it off and reach out to me.”
He
sounded like Aidan!
Not the
monster haunting her nightmares, but the lover she’d dreamt about. His
loneliness … his desperation called out to her, made her want to speak to him. She could feel her hands taking
hold the necklace, drawing it upward when suddenly the chain turned white-hot.
She screamed, releasing it.
He howled his fury.
“You cannot escape your fate! You are destined to be my bride. Forever mine!”
Jerked wide awake, she sat straight up, gasping
for air. Hesitant to take the medallion in hand, she felt it was cool to touch.
Examining it, she saw the runes were nearly flush with the black cross and
something else was emerging — the outlines of two, howling wolves who faced
each other with the cross between them. Flashes of emerald green eyes made her
blink. Taken aback at the hypnotic quality, but they were not a woman’s eyes,
but a man’s. Like the one in her dreams.
As she ran her thumb over the wolves, it sent a
warm tingling through her hand and up her arm, straight to her heart. “Why are
you hidden? Who is not supposed to see you?”
The dogs paced back and forth, letting her know
they needed to go outside. Throwing back the comforter, she jumped out of bed
and opened the door. As she followed her dogs downstairs, she plucked at her
t-shirt, cringing at the wrinkled sight she was. Opening the door, her dogs rushed
outside, barking and playing, making her smile until she stepped into early
evening sunlight.
Eyes watering, she ran to the car, searching for
sunglasses. Finding a pair, she put them on and found relief. The skin exposed
on her arms and legs tingled, but fortunately did not turn red like yesterday. While
her dogs roamed around, checking out the area, she made for the edge of the
property, overlooking the dark green sea. Waves crashed into the golden-brown
sand shaping the small cove below her. Scouting her surroundings, to her left
was a trail leading into the forest. To her right, in the distance, a Ferris wheel,
several roller coasters, and other amusement rides.
“Well, hello, Santa Cruz. Let’s see what you have
to offer.”
Back at the SUV, she found the keys were still in
the ignition. “Well, my babies, if we can find money, we’ll head into town and
eat.” Rummaging around inside the glove box, she found a wad of cash and a bigger
surprise — a handgun. Checking to see if it was loaded, she dropped the clip.
“Silver bullets?” Popping one out, she examined
it. Touching the silver brought to mind images of a sword, Rathe killing the
two vampires at the truck stop. Setting the bullet in the clip, she replaced it
in the gun, and put it back in the glove box.
“Well, babies, we’ve got money. A cheeseburger
actually sounds pretty good today.” Seeing the skin on her arms turning pink
and itched, she sighed. “Suntan lotion is a must purchase today.”
Taking her toothbrush and paste out of the plastic
sack, she brushed her teeth and rinsed, using the last of the bottled water.
Putting them back in the sack, she opened the door for her dogs, and they jumped
in.
“First stop is food for you. Next is suntan lotion
for me.” The sun was becoming harder to bear the longer she was exposed to it.
Drivingdown the
dirt road and onto the highway, she was relieved Rathe had dark-tinted windows
on the SUV, giving her some relief. Downtown Santa Cruz was crowded with tourists.
Lucky opportunity when a parking spot opened, close walk for her and her dogs
to walk to the world famous Boardwalk. She left the dogs in the car, windows
down, and went into a nearby pet store, purchasing a bag of dog food and leashes
for them. After feeding them, she went to the pharmacy and purchased the
highest level of suntan lotion she could find. Outside, she slathered the
lotion on. It wasn’t enough.
“I guess it’s gonna take a little longer to adjust
to sunlight,” she said to Salish and Bear, who nuzzled her face. “Stay here, babies.
I need
He
sounded like Aidan!
Not the
monster haunting her nightmares, but the lover she’d dreamt about. His
loneliness … his desperation called out to her, made her want to speak to him. She could feel her hands taking
hold the necklace, drawing it upward when suddenly the chain turned white-hot.
She screamed, releasing it.
He howled his fury.
“You cannot escape your fate! You are destined to be my bride. Forever mine!”
Jerked wide awake, she sat straight up, gasping
for air. Hesitant to take the medallion in hand, she felt it was cool to touch.
Examining it, she saw the runes were nearly flush with the black cross and
something else was emerging — the outlines of two, howling wolves who faced
each other with the cross between them. Flashes of emerald green eyes made her
blink. Taken aback at the hypnotic quality, but they were not a woman’s eyes,
but a man’s. Like the one in her dreams.
As she ran her thumb over the wolves, it sent a
warm tingling through her hand and up her arm, straight to her heart. “Why are
you hidden? Who is not supposed to see you?”
The dogs paced back and forth, letting her know
they needed to go outside. Throwing back the comforter, she jumped out of bed
and opened the door. As she followed her dogs downstairs, she plucked at her
t-shirt, cringing at the wrinkled sight she was. Opening the door, her dogs rushed
outside, barking and playing, making her smile until she stepped into early
evening sunlight.
Eyes watering, she ran to the car, searching for
sunglasses. Finding a pair, she put them on and found relief. The skin exposed
on her arms and legs tingled, but fortunately did not turn red like yesterday. While
her dogs roamed around, checking out the area, she made for the edge of the
property, overlooking the dark green sea. Waves crashed into the golden-brown
sand shaping the small cove below her. Scouting her surroundings, to her left
was a trail leading into the forest. To her right, in the distance, a Ferris wheel,
several roller coasters, and other amusement rides.
“Well, hello, Santa Cruz. Let’s see what you have
to offer.”
Back at the SUV, she found the keys were still in
the ignition. “Well, my babies, if we can find money, we’ll head into town and
eat.” Rummaging around inside the glove box, she found a wad of cash and a bigger
surprise — a handgun. Checking to see if it was loaded, she dropped the clip.
“Silver bullets?” Popping one out, she examined
it. Touching the silver brought to mind images of a sword, Rathe killing the
two vampires at the truck stop. Setting the bullet in the clip, she replaced it
in the gun, and put it back in the glove box.
“Well, babies, we’ve got money. A cheeseburger
actually sounds pretty good today.” Seeing the skin on her arms turning pink
and itched, she sighed. “Suntan lotion is a must purchase today.”
Taking her toothbrush and paste out of the plastic
sack, she brushed her teeth and rinsed, using the last of the bottled water.
Putting them back in the sack, she opened the door for her dogs, and they jumped
in.
“First stop is food for you. Next is suntan lotion
for me.” The sun was becoming harder to bear the longer she was exposed to it.
Drivingdown the
dirt road and onto the highway, she was relieved Rathe had dark-tinted windows
on the SUV, giving her some relief. Downtown Santa Cruz was crowded with tourists.
Lucky opportunity when a parking spot opened, close walk for her and her dogs
to walk to the world famous Boardwalk. She left the dogs in the car, windows
down, and went into a nearby pet store, purchasing a bag of dog food and leashes
for them. After feeding them, she went to the pharmacy and purchased the
highest level of suntan lotion she could find. Outside, she slathered the
lotion on. It wasn’t enough.
“I guess it’s gonna take a little longer to adjust
to sunlight,” she said to Salish and Bear, who nuzzled her face. “Stay here, babies.
I need
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