Page 7 of Reckless Bonds

And yet… she’s the most beautiful female I’ve ever seen.

The faint aroma of mulled wine on a cold winter night drifts into my nose, awakening my soul with complex notes of cinnamon, citrus, and a full-bodied red wine. My body reacts to her instinctively. Breath leaves me.

She’s the one.

An animalistic growl rips from my throat. Touching her is an imperative. I need to mark her, hold her. But as I step closer, the dream blurs and fades around me.

The woman reappears, but now we’re in Illuemera. Her face is marked with dirt. Blood trickles from dozens of wounds across her body. Malicryn weaves a stream of crackling fire, encircling us. Lightning strikes the surrounding ground, and thunder roars overhead. The females are locked in combat, each struggling for their lives.

Malicryn frees her dagger and stabs the woman between the ribs. A blood-curdling scream rips from my chest as blood gushes from my fated mate’s lips. Throwing myself towards Malicryn, I slam my fist against her jaw. Poised to tear open her throat, the scene changes again.

My vision flashes black as I stumble to the ground. My mind thrashes in the darkness, watching my mate die again and again.

Slowly, blue and green lights form around me. I’m standing in the Litwood Forest of Illuemera. The small mushrooms littering the forest floor alight the branches above in the brilliant colors of the Gods. Trees tower over me, blocking out the bright blue sky.

I know exactly what I’ll see when I lower my eyes to the blood-soaked ground. For years, this image has danced in my head, plaguing my dreams and idle thoughts. Bodies lay strewn throughout the thicket. My friends. Dead because of me and my arrogance. Returned to the Great River after my brother’s betrayal. Falling to my knees, the weight of my crown pulls me to the dirt.

Thunder reverberates off the old wood, ringing in my ears. Then, silence, as the image fades to black once more.

A moment later, the sound of deranged laughter fills the air. I look up at an old man in tattered rags laughing at me. The end of his long white beard is wrapped around his wrist like a makeshift sling. He’s leaning against a brick wall on an empty human city street.

“I’m sorry, son,” he laughs. “But ya aren’t my type. Nope.”

I narrow my eyes at him as I sink back, resting on my heels. His cackling laughter echoes through the empty street. I glance around, noting how familiar this scene feels. A sign hangs above the man’s head. A dueling piano bar.

“Who are you?”

The madman’s voice hushes to a whisper. Almost muttering.

“She’ll betray ya too. No different from the others. Nope.”

“Who? My mate? Where is she?” Desperation plain in my voice.

He throws his head back in laughter, revealing a mouth of half rotted teeth. I open my mouth to ask again, but it’s too late. The dream is already moving on. My vision shimmers and swirls as a gust of wind blasts into my body.

The woman, my fated mate, is naked beneath me in the throes of passion. A needy groan escapes from my chest. I watch her body shudder as I eagerly cup her breasts and kiss her neck. I’m inside her, thrusting with long, powerful movements. She arches her back, urging me to move. Faster. Deeper.

I feel awake. Alive. I need this woman, ache for her. I lose myself in the moment, filling her completely with my cock. Our bodies connected. Our eyes locked. Our souls bonded.

Her pussy tightens and undulates around my shaft as she climaxes, screaming my name. Taking her nipple into my mouth, I suck as she rides out the waves of pleasure; she wraps her arms around me. The faint scent of mulled wine mixes with the earthy scent of her arousal.

“I claim you, Sunder.” Her voice is hoarse yet fierce. Something inside my chest cracks as I stare into her loving gaze.

Gasping for air, I bolt upright, drenched in a cold sweat that I wipe from my brow. The moon is high outside, shining in through the open window. Breathing deeply, I lower myself back down onto my pillow. More than a dream, I know this is a meaningful turn of events in my search. I know it means something, but I can’t think straight.

Her scent still fills my nose and fogs my mind.

My cock throbs painfully against my shorts. Reaching under the sheet, I wrap my hand around my hard shaft as I release it from its confines. As I close my eyes, I picture the woman from my dream. The image comes to mind easily, more like a memory than a dream. Her perfectly large breasts bounce with the motion of my body. Biting her lip, she can’t hold back her screams. Her thick thighs clamp tightly around my waist.

“Fuuuck.” I moan out loud.

She is beautiful, even if just in my mind.

Panting, the passion of the dream still burns. Frantic. Memories of her complex scent send me over the edge as I spill my seed. I feel a lust so powerful it overwhelms me with its intensity.

As the fog of desire dissipates, the words of a madman pulse through my mind.

She’ll betray ya too. No different from the others.

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