Curled in Colton’s arms in bed, my head laid on his chest as I listen to that steady rhythm of his heartbeat, I doze in and out of peaceful and contented slumber. Something keeps waking me when I start to fall deeply, and I can’t seem to put my finger on it. Like a dream or a feeling that’s just out of sight and seems to jump in to haul me back whenever my consciousness drifts away. An unease or a threatening nightmare maybe, it’s definitely a sense of unease and try as I might, I can’t seem to fall into blissful darkness for any length of time. It’s almost dawn and I have barely dozed for more than twenty-minute slots at a time. I’m frustrated and exhausted, yet I can’t seem to rest.Colton however is completely out cold, wrapped up around me protectively, his face buried in my hair as he silently inhales and exhales so peacefully that it at least brings me a sense of calm. In his preferred position of full-frontal body wedged

"COLTON! COLTON! ....." I yell in the hopes of him hearing me and being close enough to respond, but there's nothing but deathly silence in the eeriness of this green mist. It seems like even the wind around us is captured on the other side of the boundary and we are left standing in an airless stillness that isn't natural. My body shudders involuntarily and I cover my arms with my own palms to comfort the sudden pang of vulnerable that courses through my body. My heart screeching that this is all kinds of wrong."What's that, look, there." Meadow points thorough to a slightly less dense patch to our right and we catch sight of a huge dark figure moving across our horizon, getting close to the rune border and yet not coming further. It's almost like they hesitate as they reach the line from fog to clearing."Who's there.... who is it?" I call out boldly, feeling nothing of vampires and sensing only wolves nearby. I can feel the presence of my love, somewhere beyond tha

I stare from my bedroom window into the darkness of the dense forest and the distant mountains, rising like sinister slashes in the night, and try like crazy to feel him out there. Focusing everything I have in sensing him, connecting in some small way, just so I can fill that empty void of sadness that I have carried with me all day. His absence is like ripping out my soul and tossing it aside carelessly and nothing I have done can distract me form how much this hurts, how much I want him to come home to hug me and tell me everything is going to be okay. I’m emotionally weary, exhausted and have cried stupidly, on and off since I came to our room alone. Hating that it just amplifies how empty this place is without him.Since the fog appeared all parts of our bond seem to be severed and nothing works, not even being able to feel his emotions or pain anymore. It’s like he’s dead, nonexistent and I can’t do anything except helplessly gaze for signs of ou

I exhale and almost cry with relief and turn to pull my hands from Carmen, who no longer has reason to hold me back.“Are you coming?” I ask her warily, legs shaking from adrenalin, and weakening with relief as she nods, gesturing back to a hold all on the steps she must have zoomed together before hyper speeding down here. She goes and retrieves it, and we head for the passenger door of the truck, her climbing in first with me last to sit on the double seat side by side.“Glad you could make it.” Meadow smirks knowing full well she almost gave me a heart attack minutes ago. No remorse whatsoever in her tone or her amused expression.“Sometimes I really don’t like you!” I point out, hand over my chest to calm my heartrate, glaring at her scornfully and she laughs“Ahhh but hamera, you love me more than life.”“So where are we going?” Carmen cuts in, impatient already and I c

“Hey, Hey, wake up.” Carmen rouses both of us from peaceful sleep and I can see the daylight is turning dim as it gets close to sunset already. We both passed out and must have been unconscious for hours after their little argument.“Where are we.” I rub my eyes, stifling a yawn and stretch out like a cat, uncurling my limbs from the awkward position I’ve been in.“New Mexico, you better call Sierra as we crossed over a while back and I headed for Deming. That’s where Meadow said, right?” Carmen clicks her head from right to left to stretch out her neck and I can tell she’s exhausted from being the driver for so long. There are dark shadows under her eyes, and I can’t be sure, but there’s a telltale rosy glow across her cheeks, and nose, that hint that she might have been crying at some point. She seems fine now but my stomach lurches in sorrow that she chose time alone to cry out some of the pain she&rs