The smell of tomato soup and grilled cheese pulled at me. Assured she was still sleeping, I ambled over to the long wood table, amazed to find a pot filled with the best-looking soup I’d ever seen or smelled, yet the women had never left. A plate of grilled cheese sandwiches sat beside it, with cheese oozing from all four sides, making my mouth water.
“How?” I stammered.
“Magic,” Adalynn motioned with her fingers, then giggled. “Truly, it was easy. The kitchen is through there. While you and Jenna focused on LeeLee, we cooked.’
Grabbing a large bowl and plate, I ladled a huge heaping, then glanced up. “Crap, where are my manners? Can I get you ladies a bowl?’
They shook their heads. “You go first, we already had some,” Payton said, pointing to their empty bowls.
Happy I wasn’t going to look like a selfish pig, I dipped the spoon into the thick red soup. The first taste hit my taste buds, and I swore I moaned loud enough to wake LeeLee. “Oh my god, this is delicious.’
Talia beamed but didn’t say a word as I polished off the bowl and two sandwiches. I sat back, placing my hands on my full belly. “Do you ladies need a break as well?’
They all looked rested, but I wanted to make sure. From the looks of Jenna earlier, she’d needed more than just a few hours.
Payton shook her head. “Jenna is special. She, in her words, not mine, is as old as time. Her power is unequaled. We all owe her our very lives. While she overtaxed herself healing in the human world, as you can see, she is rejuvenating quickly here. You’ll witness this for yourself when she wakes, and you’d best watch out then. She has a wit that is unparalleled in any realm.” True love shone from her voice and face.
The small wolf jerked in sleep. I hated seeing her dream, especially knowing it was from nightmares and that I couldn’t protect her there.
“I can help you dream-walk if you’d like,” Talia offered. “However, you might not like what you see there.’
My first instinct was to sayhell yes, let’s do it, but the rational part of me stopped short. “What do you mean? What won’t I like? If you mean I might see her and not be attracted to her physically, I want to assure you I don’t care about that,” I said, and meant it. My lovers had all been gorgeous, yes, but they’d not been my mate. They’d been a stopgap until I’d found the one meant to complete me. LeeLee was it for me. Goddess, what ifshe didn’t feel the same? Surely the fates wouldn’t do that to me, I prayed.
Talia shook her head. “No, what I meant was, you won’t be able to stop what is happening. You won’t be able to change her dreams. I can let you see what she’s dreaming while she’s dreaming, but you won’t be able to participate. To do so, you could harm her. I’m not like Jenna, where I can participate. That takes a lot more energy than I have,” regret laced her voice.
Did I want to see what caused her so much pain while she slept? Even knowing I could do nothing to help her? It went against my nature, but I looked over at the twitching and growling form and made my decision.
“Let’s do this. What do I have to do?’
Payton put her hand on my arm. “Understand this is going to be painful for both of you.’
I looked at Talia. “Will this harm you?’
She shook her head. “Not as long as you don’t fight when it is time to let go of the dreamscape. I will have Adalynn and Payton watching us.’
I swore the two Fey women vibrated with something close to anger. “Ladies, sisters, I have lots of practice dream-walking. Did you forget my mate kept me locked in a dungeon for years? How do you think I survived?” Her smile came easily. They nodded, then hugged her. In unison, they said, “We are here for you.’
Patting the floor next to LeeLee’s head, Talia sat cross-legged. “Okay, sit here.” She pointed to the spot next to her. “Give me your hands and close your eyes.’
Within minutes, I felt her power wash over me, stunning me into shocked silence—and then we were inside LeeLee’s dream world. Or a childlike LeeLee’s. I only knew it was her because of her bright red hair as she bent over a desk. An old woman stood above her, yelling out words for her to write that no childas young as LeeLee should be able to spell. Yet as I watched, she spelled each one with not quite ease. Triumph filled her blue eyes, quickly diminished when the old woman smacked the ruler on the back of her hand.
I wanted to grab the older woman by the throat and strangle the life from her. My corporeal body vibrated with anger as another scene flashed by. This one had the same woman bringing the child dinner. When LeeLee asked where her parents were, the old woman took pleasure in telling her they were entertaining guests and that she was to eat in her room. My heart ached for the small child who took the tray but didn’t let the woman see the hurt.
When I would have stayed until LeeLee woke, not wanting her to face these memories alone, an unseen force jerked me back to my body.
“Damn it, you stubborn shit.” Jenna lifted me off my feet with one hand. I looked down, amazed at the slight woman holding me a couple of feet off the ground. “Um, you can put me down now.” I held my hands out to the side.
She bared her teeth. “Don’t ever do something so stupid again. Any of you. Feel me.” She pointed a finger at me, then at a swaying Talia. With a lot less finesse, she set me on my wobbly feet.
“Why are you so angry?” I asked, scrubbing my hand over my stubbly chin. I really needed to shave.
Jenna threw up her arms. “Why am I angry, he asks.” She glared at me. “Would one of you fools like to explain to Wolfie why I’m angry?’
Payton cleared her throat. “Well, you wouldn’t let go of the dreamscape, which sort of put you and Talia in danger. I had to get Jenna because we couldn’t pull the two of you out.’
“Ding ding ding ding, give this one a prize.” Jenna placed her hands on her hips, pacing away from us. “Can a Fey nottake a nap without worrying y’all will do something stupid?” she growled as she paced.
Talia gasped, tears swimming in her eyes.
