"Zarek?"
Her throat vibrated with her words. "Yes?"
"I like you best when you're tender like this."
He pulled away from her and frowned as something tickled his gut.
"Is something wrong?"
Everything. This wasn't his dream. This was a surreal moment. His dreams were never pleasant. Not once had he ever had a lover in them.
No one had ever spoken to him the way she did.
No one had ever opened the door and let him inside the cabin once Acheron had banished him.
He got out of bed and pulled his pants on. He had to get away. Something was wrong. He knew it deep down inside. This was not where he should be.
He had no business with her.
Not even in his dreams.
Astrid watched panic flicker across Zarek's face as he dressed. She wrapped the blanket around her and went to him. "You don't have to run from me."
"I'm not running from you," he snarled. "I run from no one."
Astrid agreed. No, he didn't. He was stronger than any man had a right to be. He took hits and blows no one should have to bear.
"Stay with me, Zarek."
"Why? I'm nothing to you."
She touched his arm. "You don't have to push everyone away."
Snarling, he shrugged her touch away. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"I do, Zarek," she said, wishing there was some way to make him see that she wanted to show him. "I do. I understand wanting to hurt other people before they hurt you."
"Sure you do, princess. When have you ever hurt anyone? When has anyone ever hurt you?"
"Show me the goodness inside you, Zarek. I know it's there. I know that somewhere underneath all the pain and hurt there is someone inside who knows how to love. Someone who knows how to nurture and protect."
He raked her with a cold sneer as he buttoned his pants. "You don't know jack shit." He cast a feral snarl at her and headed for the door.
Astrid started to follow him, then thought better of it.
She didn't know what to do. How to reach him.
She'd meant her words to comfort, not anger him. But Zarek never reacted to her the way she expected.
Frustrated, she dressed and went after him.
Apparently, niceness wouldn't work with Zarek.
So she opted for a different route.
She brushed past him in the hallway, and opened the front door for him.
Zarek paused; it was daylight outside the door and he hadn't burst into flames.