by Vella Day
His heart dropped to his stomach at the thought of leaving. He loved all of his siblings, but it was his twin sister he’d miss the most. “What should my parents say as to why I’m not around?” This wasn’t fair to them, or to his uncle who counted on him to manage McKinnon Pub and Pool.
“They are strong. They will figure something out.”
Finn understood none of it, but Ophelia must have her reasons for wanting his journey to remain a secret.
“Thank you.” Those words seemed so inadequate.
“I’ll be in contact soon. Be prepared to leave tomorrow night at midnight.”
“I will.” Or so he hoped.
She opened his car door and floated back into the forest. Hopefully, she had a warm place to live. These mountain winters could be hard on the elderly.
Even though he had a lot of things to do to prepare for tomorrow night’s adventure, Finn sat there, stunned and unable to move. His thoughts were swarming like a poked hive of bees. He inhaled and dropped his head back against the seat. Kaleena was real! He could hardly believe it.
But why had she contacted him of all people? He was just a bartender from a small Tennessee town. From the way Ophelia spoke, and from what he’d figured out, Kaleena was larger than life. That made him question once more why a woman from another realm would reach out to him. Was it because Fate had destined them to be mates as Ophelia implied?
Zane had told him dream-walking only happened if each person had some magical ability and not because they were destined for each other. It looked like it was time to have a talk with his mother.
Chapter Three
Soaring then dipping along the warm currents, the delicious air kissed Kaleena’s body as she flew over Tarradon. The landscape below, with its majestic mountains cradling large fertile valleys, was dotted with villages and sprinkled with the occasional stone castle. The sight made her grin and laugh.
Hundreds of years ago, when the Royals’ rule was supreme, their slaves, also known as serfs back then, had huddled nearby their kingdom, but no longer. Cities had formed and people had begun to spread out. When the dragons began visiting Earth, progress changed Tarradon for the better.
Kaleena spotted a castle in ruin, and her heart ached for the foregone beauty, but she was thrilled that the serfs, who long ago had been forced into labor, were now free. It galled her that the Royals still managed to enslave a few, most of whom were humans, but with time, the Guardians would see to their freedom.
Tarradon contained four provinces, the largest of which was Avonbelle. Edendale, the largest city in her province, sat in the middle. Humans, shifters, and white lighters for the most part lived in harmony as they bustled around the city streets. Horns honked and store front lights flashed. Even though it was a lot smaller than Denver, Colorado, a town she’d lived in for a while, Edendale was of great importance in the realm.
Kaleena darted over the tallest of the buildings and then slowed as she reached her building—SinCas Mining and Gems. She sighed knowing that the work she and the other Guardians provided helped keep their people free. While all dragons possessed some magical abilities, the non-Royals bred with whomever Fate designated them to be with—whether it be white lighters, humans, or other shifters—whereas the Royals either bred among themselves or with dark lighters, most of who were not their Fated true mates.
Over the years, problems had developed for the Royals. Weaknesses began to crop up from these non-sanctioned matings. It was why, Kaleena believed, the Royals were trying to bolster their declining magical powers through theft.
As her anger at the Royals built, out of nowhere came a hurricane-force wind that forced Kaleena toward the ground.
“Wake up,” came a demanding and loud voice.
Wake up? Who was talking to her? Kaleena flapped her wings once more to reach a different current. Before she could glide upward, she was met with blackness—and then reality.
You’re dreaming, her dragon said, sounding quite disgusted. Open your eyes.
Damn it. Rousing from a deep sleep, she looked up to find two men looming over her.
Fuck. She wasn’t free and hadn’t been flying high above. Far from it. She was still in this dingy cell. “What do you want?” she managed to say despite her dry mouth.
One of the men was the mute guard. The other was larger and seemed more menacing, probably because his face was scarred.
“Cuff her,” the larger one said.
Cuff me?
Before Kaleena could put up much of a fuss, the larger man held her down while the mute slapped a thick metal cuff made of a special metal she’d only seen once before on one wrist. He did the same on the other and then locked them together.
As hard as she tugged, Kaleena couldn’t break them apart. What little strength she had seemed to drain quickly from her body. “You don’t need to do this. I won’t escape.” If they believed that, they were gullible, but right now she’d say anything for a chance at freedom.
The guards yanked her up to a standing position, and her knees buckled. Something was happening to her. She’d been stronger a moment ago.
Dragon, heal me.
I’m trying, but something is stopping me, her animal said.
“Get moving.”
When the mute opened the cell door, adrenaline rushed through her system, and Kaleena could almost smell freedom. As much as she wanted to run, her legs wouldn’t oblige, damn it. The best she could do was stutter-step out into the hallway. Just as she glanced around to get her bearings, the second guard blindfolded her. Asshole.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked in her haughtiest voice.
He shoved her, forcing her to her knees. Had she not had quick reflexes, she would have done a face plant. As much as she wanted to yell at them to leave her alone, she understood they didn’t give a damn what she wanted. Someone was giving the orders, and they planned to obey.
One of the men jerked her to her feet again and then kept his hand on her upper arm as he led her down the hallway. They turned right, left, and then who knows which way. Many turns later, a sudden influx of fresh air implied they’d stepped outside, but her excitement was short-lived. They reentered the cold, dank interior not long after.
The outside smells however reminded her of the Plantera bush, which she’d only smelled twice in her life. The first time was when she was little and her parents had taken her to the coast in the province of Thedia. She remembered running through a field bordered by this sweet smelling bush. It thrived in the dampness and overcast skies. She’d been told it rarely grew in Avonbelle—a drier area of the realm. The only other time she’d smelled it, was on a rare visit to her cousin’s castle. Was that where she was now? The hard, rather uneven floor convinced her it might be.
By the time one of the guards knocked on a door, Kaleena had no idea where she was.
A moment later a voice from inside called, “Come in.”
Maybe now she might learn why she’d been taken.
As soon as she took a few steps forward, the blindfold was removed. When she saw who was seated behind the large wooden desk, she went speechless.
“Sit down, Kaleena.”
Finn wasn’t looking forward to this conversation with his parents about his departure. His family was tight—probably tighter than any other he’d ever known, which made this so much harder. Informing them that their youngest son wanted to leave Earth because he believed a woman was in danger would be hard, if not impossible to explain. His one sliver of hope was that if it was so easy to get to Tarradon, returning should be just as quick.
His dad in particular wouldn’t buy into the idea of his running off, but his mom would be more sympathetic to his cause. She’d break down for sure when she learned she might never see him again though, and Finn didn’t know if he could stand hurting her like that. But he had no choice. Even if he assured him that the transportation part was easy, he really had little knowledge of what Tarradon was like—or how friendly they’d be to a wolf shift
er.
At least Chelsea would understand and even encourage him to follow his heart, but he sure would miss her. The worst part might be leaving before the Christmas holidays. That in and of itself would be akin to a sin in his household.
Finn would never have the conversation until he got his ass in gear. Starting the engine, he took off. Halfway to his parents’ house, the right front wheel hit a patch of ice and caused his car to run off the pavement. He quickly corrected for the skid and returned to the road. Damn. He’d been thinking about Kaleena and seeing her soon—not on driving.
Focus.
When he arrived at his parents’ house, Finn blew out a breath and shut off the ignition. He eased out of the seat, braced against the chilly air, and forced his feet to reach the front door. He knocked lightly before heading in. “Hello? Anyone home?”
“Is that you, Finn?” his mom called from the kitchen.
“It’s me.” He was quite relieved his mom was home even though she’d be the first to cry.
Wearing the apron he’d given her for Christmas when he was twelve, she came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. The apron was frayed and stained, but she wore it often because she loved the saying on the front that read: My mom’s the best cook. His heart warmed at how happy she’d been at the gift. He still remembered the hug that followed.
Her smile lit up her face. “What a nice surprise. I’m finishing up the final touches for Connor and EmmaLee’s mating party tomorrow night.”
“Mating party? When did that happen?” He’d spoken to Connor briefly yesterday, and he said nothing about it. Or had Finn walked through some kind of time warp?
“Yesterday. We would have waited a few days before celebrating, but the white moon is tomorrow night and EmmaLee will be shifting for the first time.”
This was almost too much to take in. “I see.”
“Can you get off work?” she asked.
He forced a smile. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” But it would be the most difficult time of his life to sit through a party and have his brothers and sister know that he might not see them for a while—for a long while.
“Wonderful. How about coming back into the kitchen and tell me what’s happening in your life? You don’t look good, by the way.”
His mom always worried about the family. “I’m okay.”
“Come, come. I’ll fix you a drink for a change.”
That brought out a smile—one he sorely needed. “Where’s Dad?”
“He’s here somewhere.” She stilled for a moment, as if she had just telepathed him that Finn had arrived. “He’ll be right down.”
Footsteps sounded and his dad appeared. “Hey, son. Nice of you to stop by.”
It wasn’t as if he was a stranger. He’d been there last week. Finn sat at the kitchen island while his mom made him a chocolate shake like the kind he used to crave as a kid. She didn’t know she was making it more difficult for him to leave.
Finn cleared his throat. “I had a disturbing dream last night.”
“Really? What was it about?” Concern colored her tone.
“Recently, this one woman has been occupying my mind. She’s wonderful, beautiful, and we’ve connect on an amazingly deep level.”
“I thought you said it was disturbing,” his mom said.
“Last night’s dream was. At first I thought I was crazy. I mean, come on, a dream is a dream, but Kaleena, that’s her name, feels real.”
“But last night was different. How?”
“She said she was being held captive and asked if I could help her.”
His mom sucked in a breath. “When she’s talking to you, is it telepathically?”
Finn stilled. “Yes.”
Her jaw slackened. “Then you were dream-walking,” his mom announced, her voice sounding far away.
Stunned, Finn had to swallow to gain some control. “What do you know about that?” Her hands stilled, and she glanced to the ceiling. “Mom, what is it?”
She looked back at him. “I honestly haven’t thought about my grandmother in a long time.”
His mind spun. “What about my great grandmother? Connor mentioned something about her being a witch. Is that true?”
“Yes. She was a Wendayan, and not just an ordinary one either. She possessed a lot of power and magic.”
His heart beat hard. He glanced at his father who didn’t look surprised. “Why didn’t I know about this before?”
Her eyes widened. “I saw no reason to bring it up. I didn’t want any of you kids to get your hopes up.”
“How so?”
“My mother, their only child, didn’t exhibit any symptoms of magic, and when I didn’t either, nor did any of you kids, I figured that gene had disappeared—until now.”
Once more, he was stunned. “So you believe my dream-walking is real?”
“Powerful witches, like my grandmother, could dream-walk. You must have inherited her talent, and it never manifested itself before now.”
This was almost too much to grasp. “Then Ophelia was right too. Kaleena must be real.”
Yay. His wolf cheered.
“You spoke with Ophelia?” his mother said.
Now came the hard part. “I had to see her about my dreams. She told me that Kaleena exists. And here’s the incredible part. Ophelia can help me reach her.”
“Why that’s wonderful!” While her cheer seemed to reach her eyes, his dad seemed frozen to the spot.
Finn leaned forward, trying to decide how to break the news to them. “It is fantastic, except that Kaleena lives in a different realm.”
“On Cargonia?” his father asked in his gruff and commanding voice.
“Not exactly. It’s on a different parallel universe called Tarradon.”
“Tarradon?” his father asked. He glanced over at Mom.
“Have you heard of it?” Finn asked.
His mother nodded. “Yesterday, Connor and EmmaLee were picnicking near the caves—the same caves were Zane was found.”
His palms sweated. “Were they looking for a portal or something?” EmmaLee believed in dragon shifters and wanted confirmation they existed.
“Yes. While they were there, her stalker showed up.”
His fists tightened. “Slater Coghill found her?”
“Yes. Only this man said he was from Tarradon and that he couldn’t have her reveal that dragons exist. It’s why he wanted her dead. Before he could tell them more, he shifted into a dragon.”
“Holy shit.”
His dad moved closer to the counter. “Connor said that he shifted into his wolf and tried to fight him off, but he was no match for the beast.”
Even though his brother was an excellent fighter, he’d be no match against a dragon. “How is he still alive then?”
“Connor can give you more details, but right before his eyes, the dragon disappeared.”
“Disappeared?”
“Yes. This is what makes me think Tarradon isn’t a safe place,” his father said.
Finn shook his head. “No, that proves I need to go. Kaleena really is in danger.”
His mom grabbed his dad’s hand, and the color drained from her face. “So you’re really going after her? For how long?”
“I don’t know, but I plan to return just as soon as I can.” He really had no idea how this portal system worked. Would he be saying goodbye forever?
Her lips pinched. “Is she a wolf shifter? Is that why she needs you to help? Or is she human?”
He’d asked Kaleena, but she’d always flirted with him instead of answering. “I don’t know, and honestly I don’t care. Mom, I know this sounds totally crazy, but she is my mate. Not only that, I have been falling in love with her since the first time I saw her in my dreams.” Okay that sounded even crazier than he’d thought.
“I see.” She looked over at Dad. Clearly, the two were talking. “What are you going to tell everyone?”
“I’m not. Ophelia said that only the famil
y can be told about my going to this other realm—no one else, at least for now.” He added that last part. Finn believed no shifter or Wendayan would leak the information to the humans.
“What about your Uncle Garth?” Dad asked. “He needs to know why his manager has decided not to show up for work.”
“Fine. Tell Uncle Garth, but that’s all. I’ve been training my assistant in case I wanted to take some time off. I’m sure he will do a fine job.”
His mom grabbed his hand. “Why can’t Kaleena’s family save her? Why does it have to be you?”
“Because they don’t know she’s in trouble yet. Besides, she’s my fated mate, and I love her.”
His mom sighed and nodded. “Then you must go and help. You are such a wonderful son.” She hugged him. “But how will you find her? You know nothing of this other universe—how advanced it is, what kind of shifters there are, or anything.”
That was a big issue. “I know, but Ophelia thinks that if I go, I can help. Her family will meet me at the portal entrance.”
“I see. Did she say if the travel is safe?” his father asked.
“Yes. One minute I’m here and the next I’m there.”
“I’ll be damned,” his dad said. “If it’s that easy, I wonder why we’ve never heard of this realm.”
“I wish I knew the answer to that.”
Finn slipped off his stool, walked around the counter, and hugged his dad first and then his mom. “I love you both.”
Mom leaned back, her cheeks wet. “I love you too. Come back to us. Please.”
“I will try.”
After another fifteen minutes of goodbyes, he told them he would be at the party tomorrow night to celebrate, but that they had to pretend as if nothing was wrong.
“I’ll try not to cry,” his mom said.
He hoped he could be just as strong.
Chapter Four
“Well, well, if it isn’t cousin Rathan,” Kaleena said. She should have guessed. She never trusted the guy. “What the hell is going on?”
His brow furrowed. “Sit down, Kaleena.”
“No.”