Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Josie

The man in my dreams hadn't returned.

At least, I still considered myself dreaming. After a while of not being hungry or in the room that I remembered fainting in, I assumed I was out cold.

Had she moved me?

Or was I still passed out on the cool cement floor in her little room full of witchery?

Stressing over it didn't matter. I needed to focus on waking up. What was that dust she blew into my face?

Something magical. Evil.

I should have known she was plotting my demise. It wasn't like I could have broken out of that grungy cell. Maybe she didn't want to deal with me so she put a spell on me.

Either way, I was walking around in a dreamland trying to find a mythical man that had stopped my heart in its tracks. The conversation with my mother in the garden resurfaced. The things I wanted in a man ...

I stopped myself. I"d officially gone crazy. This man could be a figment of my imagination for all I knew.

The Dark Woods surrounding her castle looked never-ending. I had no idea where I was or if I was walking in circles. Most times I walked until I couldn't anymore. I fell onto the ground and slept against the leaves.

I'd never been more tired in my entire life.

If the constant dance of my emotions hadn't drained me the never-ending march against the forest did. The canopy of lifeless trees hanging above me danced in the wind, bringing in smells of death and rot from the lack of life in the forest.

Why was I here? Who had stolen from this demonic witch?

My mind raced with ideas. My father didn't know about other realms, did he? He certainly never took us on vacation there. Mother? I scoffed and shook my head. She played in her garden all day and went to have cocktails with the girls.

What did she need to steal from Deidamia?

The only other people on our property were Jenny and Miranda. I didn't imagine either of them jumping into portals and stealing whatever from this place.

Knowing who did it wouldn"t help my situation. I was dream-walking in an unfamiliar forest, with the feeling of being watched looming over my head.

One lone howl echoed in the distance bringing me to a sitting position in the woods. The daze of a dreamlike state caught me off guard and I braced my palms against the ground to keep from falling over.

It made sense a predator would lurk in the swampy mess around me. The thought of being completely alone in the forest was nave.

Of course, there were equally dreadful creatures out there. I had hoped they would find another human girl walking around to eat. She probably tasted better than I did.

I was covered in grime, and I was certain that stench wasn't coming from the ground and my armpits were the culprit.

Maybe this beast didn't enjoy dirty humans to eat.

I imagined him being a refined wolf who wanted his food cleaned before inhaling it.

Standing up with strained legs, I glanced around the darkened woods, my eyes straining to adjust to the dim lighting. The moon gave little to no effort in making me a path through the dense forest.

I reached for the nearest tree, sliding down to the base, I grabbed a jagged branch near me and lifted it in front of my face.

What a weapon to defend myself in a scary dream. Maybe I should just let him kill me. I'd come back, right? I'd find myself falling back from the sky like in that movie.

Resting my head against the tree trunk, I listened for anything. A bird. A breath. Something. Then I heard it. The crunch of dead leaves beneath a heavy footstep.

My adrenaline spiked.

My heartbeat slammed against my chest.

The urge to run hit me hard, but what good would running do at this point? I had no chance of making it out alive. Perhaps I die in the dream. Or try my hand at fighting with this branch.

A dark shadow formed beside me. The culprit froze, and before I could blink a pair of red eyes stared back at me. The stench of his breath wafted over me like vomit.

The sharp points of his teeth hung beneath his top lip, and drool dropped against the leaves beside me.

This was a wolf. The moon gave me enough light to see the points of his ears and the shape of his elongated face.

The fear in my stomach turned and twisted until I felt vomit climb my throat. Being face-to-face with something that could rip me into two pieces was scarier than the trip into another realm.

His ears perked upward as I twisted away from him with my makeshift sword in front of me. I felt around the ground with my feet in search of a giant rock, but only mud slid through my toes.

"Please," I begged.

The laugh that echoed around me sent ice-cold chills down my body. "Is the little girl scared?"

Was he talking to me?

Who else could it be?

He stepped over the roots of the tree, his gaze settled on mine while he smiled as I imagined a deranged serial killer would.

"You're not talking," I whispered, feeling thorns begin to tear at my skin as I backed away from him.

"Aren't I?" he asked, leaping over the rests of the roots and coming face-to-face with me.

The smell of his breath did not help my vomiting situation. "You're a dog—,"

He launched at me, his teeth snapping inches away from my nose.

Got it. Do not insult the wolf with a dog remark.

"What's a pretty little girl doing alone in the woods?"

How was he talking without moving his mouth?

I came to a stop when my back hit the base of another huge tree. "I don't know. I think I'm dreaming."

The smile on his face turned my body into cement. I didn't dare make another move. I only stared at his intelligent face, listening to my heartbeat in my ears and praying that I wasn't killed in this dream by an animated wolf.

When he slunk closer, I closed my eyes, my branch lay lifeless beside my hand, which was a position I assumed was in my near future, and then he stopped.

His breath disappeared.

The heat of his body.

When I braved a glance outward, I stared at the back of the wolf who was frozen in fear.

What was he afraid of?

Then the moonlight broke through the trees and I saw him. He stood yards away, his gaze settled on mine as if a talking wolf didn't stand between us.

My body warmed as I saw him fully for the first time.

The broadness of his shoulders, and the width of his arms as he pulled a sword from the air melted me into a puddle.

Those dark eyes were eating me alive.

How did someone's gaze make me feel so undone?

Maybe because it's a dream. Dream guys have always outdone any real-life man.

Dirty blonde hair, a contrast to my own, fell onto his forehead as he moved in a dance with the wolf whose hair stood on end. His thick thighs were covered in dark-wash jeans that looked covered in everything from the forest.

For the briefest of moments, I prayed that he'd been sent here to save me—in this dream. Or in real life. Please let this be real somehow.

The wolf jumped forward and dared a bite at the giant.

He sliced his sword through the air, hitting the wolf in his shoulder. He howled into the night. Most wolves traveled in packs, so hopefully he didn't bring any friends to us.

Blood began to run down the wolf's fur, but he continued his standoff with this man.

The wolf laughed under his breath. "Are you here to save this pathetic little girl?"

The man didn't speak though I longed to hear his voice.

I imagined it was deep, dark and it matched the aura that surrounded him.

The urge inside of me took over and I sat up to my knees. His gaze shifted toward mine while he wielded the sword. The wolf launched, catching his wrist, but he was quick enough to shove the blade into the same spot on his shoulder again.

None of it deterred the feeling of need I had to get to this man.

What is wrong with me?

I stood to my feet and saw the wolf backtrack several feet to regain his stance.

The man tilted his head to the side, giving me a look that screamed go sit back down.

But I couldn't.

I wanted to see him. Touch him.

An invisible string tugged from the center of my chest, pulling me toward him.

He straightened his body, his sword hanging down beside him. The way his shoulders tensed as I took a step shook me.

"Josephine," he said, his voice deep like dark chocolate, but it coated my body like honey. "Sit down."

I stalled, heat pooled in my lower stomach, and I felt I had to obey him. He knows my name.

The wolf laughed under his breath as he retreated like the wounded animal I knew he was. "Count your blessings," he said.

I was counting them.

Once the wolf disappeared into the dark void of the woods, a lengthy sigh fell from me. I'd been two seconds away from death when he showed up.

My gaze shifted toward his.

He was breathing heavily, more so than I thought he would from his short fight with the wolf.

Was it because of me?

Get over yourself, Josie.

Slowly he slid his sword back into the air where it disappeared. I watched his thick fingers curl and uncurl at his sides. Everything about the tension between us settled deep in my veins.

"You do as I say," he said, never moving closer.

I wanted to get closer. To see his face up close. To thank my savior in ways I wasn't sure he would accept.

"Yes," I said in a pathetic breathy voice. "I will."

His throat moved heavily as he swallowed.

He kept his gaze on mine as he took a step backward.

"Don't go," I whispered.

But he'd already disappeared.