Wrath opened his eyes and lifted hishead. “Yeah. Tired.”
“Dreams?” Cael moved thewater with his hand, the steam swirling with the motion.
Wrath nodded. “I turned twenty-eighttwo days ago.”
“I know.” Cael’s blue eyesnarrowed. “Can I make a suggestion without you biting my headoff?”
Wrath chuckled. “You cantry.”
Cael blew out a breath. “Have youconsidered finding a human to fuck? Or a vampiress? I mean, I knowpurebreds are out of the question—they hate us too much—but youmight stave off the beast’s blood lust if you partook of somefleshly pleasures.”
Wrinkling his nose at the phrase“fleshly pleasures,” he shook his head. “I can’t.”
“You mean youwon’t.”
“No, I mean the thought ofbeing with anyone but Trinity makes my wolf nuts. I know you thinkshe’s only in my imagination, but she feels so real tome.”
“You know why I’m asking,”Cael said. His gaze moved away from Wrath, as if he couldn’t bearto look him in the eyes.
“I do. It doesn’t changethat my wolf is pissed and wants Trinity. To be entirely honest, Idon’t think I could even get it up for anyone but her. I’d just endup pissing off the wolf more.”
Silence settled over them, Wrath’smind slipping to thoughts of his mate.
After a few quiet moments, Cael said,“I don’t want to have to put you down.”
Wrath nodded sharply. If anyoneunderstood the burden of the second-in-command, it was him. Hewanted to promise that he would take himself out when the timecame, but it was an impossible promise to make. Once the blood lustcame and the beast began to take over, he wouldn’t have thefaculties to kill himself.
“I still have a few years.I’ll fight as long as I can and keep hoping that she’ll appear tome before it’s too late.”
“That would make her moreprophesy than dream,” Cael mused.
A few males wandered in to soak, andWrath climbed out. Anchoring the towel around his waist, he wishedthe males a good rest and stalked away to his private cavern. Thesleeping pallet beckoned, and he dried his skin and hung the towelover a rocky outcropping to dry. He sat on the pallet that wasplaced on a section of bedrock to elevate it off the carved floor.He was about to climb under the furs when he decided to light oneof the lanterns. As a Blood Wolf, he had no trouble seeing in thedark, one of the benefits of his vampire genetics. Usually hedidn’t bother with a light while he slept, considering it a wasteof oil or candles to do so.
But tonight he had the urge to light anearby lantern. He lifted the hurricane glass of a lantern on aledge, struck flint and steel together, and lit the wick. He putthe glass back in place and turned the lantern down to the lowestsetting, just bright enough to illuminate the cavern. He stared atthe lantern and then looked around his cavern. It was verymasculine, but he knew he could make it homier once Trinity washis. He’d bring her flowers. Hunt the tastiest animals for her toeat, bring her clothes from the human settlement or help her makeclothes from animals he hunted. His people wore mostly trousersmade of hide from the albino antelopes that roamed the area in thefall months, and he’d hunt a hundred for her, so she’d haveeverything she needed.
He’d work his ass off to make theirprivate cavern and the system of caves a home for her. A real homefor both of them.
He settled under the furs and put hisarm behind his head. He stared up at the carved ceiling andwondered where Trinity was and why they weren’t together. Was sheas tortured by dreams as he was, or was he the only one who dreamedof them together?
What if he recognized her but shedidn’t recognize him? That would be a hell all on itsown.
His right arm ached suddenly, and herolled his shoulder and stretched it a bit, finding his skinfeeling prickly and the muscles sore for no reason he coulddiscern. He looked at his skin but saw nothing, and figured it wasleftover muscle strain from the long hunt. Closing his eyes, hepushed away the odd sensation and focused on the only thing in theworld that made him happy: Trinity.
ChapterFour
Trinity woke slowly and let out a yawnas she snuggled deeper into the covers. As she inhaled, she caughtthe scent of something amazing that reminded her of warm spices.She smiled to herself, thinking that it must be the body lotionshe’d gotten in a gift bag for conference attendees. Thedessert-themed contents had included a compact that looked like amacaroon and snickerdoodle cookie scented lotion, along with someother fun items. Since snickerdoodles were her favorite cookie,she’d enjoyed the lotion immensely.
Her stomach growled and she sighed,not wanting to get up yet. She was way too comfortable and toastywarm. The sheet she was laying on was super soft, and the blanketover her was warm and soft like fur. She frowned and ran her handover the blanket. It wasn’t the slightly scratchy comforter she wasused to but felt like animal fur.
Opening her eyes, she found herself onher side and staring at a carved rock wall, a lantern on a ledgeproviding a bit of flickering illumination. For a moment, she hadthe strangest feeling that she wasn’t in the hotel room. But thenshe realized what was happening.
She was dreaming.
Her eyes adjusted to the lanternlight, and she knew she was in Wrath’s private cavern. Sherecognized an alcove carved into the wall with leather-bound books,a jar with the fangs of the vampire who’d killed his mother, and afew rolls of parchment and some sharpened coal that he used towrite his plans to destroy the purebred packs.
She couldn’t remember a dream being sovivid and feeling so real before, but she liked it. Especiallyafter the weird day she’d had and the strange woman who hadn’t lefther thoughts even though she’d tried to banish her.
Easing to her back, she yawned andstretched, enjoying the way the lantern light danced on the carvedceiling. The cavern was the perfect temperature, not too warm andnot too cold. Since the world lacked anything modern, including airconditioning,
