Crickets sing their nighttime chorus as the evening breeze rustles through the leaves above my head. I breathe deeply, taking in the rich smell of damp earth, leaves and maple trees.
In the distance, excited squeals echo followed by silly growls and laughter. I drift through the thick woodland ferns towards the sounds, drawn like a siren's song.
The ground slopes below me as it gently meanders to the water's edge. Towering oak and maple trees cast dappled shadows in the setting sun, making the scene below me look something straight out of a fairy tale.
A man plays with two small children by the rippling lake while smoke wafts from a cottage chimney behind them, looking like a greeting card.
As I get closer I recognize Chris, though he looks different. His black hair is a little longer, as is his beard, both making him look more rugged and every bit as handsome as before.
He roars and chases a little auburn-haired girl with green eyes and wild waves while a black-haired boy jumps on his back and wrestles him to the ground.
My chest tightens watching the wholesome scene. Chris is laughing and tickling the kids before making it back onto his feet and tucks a giggling child under each arm.
Suddenly his gaze finds mine and his golden-green eyes light up as a giant grin takes hold. It feels like my heart stops in my throat as I fight back tears.
"Chris," I breathe out, barely a whisper.
"Just in time!" he calls, fake dropping the kids and earning a new round of squeals and laughter. "I'll take them inside and wash up, don't be long."
My voice fails me as he turns and carts the kids off to the cabin and closes the door.
"It's not real," I whisper, closing my eyes and trying to erase the image now permanently seared into my brain.
It's not real...
It's not real...
After what feels like an eternity, my chest starts to loosen and my emotions calm back down. I open my eyes and focus on the new moonlight reflecting on the rippling water.
"That might be the most wholesome thing I've seen in a long time," a man's voice drawls behind me.
I spin around and snap my attention to the tall male standing maybe fifteen feet away. Short black hair, silver eyes and a smirk I can't forget instantly spark recognition for me.
"Lucian," I practically growl. "What do you want?!"
The Alpha male casually strolls down the bluff towards me and stops, his silver gaze practically sparkling in the rippling moonlight. He stands with his hands in his pockets, admiring the scenery without a care in the world.
"I can see why you came here... a good place to recharge," he muses.
I shake my head, the choice wasn't a conscious one.
"Mira put me in a deep sleep, but in the state I'm in, I can't fight off the Shadowman," I admit with a sigh. "When he showed up, I dove deeper and locked myself in the last dream I had."
"Smart move." He arches a brow and nods like he's surprised I came up with it.
"Not as secure as I thought, if you made your way in," I grumble.
He's not wrong though, there are worse dreams to have dropped into than this one. I didn't make it this far last time... just as I crested the ridge, Chris woke me up.
"It wasn't easy," he admits. "You're a tough nut to crack."
"I don't know about that..."
"Ha," he scoffs, turning his attention to me. "I hate to admit it, but I might have been wrong about you..."
YOU ARE READING
Luna Queen's Fury
Werewolf"How well can you know an abomination in sheep's clothing?" A chilling confession from a long-time hidden enemy leaves Chris reeling as the shadows around him grow. In the darkness the Shadowman hides, using people like puppets to strike and do his...
