Untouched (11 page)

“Not as perceptive as you,
cher
,” she whispered. Jacqueline stood up from the table, and her long cape fluttered around her like wings. “I will see you all tomorrow at Breezemont.”

She gave a quick curtsy, nodded to Dante who’d moved in right behind her, and breezed silently out the door. Jester’s yellow eyes peering over her shoulder were the last thing Kerry saw before the world went dark.

She’d been passed out for almost half an hour. He caught her when she’d fainted and didn’t give Arthur or anyone else a chance to get near her. He got her out of there as quickly as possible and carried her up to her suite. Arthur wanted to call a doctor, but Dante convinced him they should keep it quiet in an effort to keep it out of the press. The very idea of any kind of publicity got the guy practically giddy.

Once Dante settled Kerry into her bed, Arthur left, claiming that he needed to do some damage control with the bar patrons. Dante assumed that meant he would be calling the press himself. At that point, Dante didn’t care. He just wanted the smug bastard to leave.

He watched Kerry’s chest rise and fall as she slept. Whatever she’d experienced when Jacqueline touched her sent her over the edge. Her mouth was set in a frown, and her brow knitted in what he could only assume was pain. He closed his eyes and reached out to her mind, but once again met an impenetrable wall.

He let out a sound of frustration and opened his eyes to look at his mate. “Beautiful” and “mysterious” were the two words that came to mind whenever he looked at her. He pulled the covers up gently and brushed her cheek gently with his thumb. She murmured something and sighed, but did not wake up. He needed a healer. He had to be absolutely certain she was alright.

He closed his eyes and reached out for Steven, the only doctor—human or Amoveo—Dante could trust with Kerry’s life. After what felt like an eternity, Steven materialized in the room wearing a pair of green scrubs, looking relatively unkempt.

“What’s up?” He let out a huge yawn and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “I was catching a few winks after my shift at the clinic.”

“I’m sorry to wake you, but I need you have a look at Kerry,” he said, gesturing to his mate.

Steven’s eyebrows shot up. “Whoa. She’s even prettier up close.”

“I didn’t ask you here to ogle her.” Dante knew he sounded like a jealous moron, and the smirk on Steven’s face only confirmed it. He cleared his throat in an effort to maintain his composure. “She fainted and hasn’t woken up since.”

“I see,” he said moving to the side of her bed. “What happened before she fainted?” He pulled a chair over and sat down next to her.

“She touched someone, or rather, someone touched her.” His face grew dark at the memory. Dante could swear that woman had known exactly what her touch would do. He’d scanned her mind, but it was like stumbling upon a mess of wires that were all tangled up. He sensed a lot going on but couldn’t decipher exactly what.

“Uh-huh. You mentioned earlier today that she has a psychic touch, correct? She receives images and so forth. Doesn’t pain usually accompany these visions?”

“Yes.” Dante nodded. “When she touches a human. But it’s different when she touches another Amoveo. She can touch us without pain, and from what I can tell so far, the only image she sees is our clan animal.”

“No pain.” He nodded and made a sound of understanding. “Well, I guess that’s good news for you, isn’t it?” He threw a teasing glance to Dante and then looked back down at his still unconscious patient. “Does she normally pass out like this?”

Dante shook his head. “No. At least I don’t think so. Besides, when Jacqueline touched her, I don’t believe she felt pain. Her energy waves increased in their intensity, but it wasn’t pain. It felt more like fear or confusion.”

Her suffering weighed heavily on him. Dante cursed softly and sat in the other chair on the opposite side of her bed. Helplessness washed over him as he watched Steven examine Kerry. He placed one hand on her forehead and the other on her hands, which were folded on her stomach. He closed his eyes and his face became a mask of concentration.

The energy in the room hummed as Steven joined his energy signature with Kerry’s. His energy flowed through her body the way a car would travel a highway, taking note of the electrical impulses of her brain and the steady pumping of her heart. He didn’t move a muscle for close to twenty minutes, and if Dante didn’t know better, he might think Steven had fallen asleep. Dante watched intensely. His hands grasped the arms of the chair, turning his knuckles white. Why wasn’t she waking up? Steven’s voice gratefully broke the silence.

“Relax, big guy,” Steven said with a crooked smile. He opened his eyes, his connection to Kerry now broken. “She’s going to be fine.”

“Thank God.” Dante let out a sigh of relief.

“Whatever caused her to faint wasn’t a physical problem.” He sat back in his chair while keeping his eyes on Kerry. “It’s as though she’s shut herself down.” He continued with caution. “Whatever she saw, it upset her so much she’s withdrawn into the dream realm.” He looked up at Dante, his face filled with concern. “She’s in deep too. I don’t think she’ll come out on her own. Have you connected with her in the dream realm yet? I mean really connected to the point where she’s actually seen you.”

“Yes,” Dante said softly. “Only in the form of my fox, but we have connected there.”

Steven stood up and adjusted the covers over Kerry. “You have to connect with her tonight and reveal yourself to her in your human form. It’s the only way she’s going to come out of it. Whatever she saw frightened her, and she’s hiding in the dream. I doubt she even realizes she’s doing it.”

Dante nodded his understanding and stood up. “Thank you, Steven.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he cautioned. “Let’s make sure this idea works before you buy me a drink. Which, by the way, you’ll be doing, right? Because you did interrupt my nap.”

Dante laughed softly and shook Steven’s extended hand. “You got it.”

“Do you want me to stay while you’re in the dream realm with Kerry? Make sure you both come out alright?”

“No. I’ll contact you again if I can’t get her to come out with me. I can count on you tomorrow if I need your help?”

Steven nodded his acceptance. “Absolutely.” He whispered the ancient language, “
Verto
,” and vanished.

Dante turned out the lights and went over to the bed. He removed both his jacket and tie and laid them across the chair. He unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt, and as gently as possible, lay down on the bed next to Kerry. Dante stretched out, folded his hands on his stomach, closed his eyes, and focused on his breathing.

His focus didn’t come easily. The weight and warmth of her body next to his provided more distraction than he thought possible. Dante shook his head and sharpened his focus. Deep focused breathing was the quickest way to fall asleep and get to the dream realm. He concentrated on Kerry. Her scent, her energy, the sound of her breathing, all of it brought him closer to her. He drifted, softly and gratefully, into the cradling arms of sleep.

The
darkness
soon
gave
way
to
dense
lavender
mist
that
swirled
madly
around
him. She was here. Her soft sobs whisked past him, and he could feel her anxiety within the mist that enveloped him, but he still couldn’t see her. Her psychic shield held strong and continued to keep her hidden. Dante redoubled his efforts and called out to Kerry. She had to be willing to let him in.

Kerry, can you hear me?
He
kept
his
voice
quiet
and
did
his
best
to
keep
his
own
fear
at
bay. The mist, thick and stormy, began to change, and darkness was soon replaced by pale lavender dappled with pink streaks of light. It was working. She heard him.
Come on, princess, you can’t hide from me all night. Let me in.

Don’t call me princess.
The
irritation
in
her
voice
cut
through
the
mist, parting it like a curtain leading him straight to her. Bingo.

The
mist
dissipated, and the dream realm she’d created revealed itself. Dante had to admit it wasn’t what he’d expected. He thought for sure it would be the beach or some other natural surroundings, but it couldn’t have been more different. They were in the midst of a rooftop garden overlooking New York City. The jet black sky glinted thickly with stars like diamonds. Warm winds blew softly, and the lights of the city twinkled brightly around them. The most significant difference that separated it from the real world was the glaring absence of noise. There were no honking horns, no sirens in the distance, no noise of any kind, but there was music. A song he couldn’t quite identify drifted around him and blanketed the realm she’d designed.

Kerry
sat
in
the
center
of
it
all
on
top
of
huge
rock, arms hugging her legs with her back to Dante. Her long black hair hung loosely down her back and blew gently in the wind. Her cheek rested on the top of her knees. Barefoot and clad in a simple white tank top and pants, she seemed to glow in the middle of the darkness. She reminded Dante of a fairy, and he thought for a moment she might just sprout wings and fly away from him before he could reach her.

He
moved
toward
her
cautiously, knowing that she controlled the environment of this dream and could leave him alone in the mist once again. He heard her sniffle softly, and the winds gusted briefly in response. Dante walked up to Kerry and looked out over the city, silently beside her. They stayed there side by side for what seemed like an eternity before she finally spoke.

I’m so tired, Dante.
Sadness
edged
her
voice
and
cut
through
him
like
a
knife. She sighed softly.
I like it here. It’s peaceful. I don’t have to touch anyone or worry about anyone touching me. No visions. No pain. Just… peace.

You can have that in the material world too,
he
said
.

She
shook
her
head
and
rubbed
her
chin
on
her
knees.
Do you have any idea what happens when I touch people?
She
looked
up
at
him, her tear-filled eyes searching his pleadingly.
I see everything. Their innermost thoughts, deepest desires, buried secrets, and it hurts like hell.
She
let
out
a
shuddering
breath. She looked away from him and rubbed her upper arms as if trying to get warm.

Dante
turned
to
her
and
anything
he
wanted
to
say
evaporated. He found himself speechless and completely lost in the sight of her. She looked up at him, her deep brown eyes swimming with tears.

I see frightening things,
she
whispered
softly
. But not when I touch you. When I touch you… it’s the fox.
Her
lips
trembled
as
though
she
had
finally
gathered
the
courage
to
say
what
she’d been thinking.
I see the fox when I touch you.