Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Aaliyah

I found myself standing outside the tent in the middle of the night. I didn't know what I was doing here because I had fallen asleep in Tristan's arms. I looked ahead at the forest, which was filled with thick, tall trees. The tents around me glowed with lights from inside. Everyone was asleep.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I told myself I was dreaming. Yet, it felt too real, like the biting cold on my skin. A mist filled the atmosphere.

"Aaliyah," I snapped my head at the mention of my name, turning to where the voice came from. I looked around, wondering if I had heard it right.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a young black woman walk behind a tree in the forest. I caught sight of the small black cat that followed her, meowing as she walked.

When she turned, I recognized her from Tristan's painting. Why was I suddenly seeing her? First, it was the woman with blonde hair, and now I was seeing another. What connection did I have with them?

I quickly followed the woman, curious to know why she was here. How did she know my name? When I reached the forest, I saw the woman standing with her back to me. The cat purred, its yellow eyes glowing in the dark night. She wore the same clothes as in the painting.

"Aaliyah," the woman said softly. If I hadn't seen her face, I would have mistaken her for a child. If I had to guess her age, she was probably a few years older than me.

"Who are you?" I asked.

The woman didn't respond but instead, she walked forward, and I followed her.

As we continued walking, I heard whispers in my ears. Angry voices and a breeze slammed against my face. The forest was so dark I could hardly see where I was going. This place was dangerous; I shouldn't be here. Yet, I was curious to know who this woman was.

The woman finally stopped and knelt to pick up the cat.

"Are you supposed to ask me that?" she asked.

"I don't know you."

"You should be more interested in why we summoned you."

"We?"

As the word left my mouth, I saw two other women emerge from the shadows. They were both dressed like Tristan had painted them. Their gowns dragged through the dirt.

I took a step back. "Why did you summon me? How?"

"To warn you about what is to come," the black woman said.

"I don't understand," I frowned.

"He's going to do to you what he did to us," the blonde woman said.

"You should stay away from him," the black woman added. "Stay away from him, and you won't meet our fate."

"Fail to listen to us, and you'll die foolishly as we did."

I didn't know who they were referring to. As I opened my mouth to ask, they turned and disappeared.

I looked around, my eyes widening as I saw vampires emerging in the distance. Turning around, I began to run from the forest, but the vampires appeared in front of me, pushing me to the ground. One of them grabbed my neck and sank its fangs into my skin.

"Ahh!" I screamed, waking up from sleep. My forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

"Just a dream," I told myself as I breathed heavily. I placed my hand on my chest, trying to calm down.

Peeling my eyes open, I sat up in bed.

"Why do you look so shocked?" I turned my head at the sound of Tristan's voice.

"A dream," I said, feeling an excruciating headache.

"What did you dream of?"

"I don't remember everything, but I saw a woman," I frowned, rubbing my temples. "No, three women."

"Relax your mind, and the dream will flow in," Tristan said.

I took a deep breath. "I saw the three women you painted."

Tristan's jaw clenched. "What did they say to you?"

"I can't remember everything, but they warned me about something," I said.

"Forget it," he said, leaning closer to kiss me. "It's just a dream."

I pulled my head back. "No. Why would I see those women you painted in my dream? You said they aren't real. So why am I seeing them?"

Footsteps sounded outside the tent, and I snapped my head toward the noise.

"Tristan," I heard Hayley's voice.

"Hayley?"

"We spotted a vampire in the forest," Hayley said. "Ryan and the others are preparing for the hunt."

"Okay," Tristan said, and Hayley left.

He turned to me, brushing his fingers across the corner of my mouth.

"Are we going with them?" I asked.

"No," he shook his head. "Ours will be later in the day."

His lips met mine, his hands brushing my cheeks. His kiss was gentle, delicate, and soft. Yet there was something dark and illicit at the tip of his tongue, as if he was about to bite me.

I felt my body weaken at his touch, melting into his arms. I moaned softly as our tongues met, dancing around each other. My body shuddered, reacting to every touch and movement of his tongue in my mouth.

Then he slowly pulled back, leaving me breathless. I peeled my eyes open, blinking into his glowing red eyes.

I couldn't believe we kept doing this. His eyes darkened as he stared at me intently. My body felt like it was on fire.

Then he leaned closer again, pressing his lips to mine. He kissed me so deeply that I felt it in my bones. His lips were soft, like I was tasting a ripe fruit.

He touched me, drawing an ache between my thighs.

I pulled back, catching my breath. "We shouldn't be—" the words died in my throat when he grabbed my neck, kissing me again. My head spun as he licked my lips, and it felt like I was about to faint. I didn't regret the kissing. My only regret was what it could lead to, and the thought scared me. Enough that I pulled away.

"We shouldn't be doing this. You are not my mate."

"You haven't found your mate, and I haven't found mine. Why don't we choose each other instead?"

"And what would happen when you find your mate?"

"I would reject her. It's you I want, Aaliyah."

Then I pulled him closer and kissed him.