Page 51 of Sweet Dreams

“Oh my God, that’s awful.”

“It was. Sallum held her for days, pouring his own energy into her, begging her to return. But, she never did.”

I swiped at the tear that slipped free from my eyes, “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because, I refuse to wait to love you,” his voice was so full of conviction I actually gasped, “Yes, I said it. I love you now, and I will keep on loving you while you decide to love me. Because there is no more waiting left in me.”

I swallowed, “That was a great speech.” My lips twitched, my heart pounding, the words I knew were true burning on my tongue. And yet, nothing came out. Finally, I licked my lips, “Thank you for loving me.”

Zaldi’s mouth stole my last words. And for a moment, I let his kiss carry me away.

***

Zaldi

I felt lighter than I had in years. In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time I walked through my village and didn’t feel like everyone in the world was watching. Well, they might be watching me still, but if the rumor mill was working as hard as it usually did, everyone here knew that this beautiful creature on my arm was my mate.

My fated mate.

It didn’t matter that we hadn’t crossed that final threshold-that she didn’t wear my bite. She would, someday, if I had anything to say about it. But just the fact that in the insanity of this world, we had found each other. That was enough.

“I feel like everyone is staring,” Lulu said, as if echoing my earlier statement.

“They are.”

She shrunk back, pressing against my side, “Z, why are they staring?”

I hummed in the back of my throat, secretly loving the way her body was plastered to mine. “Because you’re stunning.”

Lulu groaned, “Stop playing with me.”

I chuckled, “I’m not playing. Until Lord Arafel’s soul was returned to him, the magic here had dimmed. Fated matches were very, very rare. Now that magic is returning to the underworld, there is hope. And seeing you, maybe even seeing me, is reminding those who haven’t found a match that there still might be hope.”

Lulu relaxed, “Oh, I guess that’s not so bad.”

We walked along in comfortable silence for a few steps, then unable to stop grinning, I leaned close, “Plus, you smell like a combination of sex and babies. I’m sure they are all very confused.”

Lulu squeaked, her hands going to her now dark cheeks. “I am never going to be able to come back to this place.”

I laughed, curling low to press a kiss to the crown of her dark curls, “I’m just glad you want to.”

Together we made it over to the center of the village, where the largest building, a gathering place stood. Nicknamed the Core, it was used for a variety of needs, the immense dome shape open at the front. Once inside, the Core was divided into one large room at the base of the building, and a variety of small rooms all around the edges.

“This place is huge,” Lulu said, her head on a swivel as we passed through the large front entryway, immediately taking a turn to head towards my grandmother‘s office.

I knew she would be here and honestly, I need to ask her opinion of something before I let this go any further. I should’ve asked my brother, Albtraum, but I wasn’t interested in having that conversation with him. Grandmother may not be active chieftess any longer, but she still was the head of our family. That wouldn’t change, even as Albtraum took on more and more of the responsibilities of the head of the Incubi in the Underworld.

I didn’t doubt that he’d tell me the truth, but I wasn’t sure he would have the same bedside manner that Grandmother would offer. And I needed that, probably even more than Lulu did.

“What exactly are we doing here?” Lulu asked me as we swept into the familiar space. My grandmother, hearing the end of Lulu's statement, immediately stood up and swept her hands wide, obviously asking for a hug. Lulu flinched back at first, seeming to hesitate at the open affection the woman offered, but probably thinking of her own grandmother, stepped forward, embracing with a smile on her face.

“Oh, I’ll bet that I can answer that,” Grandmother said solemnly, after releasing Lulu and moving back to a small round table that took up much of the room. With a grunt, my Grandmother lowered herself to one of the colorful cushions that surrounded the table. She gestured for us to join as she spoke again. “My grandson, he's a worrier. I’m assuming that he wants to know whether or not we can figure out a way to keep you two together, even if Lord Arafel calls him back to the Underworld."

I’d been guiding Lulu to the floor at the same small table, so I could feel the moment those words landed and every muscle in her body went tight. “Is that a possibility?” Lulu looked up at me as I loomed over her, “That he might not let you go back with me?”

I looked at my grandmother, then Lulu, chose my words carefully. I didn’t want to pressure anyone, but I needed her to know–to understand what was on the line. “This is the longest that I’ve ever been in the Living World. Traum received special permission when he bonded with Bailey. He is able to come and go as he pleases, given that he continues to relay information to Lord Arafel. But my role, it is…more heavily based in numbers, reports, information. And I am, well, I’m unbonded.”

I watched Lulu’s throat work. “Oh.”