When they touch me (Shelagh Milano)

Chapter 69

ARTEMISIA

The dripping sound gets me to open my eyes groggily.

My eyelids feel heavy, just like I slept for a thousand years and my body wasn't ready to wake up yet.

Sitting up, I hug myself instinctively as I look around in the shadowy cave. It seems to be made out of red stones and I shudder as a cold wind blows past me. Where did that come from?

I stand up on my wobbly legs and notice that I'm wearing what Matthew dressed me with before going to bed. What a strange dream.

I even feel the soreness still lingering between my legs as I take a few steps towards the crackling sound of a fire. I must be losing my mind.

Being pretty sure that this must be a dream as I can't feel Cassy at all, I reach the source of the crackling noise.

It isn't a fire, but a slow stream of what seems to be a river made out of lava.

What is this place?

It takes me a moment, lost in my own desperation of my spiralling mind as I lift my head to see a gloomy figure sitting on a stone with his head buried in his hands in the middle of the platform that is surrounded by the river made out of lava. "You have to be kidding me," I groan, making Fynn jerk up from his pensive pose.

His eyes widen as I let my arms slump against my legs. "Of course. Of all the strange dreams I could make, I have to run into you!"

He gets up swiftly, staring at me lost. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here? This is my dream, you idiot!" I yell, causing a low growl to pass through the cave.

I lift my eyes to follow the noise that seems to be creeping over the ceiling, and I gulp. "Was that Drake?"

"Missy!" Fynn barks, getting my attention back on him. "You have to wake up! What are you doing? How did you get here?"

"I just fell asleep, duh!" I answer, shaking my head.

He drives his hands through his hair, and I cross my arms. "This is some ugly lucid dreaming. I hate those."

Turning around shortly, I eye him up. "Why are you on that side? And I am here? Does this hold some kind of deeper meaning?"

Fynn clicks his tongue, his expression losing his confused traits. "No. It's just common decorum. You stay on your side, and I on mine."

I laugh, jumping as the growl gets louder, filling the entire cave with the sound.

"Can't I come to your side as well?" I ask finally, making him shake his head.

"No, Missy! You need to wake up," he snarls, "Weren't you busy with my brothers?"

I shrug, caressing my arms. "Well, we just went to sleep. And Logan told me that he loves me, so I thought-"

"He did what?!" he barks out, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

"He- He told me that he loved me, so I thought that I would have the best sleep in the world. And not end in this shabby cave." I have barely spoken the thought as a loud growl resounds again. Now it seems angry, and I think that I might have insulted him and his home. "Oh, no! I'm sorry!" I shout to the ceiling. "I didn't mean it like that. I really like it here."

Listening into the newly created silence, I add, "It's very cosy!"

"I can't believe that guy! Fucking idiot!" Fynn curses, turning his back at me to go back sitting down on his stupid stone.

"Perfect, at least you are being faithful to your true form in this dream," I murmur, making him look over his shoulder. "What does that mean?" he asks.

I shrug, continuing to look around. "You were a lot nicer in my last dream."

"You dreamed of me?" He asks with a chuckle, and I glare at him.

"No! No! No mocking allowed in Missy's dreams. This is my territory and I refuse to let you treat me badly even here." I say confidently, but he laughs. "Will you now, or will you not, help me over this damned river?"

"Come on, Ms. Confidence." He stands up, walking towards me. Reaching over the narrow river, he grabs me effortlessly, lifting me over the streaming fire to set me down gently on his side.

We stand there for a second, looking at each other until I tear myself off his gaze. "What were you doing here? You seemed a bit depressed."

"I'm just exhausted," he says, flashing me a sad smile.

Tilting my head at him, I feel confident enough to talk to him freely as I continue to convince myself that this is just a dream. "Why are you exhausted?"

"I just came back from training," he answers, making me look at him with a sarcastic expression.

He laughs as I shake my head. "Why can't you be honest even in my dreams?"

"Because that's how I am..." he answers in a husky whisper, and I gulp.

Losing myself in his dark intense gaze once again, I turn my head away only with difficulty, scoffing. "Stupid mate bond."

"Why are you saying that?" He tilts his head, leaning in to get into my line of sight.

"Because I would never like someone like you. You are... you are... Argh." I stomp my foot, wanting to get away from him, but he holds me back.

"So, you are blaming the Moon Goddess because she made you match with someone like me?" He asks, sadness flashing into his features for a second before he hides it. "No." I sigh. "I'm trying to blame her. But I can't..."

Looking down, I move my arms to hold his, caressing his muscular forearms with my thumb. "It's that have been attracted to you since first met you, and I was so happy about having you as a second-chance mate. But your

toove

make

it so difficult for me because you are always so mean."

"Sorry about that. But I have my reasons."

"What reasons?" I ask, looking back up at him.

"Ah, your dream contingent of questions has nearly come to an end," he jokes, making me click my tongue.

"Idiot," I murmur, and my heart skips a beat as he leans down, pressing his head against the side of my head.

I feel him breathing me in, as he chuckles. "If you tell me what your other dream was about, I will grant you all your answers to all your infinite questions."

"I'll pass," I say with a grin, making him laugh.

Taking a deep breath, he looks down

before meeting my gaze again. "I'm exhausted because it takes a lot to run from such an annoying yet

enchanting mate. I'm exhet t

my soul

because I should pour out mys

to you, and I don't know how you will take it."

I gulp as he leans closer, wrapping his arms around me. "I'm exhausted because my entitled brother gets it

all and always has an advantage et

because he simply exists. I'm

beli

exhausted because I'm running out of excuses to push you away from me, even if I know that you fit perfectly in my hold."

His arms hug me close to his chest, his hands wander down to grab my ass, making me gasp. "See?"

I nod, hypnotised by his scent and his gaze, and he grins slyly.

He opens his mouth, about to say something as another, louder growl ripples through the room. Clicking his tongue, he moves his eyes back from the ceiling to me. "Sorry, princess. But you have to go now." He presses his finger into my skin, triggering a point that seems to make me lose my senses. "Please forgive me."

"No! Wait! What?" I ask, panicking.

Feeling myself slipping out of my dream, he hugs me close one last time, growling into my ear lowly. "Don't forget that I came to fetch you. And I'll be the first to have you!"

Startling awake, I only get to feel stupid for a second as I feel like I have been set on fire. My lungs finally fill with air again, allowing me to take a deep breath, before I can scream my lungs out at the searing pain.