“Fate? ” Janie called out, having met the gorgeous woman in a dreamland before. It was time the elusive creature showed up and helped out.
Not even the water lapped or made a noise.
Nothing. Janie turned toward the shore as the mist parted.
Kalin.
Janie glanced down at the yoga outfit she’d naturally donned when creating the world. Once again, she faced a predator in vulnerable clothing. Maybe she should wear combat gear in the pretend worlds.
At the thought, her lips twitched.
Kalin strode through the fog, the medals across his breast appearing dingy in the colorless day. His boot steps thunked against the worn dock as he drew near.
She took a deep breath. “Kalin.”
He half-bowed. “Janet. Ready to broker peace?”
“I’d love to broker peace,” she said quietly, her mind beginning to spin. “How about you?”
He lifted his aristocratic features to the damp air and sniffed. His eyes morphed from green to purple and back again. “What did you fucking do?” he growled as sharp fangs dropped low.
She gasped. The Kurjan had never really shown emotion before, and to see him furious shot adrenaline through her veins in a warning to flee.
Yet she held her ground. There was no way he could scent her mating in the dream world. “Excuse me?”
“You mated that demon,” Kalin spat.
Damn. The Kurjan had always owned his own gifts in the dream worlds. “Can you smell things here?” she asked, without thinking.
“Yes.” He shoved his large-boned hands in his pockets. “I can smell the stench of vampire-demon mixed with your normally sweet peaches scent.”
She swallowed, looking closely. The soldier didn’t seem hurt . . . only furious. “Since this is a done deal, how about we end the war now before either one of us loses more people. You care about your people, right?”
His gaze turned cold—far harder than he’d ever looked before. “You have no idea what you’ve done.”
Her own temper began to stir. “I know exactly what I’ve done. Fate didn’t make my choices . . . I did.”
Kalin scoffed. “Bullshit.” He sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair, his gaze cutting to the foggy forest. “I suppose this part of the story was inevitable. Just remember, when you decide you need help, I’m here.”
She blinked, an ominous shiver winding down her spine. “Why would I need help?”
He shook his head. “Do you really not believe I’ve covered every contingency? My people have had plans in motion before your birth.”
She stepped back, her breath accelerating. “Tell me what is going to happen.”
Sorrow twisted his blood-red lips. “I tried to protect you, but you’ll have to endure so much now before you become mine. For that, I truly am sorry.”
She shook her head. “I mated Zane and can’t ever become yours. You know that.”
“No.” Kalin turned and began to stride down the dock toward the shrouded forest. At the tree line, he turned around, his gaze nearly glowing in the dim light. “Your mating only changes the timeline, not the outcome.” With a slight shrug, he turned and disappeared.
Janie rubbed her nose, suddenly freezing. What had the Kurjan been talking about? A hard ball of dread slammed into her stomach.
She could handle this.
Taking several deep breaths, she pulled herself out of the dream world and into reality.
Heat. God. So much heat. She burrowed into Zane’s body, her mind spinning. No psychic vision tingled in her brain—no warning of the problems to come. In fact, she hadn’t had a decent vision since her birthday.
