Dreams Read online

  Bella closed her eyes and reached for the power she’d never known she possessed. Everything had changed in such a short time. She couldn’t lose her new family, not now. She’d just found them.

  Chapter Eight

  David and Bella adjourned to their bedroom for a brief rest before the evening activities began. They needed to prepare themselves for the battle about to come.

  “Could you hold me for a minute, David? It’s been a rough day, and it’s only going to get rougher.”

  “Sure, babe. Let’s lie down, and I’ll hold you. We need to relax.” David led Bella to the bed and wrapped her in his arms. She snuggled into him, and it felt as if she had been there forever.

  He had been lost in thought for some time when he felt tiny kisses on his neck. Then Bella’s tongue began to lick and nibble him.

  “Hey, I thought we needed a nap.”

  “Resting is overrated.” Bella sighed as she continued to tease him.

  He helped her out of her shirt so he could feel her breasts in his hands. He loved touching her and couldn’t get enough of her. A low growl sounded in his throat, and he could hear Bella almost purring as he caressed her and pinched her nipples. He couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to taste her.

  He brought her breast to his mouth so he could suckle her. She threw her head back and squirmed, showing him she needed more. Abandoning his neck, she focussed on his pants.

  He did what he could to help. He broke away to take care of his clothes for her, watching as she rushed to shed her skirt so she could get naked for him. He wanted this fast and hot, because this could be the last time he got a taste of her.

  With that in mind, once his clothes littered the floor he let her push him to his back and watched her make her way to his pulsing cock. He tangled his hands in her hair as she licked him from root to tip. She rolled his balls gently in her hands right before she put the head of his cock into her warm, inviting mouth, gently sucking. He moaned low in his throat, loving the feel of her tongue and hands. His hips thrust in time with the bobbing of her head.

  “Bella, stop…Bella, no…Yesssss…oh, yess…I mean, no. Stop.”

  He dragged her up his body and crushed his mouth to hers in a rough kiss. He could taste himself on her, and he swore he got harder. He flipped their positions so she lay under him. He played homage to her breasts, licking at each nipple, bringing them to hard points.

  David thought he wanted this hard and fast, but he needed a taste of her first. He kissed his way down her body until he stopped at her very core. He almost came without any stimulation, just her scent alone made him hang at the edge of climax. His tongue stroked her clit, and she withed beneath him. David couldn’t get enough of her. He felt her tense under him and didn’t stop until he tasted her orgasm. She came against his lips, and he had to get inside. He made his way back up her body and slid home, right where he belonged and never wanted to leave. Thrusting hard, he showed her no mercy. Their bodies slammed together in perfect rhythm, faster and faster, until he screamed his release. They broke apart, panting and exhausted from their play.

  “That was—”

  “Wonderful. You’re perfect, Bella, everything I could ever want, and I’m not going to lose you.”

  He drifted to sleep, content to hold her close in his arms.

  Someone knocked, rousing David.

  “Rise and shine, lovebirds. It’s time to get cracking. That means keep your hands to yourself, Sparky, and let’s go!” Max’s gruff voice came through the door.

  Bella chuckled. “Why does he call you Sparky?”

  “Do you really want to know?”

  “Of course!”

  “One night we took a run in the woods, and I was struck by lighting. I’ve been ‘Sparky’ to him since then. For some reason, he thinks it’s hilarious. I, on the other hand, ignore the big freak.”

  “Awww, David, don’t be that way. You’re lucky you’re alive!”

  “It takes a lot to bring down a werewolf. Of course, my hair stood on end for weeks.”

  Bella covered her mouth to stop her laughter.

  “It’s not funny, Bella.”

  She couldn’t stop her amusement from bubbling up, so David did the only thing he could. He tickled her. He realised that he loved to hear her laugh and wanted more.

  “Stop…David. Stop, please.” She gasped for breath as another pounding sounded on the door.

  Max’s voice came through again. “Knock it off, you two, and get downstairs.”

  “Uh oh, we’re in trouble now,” Bella said with a giggle.

  The two got up and dressed. Once in the kitchen, the seriousness of the situation sank back in. The reprieve had been nice, but now they needed to get to work.

  Erin and Scott sat at the table. Erin had been crying again, and it didn’t surprise David because she did have to go against her father. He didn’t know what the ritual would consist of, but he had prepared himself for the worst.

  At least he thought so, until Zareb came strolling in with two needles in his hands.

  “What are those for?” Bella asked nervously.

  David reached for her hand and waited for the answer.

  “We’ll need a small amount of your and Erin’s blood for the spell to work. Erin’s, because it is her father trying to break in, and yours, Bella, because of you and your babies’ magical abilities.”

  “Mine and…wait, what did you say? Did you just say ‘babies’? That isn’t what he said.” She looked over at David. “He didn’t say that, did he?”

  “Umm…Zareb, how do you know that?” David asked.

  “Why do you think Bella is so important? There is always a bigger picture, and that’s why she’s so dangerous to Bastian and Dmitri. Your babies will be alpha and beta of a new pack run side by side with Max’s child and Russ’ child. It has all been seen. The Ancients know this, but they tend to stay out of the mortal realm as much as possible.

  “Russ and Max don’t know about their part in this, and they aren’t to know, yet. Russ might have some idea of your role, but he doesn’t fully know about his. You’d better believe that Bastian and Dmitri know, though. The children of all of you will be the downfall of Dmitri and his kind, and he and his followers will do anything possible to make sure the next generation is never born. Erin and Scott are important because they will play a big role in the children’s upbringing due to the friendship that will form between Erin and Bella as a result of their pregnancies.”

  This time, Erin gasped.

  “Zareb…maybe we’d better get on with this. And you should stop telling us about what is going to happen because, if we don’t stop Bastian and Dmitri, none of it will.” Actually, David realised he just didn’t want to hear anymore. In fact, he liked it better when Zareb didn’t talk.

  “That’s true. There are many possible outcomes, depending on what happens today. There is always another road that can be chosen.”

  “David, do you think it’s true? Do you think I’m pregnant? I don’t know if I’m ready for that, yet.”

  “Shh, let’s not worry about it right now. We’ll take it one step at a time. You heard Zareb. There’s more than one possibility. Right now, he might see your pregnancy, but he doesn’t have a timeframe. What he sees could be today or a year from now. That’s the problem with visions. You should know that.”

  * * * *

  David’s logic calmed Bella, because she did know firsthand that visions played out in their own time. She could see Scott calming Erin, as well. She went to stand by the other woman to tell her what David had shared and took Erin’s hand in hers, giving it a squeeze. Already, she could sense the foreseen bond between them beginning.

  “Let’s get started, you two.”

  Zareb came towards the two women with his needles ready to draw the blood he needed for the spell.

  Bella held out her arm and turned her head. She really didn’t want to watch.

  Zareb took the blood from her and put it in the po
t he had on the stove. He added some other things Bella couldn’t identify—and really didn’t want to. He chanted, but Bella couldn’t understand the Afrikaans.

  He turned towards Bella and held out his hand. “I need your power. Make yourself available to me, and let me tap into your source. Open to David, first, so the three of us can pour our power into my spell. They are coming and soon. We need to finish this before they break through.”

  Zareb began chanting again, and Bella began one of her own.

  “Release the powers, so I can protect my new family. Please, allow me the use of my magic to help those I already have let into my heart.” She felt the familiar presence of David in her head as she allowed Zareb to tap into her power.

  She placed her hand in Zareb’s and focussed herself on his spell. She could sense the old and powerful magic that filled the man, something she’d never experienced before. A glimpse filled her vision of an old village and men screaming in pain before Zareb blocked her from his head. She knew what she had seen was important, but she couldn’t put her finger on why.

  Now, though, she had to concentrate on the job at hand. She put all of her energy into keeping her powers available for Zareb’s use.

  Zareb stopped chanting. “It’s done.”

  At that moment, the lights to the compound went out.

  “It’s begun. They have broken through the original protective spell, and the fires will start soon if we can’t find Dmitri and Bastian to stop them.”

  “I think there is something I could try, but I don’t know if it will work,” Bella said.

  “Give it a try, Bella. I don’t think it could hurt.”

  She turned to Erin. “I’ll need your help.”

  “Anything. I don’t want my father hurting anybody.”

  “Give me your hands, Erin, and think of your father. I’m going to try to find him through you. I don’t know if this will work because I’m new to all this, but it’s worth a try.”

  Both women closed their eyes to concentrate. The men in the room waited in silence.

  Bella felt her way into Erin’s mind. Usually, she couldn’t stop the thoughts, but now she had to push to get them. One gentle nudge was all it took, though, and she was in.

  She could see Erin’s dad, and he didn’t look like a monster. She took the images from Erin’s head and focussed her thoughts outside the compound.

  Suddenly, she sensed Bastian.

  “He’s here at the compound, standing outside the gates. He wants to be here to see the downfall.”

  Bella stretched herself beyond Erin and into Bastian, but he pushed her out with a hard shove. She released Erin and grabbed her own head, the intensity of Bastian’s rejection almost too much to bear.

  David went to her and pulled her into his arms.

  She told him what had happened then added, “There is another, darker presence with him, and I think this other being holds all the power. I believe Bastian is nothing but a puppet in this whole thing. I didn’t get much, but the feeling of evil is there.”

  “You did really well, sweets. We’ll end this, now. Let’s go tell Russ what we know and stop this before it even begins.”

  They didn’t have far to go. When they reached Russ, David filled him in. “And I bet it’s Dmitri out there with him. She seems to think Dmitri is behind the whole thing, and I think she might be right, Russ.”

  “Those two would want to be close to the havoc they are about to wreck,” Russ replied.

  “The spell is complete. We need to release it so we can prevent them from starting the fires. We need to hurry because the shields are down.” Zareb maintained a laid back demeanour as if they had all the time in the world.

  Some might be calmed by Zareb’s voice and actions, but something seemed off about him. Bella wished she could pinpoint it.

  The backup generator chose that moment to kick on.

  Russ faced them all. “Let’s get going.”

  Erin, Scott, David, Bella and Zareb headed to Russ’ office. Bella noticed Erin holding a hand to her head, so she went to her to see if she could help.

  “Erin, is something wrong?”

  “I…I feel strange. Something isn’t right. What…um…Bella… No, I won’t. Don’t do this. No, Bella… Run! Get away from me. I can’t… Nooo!”

  Bella looked down as a knife appeared as if by magic in Erin’s hand. The woman darted straight for her. Everything moved in slow motion as if they were all stuck in mud.

  Two screams echoed in the hallway. They blended so well, David couldn’t tell who cried out the loudest. Bella clutched a bloody wound in her chest, and Erin stood over her with a reddened knife in her hands. David dropped to his knees beside Bella and cradled her against his body while Scott grabbed Erin, pulling her away from Bella’s fallen form. He took the knife away from his mate.

  “Somebody tell me what the hell just happened here!”

  They looked up at Russ.

  “I’m not completely sure,” David managed. “One minute we’re walking down the hall towards your office, and the next, Erin is stabbing Bella with a knife. They both screamed, then you walked in.”

  Erin sobbed in Scott’s arms.

  “Erin, I need you to calm down and tell me what happened. Why did you stab Bella?”

  Erin didn’t have a chance to answer. The front door swung open, revealing Bastian.

  Bella moaned on the floor and screamed again, this time with one hand clutched to her head and one to her chest wound.

  “I’m going to destroy you all,” Bastian rasped.

  Bastian moved towards Bella, and David heard the man chanting. There was no way he could get to Bastian in his human form. He shifted and charged. He needed to protect Bella at all costs.

  David halted in midair as he slammed against an invisible wall. Whimpering, he fell to the ground.

  Bella could be heard over the roar in his ears. She chanted back, but David couldn’t make out the words. He raised his head enough to see Bastian stumble. Seeing his chance, David crawled on his belly to stay under the radar and reached Bastian’s ankle. He sunk his canines in the meaty flesh of the man’s leg.

  The man staggered again and fell to the floor. David moved up Bastian’s body until he had his teeth wrapped around Bastian’s throat.

  “David, no!”

  He heard Bella, but he needed to hurt this man.

  Bastian tried to speak, but a bright light encompassed the room. David released the man and shifted back to human form. Russ knelt down of his own accord as did Erin and Scott. Bella had stopped screaming and crying. David remained silent.

  The feeling of peace settled into the room, and a voice spoke.

  “We’ve been watching you, Sebastian, and hoped you would have a change of heart. But we see now things have gone beyond our control.

  We are sorry for the trials we have put you through, Russell, but we needed to see how strong and loyal your pack is. More trials are coming your way. We will need you in the coming months to rid us of this force creeping over the Earth. Your people must drive the evil back, and your will must be strong because we are going to need you on the front lines of this fight. Some of the keys to winning are right here in your pack.

  Zareb, my son, is aware of some, and you should talk to him about what is to happen to help you formulate your plan. He has answers to questions you might not even have, yet. Ask him about your history. Let him tell you the things you will need to know in order to end the domination of the evil before it even starts. Don’t worry about Sebastian. He will be taken care of, as well as Anabella.

  Take comfort, David. All will be well. Your path is set, and within your mate, you will find the strength you need to continue this fight.

  Erin, be at ease, child. Your father compelled you to act. Blood tie magic is strong, and Anabella will forgive you. Your foretold kinship has not been lost, but one sacrifice must be made tonight. Anabella, you will be healed of your mortal wound, but the babe foretold to be yours
must come to rest with us until the time is right and you are healed.

  Worry not, David and Anabella. The time will be right soon for your children, because you and your family play a big role in our future.”

  The light left the room as quickly as it had appeared, and it took with it the voice—and Bastian.

  Max strolled into the room. “What did Sparky do, now?”

  A chuckle drifted up from the floor, and Bella spoke, “Well that was anti-climactic.”

  “How can you call being stabbed then healed ‘anti-climactic’?” David helped Bella to her feet.

  Erin wasted no time ripping herself from Scott’s arms and throwing herself at Bella. “I’m so sorry, Bella. I can’t…I just…”

  Bella wrapped her arms around her. “Shhh, Erin. It’s okay. It is. I know you wouldn’t have stabbed me if some force hadn’t made you. It isn’t your fault your father went a little crazy. Shhh, please, it’s okay. I’ll be fine.”

  Scott went to Erin and gently pulled her away.

  “Let’s go home, honey. Everything will be fine, now, and you can talk to Bella tomorrow.” He led her from the house.

  “Well, this has been a fucking freak fest, and I need a drink,” Max said. “The danger is over right? Time for the fun to start!” He went for the door.

  Bella called out, “Watch out for the brunette at the end of the bar.” And she winked at him.

  Max gave her a puzzled look and left.

  “What was that all about?” David asked.

  “During all the confusion, the Ancients gave me a small vision involving Max and his mate,” Bella responded with a grin. “It should get interesting around here, real soon. I can’t wait to meet Valerie.”

  David shook his head.

  “Russ, shouldn’t we talk about what happened and figure out our next move? The Ancients made it sound like a war is coming, and I don’t think we’re ready for that. We don’t know what we’re up against, and we need to train, to be prepared for anything.”

  “You worry too much, David. The time will come when we have to talk of war, but let’s enjoy this small victory before we dive headlong into the coming problems. Go enjoy Bella, and we’ll talk more later. Maybe tomorrow you can pick out your house.