He tried to pull away, and she felt a desperation she’d never known as she clung tightlytohim.
“I just want to look at your face, love,” he said in a voice so gentle that she broke all overagain.
“Peri, do something.” She heard Dalton growl. “She’s going to makeherselfsick.”
Jewel was sick. She was like a virus that had spread from victim to victim, unleashing her life-stealing infection. It was too late for her. She wanted to tell him that. She wanted to tell him not to waste Peri’s time with her because there was nothing that couldbedone.
Jewel felt a cool hand on her forehead and the pulse of magic. It was painful and she recoiled from it, but the fae held her still. The last thing Jewel remembered hearing was Peri’s voice. “Meet her in herdreams.”
Dalton felt helpless.Nothing he said did anything to calm his mate, and every word uttered from her mouth ended with him leaving her. How could he get her to understand that he would never leave her if she refused to listen to him? He tried to pull her back so he could look in her eyes, but she’d reacted like a terrified child, clinging to him with a desperation that stabbed him in the gut. He didn’t know what was going on around them; he didn’t even know who else was in the room. All he could focus on was his mate and how devastatedshewas.
He rubbed her back and ran his fingers through her hair while he spoke softly to her, trying to reach her chaotic mind. He wished he could simply reach into her mind and speak to her through the bond. Then she’d be able to feel him and feel the certainty in is words. His actions would have to convey what the lack of the mate bond wouldn’tallow.
When she started shaking so violently she couldn’t talk, Dalton turned and growled at Peri to do something. He didn’t know what she’d done, but Jewel had calmed and fallenasleep.
“Why did you put her tosleep?”
“So you can meet her in her dreams,” Peri said. At his confused look, she sighed and pointed to his neck. “That stone you wear is powerful. I don’t know who gave it to you, but they bewitched it so that it is loyal to you alone. Jewel has an affinity for magical stones, of course. If you direct the magic in that stone to seek her out in your dreams, you will be able to dream walk with her. The stone and Jewel’s affinity will protect you in the dream from any attack should someone try to reach youthere.”
Dalton had known that the stone was powerful, but he’d never attempted to learn what it could do. He’d been told he would need it one day and that it was imperative that he have it with him at the appointed time. Since then, he’d never taken it off. When he phased, he didn’t know where it went, but when he phased back to his human skin, it was always back in place, around his neckagain.
“Dalton.”
He heard his name and turned to look at Jezebel. “I have another room where you cantakeher.”
He stood with his mate in his arms. “Thank you. She wouldn’t want to wake up with everyone around once she is calmer.” He knew she would be embarrassed, though no one present would judge her. He followed Anna’s mom to a room just next door. Once he was inside with Jewel, Jezebel shut the doorquietly.
Dalton laid her on the bed and then stretched out beside her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and tucked her close against him. She was tiny compared to him. And it just reminded him of how fragileshewas.
Dalton closed his eyes and focused on the stone that lay just below his sternum. He didn’t fully understand what he was supposed to do so he simply gave his request. “I need to dream walk with my mate, Jewel.” He felt the stone grow warm on his chest just before he slipped intosleep.
“Wherearewe?”
He blinked several times and then turned around to find Jewel looking at him. “We’re in adream.”
Her lips pursed. “Is this another one of those dreams where youaren’treal?”
He walked over to her and took her face in his hands, the way he had wanted to do when they were awake. “No, Little Dove. I am very real, asareyou.”
Her eyes widened, and she took a step back. “You’re really you and I’m really me? I mean you aren’t just my subconscious mind producing an image of what I need at the darkest hour ofmylife?”
He reached for her, but she stepped back again. He growled. “Quit backing away from me, Jewel. I need to touch you and hold you.” He didn’t say that he needed to soak her in like a dry desert soaks in the first rain of the season, but that’s how he really felt. “Please.”
“So, you are the real Dalton actually speaking, not just the dream Dalton?” Her bottom lip quivered as she held up a hand to keep him from getting closer. “Because I don’t want dream Dalton right now. I don’t need dreamDalton.”
In a blur, Dalton pushed her arm away as he took two steps and then had her in his arms. “You need me,” he whispered as he pressed his forehead to hers. “I am not a figment of your imagination, Little Dove. I am dream walking with you like we’ve done in the past. I’m real. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere, not unless you’re going somewhere because where you go,Igo.”
“But—”
“No,” he cut her off. “There arenobuts.”
“How—”
“No,” he interruptedagain.
“Why? I don’tunderstandwhy?”
“Because there is no me without you.” He breathed out in a plea for her tounderstand.
