by A. D. McLain
“What’s going to happen to Artemis?”
“He’ll have to answer to the Council.”
“The Council?”
“It’s made up by many of the ancients. They handle issues of werewolf crime, along with anything which might impact werewolves. They’re extremely powerful and highly respected. The Council was founded by your grandfather. After he died, your father was offered his father’s position, but he declined.”
“What about Artemis?”
“No, he had a lot of enemies. He wasn’t well liked, and no one really respected him, or his judgment. There’s no way the Council would ever ask him to join.”
She surveyed the plane again and a chill ran down her spine. “Let’s get out of here.”
She’d spent enough of her life in this plane.
David lowered a sleeping Nicole onto the bed and tucked her in. She moaned softly and turned toward him. “We’re back?” she mumbled, opening her eyes slightly.
“Yes. I have to go out, but I’ll be back soon, okay?”
She nodded, her eyes already closed again. He quietly left the room and shook his head. The fatigue had come over her so suddenly. She’d slept the entire ride back. Seeing that vision had really drained her energy. He wasn’t all that surprised. It must have taken a lot of energy to break the powerful hold Artemis had kept on her mind all these years.
He drove swiftly to Mara’s, needing to talk to her. He didn’t really want to leave Nicole alone, but she was exhausted, and Mara didn’t have a phone. He could have tried telepathy, but he still wasn’t used to using that again. He still preferred talking to people face-to-face. He ran up the steps at Mara’s, barely noticing that the door opened before he could knock. “I need to talk to you about Artemis.”
“Artemis?” Mara closed the door and turned her confused gaze toward him.
“He’s the one who’s been bothering Nicole, and I have reason to believe he killed Richard and Caroline.”
“What?” Mara sounded shocked. “I haven’t sensed him nearby. He must be the one I initially sensed, but why couldn’t I tell it was him?” Something wasn’t right. There was no way Artemis was powerful enough to hide himself from her so completely. “What proof do you have that he killed them?”
“Nicole. She’s been experiencing memories from the crash, and we found the plane, with Artemis’ dagger nearby. Nicole had a vision at the crash site, and I could see it too. It was as though I was seeing it through her eyes.” David couldn’t hide the wonder in his voice.
“That’s not all that surprising. Once one has physically and emotionally joined with another, there is a very strong connection. Added to that, is the fact that Nicole is a very strong sender. I’ve experienced her sending out her emotions many times. As for Artemis, I’ll tell the Council immediately. You should get back to Nicole, but keep your eyes open for anything untoward. This situation is not what it seems.”
David let her words sink in as he drove back to the house. He was still a little unnerved that Mara knew about his relationship with Nicole. It had only just happened – how could she know about it so quickly?
He was also more than a little unnerved regarding the other things Mara had said. What was it about the situation that wasn’t what it seemed? It seemed as though there was something Mara wasn’t telling him. Of course, knowing Mara, that was probably the case.
He turned the key in the doorknob and simultaneously heard Nicole scream. The sound was more mental than physical, and David rushed up to her room. Images of the plane crash came to him as he took the steps, two at a time.
Nicole was thrashing restlessly in bed, moaning softly, when he settled on the bed beside her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and the images instantly grew stronger. It was as if David had been transported into her nightmare, seeing it through Nicole’s eyes, experiencing what she felt. He had felt the same phenomena in the forest, at the plane.
Richard and Artemis were fighting. A shot rang out. Richard crumpled to the floor, clutching his stomach. Suddenly, Nicole’s vision was filled with flames. “He killed his own family,” Artemis’ mocking voice said. “He killed them in a fire… killed them in a fire.” The words echoed. “He’s using you. He doesn’t care about you.” The flames were suddenly extinguished in a bright flash of light. The plane reappeared. Nicole ran past the bodies of her parents, attempting to escape her uncle. Images of Artemis surrounded her. He was everywhere, laughing, scoffing. David’s heart raced – or was it hers? He wasn’t sure. He attempted to calm Nicole, by calming himself. Slowly, it started to work. Artemis disappeared, as did the plane and dark forest, to be replaced by a forest dappled with soft sunlight.
David experienced a shift in awareness. He was no longer looking through Nicole’s eyes. He was looking at Nicole. She was watching him quizzically, apparently surprised to see him. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s just a nightmare. It can only hurt you if you let it.”
The forest slowly faded, the bedroom taking its place. Nicole looked up at David through sleep filled eyes. “Where am I?”
“You’re in your room at my house. You were having a nightmare.”
“You were there, in the nightmare.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“How could you know?”
“I don’t know. It’s similar to what happened at the crash site. Somehow, I get pulled into your nightmares. I don’t pretend to understand it, but I don’t care. I only wish there was something I could do to help.”
“You’ve been helping me get through my nightmares ever since I met you again, even when I didn’t know it was you.”
He ran his fingers through her hair. He loved her so much. He would take her nightmare on to himself every time if he could.
Nicole gazed up at him and smiled. “I love you, too.”
“What? But — you do?” He smiled uncertainly.
She laughed. “Yeah, I do.” She quickly batted away a tiny twinge of uncertainty. She might not be sure she was good for him, but she did know she loved him. The feelings were too strong to ignore anymore.
David couldn’t believe it. Nicole felt the same way about him. He hadn’t thought it was possible. His smile broadened, and he leaned down for a kiss, a kiss which seemed to go on forever. It was deep and sensual, carrying them both away. When it finally ended, they were both smiling.
“So, tell me Coverton,” she whispered in his ear. “Do you know what I’m thinking, now?”
“Hum, let me think.” He put a hand to his head and pretended to be in deep concentration. “You’re thinking… we should both get undressed as quickly as possible.”
Nicole put a hand to her chest. “You’re a mind reader,” she announced in mock surprise.
He laughed, lowering his mouth to her neck, nuzzling and nibbling, as he slipped his hand under her shirt. Her back arched when he captured her breast in his hand. David’s other hand slipped between her legs, rubbing against her thin panties. He brought her to a couple of orgasms that way, before he undressed them both and buried himself inside her. Nicole screamed in ecstasy a few minutes later, when he came deep inside her.
They held each other close while their breathing settled, and their bodies slowly stopped shaking. David was still semi-hard inside her. “I just can’t get enough of you,” he growled against her neck.
His breath on her skin sent shock waves rippling down her body to where they remained joined. He grew hard again and their bodies moved together. Nicole kissed him deeply, their tongues dueling.
as they climaxed together a second time.
They lay quietly for a long time, until their heart rate slowed back to normal. “I could stay like this forever,” Nicole breathed.
David ran his fingers through Nicole’s hair, gently brushing his palm across her face. “So could I.”
Nicole sighed deeply and drifted back to sleep, not worried in the least about the nightmares.
23
Meghan pushed her hair back from he
r face and finished her last set of shoulder presses. She sat back, breathing out a grateful sigh. After catching her breath and grabbing a drink of water, she started working the weights. Her muscles burned, but she pushed through until the last set was done. Wiping sweat from her brow, she grabbed her things and left the workout area. “See you tomorrow, Meg,” the guy at the front desk called. Meg lifted a weary arm in farewell and smiled at him before pushing open the front door.
Bright sunlight hit her as she walked outside. She let her eyes adjust for a minute before continuing. It was a beautiful day, the perfect day for a run. Pulling her purse strap over her neck, she started running in the direction of her apartment.
She ran without giving much thought to her surroundings. She didn’t think about much of anything, only the way the wind felt as it hit her face and the sensation of her feet hitting the concrete. As she got closer to home, she checked her watch. She was making good time.
The even fall of her feet on the ground took her focus again. She almost passed her apartment building before she realized where she was. “That didn’t take long.” She inhaled a few deep breaths and ran up the steps to her apartment.
Meg walked into the bedroom and tossed her belongings on the bed, before heading to the bathroom, kicking her shoes off on the way. Her legs were killing her, but it felt great. She was exhausted and exhilarated simultaneously.
She grabbed a towel from the cabinet and turned on the water in the tub. A nice warm bath sounded brilliant right now.
A flash of movement in the mirror caught her eye. She glanced into the bedroom but couldn’t see anything. She decided to check the apartment anyway, otherwise she’s be paranoid the entire time she was in the bath and wouldn’t enjoy it.
Unclipping her hair, she took a step forward, but she was brought up short by a hand on her arm and the touch of cold metal against her neck. Her breath caught in her throat.
A voice whispered near her ear. “Are you Meghan Freeman?” She nodded hesitantly, afraid of making any sudden movements. “Good, I have a little job for you.”
Nicole woke up and grinned. She breathed in David’s scent, loving the feel of him in her arms. When she opened her eyes, she discovered he was grinning, too. He rubbed against her neck with his nose, and she giggled, squirming. “Good dreams?” he asked, thought it didn’t really sound like a question.
“Only the most erotic dreams of my life.” She studied him suspiciously. “You wouldn’t have had anything to do with that, would you?”
David gave her his most innocent look. “Who, me? What could I possibly have done?”
“Um, hmmm. You know, you’re a terrible liar.”
He chuckled. “All right, I admit it. I sent you a few ideas. I was curious to see if I could.” He was a little shocked to discover it actually worked.
“You seem to be having a lot of influence over my dreams lately.”
David thought back on the nightmare she’d been having when he returned from seeing Mara, the one he’d somehow become a part of. He was still amazed he had been able to influence her nightmare the way he did. Of course, he’d already been a part of it before he tried to calm her down. He thought about what Artemis had been saying about him in her dream. Could she really believe any of that? She probably. Why else would she be dreaming about it? But she hadn’t said anything about it. If she had questions, she would ask, wouldn’t she?
Nicole gazed deeply into his eyes, sensing the thoughts churning in his brain. “What do you want to ask?”
He took a minute before he answered, watching her and smiling. “I guess I should know by now, I can’t hide anything from you anymore, especially not when we’re touching. I was curious about why you haven’t asked me about my family – about how they died.”
Nicole thought back to what Artemis had. Then she recalled the nightmare, realizing David would have heard the same echoed words she’d heard.
“Why haven’t you asked me if it was true?” The words were hard to say aloud, but he needed to know.
“Because I didn’t believe him.”
“Really?” he asked, hopefully.
She thought carefully. “If I did have any doubts, they were gone quickly. I know you’re not capable of cold-blooded murder.”
“Some part of you must believe it though, to be having nightmares regarding what he said.”
Nicole shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t known what to think about anything these past few days. Sometimes, nothing seems real. All I know is that I trust you, and I love you with all my heart. Nothing else matters. You and me is all I have right now. When I’m with you, I can shut out everything else, even my own insecurities.” What had made her add that part? It seemed she couldn’t keep any thoughts to herself these days.
David picked up on it instantly. “What kind of insecurities?”
“I—.” She shifted uncomfortably. “It doesn’t matter. I can forget about them all when I’m in your arms.”
“Are you sure that’s necessarily a good thing?”
“Why not? You make me happy. What could be wrong with that? Things are crazy right now. Everything is turned upside down, with something new coming up every few minutes it seems. But this connection between us, it’s real. It’s more than I ever thought I would find. That’s the only thing I’m sure about right now, amid all these other problems. So, I’m going to hold on to that. I’m going to let that get me through everything else, because I have no other choice but insanity.”
He nodded, accepting her response. “Do you want to know what really happened?” He’d never talked to anyone about it, but he knew he could talk to her.
“If you want to tell me. I’m not going to press.”
That settled it. Just her offering the choice was enough for him. He smiled gratefully, then prepared himself to tell the story. “I was told the house burned down.”
“You were told?”
“Like I said before, I ran away from home when I was young. I’d been gone about a year when I started to wonder if I should go back. I was alone, I had no money, and I missed my home. So, I decided to at least return for a visit. Even if I didn’t stay, I thought I could regroup.” His expression darkened. “There was nothing left when I got there. The house had burned down a week earlier, with every member of my family in it.”
His pain throbbed through her as if it was her own, her heart breaking with it. “I’m so sorry.”
“It was a long time ago. I don’t know how Artemis found out about it. I guess since Richard left this place to me, instead of to Artemis, he investigated my past.”
Nicole suspected she was closer to David now than she’d ever been before. They had something in common – they’d both suffered the loss of family. They’d both been left to face the world alone. Maybe it could work for them. They were perfectly matched for each other, both understanding one another’s loss. Maybe she wasn’t destined to be alone after all. In some cosmic way, it all made sense. She laid a comforting hand on David’s arm, feeling for the first time that everything was going to turn out all right. “We both know what it’s like to be alone, but we don’t have to be alone anymore.”
He smiled and kissed her gently. The ringing of Nicole’s cell phone interrupted their kiss. David reluctantly pulled away from Nicole and leaned over to answer it. “Hello. Yeah, she’s right here.” He handed the phone to Nicole. “It’s Meg.”
“Hello?” Nicole answered.
“Nicole, listen, I need your help. Could you come to my apartment, right away?”
Nicole frowned. “Are you okay? You sound like a wreck. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m fine. I just need you to come over.” Meg didn’t sound fine at all. Her voice was shaking, and her words were spoken far more slowly than Meg’s usual speed.
“Okay, I’ll be right over.”
“Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.” The phone clicked off before Nicole could say anything else.
“That was strange,” she mutt
ered. “Mind if I borrow a car? I need to go check on Meg.”
David looked concerned. “Do you want me to go with you?”
“Nah, I’ve got it covered. Besides, she sounds really upset about something. I don’t know if she’ll want you around, not when she doesn’t know you very well.” Nicole leaned over and kissed him. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
David followed her to the door and watched her leave before he headed to the kitchen to grab something to eat. He needed to recharge after all the exercise he’d been getting with Nicole. A smile crossed his lips. For the first time in his life, he believed things would actually turn out all right. The phone started ringing as the microwave finished, the two sounds overlapping, so at first, he wasn’t sure if the phone was ringing. But the ringing continued after the microwave stopped beeping, so he grabbed his food and went to answer it. “Hello,” he muttered around a mouthful.
“David,” Mark said, “is Nicole with you?”
“No, why?” he responded distractedly. Maybe he should order dinner in tonight. He’d have to ask Nicole when she got back.
“Steagel has escaped.”
“What?” David’s stomach twisted in a knot. The remainder of his snack fell from his hand. “When?”
“About an hour ago. Where’s Nicole?”
“She went to Meghan’s place. She’s a friend of hers.” He thought back over how upset Meghan had been. He didn’t like this at all. “Mark, do you think you could send someone by Meghan Freeman’s house to check on her?”
“Sure thing.”
David barely remembered to say goodbye before he hung up the phone and rushed out to the car.
Nicole pulled to a stop in front of Meg’s building and got out. A chill ran over her skin as she hurried up the stairs to Meghan’s apartment. She pulled her jacket closer around her body and knocked on the door, but there was no answer.