could psychically connect with you. Until that day when I turned sixteen, they didn’t know if you were dead or alive.”
She sighed, the sound sad and vulnerable. “How much worse for them. I spent my entire life not even knowing they existed.” Her eyes sparkled with tears and a lone drop slid down her cheek.
He caught the tear on the end of his finger before he placed the salty liquid on his tongue, her energy and her grief surging through him from the contact.
“What do I say to them? How do I know they won’t be disappointed with who I am?”
He pulled her against his chest and buried her head against his shoulder, as Alyssa let the sobs come. “Shhh, beloved. They will love you as I do.” She stiffened in his arms at his words. She would have to come to terms with his feelings for her, but not now. He knew she hadn’t thought him real all those years, but he had always known one day they would be together.
He’d lost his heart to her over the course of the first several months of their dream contacts. Meeting the real woman all these years later only assured him of his love. “They are your parents and would gladly have traded places with me all these years. I got to connect with you each night and they were forced to wait until I came into my powers and was able to search for you in the human realm.”
Gently rocking her, he let her sob. He knew years of frustration and loneliness had finally caught up to her as well as the betrayal of those she thought were her family. Through her dreams, he’d learned enough to know that the Cunts had eroded her self-confidence and sense of worth from infancy. She’d spent her life hiding behind baggy clothes and developed an uncanny ability to blend into the background. He’d done his best inside her dreams to show her how special a woman she was, but each dream connection took so much energy, he often didn’t have time to do anything but give her sustenance and retreat before having to recharge himself.
She pulled away far enough to raise her tear-stained face to his. “Do they look like me?” She looked so hopeful and fragile, he was glad to reassure her.
Wiping away her tears with his thumb, he nodded. “Your mother looks just like you, except her hair is longer. King Darius looks much like me—all the Klatch do. Dark hair and lavender eyes are the easiest ways to identify the Klatch.”
“Darius…” She looked up at him, her teary eyes sad. “I can’t believe I don’t even know their names. What’s my mother’s name?”
He swallowed hard. How would she react when she learned of her mother’s illness? “Annalecia,” he said softly and kissed her forehead. He knew he’d have to face it and tell her eventually, but not while she was still so fragile. She took a deep breath and smiled, hoping to lighten her mood. “If you continue to cry, all your energy will be drained before we even get into the city. And if that happens, we’ll be extremely late getting back.”
She laughed, as he’d hoped. The sound twisted around his heart, warming him.
“I suppose I should pull myself together so I can meet them.” Wiping her eyes on the tail of her oversized shirt, she straightened and stood. Will I have a chance to get a shower before I meet them? I don’t want them to see me like this.” She gestured down at her rumpled clothes and looked so beautiful, he was tempted to get her out of them again.
“Earth to Stone,” she said, and waved a hand in front of his face.
He laughed as he realized he’d been staring. “Yes, you’ll have a chance to get cleaned up before your parents see you. I just wish I could help.” He pictured her naked and glistening with water in the bubbling baths, surrounded by dozens of other voluptuous Klatch women.
Turning to him with desire smoldering in her lavender eyes, she asked, “Why can’t you?”
“Because there is too much of a risk that some of my essence would reach you within the waters. Women who have not yet gone through the coming-of-age bathe together in all-female baths. It’s not a matter of modesty for them to bathe apart from the men, but necessity.”
Her beautiful brow creased and she chewed her full bottom lip. He already knew from their short time together that this meant she was pondering something. “So, all Klatch women have that issue, not just me?
Smoothing the crease from her brow with his fingers, he took her hand and they began to walk again. “Every Klatch has a coming-of-age, both men and women. But you are a princess and have more tolerance. What you experienced from just a small taste of essence is nothing compared to what effects a nonroyal would have.”
“What about the men, do they have a bad reaction to ‘female essence’?”
“Actually, they do. Female juices are just as dangerous for males before that time, but fortunately, males have their coming-of-age at sixteen, not twenty-four.”
She whistled and he stared fascinated with the way her lips worked together to make the sound. “Another sexist society.” She smiled, removing the sting from her comment, and stopped walking, turning to face him. “You said once the ceremony is performed we’ll be able to…finish what we started. We’ll be able to do anything without worrying about me blacking out. Right?”
Stone smiled at her enthusiasm and took both her hands in his, placing a gentle kiss on the back of each. “You are exactly right, Princess. And I can’t wait.” He just hoped she’d still be so enthusiastic once he explained the ritual to her.
Chapter 3
Alyssa’s first view of the city literally stole the breath from her lungs. It was more beautiful than she’d ever imagined. And she knew this place. Her entire life, she’d thrived inside her own imagination and this had been her dream world. Only now, it was real.
Her gaze traced the gleaming white towers and parapets, which elegantly sliced into the cerulean blue sky. Deep purple flags, emblazoned with a curved sword crisscrossed with a red rose, flew from each turret, flapping in the gentle breeze. Almost eclipsed by the castle’s beauty, smaller white stone buildings spread in a pleasing arrangement between large waterfalls and lush green parks. The gurgling of gently falling water sounded all around her and she breathed deep, enjoying the clean crisp air.
Stone stepped behind her, and pulled her back against him. “Wait until you see it at night, Princess. The view from your room is spectacular.” His breath feathered against her neck, making her shiver.
Smiling, she closed her eyes and pictured the room from her dreams. It had a large four-poster bed with purple sheets and spreads, with several fluffy pillows. There was a white stone dressing table with pink crystal seams running through it, a large sitting area with floor to ceiling bookshelves, overflowing with books, a bathroom bigger than her apartment, and a veranda, which overlooked the main bathing pools. She would wait and see if reality again matched her dreams. She turned in his arms and twined her arms around his neck before brushing a kiss over his lips. “I’m ready to see more.”
They walked hand in hand and within minutes, began to see people. People who looked very much like she and Stone. All of them with dark wavy hair and lavender eyes—the women voluptuous and the men muscular. Even though each was individual, she’d never felt more like she stuck out. Everyone dressed scantily in comfortable-looking light cotton clothes and all were barefoot, while she was wrapped in oversized denim and a baggy T-shirt. Alyssa cringed at the thought of showing as much of herself as these people did in public.
When they reached the main grassy pathway,
