The place was spartan for the most part, but it did have some interesting comforts, such as a large, padded bed and furs, and twenty-first-century novels.
Bride picked up Kinley MacGregor's A Dark Champion and laughed. Oh yeah, good dream here. "Could you please conjure me a Coke?" she asked Bryani. "I'm feeling the need for one."
"Nay, I cannot. That would require my going forward in time to retrieve one and my powers for that were taken from me." Her tone was angry and bitter. "It is why I had to conjure the demon to fetch you."
"Who took your powers?"
"My mate." Bryani spat the words. "He stole much from me, but have no fear. His son will not violate you. I will see to it."
Bride returned the book to the small stack on the nightstand. "You know, none of that makes a bit of sense to me."
Bryani put her hands on her hips as she faced her. "Then how about this?
The so-called man who took you, Vane, is a wolf I was forced against my will to give birth to over four hundred years ago. And if I could, I would kill him for you."
"Excuse me?"
Bryani ignored her as she explained herself. "Like many women, when I was young, I was stupid. On my first venture out with my Sentinel patrol to hunt the Katagaria wolves, I was captured by our enemies, who thought it would be great fun to take turns raping me."
Bride felt sick from hearing Bryani's story. A wave of sympathetic ache consumed her.
This poor woman. She couldn't imagine anything worse.
And she was Vane's mother Her lips curled, Bryani shook her head. "But the Fates are often cruel and I, like you, found myself mated to one of those animals who had hurt me.
Vane's father kept me captive for weeks as he abused me more, trying to make me accept him as my mate. They can't, you know. Acceptance is strictly in our hands.
Not theirs."
This couldn't be real. No. Bride was dreaming, though why she was dreaming this, she had no idea. "You don't look like Vane."
Pure, unadulterated hatred glowed in Bryani's hazel eyes. "He looks like his filthy father."
Bride frowned as she remembered Fury saying that to her. Ah, her mind was replaying it in her delusion. Made sense.
Sort of.
But why would she make up so tragic a tale? Bride had never been the kind of person to wish ill on anyone, least of all Vane's mother.
Could this be real?
Was that possible?
Bride moved toward the blond woman and took her hands in hers to study her palms. "You don't have a mark."
"Nay. If the mating isn't consummated within three weeks, the mark fades and we as women are free to go our own way. The men are left impotent for the duration of our lives."
Bride frowned up at her. Bryani was really tall. "You left his father impotent?" An evil glint came into Bryani's hazel-green eyes. "I left him more than that. Once my children were born, I took my three human children and left my three puppies with him, then gelded the bastard for what he'd done to me. I'm sure not a day passes where he doesn't wish he'd killed me when he had the chance."
Bride cringed at the thought. "Why am I dreaming this?" she asked. "I don't understand this nightmare."
Bryani shook her head. "This is real, Bride. I know in the human world things such as what I describe don't happen. But you must believe me. There are things that reside alongside you in the everyday world that you never realize are there."
One second Bryani was standing in front of Bride and in the next, the woman was a huge white timber wolf that bore a terrifying resemblance to her adopted pet.
Bride staggered back.
No, this wasn't real. This wasn't.