When he was younger, Aaron was often caught off guard by a vision when he touched something or someone that was powerful. Living in the council compound had been hell until Leo had figured out some of Aaron’s triggers. Once Bas arrived, the three of them had been thick as thieves. Leo and Bas knew everything about him. Took care of him at times like this.
Aaron’s senses might not be as strong as a shifter’s or one of the other paranormal creatures around, but even with his eyes closed, he could feel the auras around him. Leo wasn’t there. Just Bas and the stranger. Oh, and Hudson, as he stepped back into the room.
“Here, Carter.”
Carter! That was the brother’s name. The cop.
Aaron jumped as a cold cloth was placed over his eyes.
“Shh,” Carter said. “It’s okay. That should help with the pain.”
It at least helped with the light that was cracking through his closed lids.
“Now, will someone tell me what the hell is going on?” Carter demanded.
“Uh,” Hudson said. “It’s a really long story.”
“A long story?” Carter repeated. “This guy seizes, your guy is talking about visions. I think I have time to hear this story.”
Hmm, maybe Aaron would just lie there and pretend it was too painful to talk.
The vision, from what he could put together, had been a repeat of the dreams that he’d been having since he arrived in this small town.
The dreams started not long after Aaron started chasing after the little heathen that had stolen Leo’s RV. That had led to Leo finding his long-lost brother, which had shocked them both. The decision to stay had been hard to make. Not when Leo had family once again, Bastian had found his mate, and for Aaron he’d formed a special bond with the paranormal family that had welcomed them in. Now they were opening an office in hope of helping the paranormal communities that had been neglected for far too long.
None of that explained why Aaron was dreaming about rainbows, flowers, and a litter of puppies. Like, puppies. A pile of black and white dogs that looked to be days old that Aaron was certain weren’t shifter but like regular canines which made no sense to him. He’d been having the same dream and visions for over a month now so surely they wouldn’t be puppies much longer.
It didn’t make sense. Not that Aaron’s visions or dreams ever did.
All his life, Aaron had tried to control or at least figure out what he saw. Why he saw it what he did. The fractured images, flashes of objects, people with no faces, none of what Aaron saw was easy to figure out.
The council instructors had informed him that Aaron was an oracle after years of not knowing what to do with him. In the olden days, oracles were highly sought after and protected by many of the paranormal clans. Unfortunately, oracles had been wiped out, along with some of the oldest paranormal creaturesduring what was called the great hunt. A time when humans hunted down paranormals with the intent of killing them all.
Aaron didn’t have a lot of memories of his family. He’d had a mom and dad. A little sister. There was a clear picture in his head of them all dead, bodies laid out on the living room floor, blood covering every inch of the house that Aaron had been raised in for the first few years of his life.
What happened before or after? Aaron had no clue.
He’d been standing over his dead family when the paranormal council guards entered the house and grabbed him. Aaron was taken to the council’s boarding school, where he’d met Leo. Then later Bastian. The two men that would become his family.
Being thrown into council’s authority had been confusing and scary. Aaron hadn’t even known that hewasparanormal. Even at the boarding school that was a cover what was the council’s true purpose which was training them as soldiers Aaron hadn’t fit in. Only Leo and Bas had looked out for him.
Clenching his eyes, Aaron had to push the thoughts away. Why was he thinking about his family? Or the council? That all happened so long ago. Old wounds. Wounds that didn’t need to be picked at unless he wanted the pain to fester inside him like it used to.
He jumped as Carter yelled again.
“Tell me what is going on! Now!” Carter demanded.
Aaron sighed and removed the cloth over his eyes. He pushed up even as Carter turned back toward him.
Aaron was on the couch in his new office. Bas and Hudson were standing in front of the door like they were blocking anyone from entering or exiting. Carter was still sitting on the couch beside him. Tentatively, Aaron reached out to touch Carter’s arm. Relief flooded him when there was not another vision.
Mate.
There was more to his vision than what he had been seeing in a dream. Him and Carter together, walking somewhere, hand in hand.
Mate.
The word had slammed into his brain before Aaron had lost control.
