Page 49 of Shifters' Fated Summer
For a moment he glared at me, judging my words. “Fine, get up. We’re leaving.”
“There’s nowhere to go,” I said, my words turning to whispers.
Around us, the shadows swirled, taking the forms of vampires that melted back into the darkness before I could focus on them.
Scowling, Cade twisted to look around us. His hand fumbled with his belt, and he pulled out a hunting knife.
I climbed out from under the covers and huddled as close as I dared. To my surprise, Cade reached back and grabbed my arm, dragging me up against him.
“Come on, leeches,” he growled.
A shadow swooped closer, and Evrin’s face appeared. Cade swiped with his knife and the shadow-Evrin dissipated.
“Let’s move,” Cade said, lurching forward. I stumbledafter him, clinging to his hand.
Another shadow swirled nearer, and something seized my neck. Faux pain prickled, and I cried out.
Reality fractured, my world shattering and reforming into a quiet, dark bedroom. I gasped, jolting upright and frantically scanning the room.
Beside me, Luca jerked awake, on his feet in an instant. His muscles tensed as he twisted, looking for the threat.
I gripped my chest, trying to slow my heart.
“What is it?” Luca whispered hoarsely.
Counting to five in my head, I slowly let my breath out, trying to control the residual panic fighting to rise again.
Through the bond, I felt a spike of worry, and part of me felt sorry for causing Cade any distress. But then again, he deserved it.
Closing my eyes, I tried to focus on the world around me, not on my terrible dream and not on my mate bond.
“I think I was having a nightmare. I’m sorry.”
Luca’s features softened and he visibly relaxed, climbing into the bed on all fours. I tipped my face up to meet his gaze. “You’re safe.”
“I know,” I replied, allowing him to pull me down to the mattress and tuck me to his chest. He curled around me in his favorite sleeping position, his arm draped across my stomach.
Luca’s warmth seeped into me, calming my frayednerves and dulling the memories of my nightmare. The echoes of young dream-Cade’s voice haunted me.
“You’re not sleeping,” Luca murmured, his face pressing into my neck.
“Sorry.”
“Stop apologizing,” he replied, sleep making his words slur. “Do you want to tell me about it?”
Swallowing, I pulled back to face the ceiling. The soft glow of starlight showed the beams crossing the expanse of warm gray.
“I was back in the vampire den, and I was a kid again. And then Cade was there, and we ran but…” My throat constricted, halting my words.
Luca understood. He didn’t say anything, just trailed his fingers down my arm and back up. With gentle movements, he brushed up and down my arms, over my collarbone, and then across my forehead.
The sensation gave me something to focus on, and the fear slipped away. My eyes fluttered shut. I knew Luca was half-asleep, but he kept up his work until I fell back into a new dream.
Instead of dreaming about vampire dens, I dreamed I was back in the woods with adult dream-Cade, naked. And he wasted no time taking advantage of our lack of clothing.
The dream felt so real. He pressed my back into the leaves and drove into me, making me orgasm over and over.
I wasn’t sure breathing was necessary in dreams, which worked well because he neverlet up, flipping me over and dragging my ass into the air. My fingers spread in the dirt and leaf litter, looking for something to hang on to. It was ecstasy. His hand twisted into my hair and he tugged my head back. He dominated me so thoroughly, I wasn’t sure I could wake up until dream-Cade let me go.
