Page 54 of Dancing for the Minotaur

“A pleasure to meet you, Lisa.”

She studied him solemnly for perhaps three seconds. Then she announced,

“I had a dream about you.”

Taurex went very still. So the dreams had gone both ways. That happened sometimes, when a fated mate was found, but he hadn’t been sure it would happen with Terra’s family.

Terra seemed taken aback.

“You what, honey?” she asked her daughter.

“I dreamed about him.” Lisa pointed at Taurex with her free hand. “He was sitting in our yard, and I was climbing on him.”

A strange warmth spread through Taurex’s chest. He’d dreamed the same thing, and it had filled him with longing–longing not only for a mate but for a family. A little brood he could protect and provide for.

“Did you now?” he asked softly.

Lisa nodded vigorously.

“I was holding your horns.”

Before Taurex could respond, Cody stepped forward from behind his mother.

“I did too,” he said. “I dreamed about the Bull-man too.”

Terra looked from one child to the other.

“You both dreamed about Taurex?”

Cody nodded.

“Mine was different, though. We were outside somewhere, and he was showing me stars. Telling me which ones he’d been to.”

Taurex felt the breath catch in his throat–again, the dreams. And this one was a shared dream for hadn’t he also dreamed of looking at the stars with Cody?

He looked at Terra, but she was staring at her children in confusion and clearly had no idea what any of it meant.

Taurex decided not to explain–not yet. It might upset her if he tried to tell her she was his fated mate. Slowly. He had promised himself he would take things slowly.

Cody had come closer now and he was staring openly at Taurex’s horns.

“Can I touch your horns?” he asked curiously.

“Cody!” Terra exclaimed, her embarrassment apparently reaching new heights. “You can’t just ask people if you can touch parts of them. I raised you better than that!”

Taurex raised one hand.

“Do not worry. I am not offended.”

Terra looked at him helplessly.

“Are you sure?”

“Quite sure.”

He turned back to Cody and ducked his head.

“You may touch my horns if you wish.”