Page 33 of Silverproof Damsel

Savage’s laughter jerked my focus toward where she leaned against the wall. Another clap of laughter sounded at the window, forcing my attention in the opposite direction. Winchester held her palm over her mouth, but the sparkle glittering in her icy-blue depths exposed that it had been she who’d laughed alongside Savage.

“That wasn’t just gross. It tasted like swamp ass!” I declared, causing the three of them to burst out laughing as I felt my eyelids growing heavier by the second. “Damn.”

“It works rather quickly,” Daisy announced once she’d stopped laughing at my expense. “Let’s hope he’s as powerful and protective as you think he is, sister.”

I prayed that whichever Van Helsing brother who’d sent me to the horror show earlier wasn’t waiting for me. Leaning back, I exhaled as sleep fought to claim me. Blinking up at the ceiling, I felt myself losing the fight as the room blurred, then melted around me until stars filled a velvety dark sky above the meadow, which I’d found myself lying down in.

Scanning the lovely, shadow filled meadow, I felt the hair on my neck rising as the awareness of being observed drifted over my flesh. An unsettling feeling hummed through my veins as stars shot through the sky above. Sending a prayer to any god listening, I prayed Rhys was somewhere in the dreamscape and not someone else.

Chapter Thirteen

Pushingupfromthegrassy knoll, I glanced around the flower strewn field. A quick check of the boho, A-line silhouette I’d been dressed in told me Rhys or Cole were in control of this dreamscape. Standing up, I waved the flared sleeves before taking in the high empire waistline.

All around me, trees swayed with the gentle breeze drifting through the cloudless night. The grass beneath my feet was soft and forgiving to the soles of my feet. The sound of a tree creaking forced my eyes to the left. Seconds later, what sounded like something breaking through the underbrush jerked my eyes to the right.

As I stared at the bushes, a giant stag burst from them. The mammoth beast caught sight of me, stalling in his powerful strides to find out if I was a threat. Towering, twisting antlers poked out of the wisp of dark fur atop his head. Deciding I posed no threat, it lowered its head, munching the grass covering the meadow.

Tipping my head back, I studied the thousands of stars shooting across the sky above me. Music began, forcing me tospin around in place until a flickering light visible through the trees caught my attention.

Glancing over at the majestic stag one last time, I started toward the trees bordering the meadow. Strolling toward the trees, the familiar sensation of being watched returned. Ignoring the forewarning on the breeze, I rubbed my naked arms to warm myself.

Entering the woods, I stepped carefully over pine needles and other things scattered over the forest floor. The soft prick of pine needles against the soles of my feet reminded me of a time when I’d pretended to be on a grand adventure, tracking bunnies through the forest behind our house. They weren’t as harsh on my feet then, not like now. The soles of my feet missed the lush, verdant grass of the meadow at the moment.

The trees gave way for another clearing where a small cabin sat, surrounded by weeping willow trees. Glancing around, I scanned for sight of anyone else in the vicinity of the dwelling. The tattletale flicker of candlelight was visible through charming, rounded windows.

Choosing to make a beeline for the cabin, I rushed forward at a hurried pace through the flower covered foliage. In the center of the clearing, buzzing started over my uncovered flesh. A tingling as if I had entered another world entirely. With each step, my mind blurred with the reasoning for why I’d entered the dreamscape in the first place.

After a few more steps through the thickening air,‘Daylight’by David Kushner began playing, reeling me closer like a fish snagged on a hook.

The wind picked up, drifting over my heated flesh as my uncovered feet sank into the blossoming flora. The scent of lavender and freshly cut grass floated through the air, soothing the wariness I’d felt.

Stepping inside the small log cabin, I released a shocked gasp of air as my lips parted. Outside, it had appeared tiny and unsuspecting. Inside was another story. Staircases began at the entrance, then twisted around one another, heading in several directions.

“Rhys?” I called, but, if he’d heard me, he didn’t reply.

I suppressed the unsettling feeling of being watched. My neck hairs prickled, and I eyed each staircase with confusion. The entire interior was lit by candlelight. Biting my bottom lip with worry, I took a step further into the cabin, only to gasp as the door closed, sealing me inside.

A soft breeze alerted me to an open doorway to the right, one which I hadn’t previously noticed. The moment I reached the threshold of the room, the familiar scent of whiskey, whispers of dark, sinful smoke, and Rhys’ aftershave flooded my senses. It told me I was heading in the right direction.

The room attached to the first was better lit, revealing how sheer and thin the long, flowing gown I’d woken up in really was. The pink of my nipples was visible through the cream-colored material as they pebbled from lace rubbing against them. A blush slid up my throat, painting my cheeks red.

‘Skin and Bones’by David Kushner began playing on the heels of his earlier song. The volume grew louder as I stepped inside another room, finding nothing but silk curtains hanging throughout the space. The soft, warm glow of a candle burning behind each one piqued my interest. Each shimmering fabric cast shadows around me, spurring me on.

Reaching out, I examined the soft, silky fabric before peeking behind the length of glittering fabric. The sound of dark, wicked laughter redirected my focus to the next doorway. Swallowing the need growing in my center, I moved for the exit.

Rhys’ earthy, addictive scent lured me through the doorway. Pushing the silken fabric aside, I crept forward, uncertain Iwasn’t walking straight into a well laid trap. At the threshold of the room, I prayed I wasn’t about to regret entering his territory or what I hoped was a dreamscape of his creation.

The moment I strode through the doorway, I was rewarded with the sight of Rhys naked from the waist up. Sweat glistened over his sleek, taut washboard abs. He reclined against a large chair, which almost resembled a throne.

I greedily feasted on the colorful ink covering his torso from wrist to throat. Studying each intricate piece as my stare rose higher, I chewed my bottom lip at the sight of his pierced nipples.

Dark mused hair looked as if he’d run his fingers through it all night long. Another thought entered my mind, that maybe it hadn’t been his fingers running through his silky, ink-colored hair. Jealousy flared to life, hot and bitter, but I forced it back into the box. I wasn’t fucking this up because of my overactive emotions.

The muscles in his throat strained, causing a groan to bubble in my chest. As I watched him, his kissable lips jerked up into a sinful smirk. It revealed that he was fully aware of the pulsing need between my thighs. With regret pushed aside, I ignored the ache of longing coursing through my veins. This man was sin in the purest, truest form.

Rhys was a seductive mixture of darkness combined with the smoothest whiskey ever made. It mattered little that his eyes were a shocking hue of azure. They promised to leave me teetering, unable to walk straight once he’d finished using me to sate the ravenous hunger simmering in their watery depths.

In his hand was a tumbler filled with amber whiskey, with perspiration dripping down the crystal surface. His thumb rubbed up and down, wiping the moisture unconsciously. Lifting his other hand to his lips, I watched the ember of the cigarburning brightly against the shadows he sat bathed in. The moment he pulled it away, smoke rings drifted above his head.

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