He shrugged. "I have no issues."
I didn't say anything else but we both knew that he wasn't being honest.
"I only wanted you to understand that Marcus isn't sneaky or underhanded." He paused. "Well, in battle he can be, but when it comes to the people he cares about, he's honest to a fault. And he will shoulder the blame. Even though entering your dreams was out of his control, he will blame himself for making you feel as though your privacy has been violated."
"How can he care about me?" I asked. "He doesn't know me."
"If he's seen your dreams for months, would you say that's truly the case?"
He had a point, but I was too numb, emotionally and mentally, to acknowledge it.
"Look, Merry, all I'm asking is that you don't make a hasty decision. Give it a day or two. Because if you leave now, you will never see him again. He'll make sure of it. Even if he keeps dreaming about you, he'll do everything he can to make sure you never know."
"But I will know," I said. "Because he's been in my dreams the last two nights. It's more than dreamsabouthim. He sees it all. And I think he's in control of himself during them."
"What are the dreams about?" Callum asked. "Does he do something that frightens you?"
My cheeks heated. "Not exactly."
I expected Callum to tease me about the blush, but he only nodded. "Then, will it really matter if you're here or with Ava and Macgrath?"
"It's a little uncomfortable to see him in person after the dreams," I admitted.
"If you tell him that, and he has control in the dreams as you believe, then is it still a problem?"
"Did you go to law school or something?" I asked. "Because you are way too good at arguing your point."
He smiled. "No. It's a natural talent."
I shook my head.
"Sleep on it."
"I'm not sure I can."
"If you're worried about the dreams, I doubt Marcus will sleep for the rest of the night."
"Do you always speak for Marcus?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.
"He's capable of speaking for himself, but he has a rigid sense of right and wrong. And, despite his advanced age, he's not a dinosaur when in it comes to things like the idea of gender roles. His mother was one of the greatest warriors of our village before she married, so he doesn't have some of the preconceived notions a lot of the males of our generation did. Or still do."
"Do you have those...notions?" I asked.
"Hell, no. If there's anything I've learned in these hundreds of years, it's that women are smarter, more determined, and a damn sight sneakier than most of the men I know. They are definitely not the weaker sex. I also like women a great deal, in general. They're much prettier and smell better, too."
I rolled my eyes. "Couldn't resist the smart-ass remark at the end, huh?"
"Resistance is futile."
"Prepare to be assimilated."
Callum laughed. "Maybe that should be my line." Then, he winced. "Okay, that sounded wrong. Vampires aren't like the Borg. Even the worst of us usually consider turning someone a gift. One that must be earned."
"It doesn't sound like Tomas agreed."
"That sort of behavior is strongly discouraged by Macgrath, Marcus, and me."
"The three of you police the entire vampire population?" I asked.
