a hard time. Likely everyone back at the compound was snickering about his current situation. It wasn’t often a Vestal locked up her mate. Not exactly a great first impression.
“Prison looks good on you man,” Alec said, and laughed. “Chicks love a tough guy.”
“It’s jail, you prick, and I’m pretty sure locking up a guy doesn’t mean a woman likes a man.”
Alec snorted and glanced over as a car pulled into the lot.
Not just any car though. It was Nicole’s
Joran’s heart beat wildly in his chest. He had known she’d gotten out of the dream safely, but he still couldn’t help but worry about his Vestal, whether she thought he was a criminal or not.
She stepped out of the car wearing her crisp khaki outfit and froze. A small blush tinted her cheeks. “Frank let you go?”
Joran nodded as she stepped over to where he was. He had to look down because she was that much shorter than him. “Hello, Deputy Monroe. I hope you slept well last night.”
Nicole glanced over to Alec. The color drained from her face as she looked back to Joran.
“I slept fine,” she mumbled.
Joran glared over at Alec. There was no way the other hybrid could know what lurked in her dreams.
“Everyone has nightmares,” he said quietly.
Her gaze flipped to his. He managed not to wince at his mistake.
“How did you—” Nicole began.
“That’s it,” Magnus said, stepping out of the building. “Let’s roll.”
Joran slid to Nicole’s side. He could still feel her eyes on him.
“Have a good day, Nicole,” he said quietly.
Her eyes narrowed. The sight of it made his heart skip a beat. This wasn’t over, and despite it all, he was excited to finally get to see her more.
The moment they stepped into the truck and pulled away, Joran turned to the two men.
“Erebus showed up last night.”
Dark l
ooks settled on the faces of the other hybrids. As if it weren’t enough they were dealing with the crazed Agatha and whatever was happening under her blue dome, now they pretty much had the devil knocking at the door.
“We need to tell Rem and the team leads,” Magnus said.
Joran always liked the second-in-command. Magnus was a methodical man like himself and always worked to keep the group on track. There was a lot to respect about that.
He gave a short nod.
Magnus pulled out his phone to make a call.
* * *
The ride wasn’t long, and soon Joran was following Magnus to the large meeting house back at the compound. These days it seemed like they were in that room more than their own homes. There had been so much to do to prepare for whatever Agatha might be planning.
It wasn’t a long wait before several of the team leaders started to find their way into the great room.
Joran looked around at his brother hybrids. Despite their superhuman ways, the men around him looked worn. It had been a hard month. Each of them had worked to their limit, and it was starting to show all around them. Whatever they asked of their teams, they put in double that.
Deep down, Joran worried what news of Erebus might do to them, but there was no choice. They all needed to know what lurked around the corner. If not for themselves, then for their women.
The men turned as Rem entered the room, their unusual leader who had always known just what to do, a man who’d risked his life and subjected himself to torturous experimentation for them.
“Joran.” Rem nodded to his second-in-command.
The leader’s brilliant green eyes found Joran’s own bright blue. The green eyes were a product of the merging of two types of hybrid. Rem was more powerful than any of them, and Joran wondered just how much their leader had to hold back.
“Glad to see jail hasn’t hardened you,” Rem said with a small taunting smile. “I hope you can adjust to life on the outside.”
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