by Jordan Deen
name. “Your natural instincts kicked in. Your body knew they were a threat to you even if your mind or your heart didn’t. Your instincts will grow the more bonded we become and the closer you are to your own family; your real family.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt …” Lily walked out from behind one of the small trees. She startled me and I moved to sit up but Brandon’s arm held me to him. “Brandon, you need to come back. Michael needs your help. We have to leave the house. He thinks they have found us.” Brandon clenched my shoulder as she said the words.
“I knew they would.” He responded and closed his eyes. I love you.
When I reopened my eyes, I was lying on the bed in the small room again. Brandon was not next to me; I was alone. I lifted my hand to look at the faint moon on my palm. I ran my fingertip gently up and down the curved shape trying to quiet my confusion. In my dream it was so defined, so perfect; now it was just a shadow beneath my skin. I wanted it to appear more than ever at that very moment, but it didn’t get any darker or realer, no matter how hard I focused on the mark or pressed on my skin. I couldn’t help but wonder if I had ruined our heaven by saying Alex’s name there, for having thoughts of him while in the most private of moments with Brandon.
“How are you feeling?” Lily appeared by the bed, Grant at her side. I looked carefully at each of them and then gingerly pulled myself off the bed waiting for pain to radiate through me.
Instead I had a sense of euphoria as Grant nudged my leg with his nose. It never dawned on me that simply his presence could bring on a feeling of safety and serenity. It was no wonder that I craved his presence when he disappeared; he had made my life so much easier just by being with me every day.
“We have to go. Are you ready?” Lily gave me a knowing smile. Grant whimpered as other wolves walked through the door.
“What is going on?” I instinctively stepped backward, momentarily forgetting these people; these wolves were my family now.
“They are going to follow us in case any of them show up.” The keys in her hand slightly shook as she looked over at Matt. She outstretched her hand with the keys. “I’m too young to drive.”
I followed Lily and my future in-laws out to Brandon’s truck. The bed was loaded down with various bags and suitcases. The back seat was full of bedding, pillows and a plastic case that had coloring books and dolls in it. Lily was a child, but it was easy to forget in the severity of the events from tonight.
“How were you able to come into my dream like that?” I asked Lily as I started to ease the truck onto the road.
“My entire family has the gift of dream walking. That was how I was able to bring Brandon to you when he was weak. I’m still learning though. Sometimes I don’t get it right.” She started playing with a piece of her hair like sharing the information made her uncomfortable. “Sometimes when it’s a new person I’m trying to connect with I end up going to someone that I’m already connected with instead.” She smiled. “But with you it’s easy since you are connected with Brandon; I can go to you anytime I want now.”
I wasn’t sure if that was something I should be excited about or not. Just knowing that she could poke around in my dreams anytime she wanted was a bit unnerving. “Can you do it with absolutely anyone?”
“No. Not anyone, only certain people. Emile is trying to help me practice.”
“So, all those dreams I’ve had of Brandon and I were from you?” I started thinking of all the dreams I’ve had making out with him and doing much, much more. I really hoped she wasn’t in on those dreams or that she didn’t have a part in creating them.
“No. Some he brought you himself. I can’t take you to Haventon without him; you can only go there together. But once you are fully bonded, you will be able to cross freely into each other’s dreams and thoughts. I’ve been able to see Matt’s thoughts for a while, but I’m just learning how to get into Matt’s dreams. I can’t wait until I can access more people’s thoughts and dreams.
It’s going to be so cool to finally know everything that’s going on. Sometimes I think they keep me in the dark on purpose …” she rambled on and on. I started to tune her out, lost in my own thoughts of the fight, my parents, and Alex.
I hesitated before asking. “Do you know what happened to my parents tonight? Do you know if they were hurt?”
“I don’t know.” She pulled out one of her Barbie’s and started to change her clothes from a simple summer dress to a pair of Capri pants and a t-shirt. Lily even pulled out a small pair of white tennis shoes and slipped them onto her doll. I guess the sundress wasn’t really appropriate for a Barbie on the run.
“All I saw was Matt and Trevor coming from the house. Sophie and Gavin ran out the back door is what Emile said.”
“What about Alex? Was he hurt or did he get away too?” I asked without thinking.
Lily pulled out the brush and started to comb the doll’s hair almost violently. “What does it matter?”
“I know you grew up hating him and his family, but do you have to be so coldhearted?”
Lily yanked at the Barbie’s hair when the brush got tangled; she ended up pulling a section of hair out making Barbie look like she had an unfortunate run in with a curling iron. “Alex and his family hate us. Don’t you realize he was just using you?” Then she hit me with honesty, with a truth that I hadn’t really thought of, that I hadn’t really considered, and now it smacked me in the face so strongly that I couldn’t avoid it. “If his mother hadn’t instructed him to fall in love with you he wouldn’t have. He will be mated to someone else … don’t you realize he has someone that is suffering without him? Someone longing for him … Each of us has an exact match. There is no negotiating when it comes to mating. It’s like its set in stone—no one can move it, change it, or undo it. It’s like going against Mother Nature herself. No one can go against Mother Nature—she doesn’t play well with others.” She giggled and started rifling through the box of Barbie supplies like our chosen topic of conversation was no big deal. But, it was a big deal to me. Lily may have lived with these truths her whole life, but it was unsettling to me.
I almost swerved into oncoming traffic considering the possibility that everything I had with Alex was one big orchestrated lie that Sophie and my parents had conjured up just so they could get their way. “Well, if what you are saying is true, then Alex will die without that person.” And that person is not me, I added silently. “So you should be happy anyway.” I know it was immature to get into an argument with a ten year old and this wasn’t an argument I would win anyway.
If what Lily was saying was true, then my dreams with Brandon were the only true relationship I’ve ever had. And the mark on my hand confirmed at least part of the stories the Amana’s had told me. If they were telling me the truth, then Brandon and I were destined to be together, but that didn’t mean that Alex was completely kicked out of my heart. I’m sure that would be a fact that none of them would be happy to hear. But I never felt Alex would hurt me and I refused to believe that he would.