Didn’t he stop smiling? What was with the smiling?
“Sit down, Cassandre.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. “My dream, remember?”
He laughed before stretching his body out on her bed—how dare he?—and placing both hands behind his head. She was right. This man was every woman’s dirty fantasy. Was this supposed to be a sex dream? Had she conjured him with the intention of relieving some of the tension she’d been feeling lately? She cleared her throat and blushed furiously. If this was a sex dream, wasn’t he supposed to be making the moves…?
“It’s not one of those dreams.”
His voice had lowered and when she turned to look at him, she noticed his eyes were lazily roaming her body. She looked down, just to make sure she was still covered. She was. The white tank top and loose-fitting sweats she’d tossed on before jumping into her bed were still in place, though the intensity of his stare said otherwise. His lips curled in a half smile and he added, “Sadly.”
“That’s not a nice habit, reading people’s minds. Especially when you’re in their dreams.”
He chuckled and patted the space on the bed next to him. Cassie lifted a brow and smirked.
“I brought you here so you would understand,” he said, his voice serious.
She scoffed. What was he talking about? Technically, she’d brought him here. It was still her dream.
“Not dreaming, Cassandre. You are sleeping but your mind is clear. Very clear.”
“Whatever you say, Fabio.” His brows lifted at the name, and he looked genuinely confused before he replied, “My name is Alexander.”
“Sure, whatever. I’m going to wake up soon, and I’d rather spend my time with my red-billed rails.” Dismissing him, she lifted her eyes to the sky once more. Where were they? Maybe if she wished really hard they would come back. Or perhaps she could make a passenger pigeon appear, or a dodo?
“You’re very stubborn,” he said, as if he hadn’t expected it. “I’d forgotten just how stubborn humans could be.”
“Hey, dream guy, you’re not real,” Cassie said, shaking her head for emphasis.
His face hardened momentarily before he smiled. It didn’t reach his eyes. “You are right. I’m not ‘real’ in most senses of the word, but I am here to help you.” Before she could throw out another sarcastic reply, he held up his hand, and she found she couldn’t speak. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. It was as if he’d muted her vocal chords. “Nod your head if you agree. Shake your head if you don’t.”
She attempted to speak once more, and finding she couldn’t, glared and nodded.
“You like animals, birds especially?”
She glared at him but nodded. Fabio—Alexander—was turning out to be quite a pain in her subconscious ass.
“If you could bring back any extinct bird, would you?”
She nodded. Of course she would. They were only extinct because humans were stupid and careless, destroying the animals’ habitats in their quest for ‘better’ living, inclusive of mega-mansions and fur-skins that weren’t necessary.
He nodded and closed his eyes momentarily. “What about the saber-toothed tiger? If you could, would you bring him back from extinction?”
Cassandre shrugged her shoulders. It would be any scientist’s, environmental or otherwise, dream to see something as magnificent as the saber-toothed tiger in the flesh, but that didn’t mean bringing one back was good for humanity.
“You’re conflicted? Interesting.”
Why can’t I talk? she demanded, knowing full well that somehow, the dream guy on the bed would hear her. He didn’t disappoint.
“Because you only need to listen for now.” He rose from the bed gracefully and moved to stand before her. He touched her cheek, just barely, and Cassie jolted. Had he just shocked her?
“When the time comes, you will have to make a decision that will change the world as you know it.” The smile faded from his face. “Choose wisely.”
What does that even mean?
“You’ll find out soon enough, Cassandre.”
***
He could feel her. Despite Max telling him Vivienne was with her mother, Conall still needed reassurance she was fine. The mental link shared by mates allowed him access to her emotions, and although he felt her fear, he knew she was in no danger. She was confused, frustrated, and upset, and that was the basis of the fear she felt. Reassured, Conall concentrated on navigating the SUV on the highway, and on what Max had just told him.
Vivienne Bordeaux was a witch.