Beth watched Mary Lynnette pacing the floor of her guest suite. Beth shook her head as Mary Lynnette washed her face and reapplied her make up for the third time. She was genuinely concerned for her cousin and her soulmate. They had run head long into more obstacles in their stormy relationship than she and Hunter had ever experienced.
"What is wrong Mare?" Beth finally asked partly to help Mary Lynnette and partly to get her to stop the pacing that was making her nervous. Mary Lynnette picked up her brush and attacked her hair with it.
"I promised to talk to Ash, well actually to give him a piece of my mind for not coming back when he said he would.'" She threw her hands up in frustration, "But I can't be mad at him. My God, he got staked trying to protect you. How am I supposed to be mad for that?" She looked at the brush like it had sprouted arms and tossed it on the bed. "What is wrong with this picture? When did he become a knight in shining armor?"
"Mare, " Beth said softly, "for the first time in his life, he's doing something right."
"I know and that's making me nuts."
"Am I missing something here?" The pained look on Mary Lynnette's face confused Beth. "Never mind." She took Mary Lynnette by the hand and led her to a balcony over looking the garden area. A crystal clear pool sparkled just below. Water splashed and laughter carried in the darkness. Quinn and Rashel were enjoying a late night swim. Cool desert air with the soft scent of jasmine whispered through the garden. A full moon watched over its domain in serene silence. Movement by one of the giant columns that dotted the outer perimeter of the garden caught Mary Lynnette's attention.
"Ash is down there." Beth said innocently.
She didn't have to tell Mary Lynnette, she could sense him. His nervousness seemed to swallow him. It showed in every stiff move he made. He sat down, his back against the column and watched the couple frolicking in the pool.
"What am I supposed to say to him? Hi. I'm not really mad at you and I'm glad you saved Beth's life now let's forget you broke your promise?"
"Mare, you know way down in here that he couldn't come back." Beth poked Mary Lynnette's chest right over her heart. "I really don't know what the problem is, the REAL problem but I think you'll find his arms the safest place in the world instead of hiding in that shell you're in."
That comment startled Mary Lynnette "You and your psychology are beginning to spook me."
"Why don't you give him that bracelet you bought for him?"
Mary Lynette glowered at Beth, "You're very spooky since you met up with Hunter." She grabbed her purse, "How did you know about this?"
"I'm psychic," Beth smiled, "anyway today is Ash's birthday."
"Oh." Some birthday, she thought, watching Ash lean his head back against the column looking up. At the stars, she realized. He really did look at the stars, probably wished on them too. She had a feeling she knew exactly what he was wishing. The same wish he'd made the day he left Brair Creek. To be human.
"Mare, if not for yourself, then do it for him. He's so very different from what you think about him. Look at it this way. He's a typical macho teen-age guy who likes fast cars and pretty girls. So what if he's a vampire? He loves you and I think he's kicked himself a thousand times over for not going back for you."
Mary Lynnette thought for a few minutes. When had Beth become so insightful? Look who her soulmate was, if anyone deserved a cold shoulder from a soulmate, it was Hunter Redfern.
She dug around in her purse and pulled out the box holding the bracelet she had purchased a few weeks before Ash was supposed to return to Briar Creek. She studied the heavy silver trinket. His name was engraved on the top and on the underside her initials plus the word SOULMATES. Rowan's suggestion so that the NightWorld couldn't trace her by her name.
She dropped the bracelet into the box and looked at Ash again. She hugged Beth. "You watch Hunter, I don't trust him."
Beth shrugged, "I can't help it. I came back from the dead you know, just for him."
Mary Lynnette snorted, "Yes, and you gained a son who's older than you are." "Quit delaying the inevitable. Go claim your soulmate"
Nervous butterflies felt like they riding an angry ocean wave in her stomach as Mary Lynnette pushed the French doors open. She was calling a truce, right here, right now, and swallowing her pride. She rubbed her thumb over the velvet jeweler's box like a worry stone. She could do this, she really could. Quinn and Rashel brushed past her casting a knowing glance in her direction. Quinn actually winked at her.
Mary Lynnette took a deep breath and stepped around the column."Hi." Her voice was barely audible.
Ash patted the ground beside him without looking at her, "Have a seat."
A growing sense of deja vu crept over him. He remembered this scene from his nightmare, except this time they weren't arguing. Tension was brittle on the air regardless of their new relationship and it was building as he and Mary Lynnette sat quietly beside each other in the dark.
Rough concrete scraped at her legs exposed below the flowered skirt she had decided to wear over her bathing suit.
"I . . . .I brought you a birthday present. It isn't anything fancy but I thought you'd like it." She held the box out to him.
Ash looked at the box like it might bite him. He took it from her hand. Mary Lynnette wondered if he had ever been given a present from a girl. Ash opened the box and fingered the bracelet like it was the most precious thing he'd ever seen or touched.
"It's beautiful." He said holding it up and turning it over. The word Soulmates jumped out at him. the nightmare played in his head again. He prayed he didn't have to re-live it.
"Let me help you." Mary Lynnette took the bracelet from him and fastened it around his wrist. The silver links glistened in the moonlight. Ash caught her hand as she drew back. He kissed her wrist, the palm of her hand, each fingertip. Mary Lynnette watched spellbound. Shivers of delight ran up her spine. He gently tugged on her hand drawing her close. The electricity started to tingle where their bare skin touched.
"Tell me 'bout the nightmare." She whispered
"How 'bout I show you?" His eyes pleaded with hers, she saw the need to explain mingled with the desire to make certain she was here in front of him alive and well, that he was not dreaming this time. The pink mist swirled in dizzying patterns around them as his mouth descended to hers.
Their connection was back, or maybe it had never left, getting mired down in the hurt and anger instead. It didn't matter anymore as his lips touched hers in the barest of kisses. Tentative at first then increasing in demand until they were breathless. Pink mist swirled around them silver thread weaving in and out of the clouds. They were together again. She felt his warm breath on her neck, barely noticing his teeth as they sank into her flesh.
She found herself a spectator in his nightmare. Violent flashes of werewolves attacking Ash, the van rolling down the mountainside. Ash's hand closed over hers, as Rowan carried her dying body back up the trail. *Don't look Mare.* Ash stepped in front of her, broad shoulders blocked her view. She heard him mutter *That's the last time I feed on someone who just ate at Taco Bell*
She looked up at him, trying not to laugh at the comment, *You don't have to keep re-living this.* She tried to peer over his shoulder to see what was so horrible but he didn't budge. *You're protecting me from my death in your dream?*
*Protecting myself, I can't look, tell me when it's over.* His eyes lit up as he stepped slightly aside.
Mary Lynnette's face heated when he moved. *I see there were some parts that weren't too bad.*
Ash's eyes sparkled bright gold. His musical laughter floated through the mist *Can't blame a guy for dreaming.*
When Ash pulled away Mary Lynnette was surprised to find herself leaning against the column where he had been. Her thoughts instantly scattered. Her focus was gone.
"You okay? Mare you don't look so good." Concerned golden eyes tried to hold hers, maybe he had taken too much blood.
"You had quite a nightmare." she was shaking both inside and out. The dream, even from her perspective was very realistic and frightening. Ash had certainly taken quite a bit of punishment from the moment they met in Briar Creek and had almost paid for their connection first with his life then with his sanity. She could understand why he had stayed away.
Ash suddenly looked serious, like he had just read her mind. "Mare I couldn't go back for you. It was too dangerous."
"I know, but you could have contacted me someway."
"No, the millenium battle is coming up and the nightworld is in a panic over the soulmate principle claiming its most powerful leaders. They're upset because three of the four wild powers have been found and they're on Circle DayBreak's side. Now, there's a fifth power who has chosen to remain in hiding. The leaders of the nightworld are terrified that they're going to lose. They're monitoring every form of communication, snail mail, phone conversations, tv and radio broadcasts, e-mail, you name it. I just couldn't take that risk. I decided I would rather let you hate me than get you killed. Then I thought, er, dreamed you died, Mare, I wanted to die too."
Mary Lynnette reached out and touched his soft white blonde hair that curled ever so slightly in the humid air. "Thank you for saving Beth." Hadn't she always wanted to touch his hair? Things were so crazy when they first met, that she couldn't recall anything except her adamant refusal to join him. So much for standing by the causes you believe in. But then, what was her cause?
Everyone is equal? Well she certainly had a skewed view of the definition of equal by treating Ash like he was scum of the earth because he was a vampire. Talk about prejudice.
Do not kill? She still believed in that, but she had learned in that time, that self preservation could be a good reason to kill. If she really wanted to be very technical, she hadn't abandoned that idea, just modified it a little
She and sweet, good hearted Rowan had had several heart felt conversations in the time since Jeremy died. In her heart she had always known, felt, understood why he hadn't come back. Now he was here, in front of her and absolutely different from the person she watched walk away from her home. His dragons slain and in hand. Technically he had kept his promise.
"Mare? You're daydreaming." He was still watching her, sitting on his knees, ready to respond in a heart beat
A smile slowly lit her face. "I'm just thinking about all the wishes, daydreams, and nightmares that have plagued us from the beginning." He nodded in understanding, most of what they had shared was a nightmare.
Time to look to the future, he decided. "How 'bout a new memory?" Mischief twinkled in his eyes.
Her fingers wrapped around his arm and he leaned toward her, scooping her up into his arms. Somewhere in the moonlit night she heard the strains of an old Richard Marx song, Hold on to the night playing. The 'night' she wanted to hold forever blinked at her with passionate hooded eyes. New memories were starting tonight and promised to continue into forever.
The End.
