Page 55 of Hollyhocks

“Fitz!” Heather screams at the top of her lungs.

His dad grips him by the root of his hair and my own hand slips across his head, rubbing the same area his father controlled him by.

“How do the hits feel now?” He shoves Fitz down to the floor, rearing his leg back.

Fitz begins to jerk underneath me. With every kick he takes, his body tenses and spasms.

“Hey, hey, you’re okay,” I whisper into his dream. “You aren’t there, Doe Eyes. You’re safe. You got your sister out. You did it. Follow my voice, Fitz. Come to me. Let me take care of you.”

The nightmare fades from his father, morphing into a beautiful sunset.

I’m able to breathe again. He’s safe.

“Oh, Doe Eyes. I can’t see that again. You scared me. I’m so sorry that happened to you. I promise to make them pay for what they did. No one touches you like that. No one will ever put another hand on you. Only I’m allowed to touch you.” I drag my finger across his jaw. “And I promise to never harm you with myhands. My only want in this life is to make you happy, to give you everything you could ever want.”

I seep into his new dream, wanting to prove to him just how good my hands can make him feel. “I’ll work my entire life to erase the hate he gave you with my love.” I drag my hand down his chest then back up, my body aching for more of his body.

Now isn’t the time but I have no choice. I need his come to survive. It’s my succubus nature. Especially, now. I have my mate, and that knowledge only makes me hungrier for him.

In the dream, he is sitting on the tailgate of his truck, watching the sunset. The sky is painted in reds, yellows, oranges, pinks, and purples. The sun is a glowing circle lowering itself behind the mountains.

I sit on the tailgate next to him and he turns his head to me, his hair curling just above his brows.

“You’re back. Did you miss me?” He wraps his arm around my waist, tugging me to his side. He buries his nose in my hair and inhales. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too. Is this your favorite spot?” I ask, placing my hand on his thigh. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah. I come here when I need peace. I love all the colors in the sky. The sunset reminds me that the day is nearly over, and tomorrow is a fresh start. This day will be considered the past as soon as the sun rises again. I get to be a better person than I was yesterday. I sit here and numb my mind. I try to think about all the ways I can be better instead of all the ways I have failed.”

“You haven’t failed, Fitz.” I prompt him to look at me, smiling at him with all the love I have in my heart for my Doe Eyes.

He sees me for me. My fangs. My horns. My body. My tail. Nothing is hidden and I’ve never been looked at the way Fitz looks at me. His gaze, his attention, it’s as if I’m the onlyperson in the world that matters to him in this very second. I’m addicted.

“You’re the most extraordinary man I’ve ever met. You’re so kind and considerate. You have nothing but good inside you. You’re so much better than me. If you knew…”

He cuts my sentence off by kissing me. Fitz cups the back of my head, his tongue gliding across mine.

In real-time, he is kissing me as if he isn’t dreaming. What does surprise me is the movement of his arms. His hands are mimicking the way he is kissing me in the dream. His cock is hard, and the impressive girth has me gasping as I rock back and forth.

Falling into his mind again, I press him down in the bed of the truck. I imagine a blanket under us, and it appears along with a few pillows. He rests his head, slipping his hand to the back of my neck, controlling how deep our kiss is. He moans and I swallow his sounds, feeding every creature who lives inside me now.

A vision slams into my mind, forcing me to break the kiss. It’s Fitz, surrounded by four men at the garage after it's been closed.

All men have weapons. They attack Fitz at the same time, launching themselves at him. He swings and fights, but his father pulls out a gun.

The loud crack of a bullet has me gasping, opening my eyes to stare down at Fitz. I check him all over for wounds, my eyes blurring with tears.

Did I just witness my mate die?

“No. I refuse. I won’t lose you to him. I’ll be there. I’ll protect you.” I taste the salt from my tears as I kiss his swollen pink lips. Needing him more than ever now. Being this close isn’t enough. Being inside his head isn’t enough. Having him inside me isn’t enough.

I need more.

“I won’t lose you to him,” I say against his lips. “He almost took you once.” I slip my hand down his cheek. “This time, I’ll be the one to take him to the depths of hell for you. I’ll do anything for you, Fitz.”

Closing my eyes, I fully give myself over to the dream.

We kiss until we can’t breathe. We’re groaning and gasping. I rock against his cock, my tentacles wanting to be freed from the sweatpants. His hands roam up my shirt, fingering the chains attached to my nipple rings. He tugs them, once, twice, and I moan, arching my back.

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