Summer of Frost (Forever Fae #3)(12)
“Good, now go on your walk and try not to fall into Alston’s clutches again.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” I assured him.
I closed our connection so I could think without knowing Oren could hear me. If Drake was the one for me then why wasn’t he coming to me like Ryder did with Calista, and the way Kalen did with Meliantha? Was it because we were both hard-headed as hell? I wondered. One of us was going to have to suck it up and make the first move, and it was looking like it was going to be me.
After everyone had scattered to do their own thing, I was tempted to follow Sorcha and talk to her. What was I going to talk to her about? I asked myself. She would think I was crazy if I started talking to her like I did in our dreams. She’d laugh in my face if I told her what we did every night in them together. My feet moved of their own accord, and guided me toward the pull that I knew was her.
“Fuck it!” I groaned out loud, making my decision. “I need to suck it up and find her.”
I ran into a servant along the way and she happily pointed me in the direction of where Sorcha would be staying. My heart thumped heavily in my chest the closer I got, the same way it felt when I got close to her at the Winter Ball. I was going to talk to her and go from there. Everything was going to be fine … or so I thought. However, my excitement died in its tracks when I turned the corner and saw someone I really didn’t want to see. What the hell was he doing here? Surely Sorcha wasn’t still with him? I wondered.
“Ah, Prince Dragon, so nice to see you again,” Alston sneered sarcastically.
He narrowed his eyes at me and took up a defensive stance. His hackles were raised, which clearly let me know he wasn’t as calm as he wanted me to believe he was. After our confrontation at the Winter Ball, I made sure to find out all about Sorcha’s lover. Apparently, he came from a wealthy family and was also the cousin to Sorcha’s best friend, Sarette. I was hoping that would explain why he was there.
“I wish I could say the same,” I retorted back.
Alston smiled at my comeback, but it quickly disappeared. “Are you here to see Sorcha? Because we were just getting ready to go for a walk. I’d ask you to join us, but I really don’t want to.”
Feigning boredom, I answered, hoping my lie was believable, “Frankly, I would rather stab myself in the eye before having to spend any more time around you. If you must know, no, I’m not here to see Sorcha, but I am shocked to see you here. I thought she would’ve come to her senses by now.”
Alston grinned and winked at me. “Sorry to disappoint you, but we’re still going strong … if you know what I mean.”
He was goading me, but I knew I couldn’t act on my anger and give him the satisfaction. “Glad to hear it,” I lied, balling my hands into tight fists. I had to get away from him before the rage got the better of me and I looked like a jackass. Turning on my heels, I headed back the way I came. “Have fun on your walk,” I grumbled over my shoulder.
“Oh, I will,” Alston called out, taunting me with the double meaning in his tone.
Picking up my pace, I sped out of the palace, losing my clothes in the process and not caring who saw. I needed the release, and I needed to clear my head. How and when did I start feeling like I couldn’t stay in control? I asked myself.
The fury in me fueled the dragon, and I gave in to it. My body stretched and my bones broke with the change as I ran toward nothing in particular. I just ran, trying to get the aggression out, and trying to get the Winter princess out of my mind as well. The transformation happened almost instantly, and with one flap of my wings I was in the sky where nothing and no one could bother me.
After spending hours in the dark, cool sky, I had finally decided to come down once my mood settled. The ground was wet and soft as I collapsed, naked and fatigued upon it. Falling asleep in the open wasn’t a going to be a good idea, so I used the energy I had left and walked back to the palace. The warriors posted outside didn’t say a word as I walked past them. The clothes I shed earlier were lying in a heap on the palace steps, and I was pretty sure Ariella was probably the one who did that for me.
Pulling them on quickly, I headed inside, going straight to the room that was given to me for the evening. Once I fell onto the bed and closed my eyes, it didn’t take long for the familiar pull to drag me under.
The setting of the dream this time was the Spring Court in one of the many gardens around the palace. Sorcha had her back to me, but she was pacing back and forth in the small gazebo up ahead. These dreams were beginning to get ridiculous, and in a way I wished they would stop. Leave it to me to dream about someone I couldn’t have, or better yet, someone that didn’t even exist.
The Sorcha in my dreams was kind, loving, fun, strong, yet very stubborn, and so full of life and excitement. We fought a lot, but it was always fun as hell. I like a woman who can keep me on my toes, and this Sorcha could do it. It was starting to get pathetic how I’ve made her up in my dreams.
The one thing that pissed me off was that the real Sorcha had to be a shallow bitch if she considered Alston to be someone worth being with. I came to the conclusion that these dreams needed to stop, and they were going to now. I couldn’t waste my time on a fantasy anymore.
When Sorcha heard me coming, she turned around and gave me a slow growing smile. It was the same smile she gave me after I made love to her. I hesitated for a second, thinking there was no way I could let her go, but then reality hit me again that this was only in my imagination. Maybe I needed to find someone to fill my bed, surely that would help get these damn dreams out of my head and clear my thoughts.