Dream: When Worlds Intwine

Date: 2/2/2021

(Takes place some time after the dream “Not What We Seem” from Jan 24th, 2021. This dream happened over the course of several of my real life nights, thus how long it is, but I finally wrote it down today.) I was once again seeing through the eyes of Rayanne Michaels. Raya as I had told the wolf brothers to call me. We had reached a ranch on the outer edge of the state. I don’t know how long we’d been on the road. A few days at the least. This ranch… it felt safe. I felt calm. I hadn’t felt that since I was last with my family. “Raya?” Cory looked up at me. He’d been sleeping against me on the car ride. His eyes were so bright. Little emeralds of concern. I stroked my fingers over his cheek and smiled, “I’ll be alright. I just miss my family.” Cory nodded in understanding, “We only can go to our pack because they aren’t human. Just like what’s chasing us isn’t human. I’m sorry.” I ruffled his sandy brown hair and grinned, “I said I’d be fine. So quit worrying. Okay?” He nodded and we sat in wait for Cam to get back out here. I ran my fingers over the red hair I’d been desperately wanting to clean. Part of me even debated cutting it down to change up my look. If only a little. Cam finally stepped out of the house. His body language said he was annoyed but that wasn’t too new for us. It didn’t seem like were in hostile territory though. That’s the part that mattered. He waved for us to come in and I let out a sigh of relief. “Guess things worked out.” I whispered as I opened the door. I climbed out the car and Cory followed me. Then I noticed another figure in the doorway. He was taller than Cam. I’d guess about 6’7” at most. He was definitely built. Likely could take down a bear if he tried. I shook my head and looked away for moment. I had to remember that no one here was going to be human. Not fully. “PAPA!!!!” Cory called out when he noticed who had come outside. He bolted after the man, wolf ears peeking out of his mess of hair as he ran. I couldn’t help but laugh. I’m sure I would have seen a wagging tail if he didn’t have some control over his appearance. Cam chuckled at the sight but collected himself when he noticed my gaze return to him. I sighed again. “Raya, I assume?” the older man asked as he held Cory in his arms, “I’m Lawrence. Father of these two. Head of the pack out here. Welcome to our lands.” “Yes, sir.” I said with a smile and held out my hand, “Pleasure to meet you. And to be here.” Lawrence shook my hand then waved us in. The house was pretty big. Three bedrooms. Two on the ground floor. One up top. Apparently the one on the second floor was Cam’s. The front room was spacious. So was the kitchen. I felt like I was walking into heaven… yet I had seen in those glimpses what heaven really looked like. “So, I know you probably have a lot of questions about us… and a lot about what you’ve seen. I have some of my own.” Lawrence gave a soft smile as he set Cory down, “But before that, I think you should try and relax. Cory can show you where the bathroom is so you can grab a shower. My wife left some clothes in there for you. She’s a seer. Saw you lot coming before you arrived. She’ll be back at nightfall.” I couldn’t help the smile on my face, “Thank you for the hospitality. Truly.” “No need for the formalities. You helped my sons out of a bad spot. Least we can do is get you some time to relax.” Lawrence motioned for us to head off. Cory grabbed my hand and began leading me away. I glanced in Cam’s direction and saw something fierce burning behind his zaffre eyes. I couldn’t explain what but there was a definite ferocity to it. He looked like he wanted to follow us but his father stopped him. “We need to talk, Cameron.” his father stated as I was led up the stairs and to the bathroom. “Will he be alright?” I whispered to Cory. “Yeah. I think… it’s because of how close that stuff is…” Cory answered and his wolf ears drooped. “That stuff?” I asked him. Cory shook his head. Clearly that wasn’t a topic he felt comfortable explaining. I sighed but let it go for now. The bathroom was beautiful. They had a nice almost gothic victorian look to it. “I promise i’ll be out soon enough.” I told Cory. “We have one downstairs too. Don’t worry. This one just has a shower too.” Cory said with a huge grin. I shook my head but smiled, “Alright. I’ll take you up on that.” I shut the door and locked it. Letting the water run and heat up. I looked in the mirror and sighed. There was dirt and blood on my face that made it hard to tell how much was dirt and how much was the freckles on my skin. My red hair was so long that it had become tangled and messy. My once beautiful brown eyes seemed to have dulled so much after these last few days. “I need a change.” I said and dug in my bag. I found my scissors that I’d used for my art projects. As the water ran I cut my hair down. It was choppy and messy but i didn’t care. My hair would be far more manageable now. Short, just below the earlobes, easier to take care of.  I scooped up the hair and tossed it all in the trash. I tossed my clothes to the floor and hopped in the shower. Letting the water help wash away everything. The worry. The pain. The fear of never seeing my family again. I washed it all away. Eventually I got out of the shower. The clothes that had been left for me were comfortable enough. Very much my style. A tank top, flannel overshirt, a skirt that went to the knees, warm leggings for underneath, and they went with my sneakers pretty well. I got dressed and headed down to meet with everyone else. Lawrence sent Cam up to grab a shower next. He eyed me for a moment. His zaffre eyes once again holding that ferocity in them but somehow i knew it wasn’t hostile. He held my gaze for a moment as he brushed by, his dark hair seemed matted by sweat. I assumed he’d been helping around outside while I was getting clean. I shook those thoughts away. I didn’t need him in my mind right now. I needed answers. “That certainly looks better on you than the longer hair,” Lawrence said as he set a plate of eggs and bacon in front of me, “Thought you might be hungry.” I felt my stomach growl in response and blushed bright as I sat down at the table. “Maybe just a bit. It’s been a long drive.” “Don’t be embarrassed. We’re wolves. We eat pretty big meals ourselves.” Lawrence stated and set down a glass of water by the food.  “Thank you. For all of the help.” I told him and began to eat up, “But do you mind if we talk as well? You… know some things on what happened, right? And… umm… where’s Cory?” Lawrence laughed at that, “Don’t worry about him. He’s outside with my daughter and my nephew. Cory’s the youngest outta them kids but everyone dotes on him. They’re keeping an eye on him since I had to have a talk with Cameron.” I nodded and took another bite. I thought hard on my words as I chewed. “What… what do you know… about the seraphim?” Lawrence let out a sigh. He leaned back against the counter, “Not much. That’s more my wife’s area than mine. She is half-seraphim. Like you. But unlike you, she is also half-human. She has memories of her time up there before she chose to live amongst humans. Due to this, we just tell people she’s a seer. She does have the ability to see things before they happen. Supposedly a rare gift amongst humans but not as rare amongst those seraphim, just harder to control.” “You said she’d be back at nightfall?” I asked him. “Yes. She had to go with some of our pack’s healers to help a few of the elders. The coming heat has caused a few of them to get sick.” He told me and smiled, “Let’s be honest though, you’re more interested in why my son had to talk to me so long when you first arrived. More so why it had to continue while you were in the shower.” I gulped and took a drink of the water, “As curious as I am… I also know that I don’t have to be told everything.” Lawrence chuckled but nodded, “Smart woman. Cameron sure brought home a feisty one.” Time went on and night had arrived. I had been introduced to Alysha, their sister. She had the same emerald eyes as their father and as Cory. With dark long curls that curtained her face well. Tanned too. Pretty sure she was not just a pretty face. Their cousin, Damon, was about as tall as Lawrence. I’d say close to 6’4”-6’5” which made me guess that Cam was only about 6’ even with how much shorter he looked compared to those two. Damon had muscle but more of an athletic build compared to Lawrence’s lumberjack build. Damon looked capable of sprinting cross country without breaking a sweat. He had silver eyes that had flecks of red in them. His hair was dyed a dark forest green color. I tried not to look at him too long cuz the winks were certainly flirtatious and I really wasn’t interested. The one I was most excited to meet was Cam’s mother. She had the same deep zaffre eyes as him. Hers were so calming to look into. She had long sandy brown hair that hung loosely around her shoulders. Clearly where Cory’s hair came from. She had a certain grace to her that was almost regal. Gentle yet commanding respect. Lawrence smirked at my speechless gaze. “As they say, behind every great man is a truly powerful woman,” He told me, a proud smile on his face. He was so in love with her. Just how my parents had been. Both my adoptive ones and my biological ones. So very in love with each other. Something you rarely saw in this world anymore yet here it was. “I hear you have many questions dear child. I hope to answer them but we will have to keep you all here for a time. Those abilities of yours… you need time to understand and control them.” Cam’s mother told me with a calm smile, “My name is Mara. I am a daughter of the heavens just as you are. Thank you for looking after my sons.” I felt that blush creep across my face again, “I-it was an equally helpful situation. We took care of each other.” I heard Damon snicker and then grunt when Alysha elbowed him in the rib. That just made me blush harder. Mara took my hands in hers and gave them a light squeeze, “Walk with me, you and I have much to talk about.” And so we left the house. Cam once again looked ready to follow but got stopped by his father. I didn’t understand why he was behaving like this but I didn’t get to dwell on it long. Mara led me away near a guest house. I would be staying there while we stayed on the ranch. “I hope you can understand. I just want you to be careful with those gifts… and i want my sons to be safe. They seem to have become fond of you.” Mara told me and let go of my hand, “So I will walk you through how to slowly control those gifts of yours. In exchange, you will help us on the ranch. Fair?” “That sounds fine with me. Why did we have to come all the way out here though?” I asked her. “My husband needed to speak with those pups. He has to pick a successor soon. Tradition in the pack it seems.” Mara said with a roll of her eyes, “Alysha is female but she is also capable of leading. I know many packs would think it wrong but it’s more about if she fails in combat against her brother or cousin, that’s what will decide she can’t lead. He’d prefer she takeover… but tonight they must take part in that battle.” “Wait… so they’re going to fight? Like actually fight?” I asked her and stepped back. I looked back to the house as I heard the faint sound of shouting. “Pack tradition demands it. Cameron and Damon are younger than her. Yet she must prove they cannot best her in battle if she wants to become the next leader. The one who is victor will have trials worse than that to face.” Mara explained calmly. “But Cam… he hasn’t had time to recover. We’ve been on the road this whole time and he’s still wounded.” I told her, “If he goes into that fight…” Mara chuckled, “He heals faster than you may think.” She placed a hand on my shoulder. “For now, you must sleep. They will be fine. All of them.” Next thing I knew, I was waking up in the guest house. It was bright out. My head was foggy. I saw Cam sleeping in a chair beside me. I sat up slowly so as not to startle him. He looked so peaceful. His head nestled into his arms that were resting on the bed beside me. I gently ran my fingers through his hair. Dark, thick, curls. Just like his sister and his father. It was so soft though. He stirred and stared up in my eyes. His zaffre ones seeming much calmer than the day before. He took my hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. “I heard you were worried about me. I thought I’d make sure you woke up to proof I’d survive the match.” he told me with a grin. I felt my cheeks heat up and fought the urge to pull my hand from his grip, “I’m glad you survived… but are you hurt any?” Cam chuckled and sat up, letting go of my hand in the process, “I’ll be fine. I’m a bit sore but I heal pretty quick. Damon and Alysha are likely more sore than I am.” The air about him shifted and he sighed, “I won the match. Me. The youngest out of us.” “Which makes you the successor then?” I asked and curled up, leaning my back against the wall. I pat the bed next to me, “So what does that mean for you and our journey?” Cam sat next to me on the bed, leaning back against the wall himself, “It means they want me to train and go through the trials… and i eventually… need to find a mate.” “Yeesh… got to learn to lead and look for a wife… or husband if you’re into that…” I said with an awkward laugh. Cam rolled his eyes, “I’m straight, Raya.” He gently shoved me for the comment and smirked, “Thanks though. For worrying about me. I’ll be fine as long as I rest while I have the freedom to do so. My training starts when your training with my mom does.” I groaned, “I forgot about that. I know it’s necessary… and I’m gonna get the answers I need… but something about being trained by your mother is… awkward.” Cam chuckled, “Careful. She might think you have a crush on me if she hears that.” He hopped off the bed and stretched a bit, “We should get going. I’m sure Cory’s wanting to see you again. He and Alysha will be joining you on your work around the ranch.” He held a hand out to me, “Think you can handle it?” “Probably better than you can handle your training.” I teased but let him pull me up to my feet.  Weeks went by. I’m not sure how many. All I knew was that I’d started to get used to the work around the ranch. It seemed that Mara’s abilities included barrier magic. A special kind that would make the seraphim who had captured us be unable to locate us while we were on the ranch grounds. Mara had helped me gain control of my gifts. I was able to slowly turn back time when needed and I could even heal wounds. A gift from my father. Apparently Charziel, my father, had been a powerful healer amongst the seraphim. He was one of few who was allowed amongst the gods to assist them with their missions on earth. That was how he met my mother. Her name was Trema. She’d been a master of time. Turning back the clock where it was needed. Rumor has it that she vanished, and the last one to see her was my father. That is why I was hidden amongst humans, my memories locked away. To protect me. It was also why those seraphim were trying to locate my father. I saw a lot less of Cam during these weeks. We had opposite schedules and were training hard to be ready when the fight finally came to us. We only had our moments at breakfast and dinner to really see each other anymore. It was almost lonely. I was out working with the horses today. Helping them get some exercise. It was nice getting to run with them. I don’t know how but I managed to keep up with them. My guess was the time control abilities slipping out enough for me to keep up with them. Or maybe I was faster than I realized. I just knew I was having fun running alongside them. “Don’t slack off now, Diamond.” I told the young colt that had started to fall behind, “We still have a bit left to run before you get a break.” The colt snorted in response, clearly not wanting to keep up the exercise. “Hear that Lily, he thinks he’s better than us girls.” I told his mother, a feisty mare. She whinnied in response which caused Diamond to snort once more. Damon popped up behind the colt and smacked him on the rear, causing him to kick back in response. Damon barely dodged it and laughed before running to catch up to us, Diamon running behind him. “Sometimes you just need to give them a bit of motivation,” Damon told me with a laugh and a flirtatious wink. I rolled my eyes and Lily gave a snort of her own. “That kind of motivation isn’t really my kind of thing. I prefer to encourage with a bit of quick wit. If that don’t work then there are other ways to put them in their place.” “I’m sure. How would you put me in my place then?” Damon asked as he walked over to us. I shook my head and snapped my fingers. He froze in place, minus his head. He blinked in surprise. It was clear he hadn’t expected this turn of events. “Look. You’re gorgeous. Not going to lie about that. However, your personality is not my type at all. You are way too full of yourself and i’m really not into that.” I told him bluntly, “And it’s about time you realized this because i’ve been rejecting your advances for a while.” I unfroze him and he shook himself loose a bit. He smirked, “Always a chance you could come around. But if you don’t, that’s fine. The heat will hit you eventually.” “What does heat have to do with any of this?” I asked him as I backed up closer to Lily. Damon chuckled, “You’ll learn in time.” He headed off back towards the ranch after saying those words. Which just left me more confused than anything. “What an arrogant bastard…” I muttered as I let Lily and Diamond lead me back to the ranch. More weeks went by. I was relaxing in the guest house. My body was a tad sore but I felt refreshed after the bath I’d just had. The bathroom in the guest house was simple in design but roomy and calming. Now I was chilling on the bed after a long and busy day. “Raya… are you still up?” I heard Cam call out. “Just come in, the door is unlocked.” I told him. He walked into the guest house and made his way to my bedside. He paced in front of me. Something clearly on his mind. I sighed and stood up from the bed. I put my hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him to sit down on the bed. “What’s eating at you?” I asked him. “You shouldn’t leave your door unlocked. Anyone could get in. Like Damon.” Cam told me and sighed, looking up at me. His dark hair was tied back for a change, letting his eyes capture me, hold me with that burning ferocity he’d shown before. “What? Jealous of your cousin now?” I asked with a roll of my eyes. Cam grit his teeth, closed his eyes, and shook his head, “No. I just… I know he’s made advances on you… ones you weren’t fond of. I just want you to be safe.” I sighed and knelt in front of him so I could look in his eyes. I ran my fingers over his cheek and had him hold my gaze, “What’s going on Cam?” “It’s… the heat. I can usually fight it back but… I’m at the age now…” He sighed and leaned into my touch, placing a hand over mine, “My pack. Our kind. We mate for life. So I’ve avoided it. Alysha has her wife. Damon, well he’s just hit the age a year ago and most of that time has been spent in training. I’m just now of age myself… but mating… is a heavy bond between both. It can’t be just anyone and with what we’re in the middle of…” “This is why you’ve kept your distance from me?” I asked him. He nodded, “I’m sorry if I hurt you by doing that. I needed to clear my head.” I pulled up a chair and sat across from him, “How’s your head now?” “Still debating if any of this is a good idea.” He admitted as he kissed the top of my hand, “I have to ask you something--” “You want my permission to make me your mate?” I asked him. His eyes widened as he gulped quietly, “I hadn’t even--” “Why else would you be in here, talking about this mating stuff, but also stating the situation we’re still currently in? You need a mate and I’m the likeliest candidate given the circumstances.” I summed up with a weak smile, “I pay more attention than you may think.” Cam averted his gaze, “I… I should probably go…” He made to get up but I pushed him back, pinning him onto the bed. His eyes widened again and I could see just how red his face was. He didn’t move. He quietly gulped as he looked up at me. He was clearly trying to process how to handle this. “I accept your proposal,” I told him firmly. “You realize this is for life. Until we die. It’s practically marriage except you can’t get a divorce.” Cam explained as he rolled me off him. I sat up and pressed a hand on his shoulder. Just in case he tried to run off again. “I understand quite well what I’m getting into.” “If you go through with this… that means you could never be touched by another man. Like a hug from your father or other male relatives would be one thing… but outside that… if any other man touched you… i would become possessive… possibly hostile towards them. It’s in our genetics.” Cam explained to me. “Yes. I understand what a mate is to you and your kind, Cameron.” I said with a roll of my eyes, “But it’s better that it’s me. I can defend myself, and you, better than some random slut you pick up at a nearby strip joint.” Cam scoffed at those words, “Damn. You sound almost possessive yourself and we haven’t even done anything.” “Can’t be possessive of something that isn’t mine. I’m just stating facts.” I told him and shook my head, “You’re the one that came to me, in case you forgot.” Cam groaned, “This is going nowhere.” He looked up at me, “I would prefer it be you. I just… wish it were under better circumstances.” “We met under odd circumstances. Might as well have the other stuff be under weird circumstances too.” I told him and kissed his cheek, “Do you trust me?” Cam nodded slowly, “More than I will ever admit… but if we’re doing this… we need to lock that door…” “Cam, I heard you lock it when you came in.” I told him and kissed his neck. “Sh--” He started but I claimed his lips with my own. I felt him begin to relax into the kiss. He ran his hands over my back and pulled me into him. He adjusted us so we were fully on the bed. I adjusted so I was straddling him. I watched his face gain that blush again. Now the fire in his zaffre eyes made sense. Lust. Desire. He’d been fighting it all this time. “You willingly to let this happen now?” I asked him, “Because I won’t do this if you’re not willing. But I don’t want you running off and making a mistake either.” Cam nodded slowly, “Trust me… I’m more than willing…” he gulped, “Circumstances be damned I guess.” (Yes, more happened. No, I'm not sharing those details. I awoke after that bit happened. Lol)