Dream King by Elise Knight

30

Iwoke from a dream of angels to staring right up at one.

“Aethelu!” I cried out in surprise. She held her forefinger to her lips and nodded to the beach at the right of me, where Dream lay fast asleep. “What are you doing here?” I whispered.

“You might want to put this on while I tell you.”

Oh yeah. I was naked! She handed me another one of her dresses, this time in a pale, pastel green. Thankfully, no bloomers were offered this time, so going commando, it was. I’d taken and ruined so many of her clothes that I’d never be able to repay her.

“The King requested my presence. I was summoned. From what I could tell from his message, you were being stubborn and not letting him go to the doors; however, he didn’t want you to go alone. I am to be your chaperone.”

I looked to the side of me where Dream was still sleeping peacefully. I looked back at Aethelu doubtfully. “He requested you to come? He’s asleep.”

“I’m not having you walking through that forest alone,” Dream grumbled, lifting his dark lashes. So not asleep at all then.

“Not to be a party pooper here, but don’t you think it’s a bit shitty making Aethelu walk through a forest of potential killing beasts?” I pointed out.

Aethelu bowed her head down to Dream. “It is ok, Ana. It is my pleasure to help you and His Majesty out.”

Something about the whole situation ticked me off. “No. I understand that Dream is the king and that you are not of royal descent, but you are my friend.” I turned to Dream. “I will not have her used as a slave.”

Dream sat up. I was pleasantly surprised to see no blood on the bandages. The water must have worked miracles. Despite that, I was spitting feathers at his casual use of his subjects.

“I didn’t make any demand of Aethelu. I asked her if she would be interested in being a companion for you today. Just while I heal.”

I held my finger up. “For one thing, I don’t need a companion, and for another, can’t you see that even though you asked nicely, Aethelu is not really in a position where she can refuse you? And she could die! What you are asking of her is ridiculous.”

Dream’s lips quirked at my anger. “No one will die today, least of all Aethelu and you. I have a connection to my subjects. I can send her to the doors and summon her back. She only has to feel a hint of danger, and I can summon her here. If she is holding onto you, you will come with her.”

“Oh.” I’d forgotten about the weird telepathy and teleportation thing Dream and Aethelu had. A small streak of jealousy ran through me, but I batted it away quickly.

He scratched his chin. “Aethelu. I have no money to pay you for your service...”

She held her hand up. “I assure you, it’s not necessary. I’m happy to help Ana.”

I smirked. Despite her unusually simpering demeanor, she was still on my side.

“Please let me finish. You have done me a great many services since Ana came here, and as she so elegantly points out, I’ve used you without giving any thought to you. I want you to know that I am forever in your debt for your service. I will not forget your kindness. If you wish to leave, please do so and know there will be no consequences. I will not think badly of you.”

It wasn’t much. I’d have preferred that he at least paid her, but as he pointed out, he might be the king, but he didn’t have a dime to his name. He lived in a forest, for fuck’s sake.

“I’ll walk with Ana. If you’ll permit me, Ana?”

I guess I didn’t have any choice in the matter. “Fine,” I griped. “But I don’t need an official chaperone. I do need a friend, though. Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

She took hold of my hand. Less than a second later, I felt the sensation of my body being squeezed through a toothpaste tube, just as when I stepped through the red door the first time.

“Thank you,” I said as we appeared right in front of the red door. “You really didn’t ha...”

“I don’t want to be a... ‘party pooper’ as you put it, but I need to be the voice of reason. The last time I saw you, you were in so much trouble. You wanted to run away from the king. You told me that you didn’t have er... Stockholm Syndrome.”

“Stockholm. It’s the capital of Sweden,” I said pointlessly, suddenly feeling grim. I remembered exactly what I’d said to her the last time we met. I’d said that there was no danger of me falling for Dream. What a crock.

“The name doesn’t matter, Ana. My dear Ana, I told you before. This world isn’t for you. Do you want to spend your life being carried around the forest by servants? Because no matter what fairytale is going around in your head, things aren’t going to change here.”

I dropped to the floor and crossed my legs. “Things have changed,” I replied tetchily. “He’s not who I thought he was. He’s not responsible for the things I thought he was.”

Aethelu sat down beside me, crossing her legs in a much more elegant manner. “Ana, he is the man you see. Maybe he has changed since you’ve been here. Maybe all he needed was the love of a good woman.”

“Love...No. It’s not love. It’s...” I couldn’t love him. None of this could be love. I couldn’t even explain it away as a great fuck, because we hadn’t even done anything yet.

She put her hand on mine. “Your life is none of my business, but even if his majesty turned out to be the most wonderful man in this world, could you really live in the dark for the rest of your life, never seeing your friends and family again?”

Her words stuck like a claw in my throat. I hated every one of them because I knew they were true. I didn’t want to hear any more, but she carried on as though her words were not breaking me apart. If I didn’t like her, or if I thought she was wrong, I wouldn’t have cared, but Aethelu had never spoken a word out of place since I’d met her.

“Look around you.” She gestured to the trees and doors around us. “This is it. This is all he can offer you. There are no days off from his job. Look what happened when he became incapacitated. You had to take over.”

I shook my head and ran a hand across my eyes. It was too fucking early to be having this conversation, and I hadn’t even had my coffee yet. Never mind that I’d not had a cup of coffee in weeks. I damn-well needed one now.

“I can’t leave him, Aethelu. You saw him. Did he tell you why he was bandaged that way? Or why we were on the beach in the first place?”

She looked at me with such pity that I wanted to scream. “It is not my position to ask, merely to serve.”

I stood up. “I’m sick of all this bullshit. You are right. Dream’s life fucking sucks, and my life here with him would fucking suck too, but what else do I have? I have just one friend in the real world.” I held up a finger. “One, that’s it, count ‘em. And He’s usually too busy cruising for guys to worry about what I’m doing, pissing my life away. I have a sister I’ve barely spoken to in years and, the last time I checked, only dust in my kitchen cupboards. At least here I have shitty berries and leaves.”

She lowered her head. “I’m sorry. I did not know.”

“Well, now you do,” I snarled. I had no idea why I was angry at her. The world sucked, both of them, and neither was her fault. “Things could be better here. Dream has a court, right? His own palace somewhere? We could get married and live there. Maybe the fairytale is possible.”

She looked up at me in shock. “You are talking of marriage now?”

My response stuck in my throat. What the fuck was I on? I’d never even slept with the guy, and here I was planning my wedding to him. Jesus fucking christ, I was a mess

“I...No, I...”

She stood up and took my hands again. This time when she looked into my eyes, I couldn’t look away.

“I can’t leave him. I know how insane it is. I know that this place is a mess. I know that every word you’ve said is true, but if I walk through that red door, I’ll never see him again. And without me, who will watch the doors?” I added lamely.

She sighed. “The doors are not the problem of humans; however, I see by your expression, that is not the real issue. I understand the pain of love, for I have felt it myself a long time ago. It’s a bitter sting when that love is lost, but that doesn’t mean that it is right.”

I fell into her arms. “Why does it feel so right then?”

She stroked my hair as she held me. “I don’t know, my honey. The choice is yours whether to stay or go. I think I already know in your heart which decision you’ve made. You were wrong when you said you had only one friend. You have two. I will stand by you. However, maybe it’s time to think with your head rather than your heart.”

It was easy for her to say. ‘Bitter sting’ didn’t come close to the words that would describe how I would feel if I went home. Total devastation would be closer to the mark.

“I should go and check the doors,” I said, pulling away from her.

She nodded. “I dare not go in with you. It is not my place, but I will be here outside, waiting.”

Usually, when I went into people’s dreams, I’d get a flutter of excitement every time. Each one was like a book waiting to be opened, with all kinds of stories inside. Today, my heart felt like lead, and I barely watched the dreams as they played out. Aethelu’s words took up so much space in my mind that I didn’t have the energy to bother to concentrate on what I was watching. I was glad when, after a few hours, Aethelu told me that Dream had requested that we both return to him.

Despite my irrational jealousy over the strange link Dream and Aethelu had, I couldn’t deny that it was a handy tool.

Dream greeted us with a smile as we appeared right next to him on the beach. “Everything ok?”

I noticed Tour hopping around on the rock next to him. The bird must have figured out where Aethelu had gone and flown to her.

“Fine,” I murmured as he kissed my cheek. It felt forced and unnatural. Aethelu lowered her head slightly. Whether she was bowing down to Dream or merely didn’t want to look at any form of intimacy between us, no matter how forced it was, I didn’t know.

“Thank you, Aethelu. If there is anything I can do to repay you, please let me know.” It wasn’t just his kiss that was weird. He’d undergone a personality transplant in the few hours I’d been away.

“It’s not necessary, Your Majesty. I enjoyed Ana’s company. We had a nice girly chat.” She gave me a pointed look, and my stomach flipped. We’d barely spoken the whole time we’d been near the doors. The only chat we’d had was when she warned me against falling for Dream.

Dream extended his hand, and just like that, Aethelu disappeared, back to her house I assumed, along with Tour, who had hopped up onto her shoulder.

“I’m glad you’re back. I’ve had an idea.” He was practically giddy. It was so unlike him. Where was the big brooding hunk I’d fallen for?

“What’s going on?” I asked. May as well get right to the point. Maybe he had been eaten by another type of nightwalker that could shapeshift into looking like him. Nothing about this place would surprise me anymore.

He narrowed his eyes. “Nothing. what makes you say that?”

I sat on the rock where yesterday’s dress had now dried. I pushed it to one side. “I don’t know. I left Dream behind. I’ve come back to an over-excited puppy or a toddler. That kiss on the cheek, it felt so contrived. And the way you are speaking. It’s not like you at all. Has the fever come back? Is that what’s making you all weird?”

He sat on the sand near my feet and lowered his head. Maybe I’d gone a little too far. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“I don’t know how to be...” He looked up at me. The silly grin had dropped from his face. Without it, he looked normal. Relief washed over me. Maybe I was overreacting. It had been a hard day.

“Be what?” I asked him, playing in the sand with my feet, letting my toes dip in and out of the black particles.

“Just be.” He caught one of my feet and began to massage it. Holy hell, it felt so good after a day spent walking in and out of doors.

“I’ve had a lot of time to think today. About you, about us, and about the talk we had last night.” He’d gone back to being his own serious self. I should have been happy, but I didn’t like the way this talk was heading, despite the glorious feel of his fingers kneading my feet.

I leaned back and rested on my arms, letting my head fall back. If I looked up at the stars, it meant I wouldn’t have to look at his face when he inevitably told me that we were wrong together. “Aethelu doesn’t think we should be together.” Figured I may as well get it in first. Get it over quickly like a band-aid being ripped off.

“Aethelu is very astute. There is a lot playing on my mind. It is paralyzing me. I’ve always done what is right. I’ve done my duty and never questioned it. I moved away from people so I didn’t have to worry about them... and then you came along and showed me what a fool I was.”

“There’s nothing foolish about you,” I murmured as he rubbed the fleshy part in the middle of my sole. If I concentrated on the touch of him. I wouldn’t have to think about his words. I knew a precursor to a breakup when I heard one. This was no different from last night. He might not be saying “It’s not you, it’s me,” in so many words, but he was saying it. The feel of his thumbs on my flesh did little to override the despair I felt in my heart. He was soothing my sole whilst shredding my soul.

He stopped, and immediately, the little salve I had was gone. “I am so very foolish, and yet I do not want to stop being so because my foolishness is what keeps me here with you.”

“Is that meant to be a compliment?” I asked, pulling myself up so I could look at him.

“Yes, no. I don’t know anymore. I told you. I don’t know how to be. Before you, I knew exactly who I was. I’d already resigned myself to living out my days watching other people’s lives and not having one myself. Before you, it didn’t bother me. I had raven and the forest. I didn’t need anything else.”

I pulled my legs up and wrapped my arms around my knees. “And now you do?”

He closed his eyes. “I didn’t know what need was. I never understood it, but now I’m filled with need, and it’s tearing me apart. This need for you is tearing up my senses, and I don’t want it to stop. I don’t want it to end, and yet, I cannot bear it much longer. The touch of your skin is both the pain and the salve. You pulling away hurts more than the burn itself.”

I’d pulled away? Yes. I’d pulled my legs up to my chest as a barrier to the pain I thought he was about to inflict on me, but the pain, it seemed, was all his.

I lowered my legs back down to the sand. “I’m scared you are using pretty words to tell me to go.”

He took my foot again. “Heaven help me, Ana. I should, but I can’t. This here is agony.” He swept a finger up my calf while holding my foot in his other hand. I swallowed a moan. I couldn’t be enjoying the feel of him while he was talking the way he was. He really had no idea just what he was doing to me, that his touch was sending prickles of desire through me, bringing goosebumps to my flesh.

He looked down at his finger, letting it come to a rest just below my knee. He was quiet as he circled my knee a couple of times, then brought his finger higher, where he joined it with his thumb.

I sucked in a breath as his hand moved higher up my thigh. He was watching with such intensity that I wondered what was going through his mind and if he had any idea just what he was doing to me.

He carried on his journey in silence, taking his own sweet time. His touch was measured, precise and he was taking it all in. I squirmed slightly, stifling a moan. Whatever he was doing, he needed it, and fucking hell, so did I. I was just more impatient than him. He stopped when he got to the hem of my dress and finally took his eyes from my leg.

I bit my lip, needing him to keep going. My insides were on fire, and it took every effort I had to keep from bringing my hips forward. He skirted the hem of my dress with his thumb, deep concentration on his face as though my thigh was the most fascinating thing in the world. It was excruciating torture, waiting for him to decide what to do next.

“There are many secrets between us. Many things that I want to tell you. Things that I’ve never told anyone before.”

Was he fucking serious? He still wanted to converse with me? I was alight with need, and he wanted to have a fucking conversation about secrets?

I pulled the dress out from under his thumb and let him see a lot more thigh. “I think it’s time for you to uncover another of my secrets,” I murmured, hoping that the big goof would get the hint. He looked up at me, momentarily confused. He really was fresh. I took the hand on my thigh and guided it upwards, all the while my eyes locked onto his. His expression changed from confusion to one I’d seen on him only once before. Desire. And yet, he was hesitant. I was hardly playing it cool. Not that I could play anything cool while fire was ripping through my veins right to my core. I’d never felt so horny in my life, and I was pretty sure if I so much as sneezed, I’d come hard.

“What are you waiting for?” I breathed heavily. His thumb skirted my inner thigh inches from the top, and another wave of desire hit me. I gripped the dress I’d pushed aside on the rock, squeezing it into a fist, and bit my lip.

“Your permission, Ana.”

Motherfucker! He was going to be the death of me.

“You have it!” I cried out, pulling my dress up further.

The wonderment on his face only grew as I was exposed in all my glory. “You are so beautiful,” he said, his voice husky, his face flooding with arousal. About time! I was dying in my own sweet agony over here. I inched my hips forward again and lay back on the rock, letting the bunched-up dress I’d been gripping fall to the ground behind the rock. The dress I was still wearing was around my middle somewhere, and Dream’s hand was still wavering. Finally, after agonizing seconds of waiting, he brought his hand up. Bingo! I arched my back at the feel of his fingers exploring me. Oh, what sweet torture it was. He moved agonizingly slowly, taking his own sweet time exploring me. This was so new to him, and he was pleasuring in the moment, but his unskilled hands were driving me wild without taking me over the edge. I bucked my hips, and he stopped again.

No!

My body tensed in overwhelming craving. I lifted my head, wondering what it was that had caused him to pause now, only to find his head dipping between my legs, and then his tongue was on me. His fingers might have been clumsy, but fuck, he knew how to use his tongue. I grabbed at his head and shifted his position slightly until his tongue found exactly where I needed it to be. I closed my eyes and gave in to the sensation.

Dream groaned as I pushed forward, grinding into his face, fistfuls of his hair in my hands. He found my entrance with his finger and slipped it inside, all the while sucking and licking me like a starving man at a banquet.

“You taste like manna from heaven itself,” he groaned, his voice hoarse. Anticipation took hold as he moved back down to me, teasing and tasting with his tongue. My hips arched again, this time unintentionally, and I gasped as a thousand explosions took hold of me. My eyeballs rolled back in my head as the most glorious orgasm I’d ever had took over my body. My legs clamped around his ears as my body bucked around him. He held onto me, one hand firmly on my hip as he rode out my orgasm.

But he didn’t stop. In fact, he’d only gotten into his stride as his tongue moved faster, not letting me come down from the high of my first orgasm before a second hit me, this one more intense than the first.

“Fuck!” I heaved out as my body took over my mind and shattered around me, quaking with the intensity of my orgasm. When it was over, I let go of his hair and fell back on the rock, my body heavy as it relaxed into a coma of happy hormones and bliss. I let my breathing subside as I watched the sky above me. I’d not paid much attention to it before, but it was beautiful, with a multitude of stars pinpricking through the blackness.

Pulling myself up on my elbows, I found Dream, his hair in a mess around his face thanks to me grinding against it and pulling it as I came. There was a look of astonishment on his face that might have made me laugh in any other circumstance.

“Not seen an orgasm before?”

He shook his head slightly. “I have seen a great many things, but to feel you against me, to feel inside of you was beyond anything I have witnessed. It was extraordinary and beautiful.”

“All thanks to you.” I let out a long satisfied sigh. “You think that was good. Wait until you experience your own orgasm.” I shifted to the edge of the rock and grabbed his pants by the waistline, pulling him toward me with my best come hither look. He was still as I slowly unbuttoned his pants, but when I made to pull them down, he grabbed my wrist.

“What?”

“You do not have to do anything for me. Your pleasure is mine also.”

I narrowed my eyes. His pants were bulging, and I could see he was turned on.

“Mine doesn’t have to be the only pleasure. There are other pleasures. I want to make you feel like I do right now.”

He closed his eyes and let out a groan as I slipped my hands down the front of his pants and felt his cock. I let my hand feel the length of it and moved forward to kiss his chest, just above the top of his bandage.

He groaned again as I scattered kisses up his neck. I had to stand to reach higher. His breathing deepened as I kissed just below his ear, letting my hand work up and down his shaft. His cock twitched in my hand as I nibbled on his ear. With my other hand, I carefully eased his pants down, freeing both him and my hand.

I pulled back a little to see what I was doing. It seemed he was happy to let me lead, but when I saw the look on his face, I stopped. It was ashen.

“What’s wrong?” Not his chest; please, don’t let it be his injury.

He took both my hands in his, making me let go of his cock in the process.

“I’ve seen too many things,” he said, his breathing coming faster. “Too much pain to inflict it on you.”

“Pain?” I wondered if he was thinking of the rape dream we stumbled in on a couple of weeks ago. Again, with just snippets of life, he didn’t know the full story of anything. “You will not hurt me,” I encouraged, bringing his hand to my breast. He sucked in a fast breath as his palm covered my nipple. “I’m not a virgin. There is nothing painful in this. It is all pleasure.”

I saw the torment in his face as he traced a line around my breast then rolled a thumb over my nipple, sending a fresh wave of shivers through my body.

“I want to believe the truth in your words, but I am scared of breaking you, of hurting you. I couldn’t bear it if I ever brought pain to you.”

I stepped back, taking him all in. Holy fuck, he was glorious, even with his pants halfway round his ankles. The only blemish on his whole body was the ripped-up fabric wound around his chest. The rest of him was perfect in every way. He stood stock-still watching me as I watched him.

“Take off your pants,” I murmured. He shuffled his feet, letting his pants fall to the ground. Now we were both naked. Lust and sadness coated his face, fighting for dominance. His cock, standing at attention, told me he wanted this as much as I did, and yet, he couldn’t let go.

“Touch me,” I whispered, taking the lead. This was as new to me as it was to him. I’d never had sex with a virgin before and especially one as overwhelmingly tortured and sexy as Dream. “You have my permission,” I added. Subtlety wasn’t exactly his strong suit, although how subtle a completely naked woman standing in front of a person could be, I wasn’t sure. He needed it all spelled out.

He parted his lips a touch and reached out for me. This time I kept my hands to myself as he ran his up and down my body, discovering every inch. It was absolute torture having his hands on me and not being able to touch him, but I knew that would break whatever spell he was under. He kissed my neck as he ran both hands down the sides of my stomach. I cried out lightly as he brought his head to my nipple and sucked gently. The familiar beginnings of orgasm began to tug at me again, and still, I didn’t move. I didn’t let myself squirm against him as he brought his hand between my legs. Heat pooled there as he worked his finger against my clit. I had to grab ahold of him as my body shuddered against his, claiming me in yet another orgasm. I held on tightly, my arms around his neck for fear of collapsing in a puddle at his feet. He had me. In every way, he had me, and I didn’t want to let go. Still gripping him, I brought him into a kiss. He kissed me back fervently as he grabbed my ass and pulled me closer to him. His cock was hard against my stomach as our tongues tangled in a clash of desire. There was no slowness about him now. He was in the middle of the flame that was consuming both of us.

“I cannot,” he breathed between fervent kisses, but his body told a different story to his words. I moved my hips rhythmically up and down, letting my feet go on to their tip-toes, then back down to get some friction between our bodies. He groaned again, holding me tighter still with one hand still on my ass and the other gripping my hair.

“This is beautiful torture,” he said, releasing me from his grip. “I cannot stand it. You feel sublime against me, but I cannot go any further. I cannot do this to you.” His face was manic and tortured and intense and so utterly fucking beautiful, he could break me into a thousand pieces, and I’d still desire more.

“There are many things people can do with their bodies that feel good, that don’t involve pain.”

“I don’t believe that.”

God, the man was scared of hurting me. This wasn’t a flippant thing with him. This was years of learning that sex was a bad thing, thanks to dreams like the one we’d seen. It was heartbreaking. “I can give you pleasure without you being inside me.” I moved forward slowly and ran my finger up his cock, feeling it twitch. His eyelids fluttered at my touch. I wanted to take him all in, to taste him, to have him fill me, but he needed something else.

I took the girth of him in my hand and rubbed up and down slowly. He gripped my shoulder as I worked rhythmically, speeding up.

“This…Is...”

He didn’t say another word as his breathing came in short sharp breaths. He held onto me as though if he didn’t, he’d fall to the ground, and still, I worked my hand, getting quicker and quicker. His eyes were on mine the whole time, and I swear I could see the stars and infinity reflected in them. His body trembled, and his grip tightened on my shoulder as his cock thickened in my hand before he released himself, the mess of cum coating my stomach.

I waited for the euphoria to leave his face. He opened his eyes, then looked down in horror between us.

The revelation hit me hard. He’d never experienced that before. Not by his own hand nor by anyone else’s. How was that even possible? He was a grown man. Jeez, no wonder he’d spent his life in a pent-up ball of anger.

“Don’t even think about worrying about it,” I said, seeing where his gaze had landed at the sticky mess on my stomach, dripping onto the sand. “We have our own private bath to wash it off in.”

I took his hand and led him to the lake. We splashed in up to our thighs, and he used his hands to wash me down. “That was... I don’t know. I didn’t know my body could feel things like this. And now it feels heavy and tired and tingly. I feel like I’m floating.”

“Yeah, that’s supposed to happen,” I assured him. He pulled me toward him and kissed me again. It was sweet and soft.

“You know. I think we should take a look under those bandages. I didn’t check them this morning.”

“I feel great, Ana. More than great. I have never felt so good. I didn’t know it was possible to feel like this.”

I gave him a grin. “Nevertheless. I’m going to take a peek. I slowly unwound the ripped-up material from around his chest. When it came off completely. I gasped. While there was an unmistakable injury to him, it had healed far beyond my expectation. Skin had re-grown over what was essentially a wet mess just the day before. The ragged marks around the edge were smoothing out, and the flesh around them looked healthy.

“Think I’ll live?” he asked

“You know, I think you just might survive this, after all.” I jumped forward, playfully knocking him over. The pair of us fell into the water. He grabbed my waist and submerged me, but I swam down and knocked his footing out from beneath him.

“Nice try!” I laughed as we both came up for air. “You forget I’m a good swimmer.”

“I’ll never forget anything about you,” he said, taking my hand in his and leading me back to the beach. “But now, I am exhausted. What you did to me shot me up into the heavens themselves, but my body is now betraying me and wants to do nothing at all but lie next to you on the sand and sleep.