by L. P. Dover
My heart did a triple beat and I had to stop myself from smiling. I looked around the room quickly to make sure no one heard it or saw my traitorous smile, but I was too late. Meliantha smiled at me and tilted her head inquisitively. Shit! I thought to myself. I should’ve known I could never get away with anything when she was around.
“Would you like to hold your nephew?” Meliantha asked, letting her real question slide.
Sweat broke out in my palms, and my eyes went wide. I had never in my life ever held a baby, and I balked at the thought that I would do something wrong. “I don’t want to hurt him,” I admitted sheepishly. “What if I drop him?”
“Nonsense!” my sister answered. “You’re not going to drop him.”
Calista took Kale from Meliantha and placed him gently in my arms. It felt awkward at first, and honestly, I didn’t know what to do. I was scared to move or breathe for fear that I would do something wrong, so I stood there frozen in place. After a few minutes, I was starting to get the hang of it. I walked around the room, cuddling the baby in my arms, and watched as he slept with his little thumb in his mouth.
Out of nowhere my heart began to pick up speed and that pull I felt long ago at the Ball came back full force. It was when the dark-haired beauty entered the room that I realized it was coming from her. Her eyes found mine and we both came to a complete halt.
When I walked into the room, I wasn’t expecting to see Drake cooing and smiling at the baby in his arms. My knees felt weak in that moment and I would have toppled over if Brayden wasn’t beside me. It was a beautiful sight before me, and I couldn’t stop the smile from forming on my lips if I tried. We stared at each other for a long-lasting few seconds, but then Drake turned his face away in what I assumed was embarrassment.
His skin turned red, and I could tell he was gritting his teeth. I didn’t know what I was expecting, but I had to keep reminding myself that he had no clue about our dreams being real. To him, he only met me at the Winter Ball and that was it. After the last dream we had, I guess I just expected more.
The air in the room had turned electric, the tension flowing like waves all around us. Not only did Drake and I have a stare off, but I also noticed out of the corner of my eye, that Brayden and Ariella were doing the same thing, too. Silence filled the room, making it uncomfortable, so I decided to break away from it all and go to my brother.
Kalen was on the bed beside Meliantha so I rushed over and knelt by his side. “Congratulations,” I whispered to him and Meliantha so I wouldn’t wake the sleeping child in Kalen’s arms. Brayden clapped Kalen on the shoulder and congratulated him as well.
“Thank you for coming,” Kalen said, kissing me on the cheek, and nodding to Brayden.
“Anytime,” I replied.
Meliantha held out her arms, so I went to her side of the bed and hugged her gently. “It’s nice to see you again, Sorcha.”
“It’s nice to see you, too,” I told her. When I pulled back, she gave me a knowing smile while looking back and forth between me and Drake. I cleared my throat and shifted uncomfortably by her side. Was I that easy to see through? I thought to myself. I looked back at Drake and he averted his eyes so quickly I had no clue if he was even looking at me or something else.
“Would you like to hold Lia?” Kalen asked, catching my attention.
“No!” I exclaimed, a little too loudly, clearly sounding nervous.
Kalen laughed and walked over to me, placing the baby in my arms even though I was shaking like a leaf. “Drake acted the same way, but look at him,” he said, peering over at Drake, who was acting fidgety and uptight now that the attention was on him. “He’s an expert now. You’ll be fine, and besides, I’m sure you’ll have your own children someday, so it’s good to have the practice.”
“I don’t think so, dear brother. I’m not the motherly type.”
He scoffed and shook his head, but when he settled back on the bed beside Meliantha I heard him whisper, “She’ll change her mind.” I chose to ignore his comment by giving my attention to the little one I was holding.
I did wonder what it would be like to have one of my own, but I also knew I had plenty of time. There were still so many things I wanted to do and see before I had a family of my own. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Drake staring at me, but I didn’t acknowledge him. I didn’t want to give anything away in that room with everyone watching, especially when it killed me not to return his gaze.
We all left the room to give Meliantha and Kalen some alone time with the babies and for them to get some rest. When we arrived we were shown to a set of rooms where Alston and Sarette had decided to stay while I visited with my family. I left without speaking to Drake, even though he looked like he wanted to speak to me. I thought I was ready to tell him … but I wasn’t. Oren was going to scold me, I was sure of it.
Meliantha and Kalen insisted we stay for the night so Brayden and I had agreed, even though I knew Brayden didn’t want to. His home was in the Winter Court and he loathed having to get accustomed to a new court. On the way to my room, I overheard one of the servant’s mention that the Summer Fae were staying as well. I knew that would give me more time to work up the nerve to tell Drake about what had been going on. Maybe I could break it to him in our dreams, I thought to myself.
When I opened the door to my room, I silently groaned at the sight of Alston sitting on my bed. “How are your family and the babies doing?” he asked.
“Like you care,” I hissed, heading to the window and taking off my gear in the process. Gazing out at the landscape, I noticed for the first time how beautiful it was with colorful flowers as far as the eye could see. Kalen’s pack of wolves were frolicking and chasing each other across the land, and it made me smile. I missed his wolves being at the Winter Court. I could picture myself living there amongst the milder temperatures and the smells of Spring, but it wouldn’t do well with my cold blood.
Alston came up behind me, closing the distance to where I could feel his body lightly touching mine. What the hell did he think he was doing? “I do care,” he whispered in my ear. “Anything that involves you is something I care about.”
“You’re full of shit,” I argued, moving closer to the window to get some distance.
He placed his hands gently on my shoulders and turned me around. I was shocked with how gentle he was being, but I was sure it was just a farce. However, his eyes had lost the coldness to them, which caught me off guard. “When are you going to realize that I’m honestly trying to change? You fell for me once and I know you can do it again.”
“It’s not that simple,” I said.
His lip curled up in the corner in a half-smile. “Nothing is ever simple.” He paused to look out the window before coming back down to me, his icy blue eyes looking soft and genuine for once. I hadn’t seen that side of him in a long time, and I can honestly say I missed it. He was my friend long before he became my lover.
“What’s changed, Alston? Why are you being like this now?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t realize how pushy I was being until Sarette and I talked. She pretty much threatened me and said I was screwing up all chances for us to be together. I can’t let that happen.”
“People don’t just change overnight,” I uttered, skeptical of his intentions.
Alston took my hands, and against my better judgment I let him kiss my palms. “I know that, but I’m going to work really hard. Just give me a chance.”
Oh, how I wished it was Drake in front of me professing his love instead of Alston. Alston let go of my hands and tilted my chin up with his finger so I could meet his eyes. “How about we go for a walk? It’s not every day we get to come to the Spring Court, and I know you like it here. I could see it in your eyes.”
In a way I wanted to be alone, but a walk through the gardens would probably help my sour mood. “Okay, but I want Sarette to come with us,” I insisted, knowing that probably spoiled his plan to seduce me, but he surprised me by smiling
and nodding his head. Maybe he was serious about changing, I thought to myself, but I knew better than to fully believe it.
“I’ll go fetch her,” he agreed after kissing my cheek.
After Alston left the room, it gave me a few minutes to myself. I sat by the window on the plush window seat and opened it, letting in the rosy Spring air. I breathed it in deeply before calling out silently to my guardian. “Oren, where are you?”
“Right next door, ai dulin, listening to you and Alston.”
“Stalker much?” I laughed, earning a laugh from him in return.
“Sorry, but I kind of have to be. Just be careful with Alston when you’re by yourself,” he chided, worry eminent in his voice.
“Sarette will be with us, and I know you’ll be close by. You know I can take care of myself. I’ve done it before, and I honestly think he’s serious about trying to change. He seems … different somehow.”
Oren sighed. “I still don’t like him. Anyway, you need to find Drake and tell him what’s going on.”
“I will, Oren,” I huffed impatiently. “When the time is right I will.”
“Good, now go on your walk and try not to fall into Alston’s clutches again.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” I assured him.
I closed our connection so I could think without knowing Oren could hear me. If Drake was the one for me then why wasn’t he coming to me like Ryder did with Calista, and the way Kalen did with Meliantha? Was it because we were both hard-headed as hell? I wondered. One of us was going to have to suck it up and make the first move, and it was looking like it was going to be me.
After everyone had scattered to do their own thing, I was tempted to follow Sorcha and talk to her. What was I going to talk to her about? I asked myself. She would think I was crazy if I started talking to her like I did in our dreams. She’d laugh in my face if I told her what we did every night in them together. My feet moved of their own accord, and guided me toward the pull that I knew was her.
“Fuck it!” I groaned out loud, making my decision. “I need to suck it up and find her.”
I ran into a servant along the way and she happily pointed me in the direction of where Sorcha would be staying. My heart thumped heavily in my chest the closer I got, the same way it felt when I got close to her at the Winter Ball. I was going to talk to her and go from there. Everything was going to be fine … or so I thought. However, my excitement died in its tracks when I turned the corner and saw someone I really didn’t want to see. What the hell was he doing here? Surely Sorcha wasn’t still with him? I wondered.
“Ah, Prince Dragon, so nice to see you again,” Alston sneered sarcastically.
He narrowed his eyes at me and took up a defensive stance. His hackles were raised, which clearly let me know he wasn’t as calm as he wanted me to believe he was. After our confrontation at the Winter Ball, I made sure to find out all about Sorcha’s lover. Apparently, he came from a wealthy family and was also the cousin to Sorcha’s best friend, Sarette. I was hoping that would explain why he was there.
“I wish I could say the same,” I retorted back.
Alston smiled at my comeback, but it quickly disappeared. “Are you here to see Sorcha? Because we were just getting ready to go for a walk. I’d ask you to join us, but I really don’t want to.”
Feigning boredom, I answered, hoping my lie was believable, “Frankly, I would rather stab myself in the eye before having to spend any more time around you. If you must know, no, I’m not here to see Sorcha, but I am shocked to see you here. I thought she would’ve come to her senses by now.”
Alston grinned and winked at me. “Sorry to disappoint you, but we’re still going strong … if you know what I mean.”
He was goading me, but I knew I couldn’t act on my anger and give him the satisfaction. “Glad to hear it,” I lied, balling my hands into tight fists. I had to get away from him before the rage got the better of me and I looked like a jackass. Turning on my heels, I headed back the way I came. “Have fun on your walk,” I grumbled over my shoulder.
“Oh, I will,” Alston called out, taunting me with the double meaning in his tone.
Picking up my pace, I sped out of the palace, losing my clothes in the process and not caring who saw. I needed the release, and I needed to clear my head. How and when did I start feeling like I couldn’t stay in control? I asked myself.
The fury in me fueled the dragon, and I gave in to it. My body stretched and my bones broke with the change as I ran toward nothing in particular. I just ran, trying to get the aggression out, and trying to get the Winter princess out of my mind as well. The transformation happened almost instantly, and with one flap of my wings I was in the sky where nothing and no one could bother me.
After spending hours in the dark, cool sky, I had finally decided to come down once my mood settled. The ground was wet and soft as I collapsed, naked and fatigued upon it. Falling asleep in the open wasn’t a going to be a good idea, so I used the energy I had left and walked back to the palace. The warriors posted outside didn’t say a word as I walked past them. The clothes I shed earlier were lying in a heap on the palace steps, and I was pretty sure Ariella was probably the one who did that for me.
Pulling them on quickly, I headed inside, going straight to the room that was given to me for the evening. Once I fell onto the bed and closed my eyes, it didn’t take long for the familiar pull to drag me under.
The setting of the dream this time was the Spring Court in one of the many gardens around the palace. Sorcha had her back to me, but she was pacing back and forth in the small gazebo up ahead. These dreams were beginning to get ridiculous, and in a way I wished they would stop. Leave it to me to dream about someone I couldn’t have, or better yet, someone that didn’t even exist.
The Sorcha in my dreams was kind, loving, fun, strong, yet very stubborn, and so full of life and excitement. We fought a lot, but it was always fun as hell. I like a woman who can keep me on my toes, and this Sorcha could do it. It was starting to get pathetic how I’ve made her up in my dreams.
The one thing that pissed me off was that the real Sorcha had to be a shallow bitch if she considered Alston to be someone worth being with. I came to the conclusion that these dreams needed to stop, and they were going to now. I couldn’t waste my time on a fantasy anymore.
When Sorcha heard me coming, she turned around and gave me a slow growing smile. It was the same smile she gave me after I made love to her. I hesitated for a second, thinking there was no way I could let her go, but then reality hit me again that this was only in my imagination. Maybe I needed to find someone to fill my bed, surely that would help get these damn dreams out of my head and clear my thoughts.
“Drake!” she called out excitedly, beaming.
When I didn’t respond, she slowed her approach and eyed me wearily. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” I repeated. “I want the dreams to stop, that’s what’s wrong.”
She flinched as if I’d hit her, and backed up a step, looking confused. “I don’t understand. After last night I thought things were going perfectly. You made love to me, Drake. Are you saying that didn’t mean anything to you?”
“That’s the thing, Sorcha,” I replied, closing the distance. Taking her by the shoulder, I looked deep into her eyes, and balked at the hurt displayed in them. I couldn’t get over how they’re the same emerald green as the real Sorcha’s, and just as beautiful. Exasperated, I motioned my arms to our surroundings. “All of this isn’t real, none of it is. You’re just a figment of what I’ve imagined the real Sorcha to be like. You’re not her, and I want all of this to stop. I’ve never been this hard up over a girl before, and I’m not going to start now. It has to end; even if I never go to sleep again, I have to get you out of my head. ”
“You don’t understand,” she said quickly, grabbing me by both arms with bruising force. “You have to let me explain.”
Pulling away from her grasp, I moved away
slowly. “There’s nothing to explain. I want them to stop … now.”
“You’re not even going to hear me out?” she yelled.
Turning my back on her, I began walking away. “No!” I exclaimed over my shoulder. I could hear the wood split after she punched one of the gazebo posts, and I was thankful that it wasn’t my face she’d hit. Sorcha knew how to fight, and with her spear, she made a volatile opponent. I had fun training her in my dreams, but now it was going to be all over. I was going to be free.
“Fine! You want them to stop? Wake up you arrogant jackass!”
My eyes flew open instantly with Sorcha’s last words echoing through my mind. I got what I wanted, but why did I feel so bad? The room was dark, signaling that morning had yet to come, but I could feel it steadily creeping closer. I was hesitant when I closed my eyes again, thinking my dream would pick up where it left off, but I was surprised how empty I felt when all that went through my dream was nothing except darkness.
“Everyone’s ready to go, ai dulin,” Oren insisted after opening the door to my room. “Are you ready?”
“Just about,” I answered. “I just need to finish this letter.” Taking in a deep, frustrated breath, I scribbled out the last few lines, signing my name at the bottom.
“Why do I get the feeling that you’re mad about something?”
“It’s because I am, Oren. Drake wouldn’t hear me out when I tried to tell him about our dreams, so I’m letting it all out in the letter. One way or another he’s going to hear me out. It took all I had not to chase after him and beat the shit out of him for walking away from me.”
Oren chuckled and came over to take a peek at the angry words scribbled on the parchment. His eyes went wide and he whistled. “I don’t think this is the way to tell him, nor do I think you doing it in your dream was the way either. Give him the letter if you want, but I think it’d be a big mistake. He may have been a dick last night, but you need to think about it from his standpoint before you run off saying things you’d regret.”