Chapter 16: Chapter 16
She is your destiny.
Julian flashed open his eyes and sat straight up in bed and gasped. His lungs burned as if he’d been holding his breath for too long, and deep within his chest, the clicking of his firestarter sounded. Shit. He bolted for the miniature fridge near his bed and threw it open, then chugged two bottled waters without halting.
That’s just what he needed—to burn his entire lair down because of one dream. With a shaky sigh, he slid to the floor, back against the cold plastic of the fridge. What in the hell had brought that dream about? He hadn’t thought of chlorine in years.
He squeezed his eyes closed and tried to banish the remnant memories of the dream. It was the one that used to torture him. The one of her final breaths.
“You were screaming,” Sebastian said from the chair in the corner.
Julian startled and stifled the low rumble in his throat. With a sigh, he said, “Careful not to get yourself burned alive, old friend. You shouldn’t come in here when I’m slumbering. Not ever.”
“Slumbering,” Sebastian repeated with a grin. He did that a lot, repeated the antiquated words Julian sometimes used when he wasn’t fully awake yet.
Julian stood, sauntered over to his wall of windows, and hit the switch that retracted the blackout panels. He slept best in rooms that resembled art theaters. Gray, early morning light streamed under the panels as they lifted, and Julian ran his hands through his disheveled hair. It used to bother him that sometimes Sebastian saw him like this, in the vulnerable moments after waking, but he’d been his assistant and companion for so long now, he trusted him wholly.
“This is your intervention,” Sebastian murmured.
Julian shot him a glare over his shoulder. Sebastian was sitting in an old velvet chair with his hands clasped over his knees, leaning forward with his eyes blazing the bright blue color of his boar shifter people. Ah. Julian's inner demon had riled Seb up more than his steady voice let on.
“Intervention for what? I don’t host any addictions.”
“I’ve watched you spiral lately. I’ve kept quiet about it, but you need a change.”
Julain clasped his hands behind his back and stared out the window at his mountains. Seb always saw too much of his unrest. He wasn’t wrong. Long before Erin Dexter came, Julian had been fighting crippling loneliness, which was only getting worse if that dream was anything to go by. “What kind of change?”
“A mate.”
Julian snorted. “Be serious.”
“I am. I’ve never seen you attach to anyone, not in all the years I’ve served you.”
“I’ve bred females.”
“Bred females,” Seb repeated.
Julian narrowed his eyes at a flock of birds that lifted from the canopy below his mansion. He really hated when Sebastian mimicked him.
He slid his driver a dangerous, slit-eyed glare. “Don’t mention a mate to me again.”
Julian opened his eyes widely. The silent, faint sounds he was hearing had him up and alert. It sounded like a ghost was passing by.
"Who's there?"
There was no answer. What was happening?? He raised his head up and slowly glanced around.
Julian Stood up on his feet. Holding a lantern in his hands, he made his way through the hallways. He walks slowly in the dark
Chapter 15
Julian opened his eyes widely. The silent, faint sounds he was hearing had him up and alert. It sounded like a ghost was passing by.
"Who's there?"
There was no answer. What was happening?? He raised his head up and slowly glanced around.
Julian Stood up on his feet. Holding a lantern in his hands, he made his way through the hallways. He walks slowly in the dark, breathing in and out silently. There was something aery going on in the atmosphere. Julian somehow knew what it was.
“Do you think I don’t know what is going on in your mind, Julian Ferrari”
“Laura, it’s you. What are you doing here?”
“I came to check up on you, to see how you were doing.”
Julian let out an Exhausted say. He watched as Laura walked slowly into the light.
“You couldn’t sleep because of those dreams you’ve been having?” She whispered silently. Julian knew laura was a very old, very powerful witch and could point out things from afar. But he didn’t expect that she’d feel his troubled dreams and impossible sleep.
“I.... I don’t know what you mean.” He said, trying to deny her words. Laura smiled warmly and knowingly at him. Laura had always been like a mother to Julian. The closest thing he had to family. He cared about her a lot. After all, she defied her mistress, the queen, only to be there himself. Even until now, he couldn’t understand why she would do something like that, but he wouldn’t take her for granted.
“That girl, Julian. You know she’s important to you.”
“She doesn’t even know me. It’s like I see she’s scared of me. scared of my very existence.”
“She’s not really scared of you, Julian. Somehow she knew you were not a normal being from the beginning. She knew it deep down.”
Julian stared hard at laura. He knew she was saying the fact.
“She’s only scared of what the future holds for you two. She’s scared that what you’re about to have, the bubbling feeling between you two. Would one day end.”
Julian opened his mouth in shock. He stared silently at the old woman who was still smiling widely at him.
“Jul... I’m not supposed to say all this. Her thoughts should be hers alone. But I just wanted you to know. You don’t have to be in doubt. You’ve found the right thing. Do not let her slip away from you.”
“I....”
“She will come to you, anytime now. Be a good boy and let her in. Protect her with your life. She deserves it. She needs it.”
Julian kept quiet and watched in wonder as the old witch dissolved into ice and disappeared. She left. Just like that.
“Julian.. you’re... you’re awake...”
When Laura said Erin was coming to him, he had no idea she meant it literally. Julian groaned inwardly before gathering the courage to face Erin.
He gazed at her. God she was beautiful. Her hair was loose down her waist, and he could see the faint traces of her sweet body under the nightgown.
“Apparently, you’re awake too.” Julian replied. She came forward and stepped into the light, making Julian tense inwardly.
“I don’t know... I just couldn’t bring myself to sleep. Maybe it’s the shock of being in front of a Vampire... or maybe it’s something else. Maybe... I just wanted to see you.”
“But you couldn’t have known that i was awake as well.” Julian replied, amused.
“Well... i over heard Sebastian talking about where your suite was located. I thought...”
“You were coming to look for me?”
“Well..I...”
“You wanted something? Or you just wanted to see me?”
“I... I just wanted to see you. And to ask you about.. i wanted to know if there was any progress on stopping the rogues.” She finished.
“Erin... you shouldn’t be thinking about things like that...”
“Okay i wanted to know if you’re ok! I was worried about you.”
They both kept quiet and stared at each other. Erin looked like she was waiting for him to say something.
After almost 10 minutes, Erin broke the awkward air by moving out of the light.
“Well... since you have nothing to say to me, i think I’ll just go back to my room. Um... sleep well, i guess...”
Julian said nothing as he watched her walk away. Disappointment clearly written on her face. Julian sighed immediately she was out of the room. It had taken all the will and strength in him not to grab her from across the table and kiss her bloody right there.
He didn’t want to hurt her, or get attached to her. He knew that getting attached to her would get her hurt later. There would be no escaping it. Julian let out a frustrated growl and walked out.
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