I knew this was a dream because he wastoopretty—too symmetrical. He wasglowingwith virility.No one’s teeth were that white—and the way his sharp canines hovered above his bottom lip when he grinned… it wasmesmerizing. I’d never been attracted toteethbefore.
This was the most vivid dream I’d ever had…
“Whoareyou?” he breathed, emerald eyes sparkling.
“The woman of your dreams,” I whispered, as if in a trance. I grabbed him by the collar of his tunic, pulled him down to my level, andkissedhim.
I’d never done anything so bold in my life…but I was dreaming.None of this was real.
A wave of heat washed over me as our lips touched… like a slow, inevitable flow of lava expanding to my lungs, my heart, then down to my curling toes. The force of it nearly knocked me over.
I tried to wrap my arms around his neck and deepen the kiss, but he pulled back, severing our connection. His brothers were staring at us with both disgust and amusement.
“Did you hit your head when the wylks were chasing you?” My dream lover asked with a crooked smile, resting a hand on my hip.
“I don’t think so…” I said, feeling for any tender spots. My pounding headache came slamming back into me and I groaned, deciding I was ready to leave this dream. Closing my eyes and holding my breath, I concentrated.
Wake up.
Wake up, wake up, wake up!
I cracked one eye open. The men were staring at me as if I was highly volatile… and possibly insane.
“I’m not dreaming?” I asked with cold dread as I peered up at the man I’d just kissed.
“I’m afraid not,” he laughed. “Why don’t you come back with us? You can rest and get something to eat.”
“Rest sounds good,” I said weakly, feeling dizzy with embarrassment. My head was spinning so fast, I felt tipsy.
Gods, I wished Iwasdrunk, then I’d at least have an excuse for my behavior.
My cheeks were on fire, making me self-conscious, which in turn made me blush harder. I didn’t want to go with them; I wanted to lie down and die of humiliation, but I also didn’t want to be left in the forest alone.
Feeling utterly lost and confused, I limped to his brown and black bay horse and let him hoist me onto its back. I was in such shock, I didn’t even protest as I felt him slide behind me in the saddle, pressing his large, solid body against mine.
He took the reins and we began to walk through the woods, trailing behind the others. The gentle rhythm of the ride jostled us, forcing us even closer together. The inescapable friction made it difficult to forget I’d justkissedthis perfect stranger.
He eventually settled his hands on my lap, since there was nowhere else for them to go, and I did my best to ignore them. Time seemed to moveat a glacial pace as we rode on. I was almost positive that he waspurposefullytorturing me by staying silent—waiting for me to acknowledge what had transpired between us.
“What’s your name?” I finally asked, desperate to break the tension.
“Do you typically kiss someone before learning their name? Or was I just in the right place at the right time?”
“I-I… I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” I stammered.
He squeezed my thigh. “Please don’t apologize. It was the highlight of my day. I’m Prince Galen Ruhn, heir to the Kingdom of Nymera.” He gestured to the others ahead of us. “Those are my brothers, Louis and Rafael.”
Nymera?I was certain there was no such place.He was lying. My stomach lurched.
“This is the part where you tell meyourname,” Galen teased.
I stared ahead, trying to decide how much truth to give him. He and his brothers had just saved me from certain death, but nothing they’d told me so far made any sense. They certainly hadn’t proven themselves trustworthy.
Whoever they were, they were dressed well. They didn’t look like thieves or vagabonds. All three men wore matching grey velvet tunics with green emblems over their hearts. I’d recognized the six-pointed star right away as the sigil of the gods. I reached for my mother’s necklace, needing to feel it in my palm. It was a common enough symbol, but I’d never seen it used as a royal crest. It was a strange coincidence—one I wasn’t ready to wrap my head around yet.
“I’m Lady Marigold of Aurelius."
“Marigold…” he drawled. “A lovely name, for an enchanting woman.”
