Chapter 17

Later that night when Aubrey was alone in her room, she did a mental recap of how she’d spent her day. Something about how Barry was coming on to her so strongly didn’t seem right to her. Years ago, when they were in high school together, he barely noticed her, let alone spoke to her but here he was today, fawning over her as if he had been attracted to her since day one. It just seemed a bit odd to her.

When she eventually slept, she dreamt about Eric. The dream began in Freddy’s. She tried to speak but her voice wouldn’t come out even as she moved her lips. Barry came up behind Eric and put a leash around Eric’s neck. Eric tried to get it off, but the leather strap wouldn’t budge. Aubrey let out an inaudible scream, as she became panicked by the awful scene playing out before her eyes. Barry laughed and continued to hold on to the leash as Eric struggled. As a last resort, Eric changed into a werewolf and the leash broke off his neck. “Gotcha!” Barry said gleefully.

Aubrey woke up, panting and feeling disoriented. She checked the bedtime clock and it showed 5:05 a.m. Her alarm was set to 6:30 a.m. so that meant she still had like an hour to catch up on her sleep. She wondered if she could sneak into Eric’s dream and see what he was up to. Aubrey had inherited her mother’s “dream gift,” which enabled her to enter other people’s dreams. Only a few werewolves had this gift and were only allowed to use it with the permission of the host whose dream is to be entered. However, Aubrey had never declared to her father or any member of the werewolf clan about her gift. It was her little secret and she intended to continue to keep it that way.

She laid back in bed and willed herself to sleep. As her slumber deepened, she conjured up Eric’s image in her subconscious and spoke his name. Aubrey found herself walking through a haze of smoke and she walked into a cabin somewhere in the woods. The place was lit by candles and lanterns which cast a yellow glow around the room. It was a warm and homely place that made her feel like curling up on the soft couch and taking a nap. Although the cabin seemed familiar to her, Aubrey was absolutely certain that she had never been there before. Eric came out of the kitchen with a steaming mug of coffee in his hand and his eyes lit up when he saw her.

“There you are. I thought you’d never come back home,” he said with a smile.

Aubrey was startled. He wasn’t supposed to see her or even know she was there unless she made herself visible to him. How was it possible that he could see her?

To her surprise, she saw herself walking towards Eric to accept the mug of coffee. “Sorry, my love,” she said and gave him a quick kiss before sitting on the couch. “I nearly missed my flight,” she continued. “This new line I’m working on is giving me a headache. We’re running behind schedule and it’s so unlike us.”

Eric smiled at her warmly. “You know what, once this new collection hits the shelves, we’ll take a break and go wherever you want to go.”

“We?” Aubrey asked, grinning.

“Yes, we. Gary confirmed me as a partner and the Gary Silver Law Office is about to become Gary Brown. Plus, we will be getting a proper office with our very own staff and all in town.”

“Wow, look at you!” Aubrey beamed. “Congratulations!”

“Thank you, my love,” Eric grinned happily.

“I’m so proud of you,” Aubrey gushed, planting a kiss on his lips.

“Wanna show me how proud of me you are?” Eric teased, his eyes darkening with desire.

Aubrey set the mug in her hand on the coffee table and began to peel off her layers of clothing. “I would love nothing more,” she said with a sexy smile.

As she undressed, Eric held her face in his palms and kissed her deeply. He tugged at the rubber band holding her long hair in a ponytail and the thick, dark tresses came tumbling down on her shoulders and cascading down her back. When she was stark naked, she began to undo the buttons on Eric’s shirt. He shrugged off the shirt and quickly removed his pants, then he joined her on the couch, kissing her and running his hands over her body with the familiarity of someone who had touched her many times.

Aubrey laid on the couch sideways to make room for him behind her. He spooned her, kissing her neck and caressing her boob with one hand, while the other was nestled between her legs. He stroked her center ever so slowly, driving her crazy with pleasure as he did. Within seconds, she was wet and hungry for him. She lifted herself to a kneeling position on the couch, giving him an unspoken hint of how she wanted him to take her. Eric knelt behind her and entered her from the back, filling her up with his full length. His thrusts were hard and powerful, rocking her back and forth. She moaned loudly, urging him to pound keep up his pace. Eric grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled it, sending her to orgasmic paradise as he continued to drive himself into her with force of his desire.

He was calling her name and saying words to her that weren’t words, but she understood them. They were declarations of his undying love and promises of loyalty for all eternity. Their bodies and souls intertwined as they reached an explosive orgasm together, crying out each other’s name.

Aubrey watched herself and Eric make love like wild beasts, and she longed to be a part of it, but she knew she couldn’t. This was Eric’s dream and if she intruded, she would blow her cover and put herself in an awkward position. She felt flattered and confused at the same time to know that Eric felt this way about her. Why was he swearing his love for her in his dream, when in reality, he didn’t want to even acknowledge her as his mate? Or did he act cold towards her at the night of the Feast because of how she’d treated him rudely before?

With no answers to her questions, Aubrey receded into the shadows, leaving Eric’s dream. As she did, she felt a feeling of foreboding that she couldn’t quite understand. It was like having a premonition about something ominous but not knowing what exactly it was. It was the same feeling she’d had in her own dream, and she didn’t like it one bit.

She woke up just as her alarm began to ring. With a tired sigh, she threw back her covers and got off her bed. She’d woken up with a dark mood and she didn’t feel like going anywhere or talking to anyone for that matter, but her business needed her attention and she had tons of work to do. Heaving another sigh, she went into the bathroom to freshen up and get ready for her flight back to Anchorage.