Sharp as a thorn, beautiful as a rose.

Prologue

Bennetts point of view:

Deep in a meadow I wandered mindlessly. Without a clue where I was I walked through a thicket of roses that cut my skin everywhere. I wore a olive tunic and blue-grey pantaloones. I felt blind to my surroundings. I spotted a weeping maiden who sat at the foot of a willow tree's trunk. She wore a thin cotton gown woven with gold thread that spiraled like a spider's web on the pink fabric. It seemed like the light radiated from her in a halo on the crown of her head. Her cascading locks of chestnut fell to her waist. Her skin was ivory pale. I felt as though I knew this woman, once. She had beautiful white feathered wings. Was this someone I had known? Was she dead now? Maybe a past friend or girl I had dated? If it was she was as beautiful as a rose itself. I sighed wistfully and the weeping girl lifted her head and choked on her sobs. Her eyes were an enchanting sapphire blue. But they were clouded by death and destruction, blood and pain, tears and fear. This girl was scarred by the things she had seen in life. Like a titanium white rose painted in crimson blood.

"Why do you weep?" she averted her eyes from me and fiddled with the rose in her hands. "I am lost like a needle in a haystack. I have lost my husband, my daughter and son and I have lost myself, where am I?" I smiled weakly. "Everdeen County my fair lady home of the great passed queen Rosemarie of the vampires, her husband king Bennett of the werewolves and their children princess Cheyenne of hybrids and prince Gabriel of the hybrids" she looked puzzled. "My name is Rosemarie..." I saw she was sincere, there was no deceit in her eyes. "Mine's Bennett" I introduced myself, she grinned like a cat. "I know, my lord" she stood and taking her dress in her hands performed a curtesy. "And it is a pleasure to meet you again" Again? And then I remembered. The car crash. My dead wife. My two children. Gabriel and Cheyenne. "Rose?" she smiled. "Yes my lord? Tell me, how do our children fair?" I chuckled softly. "They are great. Rose...?" She had her eye brows perked. "Yes my lord?"

"Are you dead?" she pursed her lips. "How do you define dead? Because I suppose my current state is more... peaceful than grim" I scowled. "You're not in pain? The death was quick and painless?" she nodded. "I couldn't feel a thing, I died smiling, thinking of you, Dimitri and the kids, our pack. I'm with my coven now. I died where I was most happy. I died metres from my old home in Everdeen County" I perked up slightly. She was okay. She hadn't felt a thing and she'd been happy. I felt justification at this. This was almost closure for me. "Good. Your funeral was there. We had you buried in a coffin full of rose petals, photos of you, the kids, me, the pack, the coven and Dimitri" she smiled. "Thank you Bennett." It was the first time in this encounter she'd called me Bennett rather than my lord. I smiled and felt a brackish tear fall down my cheek. She wiped it away from my cheek with her index finger, her nails were scarlet red and fuchsia pink with small white gems on them. Blood, roses and diamonds, that pretty much symbolized my wife. "Now before you wake up I want you to know something, I love you, but I care to much knowing you'll be crying and grieving please, for the love of god move on! Or I will personally haunt you! Now kiss me before the dream ends and reality sets in" I couldn't even form the words to demand what she meant before her lips were on mine. I snaked my arms around her waist, she put her arms around my neck. The kiss was as hot as a summer day, as romantic as Shakespeare's Romeo & Juilet and as sweet as sugar. More tears filled my wife's eyes as we ended the kiss. The last thing she said was "I love you. Goodbye Bennett" and then I was awake.

I was brought to my senses by Cheyenne who must've crawled in bed with me. I had my arms wrapped around her and she lay with her head resting on my chest. She wore a hoodie that had belonged to Rose, pyjama pants and a plain black t-shirt. Her black hair was like the midnight sky and fell to her shoulder loosely. The dream had shaken me to the core. Cheyenne stirred and looked at me with concerned sea blue eyes. She was five now. It had been six months since Rose had died, Cheyenne and Gabriel were now smarter than any adult that had ever lived, besides Rose. Cheyenne looked more like her mum than ever. If it weren't for her slight tan and black hair she would be exactly like her. She crawled beside me and gave me a weak smile. "You had a dream about mother again... Didn't you?" I nodded and gave her a tight smile. "Yeah, I can't stop thinking about her."

She smiled back and tucked a strand lock of hair behind her fae ears. "Daddy, whose our mommy now?" I thought about what had been in Rose's will. "Serenity. Since your mother is gone for all intents and purposes Serenity would have you if something happened to me, and if anything did happen to me Jeremy would look after you" Cheyenne gave me a blank look. "But mommy's will said that Dimitri was" I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "Well then you have him too" she grinned. "When I'm older can I go visit uncle Dimitri?" I nodded. "Yeah, sure, why not? Now come on, why are you in my bed?" I saw her lower lip tremor. "I had another nightmare..." I sent her my sympathy. "About?" she looked ready to cry. "If I would've went back to save mommy" I felt any colour wash from my already ivory skin. "Well why don't I make you a cup of hot chocolate and pancakes little monster?" she clapped. "Yay! Pancakes! Should I go wake Gabriel?" I nodded. "Yeah tell him to get his lazy butt out of bed!" she nodded and sprinted to go do exactly that. I laughed to myself and went downstairs to make breakfast. I ran into Serenity. "We need to talk" she demanded.