Unforgiven (Wanderers #3) (14 page)

“No Ella,” he said, pulling me back to him. “The only
thing I’m crazy about is you. I just…I don’t know how to explain
it.”

“I think I might have something that will help.” I
got up and walked over to my suitcase and then returned to the bed
handing Tristan my grandmother’s cross. “You should have this
back.”

“Ella that’s your –”

“I want you to have it. A little something to remind
you that this is real and I will still be here when you wake up.” I
helped him put the necklace on and then I snuggled up next to
him.

“I wish I could describe the way you make me feel,
but I don’t how to word it that you would understand.”

“Your actions speak louder than words,” I smiled.

“Can you read my mind?”

“I can’t.”

“Is something wrong?”

“No. I just can’t get a good read. Your emotions are
so overrun I can’t get a clear look. It’s like they’re all jumbled
together. Plus the power is still new to me and I haven’t quite got
a handle on it. This is the first time I actually allowed myself to
use it.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I first received that power, it was so
overwhelming I couldn’t handle it. Ms. Kraft bound my power by
using a spell to block out everyone’s thoughts until I could
control it. The spell just started to wear off when I arrived in
Ireland.”

“How exactly does it work?” he asked, curious.

I thought for a moment. “I hear thoughts. It’s not
like I hear everything, just what’s bothering the person at the
moment.”

“And this teacher of yours was trying to help you
control the power?”

“Yeah, she’s been trying to help me out with a lot of
things.”

“You really like this Ms. Kraft, don’t you?”

“She’s one of my favorite teachers. I would love for
you to meet her.” He just smiled and softly caressed my cheek. I
closed my eyes, enveloped in the feel of his fingers on my skin. He
started to place gentle kisses on my forehead, nose, and then lips.
“I think I know what you mean about putting this feeling into
words. I feel like I’m in a dream,” I said and then I remembered
something. I never really put much thought into it at first, mostly
because I thought Tristan was talking gibberish.

“Tristan?”

“Yes,” he mumbled, as he continued to place his lips
tenderly along my neck.

“Earlier tonight, when you said you envision me in
white when you dream about me, what did you mean?”

“Just that,” he stopped. “Every time I dreamed about
you were wearing white.”

“Tell me about them, the dreams,” I said, needing to
know more.

“Seriously?” I nodded. “Well they started shortly
after I left, but I remember them as if I had them yesterday. There
was one where we were on the beach and I was rubbing suntan lotion
on you,” he said, smiling at the memory. I recalled having a
similar dream. “Then there was one where we were in my
grandmother’s garden. You had on this white strapless dress and
were looking so incredibly beautiful. I was telling you the legend
of the fairies.”

“They can hear the bluebells chiming,” I said,
sitting up.

“You know the legend?”

“No,” I shook my head confused. “Tristan, was one of
these dreams on a cliff?” He nodded, unsure of where I was going
with this. “And the last one, we were back at the hotel in
Vermont?”

He sat up and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.
“I placed a violet right here, behind your ear. But you already
know that, don’t you,” he smiled.

“Tristan, how is that possible?”

“When I bit you, you were able to see inside my head.
That’s how you know about the dreams.”

“No, I only felt your emotions. I didn’t see
anything.”

“What are you saying Ella?”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense, but I had the
same dreams.”

“Maybe something similar, but not the same?” he said,
looking at me funny.

“No Tristan, the same. When you said you envisioned
me in white it triggered something. Every dream I was wearing white
and I never understood why? Or how I was dreaming about being in
your grandmother’s garden when I was never there before? And the
last dream…when I said goodbye…” I looked down not wanting to think
about it.

“The dream when you came to me and told me you had to
leave…you had to move on. I thought you meant your next life, that
you couldn’t stay and it was your time to go. It broke my heart to
let you go, but I thought I had to,” he said.

I watched a tear fall down his cheek. I swiped it
away with my thumb. “No Tristan. I thought I needed to let go of
you, of this fantasy that I created. I thought it was the only way
I could get on with my life, but I was wrong. I never wanted to
leave you, but I thought I had to.” He pressed his forehead to mine
and I inhaled his sweet minty scent. “What does this mean? How are
we able to have the exact same dream?” I asked puzzled.

“Maybe it’s another power of yours.” I pulled back
and looked at him not understanding. “I didn’t think it existed
anymore, but it’s the only explanation.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Dream walking, it’s the ability to get inside
another’s dreams. It’s an old, ancient power that hasn’t existed
for years, and even back then very few were gifted with the power.
I never knew anyone who possessed the power or even if it still
exist.”

“Then how do you know for sure? You said so yourself
it doesn’t exist anymore.”

“It’s the only other explanation. I wouldn’t have
believed it possible if you didn’t already possess so much power,
more than anyone. But you, it doesn’t surprise me.” He kissed my
hand as if this was the greatest thing in the world.

“Do you have that power?” He shook his head. “Then
how would we have the same dream?”

He tapped the side of my head with his finger.
“Because you created it. It’s what your mind wanted to see.”

“That doesn’t explain about your grandmother’s
garden. I would have not been able to create that and I would not
have worn white,” I said, eyeing him.

“You raise a good question,” he said, scratching his
chin.

“You’re sure you’re not a dream…whatever?”

“Walker…and no, I’m not.”

“Then how do we know for sure I am one?”

“It’s the only reasonable explanation,” he said,
scratching his head, not quite convinced himself. “Or… it’s
possible that we have that strong of a connection that we can visit
each other in our dreams.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Ella, haven’t you learned by now anything is
possible, especially when it comes to us.”

“You’re right, but why? How come it only started
after you were gone?”

He sighed frustrated and scrubbed his hands down his
face. “You’re not going to let this go are you?”

“Hello, it’s me you’re talking to.”

“Right, okay. This is what I believe. I think that
when you healed me it created this connection, but we both thought
we were dead so we had no idea.”

“That would explain a lot. I mean I always had this
feeling you were still here, but I just thought I was holding on to
wishful thinking.”

“I know what you mean. I felt it too,” he said and
that was it. Knowing we had this soulful connection only brought us
closer together. We made love for the second time that night and it
was just as wonderful as the first.

Afterwards, I lay across his chest while he gently
stroked my hair until I fell asleep.

I knew I was dreaming when I saw I was wearing the
small black leather dress I wore earlier tonight. I was in the same
bar we found Tristan and I was alone. I looked around the room and
found him sitting at the bar, smiling back at me in the mirror.
“Okay, now I know this was all you,” I said, pointing to the
dress.

He turned around and gave me the once over. “It is a
really great dress,” he smiled cockily. I just rolled my eyes. “You
don’t like it, change it.”

“How?”

He got up and walked over to me and held my hands
tightly. “Close your eyes and just envision it.” So that’s what I
did. I closed my eyes and imagined myself wearing jeans and a long
sleeved shirt.

When I opened up my eyes that’s exactly what I was
wearing. “That’s much better.” He pouted. “What?” I asked.

He closed his eyes and then opened them with a smile.
I was now wearing a nice, white spring dress. When he saw my
expression he changed it. “Would you prefer this?” I looked down to
see I was wearing a barely there, white bikini. I let him know I
wasn’t happy with his choice of outfit. “Okay, how about this?” Now
he had me in some cheap, swanky, black lingerie.

“You’re really loving this, aren’t you?”

“Just a little,” he said, pinching his fingers
slightly.

“Okay, you wanna play? Have it your way.” I took a
step back. I closed my eyes and envisioned Tristan wearing the same
black lingerie he had put me in. When I opened my eyes I started to
bust up laughing.

“Very funny Ella,” he said, not amused.

“What, you can dress me in trashy lingerie but when I
do it to you?” He pulled me closer and kissed me. I pushed him
back. “Sorry, but I’m not into guys who dress in drag.”

“You were the one who dressed me. Should I be
worried?”

I rolled my eyes and imagined him wearing a nice pair
of slacks and a blue button down shirt. Then I changed myself back
into the dress but made it pink. He looked at me funny. “What, you
don’t like it? I know it’s not what you rather have me wear, but
it’s more comfortable.”

“Not that, here,” he said, touching my dress, and
turning it white.

“What is it with you and white?”

“When I think of you I think of you as an angel.
Someone who is pure and full of life. Your very essence is what
–”

“Okay seriously,” I said, stopping him there. “That
sounds like one of your cheesy lines.”

“Ella I am serious, dead serious. You have any idea
what you mean to me?”

“Tristan, I wish you would stop putting me up on this
pedestal. I’m not that girl.”

“To me you are,” he said, bending down to kiss me.
“What do I have to do to convince you?”

“First, let’s get out of here.”

“We can go anywhere you want to go.”

“I want to go back.” He creased his brows confused.
“I mean I want to wake up. I don’t want to be with you in a dream
when I can have the real thing.”

“Then all you have to do is wake up,” he whispered
softly in my ear.

I blinked a few times and waited for my eyes to
adjust. I was lying on my stomach and when I turned my head Tristan
was lying on his side propped on his elbow, watching me. “Welcome
back,” he said.

“Why the dream?”

“I was just testing it to see if we were right.”

“How’d you know how to do all that?”

“I’m a quick study,” he winked. He slid his hand over
my back, sending tingles up and down my spine. The sheet was barely
covering me. Most of my upper back was exposed, giving Tristan free
reign to tease me. His hand slowly made it’s way down to my lower
back, lightly pushing the sheet a little further and giving me
goose bumps. His hand stopped short, just above my behind, teasing
me. “What do I have to do to convince you of my undying
affection?”

“You can keep doing what you’re doing for starters,”
I smiled. He slid his hand down a little more and then a little
more, smiling. Then he smacked me really hard on my behind. “Hey,”
I said, pushing him. He laughed thinking he was funny. I narrowed
my eyes at him letting him know he wasn’t. To make up for it, he
wrapped his arm around my waist, and pulled me closer to him,
placing lingering kisses on my shoulder and neck.

“You know, you could always bite me. If you wanted
to?” he suggested.

“I don’t think that would be such a good idea.”

“It’s the best way to convince you my feelings for
you are real. If you bite me, you can get inside my head and see
what I see, feel what I feel.”

“Tristan, I have no doubt that your feelings for me
are real. I just wish you wouldn’t hold me so high. Make me out to
be this person I’m not.

“Ella, when are you going to get it?” I shrugged. “I
see I have no other choice. Okay, bite,” he said, titling his head
and exposing his neck.

“Tristan,” I said a little annoyed. “One, don’t act
like you’re not dying for me to do it. When you were explaining
things to me you seemed to leave out a lot of the effects it has on
us.” I narrowed my eyes. “And two, I don’t think it’s a good idea
considering you’re still weak from the lack of blood. You haven’t
fed in a while and taking any from you would not be a good
idea.”

“You didn’t think I was too weak to rock your
world…twice.”

“Rock my world? O-Kay,” I said, trying to hide my
smile.

“Well, you know, I am kind of a legend. I even heard
some say god.”

I couldn’t hold back the laughter anymore. “Oh
Tristan, how I’ve missed you.”

“You know you can still bite without taking
anything,” he said.

“How?”

“It takes a lot of concentration.”

“I don’t think I can do that. You tend to be very
distracting.”

“Is it the gorgeous flowing locks?” he said, flipping
his hair back. I had to stifle a laugh. “Or maybe my manly
physique?” He flexed his bicep and winked. I covered my mouth to
hide my giggle. “My charming personality…hey there,” he said,
wagging his eyebrows at me. “No? I know what it is…” his eyes
traveled down the sheet.

“Well…it doesn’t hurt,” I said. He smiled and pounced
on me making me squeal.

“Really Ella, what is it? Besides my devastatingly
handsome good looks,” he said, his cocky smile returning.

“Yes Tristan, we all know you’re good looking.”

“Just good looking…or an Adonis?” he teased, knowing
full well how I thought of him. I knew he said it just to embarrass
me.