The Fae King's Dream (Between Dawn and Dusk #2) - Jamie Schlosser Page 0,68

my view, unfiltered by someone else’s eyes.

Blinking up at the blue and gold striped flags, I watch the way the fabric whips in the wind. It’s weird to see how the movement of air affects everything it touches, yet it’s like a ghost. I’ve always pictured wind as a palpable thing, even though I know it’s not. The invisible force is something I’ve used to my advantage many times. It’s guided me during conflict and helped me gauge distance.

Facing the direction of the breeze, I soak in the sensation of it caressing my skin. It glides over my cheeks and ruffles my hair.

Linus lets out a snore, reminding me of the predicament I’ve caused.

Knocking out our crew wasn’t intentional, but I should’ve seen it coming. Fae powers are always heightened after completing the mate bond. My guess is everyone’s going to wake up well rested and pissed off in about twelve hours.

I’m about to go below deck when I spy dark objects floating in the water several hundred yards away. Using the telescope, I zero in on them.

Serras fish. And they’re not dead—they’re asleep. Belly up, their fins twitch and their tails flap.

Influencing water creatures is an unprecedented event. In the past, my slumber vibes have only worked on people. Fae, humans, trolls, gnomes. Not sprites, but those little buggers are immune to most powers anyway. And fifty feet is usually my maximum radius, which means I’m reaching farther than ever before.

My heart does a sudden painful twist, thumping erratically several times as if it’s knocking at my door. Whitley. I’m supposed to be with her. It isn’t right to be separated so soon after completing the bond.

At least one good thing will come from this blunder. No one will bother us for a while.

When I get back to our cabin, I scoop her into my arms as I lie down. The tightness in my chest eases, and I let out a content sigh.

I could look at her forever and never tire of it.

I rub my thumb over her bottom lip before poking the crevice in her chin. As I trace the slope of her nose, one thought keeps replaying over and over again—I can’t believe she’s mine.

This beautiful, perfect woman was made just for me.

Our story has been full of trials meant to keep us apart, but here we are. The curse is broken. Fate knew we belonged together long before either of us existed, and we’ve fulfilled our destiny.

As much as I want to stare at Whitley all night, I’d rather be with her. With my powers intensified, I wonder if I’ll be able to break through her protection spell.

I get my answer when I close my eyes and sink effortlessly into her dream. The fortune teller shop takes form in front of me, and I see Whitley sitting at her little table.

And she’s not alone. She’s with me. Well, a version of me. Who is this fraud? Sitting in the imposter’s lap, she pulls him in for a kiss.

My gut churns.

It’s totally irrational to be jealous of myself. I should be glad Whitley’s dreaming of me and not someone else, but seeing her give affection to another when I’m standing ten feet away sucks.

I look down at myself, just to make sure I’m not having some weird out-of-body experience.

Nope.

I’m solid and here.

Leaning against the jewelry display case, I loudly clear my throat.

Whitley pulls her lips away from fake-me and gasps when she sees that I’m really here. As she stands, the figure in the chair fades away to nothing.

She sends me a brilliant smile while smoothing the blue sundress she must’ve snagged from one of the racks. “I hoped you’d come. I missed you so much.”

“Seems like you got on just fine without me,” I grump.

She quirks an eyebrow. “I wasn’t sure if you could make it here. Can you blame me for wanting to be with you all the time?”

No. I guess I can’t.

“I am pretty great,” I deadpan, laughing when she snorts at my confident claim.

I open my arms in invitation. Running forward, Whitley leaps at me.

Happier than I’ve ever been, I hold my mate, pressing my lips to hers. I love how she welcomes me into her mouth, angling her head to deepen the kiss. Massaging my tongue with hers, I slide a hand up to her breast.

She arches her back and my cock twitches.

With the memory of being inside her so fresh, my desire isn’t sated. In fact, I’ve never wanted her more