Lover Dearest

Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I awoke to an empty bed, a pounding earache, and swollen eyes. Dallas must have left halfway through the night.

I got up and stretched my painfully sore body. I looked in the mirror on the dresser and smiled at the beautiful pendant hanging around my neck. It had found its way to me, and I never planned on letting it go.

I took a quick shower and dressed comfortably in a flowing white tank top with a pair of my favorite denim shorts. I slipped on my white vans and pulled my hair into a side braid that somehow turned out inexplicably gorgeous. Every time I put my hair in a braid before, it always ended in a mess with hairs popping out and strands flying everywhere. I guess the dreamscape allowed me to flawlessly style my hair as well. A straggling thought shuddered into my confused mind. Training starts today.

Heading down to breakfast, I mentally thanked myself for the cute outfit I had pulled on. There were at least fifteen different people seated at the breakfast table and there was a constant trickle of more people into the large room. I didn't spot Dallas anywhere so I just grabbed a plate and started piling it with pancakes and sausage. I reached for the syrup as I sat down and a younger looking girl around the age of fifteen shot me a death glare that made her look like a child about to throw a temper tantrum. She was seated directly in front of me and had long auburn hair with wide brown eyes. Coupled with her young age, she looked like Bambi.

I just kept my head down and started eating, avoiding the eyes of everyone around me.

There were about twelve guys and three girls, not including me. With more people coming in, though, I was anxiously awaiting Dallas' arrival, considering he was the only person in this entire place that I actually knew. Well, that and I wanted to gauge his attitude towards our little make-out session from yesterday and my mental breakdown from last night.

Someone must have heard my silent prayers, because everyone in the room looked up at someone behind me. I turned and smiled at him. He cleared his throat, as if to make an announcement. He wore a short sleeved white tee shirt that accentuated his taut muscular chest. It took almost all of m self control not to drool. His sandy blonde hair was barely controlled in messy but extremely sexy waves. He exuded confidence and that just made him all the more attractive.

"Hello everyone. We have a special guest with us tonight. Kristen, will you please stand?"

The way he asked the question was like a statement, not a question.

I complied with his request and stood up shakily, while trying to give off some sort of confidence. Most of the people in the room looked around my age, but some were in their late thirties and forties. The people who ran things, I assumed.

"Everyone, this is Kristen, and yes, the rumors are true. She is the reincarnation of Chaos."

A collection of soft gasps resounded from around the room. Most were from the younger looking crowd, and another question popped into my head. If Dallas had stopped aging at his young age, then why were some of the people in the room much older than him? I brushed the question off, plenty of time for questions when we were training. Now was the time for introductions.

Dallas motioned for me to come stand next to him in the entrance to the dining room on a row of small steps to where there was a perfect view of the room like a stage.

Standing next to Dallas, I tried to soak up the conviction he was spewing, but it was harder than it seemed. I thanked my lucky stars that my face and hair still looked perfect from my trip to the dream scape, even more so since I had just returned last night. I reached up and caressed the necklace around my neck, grateful for its presence giving me strength. I had never been a social person, I was the shy loner girl that only really talked to boys over text messages and was too scared to approach anyone I didn't know or ha a crush on. I was determined to change that girl, starting now.