Stevie and I were dragging our bags down the stairs, when we heard Chase yell out.
“Yo! Cab’s here! Move your asses, ladies; we need to go.”
Stevie and I glanced at each other, grinning in anticipation. We hurried the rest of the way down the stairs to the front door. I followed Alex out with my suitcase trailing behind me, and Stevie stopped just outside the door. I turned to see her holding her hand over the door handle whispering something, and then I saw her hand glow.
I gasped and almost tripped on the path by the taxi. I thought I was the only weird one—a freak, as my mom used to say. Stevie began to walk toward me with her bags in tow, eyebrows raised as she saw my expression.
“Ry, why do you look so shocked?” Stevie asked
“Your hand! I saw what you did. I saw your hand glow,” I screeched.
Stevie shared a look with the boys before bringing her eyes back to me.“I don’t know what you’re talking about. You did bump your head the other night, so you could be seeing things. Now hurry, before we miss our flight.”
Stevie continued on to the cab like nothing had happened, but I know what I saw. There was no way I had imagined that. The strangest part was that her hand had glowed like mine when my emotions got out of control, my glow was blue, but Stevie’s was purple. This obviously wasn’t the time to get into all that, though, so I shook it off and decided to corner my sister on the long plane ride.
We arrived at the airport twenty minutes later. Once all the bags were out and the driver was paid, we all made our way into the airport to check our bags and go through security.
---
Once seated on the plane, I finally started to relax. I was actually going on my first-ever plane ride! On my first trip abroad – I was beyond excited to be leaving New Zealand.
Once the plane took off, everyone started to get comfortable. We had a long flight ahead of us: sixteen hours to Los Angeles and a further seven hours to Anchorage, Alaska, followed by an almost five-hour drive to Wonder Lake, to reach our destination. It was going to be a long-ass few days of travel. The first part of the flight went quickly.
I watched a few movies and caught some shut-eye. I couldn’t relax during the last leg. I needed to talk to my sister about what I saw back at the house. She was asleep beside me, but it was about time for her to wake up, anyway. I gave her a few shoves to wake her.
“Now would be a great time for you to drop the act and tell me what that really was, back at the house.”
She looked at me like I had three heads, but the look on my face told her I wasn’t going to let this go. With a long exhale, she finally responded.
“I promise you, Sissy, when we get to where we are going, I will explain everything. I can’t do that now—there isn’t enough time for the answers you seek. So please, just wait.”
“I can’t let it go for that long! I don’t even know where Wonder Lake is. All you told me is how long it takes to get there.”
“I know, Ry. Can you just wait, please?”
“Can I ask one thing?” She sighed.
“What is it, Ryan? I will answer it if I can.”
“What I saw back at the house, how your hand was glowing. I can do that too, can’t I?”
“I am so sorry, Ryan. You should have known about all of this so long ago. We couldn’t get near you. We tried to come for you, Ry, I swear we did. Mom wouldn’t let us. She is such a bitch for denying you the right to know the truth of—” I cut her off —I had zero interest in this wait-and-see game. I just wanted a straight answer from her. The longer she took, the more anxious I got. I just wanted the truth, for once in my damn life.
“Truth about what, Stevie? I have a right to know. Just answer me, for God’s sake.”
Alex leaned across the aisle and eyed us both.
“Now is not the time for this conversation, cousin. If you both could please keep the noise down, so we don’t attract any more attention from the other passengers, it would be appreciated.” As he finished, he shot Stevie a warning look that look shut us both up.
We spent the remainder of the flight quiet, occasionally making small talk with each other. I was still feeling antsy, needing answers from my sister. After the plane made its descent into LA, we left the aircraft to search for the boarding gate for our connecting flight to
Alaska.Once aboard the aircraft, we found our seats. Due to it being a smaller plane, we sat apart. Alex and Stevie were seated next to one another, with Chase and me a few rows behind. Once we got settled in our seats and fastened our belts, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, intending to get some shut-eye. After the plane was in the air, Chase leaned over and whispered.
“You will get all the answers you seek, cousin, once we get to Wonder Lake. I promise if Stevie does not tell you, I will.”
I opened my eyes and moved slightly so I could look my cousin in the eye. There was no deceit behind his words; I knew Chase would spill the beans if Stevie didn’t. I appreciated Chase so much at that moment.
“Thank you, Chase. I just don’t want to be lied to anymore. I deserve to know.” He gave me a warm smile and nodded. We spent the remainder of the flight in comfortable silence.
I couldn’t stop thinking about what I had seen my sister do. I would glow blue if my emotions got the better and I never understood why. I need my sister to help me figure this all out and soon.
After departing the plane, we made our way out to the parking lot. Stevie had organized a hire car for the time we were here. We stuffed all our bags in the SUV then headed out for the long drive. We were a couple of hours into our journey when I dozed off. I could feel the pull of my dreamland awaiting me.
***
I was walking through the woods, smiling up at the sky, when I felt the sensation of being watched. I stopped walking and scanned the area. He was here. I could feel him. I can’t explain it, but I could always tell when Kai or Nico was near in my dream.
“I know you’re out there, Kai. Why don’t you just come out?” I turned when I heard a bush rustle behind me, then I saw him.
One of the most beautiful men I had ever seen in my life was stalking me. His skin was flawless, his body a work of God himself. He was shirtless and had the kind of abs that men spend years trying to achieve. On him they just looked natural…meant to be. He had the most perfect set of teeth on display, and as I looked up to meet his gaze, I was drawn in by the most beautiful gray-blue eyes and was unable to look away. His hair was rumpled, a rich mix of brown with hints of blond.
“I have missed you, mi amor,” he said as he lowered his head to kiss me. I opened for him immediately, like I always did, and he slipped his tongue inside my mouth. He pulled away after a few minutes with a smile on his face, leaving me breathless and panting.
The sexual tension was palpable; I could feel my body heating with the need to have him inside me.“That’s one hell of a hello, Kai.”
“I have missed you and have not seen you as much I would like.” My dream guys were always so demanding. I never understood why—I mean, they were just dreams, after all, but it was so nice to feel needed and wanted by someone. Nico was the dominant one who always demanded my submission, while Kai was gentle and soft.
“I’m sorry,” I said, feeling silly for saying that to someone who was just a figment of my imagination but compelled to apologize for all the same.“Never be sorry, mi amor. I will take whatever time you give me.” I smiled at his sweet words.“Now that I am here, what would you like to do?”“I wish we had time, mi amor, but you are nearly at your destination now, and I must get back. I will visit you soon and explain everything, I promise.” What the hell was wrong with me? My dream guys were always weird like they actually had somewhere else to be. Sometimes I wondered if my subconscious was trying to make them seem more real.“Okay Kai, sure thing. Next time I want les
“Keep your damn voice down. I have no idea how he would even know she exists. Dad made sure no one knew about her to keep her safe. I wonder how long he has been visiting her if it is him?” Alex butted in. “Long enough for her to feel the need to protect him from us. She doesn’t want us to know that he visits her, and she doesn’t even know who he is.” I came around the corner then, having had enough of all this talk behind my back. They needed to start telling me the truth, right now. “I need to learn what? And who the fuck is coming for me?” They all spun around in shock. Stevie pursed her lips, obviously annoyed that I had been listening in on their conversation, but I didn’t care about her feelings right now. “Why don’t you have a seat, and we can start from the beginning and work our way up to the why and what, okay?” Chase was looking at me with pleading eyes, so I nodded and took a seat
“Stevie, it’s not your fault...” I didn’t get a chance to finish before Alex cut in. “We have company.” Chase moved to stand in front of me as if to shield me from our visitor. Stevie and Alex stood on either side of Chase, their bodies coiled tight with tension. I didn’t hear a car or even footsteps. “Well, well, the infamous Knox family has returned.” The man’s voice sent shivers down my spine, and not in a good way, either. “Tell me, Miss Knox, where is your father? Surely the great Ralph Knox did not let his prized daughter come here alone, unprotected?” The man’s voice had a harsh edge to it, and you could tell from the condescending way he spoke my father’s name that he hadn’t liked him. I didn’t understand why. This was the first time Stevie had been here, so how did he know her or my dad? Before I could think about it more, my sister spoke. “Randall Can
While standing in the shower, letting the water rinse away the day, I couldn’t stop my mind from going over all that I had learned, not only about myself but my family and even the world as I knew it. I would never have thought that a family could keep such secrets from each other. I finally gave up on trying to piece the puzzle which was my life together, and sighed and got out of the shower. I put my robe on and left my hair in a towel, deciding it was best to worry about my unruly mane later. As I was going through my bags, I realized I didn’t have anything suitable to wear. Or at least I didn’t think so. I’d never been to a party with witches, warlocks, vampires, and werewolves. I was just working up the nerve to go ask about the dress code when someone starts knocking on my door. Without waiting for an invitation, the door opened and my sister poked her head in. “Jesus, Stevie, I’m not even dressed yet.” “Oh please, Sissy
With that said, she slipped out of the back seat to join the boys. I took one last deep breath and did the same. Chase offered me his arm, and I linked to mine through his and gave him a nervous smile. He patted my arm and gave me a wink. Alex and Stevie led the way. Aswe approached the stairs leading to the front door, I start worrying I might trip and break my ankle.I was never any good at wearing heels, but Stevie insisted I wear them because "Converse was not acceptable to wear with a dress."I felt like everything was on display: my back was bare; my breasts were just barely covered. The slits up the sides were making me worry if a gust of wind came, everyone would be able to see the G-string I had on.As we reached the top of the stairs, Alex gave the guards a curt nod. The guards opened the two massive wooden front doors, and immediately I am assaulted by classical music and voices and laughter. I don’t know what I was expecting, but t
After making our way back inside and maneuvering through the crowds of people, Stevie leads us down the hallway near where we entered. We stopped outside a large wooden door. Alex knocked and we waited to be invited in. “Enter!” a voice shouted from behind the door. Alex opened the door, and we all filed in. The room was decorated in rich browns and maroon, with oil paintings in elaborate gilded frames. The fire was lit, and above the mantle, there was a portrait of a woman in a lavender gown, with a small hat atop her head. Her face was fanned with black curls and her skin was luminescent, even in a painting. She had the richest and vibrant violet eyes. They reminded me of Nico’s. I heard someone cough and turned to see Randall standing behind a massive oak desk. Behind him were floor-to-ceiling windows that perfectly framed the view of the forest and mountains. He waved us over to the other side of the room, where there were two couches and
“Who are you?” “My name is Melakai Cane, Miss Knox. I am the head of the vampire king’s enforcers.” He had a look of regret on his beautiful face. He was being so formal. I didn’t like it. Where was my relaxed sex god, who always made me laugh? “Kai, step away from her now before you do something you will regret,” Jax warned Melakai, taking a step toward us. “You take one step closer, Jackson, and you and I will finish what we started years ago—right here, right now,” Kai growled at Jax. “Melakai, son. Step away from the girl,” the king ordered. Son? Wait, did that mean Randall was his dad? With a final look at me to make sure I was okay, he took his hands off my hips. I felt instantly cold without his touch to warm me. I didn’t want him to let me go. I wanted him to hold me forever. He was real, and I needed to know if he was really in my dre
I awoke on the edge of the lake. Sitting up, I looked to my side, and sure enough, Kai was sitting next to me. This was our other dreamland. The lake was so beautiful and calm. It was my favorite place to be, surrounded by trees and mountains. Knowing Kai is now a real person and not a figment of my imagination, I felt shy and unsure. “Where are we?” I asked. “At Lake William, mi amor.” “I got that part, Kai; I mean is this place even real?” “Yes.” “Are you going to tell me where this place is located?” “You can find Lake William hidden in the mountains in Alaska. I found this place many years ago, with my brothers.” I was determined to find Lake William now. I didn’t want to waste any more time talk