Chapter 4

Zara tossed and turned, unable to find a position that allowed her restless mind to settle.

Alexi dominated her thoughts, his magnetic blue green eyes boring into her very essence, stripping away every defense and leaving her vulnerable in a way that unnerved her to the bone.

Zara"s eyes snap open, her body drenched in sweat and her heart racing from the vivid, sensual dreams of Alexi consuming her sleep. Sitting up, running a hand through her tangled hair, trying to make sense of the intensity of the dreams.

What the actual fuck?The erotic images linger. Since when do I have wet dreams about vampires? And why did every second of it feel so damn real?

Zara throws back the covers and swings her legs over the side of the bed. She stands, feeling unsteady on her feet as a wave of heat washes over her. Her skin feels flushed, her body tingling with a strange, unfamiliar sensation. She takes a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, but the feeling persists.

She makes her way to the bathroom. She splashes cold water over her face, but even as it drips down her neck, she can"t shake the lingering sensations of the dream.

Get a grip, Zara,she scolds herself, gripping the edge of the sink. They"re just dreams. They don"t mean anything.

She returns to her bedroom, pacing restlessly as she tries to clear her mind.

What the hell is going on with me?She can"t stop the frantic thoughts from swirling through her mind as her pulse continues to race wildly.

Vampires can mess with people"s minds, is this his doing? Trying to knock me off kilter? I"m going to kill that damn vampire.

Zara picks up her phone, her fingers trembling slightly as she types out a message to Lena.

Are you up?She hits send, then leans back against the headboard, closing her eyes as she tries to calm her racing thoughts.

A few moments later, her phone vibrates with an incoming call. She answers, relief washing over her at the sound of Lena"s voice.

"Zara? What"s going on? Are you okay?" Lena"s concern is evident, even through the tiny speaker.

"I... I don"t know," Zara admits, her voice shaky. "I was having really strange dreams... about vampires, it felt so real. And ever since that fight at the bar, I"ve been feeling... different."

"Different how?" Lena prompts gently.

Zara takes a deep breath, then lets the words spill out in a rush. "I feel like I"m burning up from the inside out. Like there"s this... this need that I can"t control, it"s almost like I"m in heat, but it"s not even the right time."

The line is silent for a moment before Lena responds, "okay, that"s definitely not normal. Why don"t you talk to Elder Thorn about this? He might have an idea of what"s going on…"

"Elder Thorn?" Zara frowns, puzzled. The pack"s ancient leader who seems to have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel?

He"s so damn old, I doubt he even remembers what it feels like to be in rut, much less in heat,Zara thinks wryly.

But Lena has a point. If anyone has seen some weird werewolf shit in their lifetime, it"s Elder Thorn.

"I guess it couldn"t hurt to ask," Zara concedes reluctantly, running a hand through her tangled hair. "I just hope he doesn"t keel over from shock when I describe these urges I"ve been having. Pretty sure "my pussy is on fire" isn"t a line he hears every day."

Lena snorts. "Give the man some credit. He may be ancient, but I bet he"s heard it all. And Elder Thorn is still sharp as a tack. He"ll know what"s up with your out-of-control hormones."

Fuck, I hope so,Zara muses silently, her skin prickling with the now-constant arousal simmering in her blood. Because if Elder Thorn can"t help me, I don"t know how much longer I can keep this need contained before I explode...

Lena"s voice breaks the silence. "Zara, do you think this might be connected to Alexi? He"s the first vampire we"ve encountered in a long time."

Zara scoffs, rolling her eyes. "He"s probably just using some bullshit mind control to mess with my head."

But the way my body reacted when he pulled me against him...The memory of Alexi"s hard muscles pressing into her soft curves, his cool breath on her neck, sends a shiver of desire down her spine. Fuck, what is wrong with me?

She shakes her head, pushing the unsettling thoughts aside. "I"ll talk to Elder Thorn in the morning, see what he thinks about all this."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Lena offers, her concern evident.

"No, it"s okay," Zara assures her, feeling a rush of gratitude for her friend"s support. "I think this is something I need to do on my own."

She hangs up, setting the phone aside as she leans back against the headboard once more. Her mind is still reeling, her body still thrumming with that strange, unfamiliar heat. But beneath the confusion and the unease, there"s a glimmer of hope - the hope that Elder Thorn will have the answers she so desperately needs.