In Her Dreams by Bolryder, Terry (the reader ebook .txt) 📕

She bites her lip. “What do you mean?”

“Lorien visited.”

“He did? Why?”

“To tell me that the dream council has changed the rules for our mission after discovering this world we came to is littered with nightmares.”

It’s so quiet now I can hear the wind whistling through the not-quite-perfect window seal of her passenger-side window.

My chest feels tight like someone put a steel band around it.

“I swear I’m not doing this to manipulate you or push the situation. But they aren’t going to let me stay permanently in your world. If I want to be with you and Joey, you’ll eventually have to come to the dream realm with me.” I lower my eyes. “I know that’s what you didn’t want.”

“How long do we have?” Her tone is flat.

“I don’t know,” I say. “But, Jen, this doesn’t have to be terrible. Imagine a world where you don’t have to clean up spit and feces, where you rule from a beautiful castle, and Joey is free to—”

“We won’t ever fit in that world!” She shakes her head rapidly, and I realize with dismay that tears are biting her eyes. “Reve, you can’t ask that of me. This is my home!”

“I’m your home,” I say fiercely. “You’re my home. Surely, where we are doesn’t matter as much as that we’re together. You love me, don’t you?”

She nods, swiping at a tear but batting away my hand when I try to help her. “Of course I do.” Her eyes are fiery as they meet mine. “But I had a life before you.”

“I don’t care—”

“I care,” she says instantly, and I realize it was the wrong thing to say. “Look, Reve, I love you. I love our whirlwind romance and fantasy dreams. I love the way you make love to me, and I love how you are with Joey. I love everything about you except where you came from.”

“I can’t help that,” I say.

She folds her arms. “I can’t help that I was born here. I lived thirty years before I met you, Reve. It’s not fair to ask me to leave the only home I have ever known. With my son who has family here.”

I flinch back. “Does he? I thought you weren’t close with Mark’s family. That his parents—”

“Not Mark or his parents.” She exhales, smoothing her hands over her scrubs. The car is heating because she started it, but we’re still just parked in the parking lot. “This is what I was going to talk to you about. Mark’s brother called me today for the first time since Joey was born.”

I frown, a crinkle forming between my brows. “Why now?”

“He heard about Mark being attacked and came into town. He travels due to the military usually, but he’s out now.”

“And what? He wants to pick up where Mark left off? Absolutely not. I won’t allow it.”

I can feel the coldness in the air and her gaze, letting me know I just made a mistake.

“You won’t allow it? It’s not your place to say what happens,” she snaps at me.

“What do you mean? Of course it is. I’m not going to allow any nightmares in your world.”

“He’s not a nightmare,” she says angrily. “He never hurt me or Joey or Mark as far as I know. He seems like a good enough person, and Joey has a right to have an uncle, right? Some connection to his father. And now you’re saying you won’t allow that?”

I rub the back of my neck. “No. I was saying I won’t allow anyone to abuse you as Mark did. I wasn’t saying I could tell you what to do.”

“But you do try to tell me what to do, Reve,” she says, still angry. “Like this car or going to your world. Everything keeps changing, and you keep pushing me. Why don’t you just try and adjust to my world?”

My hands tighten into fists, and it takes effort to relax them. “I want to adjust to your world. But you’re everything to me, and your and Joey’s safety comes first.”

“And you really think we’ll be safe in your world? Where we know no one except you and there is actual magic everywhere? If we were to divorce—”

“I would never divorce you,” I say. “Dream fae aren’t like that.”

“What if I need to leave you?”

I suck in a breath. “I suppose you would just leave. Though my heart would never be the same, it would be my failure because I didn’t make you happy enough to stay with me.”

She lets out a breath. “I am happy with you. I know that. But I think I need some space. I need to think about Joey’s uncle, and—”

“Don’t,” I say quickly. “He could be a nightmare. Please don’t.”

“It doesn’t hurt to have another father figure,” she says.

I scowl. “No man who took that long to get to know Joey is going to be a good father figure. Any family Joey has could have shown up long before now. I don’t trust any of them. For that matter, I don’t trust anyone related to Mark.”

She glares at me. “Oh really? Like me and Joey?”

I shake my head, panicked. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Right,” she says. “Well, luckily, you don’t make all the choices for me and Joey, and if I want Adam to be another positive male figure who can teach him things you can’t, that’s my prerogative. He is Joey’s family.”

“Family is who you bond with, not who you are born with,” I say angrily. “Someone should have been there to protect both of you from that monster of a husband a long time ago. I wasn’t there, so I’m here right now, telling you to please not let this man into your life. Especially if you are pushing me out.”

Her eyes fall to her hands, which are folded in her lap. “I’m not trying to push you out, Reve. I’m trying to get my head on straight.”

“By pushing me out,” I say