The five of us had a great time swimming and just having fun. It was the first time that I had really seen the guys interacting with each other. I was worried that at the mansion, they were getting along because they were forced to, but I was happy to see that that was not the case.
However, the day was quickly catching up with me, and I decided to call it a night fairly early. And by early, I mean like 10 pm. But hey, it was midnight somewhere, right?
The guys opted to stay in the pool for a while longer, and I just waved at them as I got out. I was one of those creatures that needed at least 8 hours of sleep a night. However, if you wanted me happy the next day and not contemplating murder, then I needed at least 12 hours.
I quickly showered to rinse the pool water off and got changed into a pair of pajamas. Normally, I didn't really bother with that part, but with four mates in the house, I would prefer not to be naked when and if they crawled into bed with me.
I pulled back the soft, lush covers of the king-size bed and crawled in. It was absolute paradise and well worth the ridiculous money I spent on the place. Screw the butler service, the maid, the chef. Give me a good bed, and I would be happier than a pig in shit.
What can I say? I was a basic bitch.
Closing my eyes, I fell into a deep sleep.
"You shouldn't be here."
I opened my eyes to be greeted by the forests of my homeland. The densely knit branches blocked out the light, but it never bothered me like it did most. I knew that this was where I could always find my brother and father. In the one place where no one went.
"I missed you," I could hear myself saying as I approached the figure with his back turned to me. I knew it was Nicholas. He could never look at me when he came here, but that was fine—just being beside him when life was hard fixed everything.
"I missed you, too, Butterfly," he said with a sigh, his back still to me. "But that doesn't change the fact that you shouldn't be here."
The closer I got to him, the more I realized that something was wrong. I was wearing the same clothes that I had fallen asleep in, my tattoos on full display. In almost all of my dreams of Nicholas it had been memories of the past, and as a result, I had always been a child. But now, I was very clearly an adult in this dream, and even weirder, so was Nicholas.
"What is going on?" I asked, placing my hand on his back. His shoulders were broad and strong, and I could feel his muscles flexing under my hand.
"You really shouldn't be here," he repeated, and I could feel him once again sighing. "How am I supposed to keep you safe if you never stay where you are supposed to be."
"What fun is it to stay where I am supposed to say?" I asked, removing my hand and stepping close enough to be able to rest my head on his spine under his shoulder blades. I never knew that Nicholas was so tall.
"It is not a matter of fun or not," growled Nicholas, twirling around so that my face was resting between his pecs. He wrapped his arms around me so that I couldn't move, but I wasn't going anywhere. The last time I had felt this safe was the day he died. "If you want to have fun, you should have stayed at your mansion in the north with your mates, not trudging all over Hell's half-acre. Your men should really be taking better care of you."
"You act like you know exactly what is going on," I said, taking in a deep breath. He even smelled, just as I remember him, of campfires and woods.
"When it comes to you, I will always know exactly what is going on," he chuckled. "And no matter where you are in the world, I will always be able to find you."
That caused me to chuckle. I buried my head deeper into him and wrapped my arms tighter around him. "Then it's just like old times," I smiled, not caring what type of dream this was or where it even came from. I had Nicholas in my arms again, and that was enough.
"I need you to listen to me this time, though," he said, pulling me away just so he knew I was paying attention. I looked up, trying to see his face, but there was nothing but bright grey eyes staring down at me.
"I am listening," I promised him seriously.
"Run, butterfly. Run fast and hard. They are here, and they are not going to rest until you are dead," he said. I could feel his worry and concern.
"I can't die," I said with a shrug. "That is one of the very few benefits of being me."
"There are worse things in life than being dead, Sweetness. And it would kill me if something happened to you. Wake up and run. Do you understand?" he demanded a second time, and I could see the world around us starting to fade.
"What?"
"Wake up and run. They are coming!"
"Who is coming?!" I demanded as I felt Nicholas push me away from him.
"Wake up!" he screamed from the darkness. "Wake up NOW!"