Chapter Two
Three days later…
Thorn threw the blankets off his body. Why did he feel as if he were burning? The dream ripped through him. He’d been captured; there’s no way in hell he survived those injuries. Why did his body hurt if he died? Something wasn’t right, and he wanted to kill the person that had done this to him.
The last thing he remembered…
“Father.”
The touch of a cold hand on his forehead, the aroma of vanilla tickled his nose, and the wolf in him struggled to free himself from the heat and sickness.
Suddenly, the thoughts of the battle came to his mind. His fist struck first into the chest of the turned vampire. No recognition of his past friendship with Kevy registered in the eyes of the stranger who’d he fought. Burnt flesh recorded in his senses, looking around him for the death and destruction. Why were these Bolnav packed together? Louis’ claws ripping at his flesh. They weren’t Lycan. He could try to understand a turned wolf, but a vampire? The question remained when he woke the next time lying in his bed.
“Father?”
Thorn tried to open his eyes. The pain in his abdomen became so intense, he couldn’t be sure if it were real or not.
Until he heard his daughter beg, “Dad, come on, you have to open your eyes and show me you’re still with us.”
Attempting to speak, he asked, “Water?” Nobody heard him, his voice wasn’t working. He whispered in his mind, ‘Someone?’
‘Yes, my love.’
‘Who are you?’ Thorn asked the female who’d come to him a few times over many years, but only in his dreams. She always made him feel loved as she poured warmth and love into his soul.
‘What have you done?’
‘I’ve done nothing but protect my people.’
‘You have been gravely injured and must rest.’
Her angelic voice always seemed to soothe him. But, not this time. She only made his anxiety worse. ‘Where have you been?’ Thorn knew he’d been mortally injured. He wondered if all this was possible. Maybe he’d died and gone to the afterlife, whatever that may be.
‘You have been injured, I believe. I’m not sure though, you seem to be fading from my mind.’
‘I must be dead then. I’ve only known you in my dreams. Why do you seem so real to me? I’ve searched this earth for you and couldn’t find you.’ Thorn hoped years ago that this was his mate. But not ever finding her to be a real person, he’d given up hope.
‘You’re not dead, but close. I felt you fading over the past few days. You must rest, fight to live and come to me when you wake.’ She seemed to be angry with him.
‘I’m sorry. Why are you so mad at me?’
‘You take life and throw it carelessly out the window. How can I come to you if you’re always putting yourself in danger? Why do you tease about such an act?’
Thorn’s anger tensed his body. Why did she sound so irritated with him? ‘When have you ever tried to find me?’ He couldn’t possibly imagine why she’d never been real to him. She’d always helped him overcome the darkness. Now though, she seemed to be letting him go. If that happened, he believed he should ask one of his men to give him peace and let him go.
‘I’ve tried to find you, but I always thought you were just a dream. Now I question myself and believe you are real. Can you give me anything to help me find you?’
‘I’ve tried to find you in the past. When I wake from this dream, you disappear from my mind. I think you’re an angel sent to me. But we won’t meet, my love, for the deeds I’ve done, I will surely go to hell.’
‘I don’t believe that. You are acting silly. I only know you as being perfect!’
Her tinkle of laughter made him want to smile. His eyes were closed, and he was resting. His body badly damaged, the pain and suffering were a reminder that he still lived. Her coming to him only made him calmer. He finally wanted to sleep the healing of his people. He hoped his daughter and the other healers had taken him to his den well beneath the earth. ‘Please tell me where to find you?’
‘You shall find me. I know we are now closer to each other. Now, you need to go to sleep and heal.’ Her voice faded.
He now seemed to go deeper into nothingness. He wanted her to come back to him. He tried calling her back, ‘Wait! I don’t want you to leave me. I’m afraid this time is much worse than the times before this.’ Thorn, torn apart with need to know this woman, had no choice but to let the darkness, once again, pull him under…
Jayden woke with a start. Bolting upright, she found her body covered with sweat and dirt. She’d been lying on the ground next to her rose garden. Why did she feel so tired? She must have fallen asleep again.
Her man must be injured and near death. Two times in less than twenty-four hours was unheard of. Before, she’d had her dreams of him maybe a few times a month. This time, even more real to her, she felt his pain and suffering. Not wanting to leave him, she closed her eyes and tried to reconnect with him, to no avail.
Confused and dazed, she pulled herself up from the ground and made her way to the bench. Sitting down on it, she stared at her dirty hands. Her thick mass of auburn hair fell forward again, covering her eyes. She tucked the mess behind her ears, keeping it away from her face. Slamming her hand onto the bench she waited a few moments before pushing herself to a stand and walked back over to the garden, kneeling, she decided to soak in the soil and use its regenerating minerals to heal her broken mind. These dreams sapped the energy out of her. Jayden stuck both hands into the ground, the warmth helped take away the thoughts from her mind.
“Jayden, are you okay?” Her mother rushed to her side, kneeling down next to her, and wrapped her arms around Jayden’s body.
The warmth of her mother’s healing hands washed away any remnants of the dream remaining in her mind. “I’m okay, Mom.” Jayden kept both hands in the soil, and her mother joined her. As her mother’s hands laid next to hers, the instant healing poured into Jayden’s soul.
“Same?” her mother asked.
She shook her head. “No, it’s different this time. Same man as always, but he’s been gravely injured and is fighting to stay alive. I feel so helpless, he’s trying so hard to be brave and take care of me.”
The truth hurt worse because Jayden didn’t have the power to help heal him without actually touching his physical body. It’d been frustrating not knowing who he is. “I’m so scared for him. I’m not sure he’s going to make it, Mom.” Needing her mom’s touch, she squeezed her mother’s hands still in the soil. “The pain I know he’s in is worse than I’ve ever known before, even with him. He’d been injured before but not like this.”
“When was he injured?”
Jayden hadn’t shared with her mom the last dream a few days ago. “Only a few days. He’s created an empty spot right here.” She pointed to her heart. “When I didn’t hear from him, I thought maybe he’d lost the battle for his life. Now though, I feel even more confused than ever before.”
“Why is that?”
The gentle swirling her mother was doing to the palms of her hands comforted Jayden in a way nobody else would have been able to. Her mother had the gift of healing, empathy, and compassion for all living things. This is what Jayden needed the most, her mother’s compassion.
Closing her eyes, Jayden took a deep breath, trying to find the words to explain what she felt. Putting her thoughts into words was hard for her. She’d spent most of her childhood alone with her books and notepads. She’d been born in a third world country. The children didn’t have television, video games or public schools. She’d been homeschooled all her life, preparing to take over the job her parents had done for as long as Jayden could remember. “I would like it if you would join with me and experience the happiness and joy along with the sadness I feel for this man.”
Her mother tilted her head. “I’m afraid you are describing what it is to be in love with a man.”
“That is just too scary to think about right now, Mom. I can’t describe what it is because I have no words.”
Her mother closed her eyes. Their hands joining beneath the soil only added its strength to help her mother enter into her thoughts. Warmth spread through Jayden as they joined each other.
‘Jayden, you are a beautiful woman who is deeply moved by this man. I can’t see his profile. Have you ever seen what this man looks like?’
‘No. I’m not sure I would know who he is if I passed him on the street.’
‘I believe he is full of darkness; it would seem he might even be a vampire. Have you not met all of Lucien’s people?’
‘No, not yet. Mother, we only arrived a few months ago.’
‘I know, but I feel as if he is nearby. Can you not sense the same?’
‘I do, each time I dream of him. It seems he is near me.’
‘I sense the same. You must seek this man out and save him. You’re the light to his darkness. Only a mate is this strong.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, I’m positive.’ Her mother was a strong empath. She knew things no others did.
Jayden believed her. After her mother had left her mind, she felt empty and cold. Opening her eyes, she peered at her mother who now looked weak and tired. “It hasn’t gotten any better, has it?”
“No, but, child, you are definitely worth a little discomfort.” Her mother wiped her brow with the handkerchief she kept in her front pocket. “You must try to find him. He is suffering and greatly needs his mate. Evil is slowly taking over his soul.”
Her mother was right; Jayden had sensed this as well. “Are you okay?” She caught her mother as she swayed.
“I’m a little tired.”
This surprised Jayden, her mother had always been strong with her telekinetic powers where she could move something with her mind or leave her body’s physical being to enter into another. Psychic ability ran strong in Jayden’s family. This weak woman wasn’t at all like her mother. “Mom, are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, Jayden, stop worrying so much. Have these dreams been getting strong since we moved here?” Her mother stood and walked over to the bench to sit down.
Jayden followed. “I know since we moved to the United States these dreams are much more often.”
“Do you believe this is because he is here, or because you want to have something to believe in because you miss Romania so much?” Her mother never minced words. Always a straight forward person who sought out the truth.
“My beloved Romania is where I will always live in here.” Jayden pressed her hand to her heart. “I’ve spent many days and nights outside peering at the Cascades and imagining they were the Carpathian Mountains. But I am building my adult life here.”
“Well, I’ll tell you what I believe.” Her mother took her hand and held tightly. “I think he’s right here in these mountains. He’s in love with you as you are him.”
“Mom, how do you know this? I haven’t even seen his face yet.” Jayden didn’t know her mother had powers to tell where a person was.
“Give it time, he’ll prevail and find you. Your destiny lies with this man. Please be patient and he’ll come to you somehow, or some place.” Her mother wiped the stray tear from her cheek. “Don’t cry, baby.”
Jayden circled her arms around her and hugged her. Her mother trembled. “Mom, you’re exhausted.”
“I’m just a little tired. Maybe I’ve reached the end of my time.”
“Don’t say that!” Jayden growled.
“Child, it’s okay. When we reach a certain age, it’s time to pass down our gifts to our children.”
Jayden knew all this but didn’t want to accept the facts. Her mom seemed to still be so young. “Maybe you should go see the healer?”
Her mother’s blue eyes welled up with tears. “Don’t worry so much about me, Jayden. Our healer has her hands full taking care of our men as they go into battle every day against the evil ones.”
Jayden’s heart melted for her. “Mother, please go see her. I promise Cordelia won’t mind.”
“I don’t want to be a bother.” With a frown, her mother rubbed the back of her neck.
Jayden pushed her hands away and started to massage her. “You’re not a bother. Cordelia is going to be angry if you wait and it’s something that could have been fixed sooner.”
Cordelia Marinov, a powerful young vampire, was their healer now. The old ones passed on or were killed, Lucien’s mother being one of them. She’d become their healer at the tender age of ten when both of her parents were killed in a battle. They have been helping protect Lucien during a brutal fight with a Bolnav. She was terrified of those creatures and never wanted to confront one of them. After that, Cordelia had been placed under Lucien’s protection. The poor girl became responsible for their entire race. It seemed to Jayden, more responsibilities than she could handle. Even though, she did it with grace and poise.
“I will give it some thought.” Her mother stood up, swaying slightly, then catching herself against a tree before continuing toward the edge of the garden.
Jayden quickly caught up to her. “Mom, I’ll go with you.”
“I will see her when she has time. Until then, I don’t want to talk about this again with you.” Her mother had always been so stubborn.
“I’ll stop bugging you for now, but if you don’t go, I’ll go to father.” Jayden normally would never threaten her mother, but she felt desperate and knew this was something major, not a minor illness. She couldn’t lose her mother just yet.
“That’s just not fair to me. I promise I’ll go to your father myself and have him go to the appointment with me.” Her mother pulled her into her arms and gave her a hug.
When she relaxed against her, her mother whispered near her ear, “Go, child, you must find this man. He is your mate, and I want you to be happy.”
“How can I be when I’ve never even touched him? But I believe I am in love with him.” The admission was dredged from a place beyond logic and reason. “How can I have such strong love for a man I’ve never met?”
“Jayden, you are a passionate, caring, and loving woman. If you feel this way, it only means you must be his mate. You’re of the gypsy people, which makes you compatible. Do you remember when I explained to you how the male vampire carries around the darkness?”
Jayden nodded. “But I am not a vampire.”
“I know, but you have the gifts to be the mate of a vampire. Always remember you could be the light to his dark. If this man is truly someone you can save, then that’s what you need to do.”
“I’m afraid,” Jayden admitted her fears.
“There’s no time to be afraid. What if this man is a warrior who fights the evil? He is suffering and needs to find his mate. You must try to find him.”
“I can’t be mated to a man who has to be buried alive to sleep. How would that work?” This fear alone stopped her dead in her tracks. There would be no way she would sleep underground as the vampires do.
“Jayden, you need to listen to me. Walk with me, I’m feeling better.” They joined hands to walk from the garden. Walking always helped clear her mind.
“Mom, you know Dad wants me to go to college before I even think about marriage or finding a husband.”
“I know, he’s always laughed and told you to live life to the fullest.” They continued on the path toward the house.
“What if I meet this man and he wants to marry me before I do all that?”
Her mom stopped walking, “You need to follow your heart.”
“I’ve been thinking, what if I wish to follow in your footsteps and serve Lucien or another family?”
“You need to do what makes you happy.” Her mother squeezed her hand and pulled her into a hug. “Take some time and think about all this. For now, you have the coffee shop to worry about. Once you get that up and running, you’ll be able to decide if it’s college or something else that will make you happy.”
Her mother was right. “Okay, I’ll talk to Lucien about all of it.”
“I would say that is a great idea.” Her mother’s smile brightened even more. She seemed to have more energy as they made their way to the house her parents lived in.
They stopped after climbing the steps and made their way to the swing. “Sit for a spell. I need to relax before starting dinner.”
Jayden helped her mother sit down then she joined her. “You know, what if I meet this man and he doesn’t want me to work?”
“Then he isn’t the man for you. I honestly think he’d be okay with whatever you chose to do as long as you’re happy.”
“How do I know who he is? Will I just walk up to every male vampire and say ‘hey, are you my mate?’ ” Jayden chuckled at her own dramatics.
Her mother joined in the laughter.
“Oh, Mom, this man is driving me insane. How can I be sure of this when I’ve never even seen his face? I’ve only heard his thoughts and seen some of his memories.”
“I don’t know how to answer that question. Right now though, your thoughts are jumbled around in your own head. You must search for him. The next time he comes to you in your dreams, tell him you need his name. He needs you even more, this won’t work unless you both try.”
“I’m still not convinced he’s not a figment of my imagination.”
“First off, start by believing he is real. Once you do that, maybe it will bring him closer to you.”
“Do you honestly believe that is how it all works?”
Her mother nodded pulling Jayden into an embrace. “Remember, if this man is a vampire hunter, warrior or elite assassin, then he’s in danger of turning before you find him. If he becomes one, he’ll be lost forever.”
Pulling away, Jayden gazed into her eyes. “Mom, why do they call the turned vampire a sick devil?”
“It is the words of Lucien’s father, Lucius. When they came up with that title, it was so there would be no doubt who they hunted and killed. Once a turned vampire goes evil, he is like no other, a devil or darkest demon…a Balnav.”
“I understand. Do you think I should go to Lucien and ask for his help in finding this man?”
“No. Let’s not bother him with this. You must be prepared to meet him for the first time. It will be intense and confusing, so strength is needed from you. Do not question the meeting but embrace it.”
“What if he is a vampire, will I have to be one of them?” Jayden felt afraid of a conversion. She’d heard terrible stories of human conversions gone wrong. It seemed too painful until the human in you died, and a vampire emerged. “I’m not sure if I can sleep as they do.” Jayden felt frightened of many things and being buried alive was one of them.
“Child, really? You are always in the healing soil of our people. It’s no different. Your mate will take care of everything. Besides, it’s not like they actually sleep in the dirt. No, they all have chambers that are deep in the ground under their houses.” Her mother chuckled.
Jayden shivered, the tremors increasing slightly with the thought of her dream man actually being real. “I’ll be strong. Thank you for everything.” She hugged her.
“Jayden, I must leave now. Are you going to open that little coffee shop soon?”
“Yes, tomorrow is the inspection. I can open after that…well if I pass.” She smiled.
“Please, for your safety, be careful when in this town alone.” Her mother’s forehead creased.
“Why the warning, Mom? I’m under the care of Lucien, so if anyone bothers me, he’ll take care of them for me. Right?”
She wore a frown as she answered, “Yes, but he must sleep during the day.”
Jayden understood her concern. “Don’t worry, I’ve been trained. We must protect Lucien and his people while they sleep.” She thought her mother’s concerns were a little overzealous.
“I realize this, Jayden. But remember, you are just a woman. We’re not as strong as our men. What if it is a Bolnav demon pup—a rogue Lycan?”
“What about it?”
“You remember me telling you about when Lucien, his father, and all their people came over from Romania?”
“I remember most of what you said. But what does this have to do with me?”
“After the Lycan came from the Ukrainian, our people encountered their first turned evil Lycan. The people named it the Bolnav demon pup, which stood for a sick demon wolf or in laymen’s terms, a rogue Lycan. How can you even consider protecting yourself from one of those?”
“I know.” Jayden didn’t know where her mother was going with this scenario though.
“It is also why the Lycan and vampire have agreed they can never mate. If a child was ever conceived, could you imagine how dangerous the mix could be if they turned rogue?”
She shivered. “Mom, please stop, you’re worrying me to the point I won’t want to leave my bedroom.”
“Just know that you can’t always get yourself out of things. Your father always told me, don’t fight strong, fight smarter.”
“I’ll try. Now, on with you.” She walked her mother across the yard and gave her a gentle push toward her own home. She’d lived in a little cottage behind their home since they moved here from Romania a few months ago. “You must go see the healer. Something is off with you, I can feel it.”
“I know, and I promise.” Her mother kissed her cheek. She walked a few steps then turned toward her. “I love you, daughter. I will remind you of one thing.” She held up her finger. “If you meet your mate, you’ll know immediately. Don’t be afraid of him. And if he’s vampire, the man will love you with his everything, that I promise you.”
“Thanks, Mom. Love you.” Jayden waved.