The ranger had slept fitfully of late, his rest interrupted by dreams he couldn’t remember and disturbing feelings he couldn’t shake.
It affected his hunting. He had not been sharp enough mentally to stalk effectively for nearly a week. His hunger was great but it seemed he could do nothing about it.
That night, a large white cat, his second persona, stood on his chest and spoke to him in the voice of his beloved Endre. She asked him to return to her, she was in need of his aid,
What had the dream meant? The feeling that Endre was with him was so strong, he jumped out of bed and went out onto the balcony, scanning the area and the horizon for her familiar form. There was nothing.
Endre did not belong to him, she was his brother’s mate and an Alpha. The attraction between them had been powerful, yet a relationship between them was forbidden and she would not have asked him to return, it was too dangerous for them both,
The next hight, his cat persona appeared in his dream again. This time she carried a cub in her teeth – a cub with a human face! The ranger woke in a cold sweat. He and Endre had never dared to mate and yet this cub’s features had resembled his. This was surely an ill omen.
He knew what he must do.
He dressed and gathered his things, left a note and some coins for the innkeeper and headed north. He needed to see his people again and find out what these strange dreams meant. He hoped to return to the Marches soon, but if Endre needed him, he had to go.
