Man Of My Dreams

Chapter Ten

Our food was done, so I plated everything up, and we sat at the table. “I met Jack today in the market,” I said. I decided I wouldn’t divulge any extra details unless he asks. I cut my steak and tried a small bite. It was good. I wondered how it tasted to a six-hundred year old vampire who eats real food and blood. He cut a small bite and popped it in his mouth. He nodded, “Is this your first time cooking a steak?” he asked. “Yep. Cooking anything, really. Mama usually did all the cooking.”

He was silent for a moment while he took a couple of more bites. Something that seemed a little like anger flashed across his face for a split second, and then it was gone. “It’s delicious. You did well.” I beamed, quickly dismissing the anger I’d noticed a moment ago. Compliments weren’t something I got a lot of. In any aspect of life. “Thank you.” I took a few more bites of my own food and felt full. I stood and took my plate to the sink. I turned around and noticed Kian was staring at me. I gave him an incredulous look.

“Does this Jack happen to have black hair?” I chewed on my lip, “Yes.” He nodded slowly. I crossed my arms over my chest, “I guess this is where you tell me to stay away from him or something?” He tilted his head back and laughed. “I’m not your boss. Your king, yes, while you reside here. But I can’t tell you who to stay away from.” It’s not like the man that I have always been interested in is interested in me back, so I may as well try to move on, at least.

“Do you know him?” I pulled myself up onto the counter to sit. Kian pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag and blowing out the smoke. “I do, I know all of my subjects.” “I don’t have any experience dating. Or with people, in general.” I said, picking at the flaky skin on my fingers. Kian chuckled, “That’s not necessarily a bad thing.” He took another drag from his cigarette. I remembered how I’d only seen him with a woman once.

I was about to ask him why he never dated, but his phone rang, and he stood and walked outside to answer it. I cleaned up and washed our dishes. When he walked back inside he looked wary. “What is it?” He stared at me for a moment. His skin was paler than usual, and I began to worry about the news he’d just received. “Another dead body. Female, red hair…” I felt the color drain from my cheeks. Does that mean…

“I think you’re being targeted, Wren.” Someone wants me dead? But who? The only person I know is Mama. Could it be her? No, she’d told me she loved me before we parted ways and I could feel the truth behind her words. It couldn’t be her. Or could it? “Why would anyone want me dead? I don’t even know anyone.” I could hear my racing heartbeat thumping erratically in my ears. “I can think of two reasons. Remember how I told you there were older vampires than me that wanted to dethrone me?” I nodded and began chewing my lip. “They were around when Genevieve lived here. They knew what she meant to me. Many had tried to assassinate her, too. And when she left, no one knew of her illness. Maybe they think I turned her and sent her away to keep her safe. Maybe they think you are her.”

He did say I looked like her. But I didn’t expect my resemblance to her to be so uncanny that people might confuse me for her. “And reason number two?” I asked. His eyes darkened as he said, “Your family.” My heart dropped into my stomach. Surely they have discovered the run-down house in that stinking swamp to be empty by now. I wondered if they’d already tracked down Mama and did away with her. I shivered.

“So what do I do?” He stood, and motioned for me to follow him into the backyard. When we sat down on the two chairs that were on the patio, he took out a cigarette and lit it. “I think you need to come back to my house,” he said. I was afraid he would say that. I opened my mouth to tell him no, that I would be extra careful, but he stopped me. “I know you don’t want to. I know you like it here. I’ve watched you in my dreams every night all week. I can tell you’re happy here.” Color rose to my cheeks when I remembered he dreams of me now.

“I can’t protect you if you stay here, Wren. My house is warded. No one can get in without me knowing it, feeling it. My magic only covers so far around me. This house is too far away for it to reach.” I nodded. He’s right. And I’m not ready to die. Especially now that I can actually live. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I’ll try and make your stay as comfortable as I can until I can hunt down and eliminate the threat.” Chillbumps erupted all over my entire body at the way he said that. Eliminate. Kill. Take care of.

“Let me just grab some things, and then we can go.” I stood up and went inside and headed upstairs. I assumed he would send someone here to get more of my things soon, so I only grabbed what I came here with. What I had to my name when I began my journey here. I wasn’t sure if it was the recent grave threat that loomed over my head, but all of that seemed like it happened more than only a week ago.

I sighed and slipped on some flip-flops and headed back down stairs where Kian was waiting at the front door. I stepped into the kitchen and grabbed my phone from the counter and hesitated, but ultimately decided I would grab Jack’s number. Maybe striking up a conversation with him would serve as a decent distraction from all this. Kian held the door open for me and when we got to his car, he did the same.

We were both quiet on the way to his house. I’m sure he’s just as much in his head over this as I am. I keep racking my brain trying to choose which was worse: my twisted family or several hundred-year-old vampires. Only one would actually want me dead, which is why I’m not entirely sure if it’s my family that’s after me. If they were, wouldn’t they rather just take me away from here and lock me back up? I glanced at Kian. His face was hard. Yet he looked worried.

He’d told me that first night how he did his best to keep the bad ones out. I know so little of him despite seeing him every night in my dreams for twenty years. Living here with him would change that. I thought that’s how this would go when I first came here. I thought he’d jump at the opportunity to uphold the bargain he made all those years ago. Until I learned he only made that bargain to save Genevieve’s feelings. It’s a good thing my life imprisoned in a swamp with a cold mother had already hardened me. Otherwise, the disappointment I felt would hurt a lot more.

We pulled up in front of the elevator at the base of the large hill that Kian’s home sat atop. We got out of the car and walked towards the elevator. I assumed someone would be around to get Kian’s car soon. He pushed the button for the elevator but no shrill voice came over the speaker. I guess Mrs. Nora knew who was coming up. I wondered if he got any further on figuring out the dreaming situation. The elevator door opened and we stepped in. He pushed the floor number and we began our accent.

I pulled out my phone and Jack’s number. I might as well program his number in the phone before I lose this tiny piece of paper. Kian laughed dryly. “What?” I asked. He shrugged, “Nothing.” I rolled my eyes. I finished saving Jack’s number by the time the elevator stopped to let us off. I started to walk to my room but Kian grabbed my arm. “If you want to go somewhere, please tell me. I’ll take you or have someone I trust do it.” I rolled my eyes and shrugged out of his grasp. “Fine,” was all I said before turning on my heel and going to my room.

I liked my room at my house but nothing compared to this one. I spent every night of my life pretty much in this bed. I lay there on my stomach reading the book I had grabbed from my nightstand before I was whisked away here. A romance novel. I’m more of a fantasy type of girl, but it’ll do. But after a while I began to get stir-crazy. I stood and put the book down on the nightstand. I didn't know where I was going, but I couldn’t stay in this room any longer.

I walked down the long halls. The same halls I’d walked over and over again in my dreams. I was just about to take the turn that led to the kitchen when I ran into something hard. It was Silas.