Backing out of the dream, I returned to the pastel realm of possibilities and frowned. I’d recognized Scott’s energy, the unique signature of his soul, something I hadn’t understood at the time but Merri had mentioned once in passing. If I’d taken more time to focus on it, I was certain I’d have realized who he was before I entered his dream. That was good. That was progress. I just needed to be able to do that with Merri. But maybe she wasn’t sleeping. I knew from my chats with the others that being awake wasn’t a deal breaker. Merri was able to induce sleep in her intended target. She’d done it with Chaos and Malice multiple times. So I should be able to do it too.
Figuring out how to reach an awake consciousness when I was still working on finding a specific person was a bit like trying to run a marathon before really learning how to walk, but I didn’t exactly have time to fuck around and find out.
A flicker of recognition tingled in the back of my mind as I once again searched the clouds. This time I snagged it, thethread thin but growing stronger the longer I held on, like it had simply been waiting for me to notice it this whole time. It was her. I knew it as surely as I knew I was still lying in her bed and that the thread was our bond. The more I focused, the more I could feel her soul, the connection we had linking us together.
“Merri,” I breathed as my yearning for her eclipsed everything else. I wasn’t here to feed. I was here to find her and get her back where she belonged.
The clouds parted, revealing Merri standing on a dock overlooking a picturesque lake. Her crimson hair cascaded freely all the way to her waist as she looked down at the water. Fuck, I missed her.
She didn’t turn away from the view, but I knew she felt me join her. It was just the barest tilt of her head, but it was all the acknowledgment I needed.
“Pretty view,” I murmured, wrapping my arms around her waist as I came up behind her.
“It is.”
“I wasn’t talking about the lake.”
With a sigh, she sank into my hold, and I allowed myself a moment to breathe her in.
“I missed you, kitten. Where did you go?”
“Go? What do you mean? I’ve been here the whole time.”
“Tell me how to find you, Merri.” Desperation clawed at my chest. If I could get an answer from her, we would be able to bring her home. “You belong with us.”
The gentle breeze changed to a biting wind as dark storm clouds rolled in and thunder rumbled overhead.
Merri stiffened in my arms, turning around and staring into my eyes. All I saw was hurt, betrayal, and distrust reflected in her gaze.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“What are you talking about? Of course I should. I’m your mate. My place is with you.”
“No. You don’t get to do this. You rejected me.”
“No,” I insisted, the wind pushing so hard that it was a struggle to remain standing.
A tear rolled down her cheek. “Your silence was your rejection, Sin. Trust me, it spoke volumes.”
“Merri, I?—”
“Go.”
“No, Merri. Please?—”
“I said leave!” she shouted, the storm turning violent. I had to let go of her to protect my eyes. When I opened them again, I was no longer on the dock but back in her room. In her bed. Alone.
“Fuck.”
I immediately returned to the dream realm in hopes of forcing my way back into her mind, but the path was shut. There was nothing from her. Not even a glimmer.
She’d locked me out of her mind as effectively as slamming a door in my face.
I’d had her right there with me, in my arms as she should be. I’d been so close to getting her back there for real. All I’d needed was for her to tell me how to find her. But now, knowing the depth of her hurt, I’d never felt so far away.
Despair twisted inside me, its hold on me so tight I could hardly breathe. I’d been so certain that seeing me coming after her would have been enough to show my true intentions. That she would have taken one look at me and forgiven me because she could feel how deeply I’d fallen for her.
But she hadn’t.
