The pounding on her door prated the deepyers of sleep. Freya fought the thick fog forcing her eyes closed, making her body heavy. rm spread. It was as if she had been drugged. Her gaze found the small rm clock on the bedside table. Three o’clock in the afternoon. She had slept two hours away. She sat up slowly, feeling as if she was wading through quicksand. The pounding on her door began again.
The sound echoed in her head, thundered at her temples.
“What’?” She forced her voice to be calm, although her heart was mming against her chest. She was in trouble. She needed to pack quickly, run. She knew how futile it could be. Wasn’t she the one who had tracked four serial killers following the mental path of their thoughts’? And this man was a thousand times more powerful than she. The truth was, she was intrigued by him. She had never met anyone like him before. She wanted to stay and learn from him, but he was far too dangerous in his casual use of power. She would have to put distance, perhaps an ocean, between them to be truly safe.
Although, she had a feeling that even that was possible.
And wasn’t he the reason why she hade back in the first ce?
“Freta, are you all right’?” The male voice was filled with concern.
She knew it was Kyran.
Kyran. She had met him during her highschool days. They had be friends. But when she had found out that he had been ced by her mother to keep an eye on her, to spy on her, she had doubted his friendship, and they had begun to grow apart ever since then.
When she hade in this afternoon with Yodah, she had seen and found amusing his jealousy which weren’t hidden from his grey eyes. She had thought that he had gotten rid of his feelings for her.
She might have been tempted to return it, seeing as he had filled out in the right ces, but for the man from her dreams.
She had to talk with Yodah.
“I’m fine, Kyran, just a touch of tiredness, I think,” She assured him, feeling far from fine. She shoved a shaky hand through her hair. “I’m just so tired. I came here to rest.”
“Aren’t we having dinner lunch?” He sounded intive, and that annoyed her. She didn’t want any demands on her, and thest thing she needed was to be in a crowded dining room surrounded by a lot of people.
“I’m sorry. Another time, maybe.” She didn’t have time to be polite. How could she have made such a mistake as she hadst night? She was always so cautious, avoiding all contact, never touching another being, never getting close. It was just that the stranger had been broadcasting so much pain, so much loneliness. She had known instinctively that he had telepathic powers, that his istion far exceeded hers, that his pain was so great, he was considering ending his life. She knew what istion was. How it felt to be different. She had been unable to keep her mouth shut; she had to help him if she could. Freya rubbed her temples in an attempt to relieve the pain pounding in her head. It always hurt after using her telepathic powers.
She only hoped that he was the man from her dreams, or else… she didn’t want to think of the oue.
Pushing herself up, she moved slowly to the bathroom. He was controlling her without contact. The thought terrified her. No one should be that powerful. She turned the shower on full force, wanting the steady stream of water to clear the cobwebs.
She pulled on faded jeans and a crocheted sweater in defiance. She had sensed he was Old World and would frown on her American clothes.
She heard maleughter, low, amused, mocking.
“You would try to defy me, little one.” He said.
Freya sank down onto the bed, her heart beginning to pound. His voice was ck velvet, a weapon in itself.
“Don ‘t tter yourself. I love the dressing.” She replied.
She forced her mind to be calm even as she felt the brush of his fingers on her face. How did he do that? It was the lightest caress, but she felt it down to her toes.
“And where were you thinking of going?”
He was stretchingzily, his body refreshed from his sleep, his mind once more alive with feeling. He was enjoying sparring with her.
“Lunch.” She stated simply.
“Do you y chess?” He asked.
She blinked at the strange question.
“Chess?” She echoed.
Male amusement could be very annoying.
“Chess” She repeated.
“Yes. Do you?” He asked.
“Of course.” She replied.
“y with me.” He intoned.
“Now?” She asked.
She began to braid her heavy mass of hair. There was something captivating in his voice, mesmerizing. It tugged at her heartstrings, put terror in her mind.
“I must feed first. And you are hungry. I can feel your headache. Go down to lunch and we will meet at eleven tonight. Say hi to your mama for me.” He said with augh.
“No way. I won’t meet with you.” She decided stubbornly, refusing to point out that her mother might not ept him as her bride. The older woman had stared at Yodah so strongly that thetter had squirmed for the first time since she had known him. The former hadn’t spoken to him either, except when she had asked for his name.
She knew that they would be having a mother to daughter discussion soon. She wondered if she should tell her about thee man of her dreams.
She didn’t even know his name.
“You are afraid.” She heard him say.
It was a clear taunt.
Sheughed at him, the sound wrapping his body in mes.
“I may do foolish things asionally, but I am never a fool.”
“Tell me your name.” She intoned.
It was amand, and Aiden feltpelled to obey it.
Did witches also have this sort ofpelling power?
“Aiden.” He replied.
She loved his name.
“Tell me your mother’s name. I’m curious.” He asked.
She forced her mind to go nk, to be a te wiped clean. It hurt, sent darts of pain through her head, made her stomach clench. He was not going to take what she would have given freely.
“Why do you fight me when you know I am the stronger? You hurt yourself, wear yourself out, and in the end I will win anyway. I feel the toll that this way ofmunicating takes on you. And I am capable ofmanding your obedience on a much different level.” He stated.
“Why do you force what I would have given, had you simply asked?”Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.
She could feel his puzzlement.
“I am sorry, little one. I am used to getting my way with the least amount of effort.” He replied.
“Even at the expense of simple courtesy?” She inquired.
“Sometimes it is more expedient.” He answered.
She punched the pillow.
“You need to work on your arrogance. Simply because you possess power does not mean you have to unt it.” She said.
“You forget, most humans and beings cannot detect a mental push.” He pinpointed.
“That isn’t an excuse to take away free will. And you don’t use a push anyway; you issue amand and demandpliance. That’s worse, because it makes people sheep. Isn’t that closer to the truth?” She asked, feeling annoyed.
“You reprimand me.”
There was an edge to his thoughts this time, as if all that male mockery was wearing thin.
“Don’t try to force me.” She stated simply.
“I would not try, little one. Be assured I can force yourpliance.”
This time there was menace, a quiet danger lurking in his voice.
His tone was silky and ruthless. Even as he remembered that only one person had escaped hispulsion. Emma.
“You’re like a spoiled child wanting your own way.” She said.
She stood up, hugging the pillow to her protesting stomach.
“I’m going downstairs to have lunch. My head is beginning, to pound. You can go soak your head in a bucket and cool off.”
She wasn’t lying; the effort to fight him on his level was making her sick. She edged cautiously toward the door, afraid he would stop her. She would feel safer if she was among her people.
“Her name, please, little one.”
It was asked with grave courtesy.
Freya found herself smiling in spite of everything.
“Her name is Leonarya.” She replied.