Chapter 1: Sleepwalking and Nightmares

*A/N: This story takes place immediately following the events of "The Alpha's Little Brother Loves a Wood Elf."*

Ravyn POV

Crystal shards lay everywhere. As if the Bloodstone exploded.

She stepped through the wreckage of her life's work, ignoring the slivers that embedded themselves in her long legs. Obsidian, yellow jasper, emerald, unakite, black tourmaline, malachite, lightning sapphires, chalcedony, rose quartz, tanzanite. A king's ransom in precious stones, and yet priceless at the same time.

Dead wolf shifters lay buried by that treasure horde. Was any of her family among them? The scent of their salty blood made her dizzy and sick to her stomach, but she was no weakling. 

She would find whoever did this and make them pay. Especially for Lilia's sake.

Her daughter, worth more than all the crystals in the world or any crystal in history, stood frozen in a prison of crystal, her mouth open in a scream and one of Ravyn's beloved grandchildren clasped against her breast. 

Across the ruin of her family's shop stood a striking figure–the one responsible for nearly destroying her life over two decades ago.

Daxius Houdini, her estranged husband. Her phantom husband.

Lilia had his features and his elegance. His copper-skinned face gleaming, his turquoise eyes like her son Jiro's, he stood cloaked in darkness, holding up a figurine of a bald gnomelike man that shone a coral light through the devastation. "If you had only listened to me, this wouldn't have happened," he said in a raspy voice filled with sickness.

Her amethyst eyes lit up with rage. "If YOU hadn't left, none of this would have happened!"

"And would you have had your life otherwise, Ravyn?" 

Brushing back her long silky blonde hair, she snorted. "I'm in no mood for riddles!"

The icy brush of a demon's fingers against her shoulder made her spin around to face … herself. Except her eyes were pure white holes, and the voice that came out was from the Dark Goddess. "You cannot win, Ravyn. None of your family can defeat me."

"We'll see about that!"

"Join with me," Daxius called out from across the room, proffering the statuette of the bald gnomelike man. "If you ever loved me, trust me."

She reached out for Daxius, unsure if she wanted to hit him or accept him …

And awoke gasping for breath in her soft, safe, comfortable bed with AlphaJude Faolan on top of her!

Wolf eyes. Pure gold, as opposed to his deep brown ones. Those wolf eyes were heavy-lidded, almost bedroom eyes. The Alpha of the Silverpaw Pack was kissing her while she slept. Reserved, tough ally Jude was on top of her, seeking to make with her.

A widower with children who'd retreated into himself, an ally, an attractive and powerful man, was making love to her while she slept.

"Alpha Jude," she called out softly, trying to awaken him.

"Mate."

That word in his husky, sexy voice caught her off guard. Did he think she was wife Emer? That must be it. The poor man must be dreaming of his mate. What else would he dream of after suffering such a loss? He and Emer had been blissfully happy–so much so that, after her death, Dane feared Jude would just go off into the wild to lay down and sleep forever. 

He didn't look like he was sleeping now! His hands roamed all over her, awaking things she hadn't felt in years. Smelling of sage and musk.

"Yes. Your mate wants you to sleep now."

He growled, a possessive, sensual sound that stirred longings and heat in her that she'd buried after she accepted that Daxius wasn't coming back. "Mate."

According to shifter custom, both were naked, and his maleness jutted hard and hot against parts of her that had only gotten erotic attention when she needed to give herself some relief.

"Alright," she said, breathing as hard as if she'd run through a sandstorm. "Let's just relax together for a while. Rest a spell." She chuckled at her own joke.

He growled, aroused by her silliness, and his elegant fingers tangled in her hair, then gripped her head and drew her down for a kiss.

Which, when it came, rocked her body to the core, stirring up feelings she'd buried years ago.

Full and velvety and firm, his lips moved on hers, stirring sensations that went right to her head. For once in decades, she couldn't think clearly, only feel. Goddess Brigid, he kissed like no one else. Tender and hungry and full of longing. 

She never knew that the shifter next door could evoke such heat in her after practically ravaging her.

She'd liked him before this. A loving father and mate, a strong and intelligent leader devoted to his people, and a staunch ally and friend to the Crestas. She enjoyed his company. Of course, Jude had been happily mated, and then unhappily widowed. Off-limits.

Goddess, had she always been secretly attracted to him?

That didn't matter! He was grieving and he didn't know what he was doing. To his dreaming mind, she was his beloved Emer. This had to stop.

Pushing away from him, she only succeeded in making him more aroused and amorous. His legs trapped hers. "Mine. Mine," he growled, nipping her ear.

She did the only thing she could think of to do … she bit him on the arm, hard enough to jolt him awake.

His eyes snapped back to human brown and instantly awake. "YOU'RE not Emer. You temptress! Emer is alive! How dare you come between my mate and me?"

Pulling away from her, he leapt up and snarled at her. "I'll tell Alpha Dane about this. The is grounds for a pack war."

He wasn't being rational. His grief had clouded him.

"NO! You were sleepwalking."

His eyes burned, back to wolf gold. "I demand repayment from Dane! You ... you seduced me. You tried to seduce me away from my mate. You interfered with my love."

"Alpha Jude ... this isn't you," she breathed. "You're under an evil spell, of grief, maybe."

Or something darker. She faced him boldly, still feeling the sparks of heat on her satiny skin. The sparks of heat she had to ignore. She gasped, her body still trembling with the heat. 

His sage scent stronger, almost overpowering, Jude whirled towards the door, ready to disturb Dane and cause a pack war. Not that Dane would take Jude's word over hers--Dane was her son-in-law, after all. But the Silverpaws were a vital ally ...

She struggled to think straight, and acted on impulse, blocking him, her back against the cool wood of the door.

"You're right," she said boldly. "I was trying to seduce you. I wanted you for myself."

She hoped he'd see the ridiculousness of it and wake up.

No such luck.

He planted his hands on either side of her body, and lowered his mouth to her neck. "You think you can take Emer's place? After I lost her?"

At least he seemed to have regained his senses and realized his wife was gone. The poor man. Her hand came up to tenderly touch his cheek. Strong like polished stone, but warm. "No one can take her place, Jude. But I assure you--"

His mouth claimed hers in a bruising kiss.

"I need a Luna. In exchange for keeping this quiet between us, and me not going to Dane, you'll be my woman. My mate."

Dane would understand.

Surely, Dane would understand.

This was madness, what he was proposing. After three years without Emer, in the depths of grief, he couldn't be ready for another mate. Shifters took fated mates seriously. 

"Alright," she heard herself say. "If you won't make a scandal over this, I'll be your mate."