Page 54 of His Stolen Queen
I nodded and winced, holding my head. Acheron was instantly by my side, his hand on my shoulder. I resisted the urge to sink into his touch.
"They-they don't feel so much like dreams though," I slowly revealed. "They felt so real. Theyfeelreal."
I'd been in this bedroom before—many times. I knew, without looking, that the rug beneath the bed was a forest green with tassels. The closed double door to my right was a walk-in closetthe size of my primary and spare bedroom combined. I knew the ensuite bathroom had a showerhead that felt like a waterfall.
My eyes flashed to the small shaggy rug by the fireplace, and my face flushed as I recalled the number of times we made love on it—the number of times he'd bent me over the bed, my fingers gripping the wooden post as he fucked me from behind.
In my dreams, of course. Weren't they?
"That chandelier is new," I commented before my mind could stop me.
He glanced at the ceiling, his brow ticked up in thought. "The old one fell," he confirmed slowly. "I had it replaced recently." He searched my face, his fingers brushing my bare shoulder. "You do not seem upset or scared."
I gave him a wan smile. "No. I don't suppose I am. Given what I suspect you are.
His nostrils flared, and his hand fell away from my shoulder, instantly chilling me. "My Elders will be here shortly to question you." His eyes once again slid over me, their depths confused. "You remember what you said to me before you fainted?"
I slowly nodded. "I called you King." My eyes met his. "Because that's what you are, right? The King of Eiriau?"
***
"This is highly unusual. But not completely unheard of," Henk confirmed as he scribbled away in a large book. "Not surprising given what you two mean to each other," he added mysteriously.
Acheron's Elders, plus Von—who was reintroduced as his bond-servant—were all crowded around me and had been for the past two hours. After performing a medical check-up, they all produced large notepads and started their interrogation.
Acheron remained by my side, his thigh pressed against mine as he sat next to me on our—his—bed.
Despite his close proximity wreaking havoc on my body, I found his presence comforting. He was the only one from my dreams I recognized. No one else existed in them. It was as if I'd created a world just for the two of us.
"They were not dreams," Stryo added.
"What do you mean?" Acheron and I both asked at the same time. We glanced at each other before Acheron reached out to grasp my hand in his. His touch was warm and not at all unwelcome.
Styro turned to me. "You described these dreams like they were real. As if it were a past memory."
"Yes. They felt real. Like a parallel universe that I visited. It felt…it felt like I was living my life and then walking through a door to live another one with…with…"
"With me." Acheron's voice was firm and arrogant. "Your mate."
I dropped my head as a quiet thrill traveled through me. Why did those words excite me so much? I belonged to no one but myself. And David. Oh, Christ, David…
"Did these memories start when you turned eighteen?" Henk asked.
"I'm pretty sure that was my first memory of Acheron. That morning when I woke, I remember being heavily affected by my dreams. I can only assume it mirrored my waking life."
The three Elders glanced at each other in silence. Henk turned to me in wonder. "If your mate has already been born, you come to the knowledge of who they are at eighteen. When you were born, Acheron felt it immediately."
I looked up at Acheron. His jaw pulsed as he squeezed my hand. "You-you did?”
"A Vampire’s heart is dead," Acheron added. "Only when their mate is born does it start beating. The moment you were born, my heart started. We don't usually know where or who they are until they are eighteen and the bond takes full effect. But I could not sense you at all."
His eyes shimmered, as if the memory physically pained him. "When you turned eighteen, my visions of you started. But I could not see your face. I only saw pivotal moments of your life—when you graduated, when you traveled to Europe." He paused, his eyes flashing. "And when you married."
I glanced away from him, my soul conflicted. Guilt filled my heart, sinking it with regret. I wanted to claim that my conscience burned from my betrayal of David—but I knew it didn't.
"We think that once Acheron knew who you were and met you, your dreams increased."
I nodded. "They went away for a long time," I recalled. "I also took sleeping pills that seemed to suppress them. When I met Acheron, they came back, but more intensely." I glanced up at him. "But I could never remember your face. I woke up, and all memories of my dream faded, except—" I broke away.
