Ryker, completely speechless. Of all the things I expected him to say, it wasn’t that. I open my lips to say something, and he presses a finger against them for a second. “Don’t tell me anything. You need to think about it and get some sleep.”
I stand up and stare down at Ryker for a long second. “Are you sure?”
He laughs and rests back. “I’ve never been as certain about anything in my life.”
Ryker is my mate. My mate. The man I am destined to be with, according to magic, and a part of me knew it. It’s how I know when he is close, how I’ve trusted him so quickly, and how I always feel safe near him. When Ryker is around, I feel at home.
The problem lies in the fact it isn’t just him that this happens with. Taking Ryker’s advice, I stop staring and walk to my room. I’m at the door when he calls out to me.
“I don’t mind sharing you, Daesyn Heartlocke. I’m well aware I am not the only man who wants to be in your life.”
Looking over my shoulder, I meet the eyes of my hellhound mate. I’m not talking about that subject. “Goodnight, Ryker.”
“Good night, my intended mate,” he replies as I shut the door and rest my head against it. If things weren’t complicated enough, my love life just got sent straight to hell.
Chapter 10
“Did you really believe I would let you escape me?” the Seelie king’s voice drones as I open my eyes to see bright sunlight shining down on me. Dozens of voices fill the air in the distance, making a light humming noise, and gold dust lightly falls from the sky around me. Sitting up, I glance at the purple dress I’m wearing. The same one from one of the balls at the castle.
“I liked you in this dress.”
“How did you see it?” I question, turning around to face him.
He looks down at me and takes a step forward. I step back instantly. “Every ball at the castle is recorded, and I have watched you in every one. The demi-god is very attached to you, isn’t he?”
“We are friends,” I reply. “Unlike you and I. Now get the fuck out of my dreams.”
“But you haven’t seen your mother yet,” he counters and lifts his hand, pointing at something in the distance. I follow to where he is pointing, seeing a girl of about seven with curly red hair, in the middle of two other adults. The adults are speaking, both of them have red hair like the girl and glowing almost pink eyes.
My mother is the girl. Even when she’s this young, I recognise her.
“This was the first time I looked at Ingrid and loved her. Before, we were always friends, but something changed on this day,” he tells me, moving closer. “We danced for hours, laughing and messing about. She always loved me.”
In his delusional way, I think he actually believes that. Staring at my mother, I see how desperate she was to escape even now. A boy walks up to her, a boy I think is Einar with thick blond hair and a bright smile. They talk for a second before they walk off together towards us. My mother comes so close, like I can just reach out and touch her, but she walks past me like I’m not here.
And I’m not, this is just a memory.
“Let me leave,” I demand. “Why bring me here to see this?”
“To torture you. You might not be able to die, my soon-to-be bride, but you can enjoy our nightmares.”
I wake up with a start, feeling someone shaking my shoulders, and instantly I whack out my hand, only to have it caught by Ryker.
“Narrowly missed my pretty face there, Dae,” Ryker jokes, his blue eyes looking down at me, tints of red on the edges showing how close he is to losing it. “Was the Seelie king in your dreams again?”
“Yes,” I breathe out as Ryker lets my hand go and straightens up. “Although this time, he didn’t try to kill me, so small bonus points.”
“I’m going to find Finn. Maybe he has some god way of protecting you when you sleep,” he states before staring at me. The fact he is my mate, and our conversation from last night, makes the silence almost awkward between us. He smiles and leans down, kissing my forehead softly. “Be safe on Earth. Seth is here, eating breakfast with Mossy.”
“What time is it?”