POV: Caden
"How? Do you mean to tell me you've seen her and haven't told me? How is that even possible?"
"Your and even bigger idiot than I thought Caden. This is a dream I'm projecting into your mind. She is wearing the same dress she wore all those nights ago. Her hair the exact way we saw it pulled up. The only thing I had to make up about her is her voice."
"She is older Marcus. Radiant."
"Of course. This is your punishment Caden. Watch"
"What are you laughing at?"
"No one my love. I'm only voicing my pleasure of seeing my beautiful girlfriend dancing with the flowers."
This is just a dream. She doesn't have a boyfriend. It's a lie.
"Well why don't you come dance with me? I love it when my boyfriend holds me close."
She is flirting with him dammit. That shouldn't be happening. I watch with annoyance as the male saunters over to my mate, taking her in his arms and twirling her around. Her laughter booms around the clearing.
Cleaning my chest I try to breathe. Her voice does things to me. How is that possible? It's fake. Marcus said so.
Watching the pathetic male place her down, he brushes her fly aways out of her face. "I've waited for this moment for months."
"As have I." A brief glimpse of sadness crosses her face. Why can't I see her actual facial details? What color are her eyes? Does she have a round face or square? What about a dimple?
"Don't. He is your past. I am your future. Do not think on him. He made his decision long ago."
"Your right."
What decision did I make? What is Marcus playing at?
"Do you want me to go first?" taking her hands in his head smiling warmly down at the women in his arms.
Shaking her head she clears her throat. "I __, reject Caden Andrew Alexander as my mate."
Numbness seeps inside my heart, taking over my will to live. She rejected me. My own mate rejected me. Stumbling I fall to my knees. She doesn't desire my touch. Nor my love.
What have I done?
Instead she hungers after that fools. What does he have that I don't?
"Will you marry me my love?"
Locking my eyes onto her, I see the happiness shining through.
"Yes. I wouldn't want any other male to spend the rest of my life with."
"I Christopher Lewis Ray, proclaim my undying love to my chosen mate __, for the rest of my life. To honor and cherish in sickness and health. To protect against all odds and love her with all my heart." Bending down the bastard places a ring on her finger.
No, she can't. I won't allow it.
Standing up on shaking legs I race wobbling towards the unsuspecting couple. Instead of tackling the bastard to the ground I go right through him. Standing up I roar with all my might. Teeth elongating. Fury races through my veins. The need to dictate this piece of filth haunts me. He needs to be taught a lesson for touching what belongs to me.
"Tsk Tsk Caden. You can't hurt him."
"Stop this right now Marcus," I roar at him. "I will not watch my mate pledge fake love to another."
"I'm having too much fun breaking your sorry ass down. Enjoy the rest. I know I will rejoice in your agony."
My agony? This is far from agony. I'm watching my own soul mate marry another male. This is heart wrenching. Howling to the sky I grip my hair.
"I, __ proclaim my undying love to my chosen mate Christopher Lewis Ray, for the rest of my life. To honor and cherish in sickness and health. To obey his command of safety and protection while loving him with all my heart."
Tears roll down my eyes. This cannot be happening. She should be voicing her wedding vows to me, not this imposter. I'm her soul mate. The man made for her. I'm the one who is supposed to kiss her on her perfect lips, sealing our joining.
Not looking up, I hear clapping in the distance.
Where people congratulating them? Stop it! You have the wrong couple. She isn't supposed to be married to him.
"I want to be the first one to congratulate the happy couple. I couldn't be happier to know that she has finally found the love of her life."
Why does that voice sound familiar? Not chancing the anguish in my heart to spread, I keep my eyes averted.
"Thank you man. I don't think we could have made it this far without your help. You are the one who introduce us in the first place."
"Nonsense. This beauty here did all the work. She deserves a happy ending after all she has been through."
"She does."
"Which means if you dare hurt her, I promise on my commanders title I will slowly torture you to death. You heart me?"
Horror smacks me in the face. Commander's tittle? Desperation makes me seek out the man the voice belongs to. Utter betrayal stabs me in the gut at the man standing across the happily married couple.
"Believe me Nikolai, you will be second in line if he so much as gazes at another female. I promise you that."
Nik? My best friend is in this?
"I wouldn't in a million years cheat on you, my love. I am not your ex-mate Caden. That man is a fool. Everyone knows it."
"Your right Chris. That is why I kept my mouth shut all those years. I couldn't have my beautiful best friend be played by him."
He knew? How long? From my fourteenth birthday ball? He couldn't have. I trust him with my life.
"Stop this nonsense. Today is about the two of you."
"Mother, thank you for all this." Waving her hands around I notice people entering the field with items; tables, chairs, flowers, food and gifts.
"A mother knows what her daughter wants on her wedding day. A simple wedding with friends and family is all your heart has desired since you were a tiny bundle of joy running around my legs."
"Your right mother. This is my dream wedding and dream mate. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect male to be my husband."
This is messed up. "Marcus why would you do this?"
"The Nikolai wasn't me. I don't know how he showed up in the dream, but it wasn't me."
"Do you think it's a sign?" Staring at the married couple I wish it was I who was holding her against my chest. Will I get the chance to make things right?
"If it is, that means Nik knows who our mate is and has been lying to us for years."
"I'm going to murder that bastard. He will rue the day he lied to my face." Swearing I pound my fists into the ground. All the anger built up in my body. "Take me back Marcus. I'm done here."
"Do not kill him before we extract our information."
"I won't kill him, he will suffer for years to come in the very dungeons he's put men in."
"Close your eyes, it will be easier to wake up." Snapping them shut I feel myself drifting off to sleep once more.
Bolting up, I notice its dark out. "Father?" Heavy footsteps enter my vision.
"Took you long enough to wake up. What the hell did Marcus show you?" Father inquires.
"Sweetheart are you alright? You have been asleep for nearly six hours. It's five til midnight. We were worried." Mother sits down next to me on the couch. Placing her hand on top of mine.
"Where is Nikolai?" I sneer. That bastard will bow down to me. He will give me the answer I command of him.
"He left shortly after you passed out to go out on his date. Why?" Jason questions. He knew of my past thoughts about Nikolai.
"Date?"
"Yes, she is a beauty. He definitely snagged a prize with that one."
"You saw her?"
"No not today my dear. He said he had a special surprise for her and didn't want us to interfere. Two weeks ago, I spied them leaving the castle grounds together. Her laughing as he picked her up and through her over his shoulder." Squinting her eyes at me she tries to figure out what I'm getting at. "Why do you ask Caden?"
Growling I try to hold myself back. "Marcus showed me what would happen if I continued my ways of sleeping around. Or more exactly how it felt to know she choose another over me."
"Oh my dear, I'm sorry. He made it painful didn't he?"
"Yes, I do not want to go down that path. Whatever I have to do to keep her from marrying and mating another I will do."
Wide eyes with horror stared me down. My parents wouldn't want that to come to pass.
"What does that have to do with Nikolai? He is your best friend."
"I thought he was mother." Taking a deep breathe I force my anger down. "Marcus controlled the dream. What her voice sounded like, how she got married her parents and friends. The one thing he didn't do was place Nikolai as her best friend. He clearly states he knew that she was my mate and hid it from me."
"It was a fake dream Caden you can't put faith in it."
"Marcus told me he had nothing to do with it. Can't you see it's a sign? He knows something, I feel it."
"You don't think the female he is courting is her do you?" Jason blurts out with horror.
"What did you just say?" Standing up I face him.
"He has been hiding her away from people. You and I don't even know her name Caden and we are his best friends. He told you that her mate didn't want her. What if he was talking about you? She could think because you were sleeping around with Jessica and ignored her love letters that you didn't want her." All I felt was devastation. He couldn't be right. "She would feel rejected and what better way than to find another mate than one who lost his already?"
Before I could race out of the room, a wave of pleasurable pain swiped me off my feet. Dropping to my knees I take deep breathes. What is going on?
Sniffing the air I smell nothing new.
"Marcus what is going on?"
"Finally. The day we have been waiting eight long years for," he whispered with awe. "We must locate her before another male seeks her out." Snapping his teeth he lifts his lip up in a snarl.
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Chapter Questions: Will that dream kick him into shape finally?
How badly will he kill Nik?
Any ideas on type of torture he will use on Nik?
Sorry for the two weeks wait, we were in Germany and I had no way of posting. I don't re-post from my phone as the chapters always get screwed up.
Triberg, Germany
Home of the largest clock. It's also called the Black Forest.