The large bedroom was bathed in warm sunlight that had just peeked over the horizon. It wasn't enough to make a person squint their eyes, but just enough to bathe the world in a gentle, ethereal glow.
Trinity couldn't help but feel shy as she pulled the white sheet over her head, covering her eyes. A fiery blush blazed across her cheeks and down her neck, stopping at the swell of her breasts.
A deep chuckle resonated from above her. Large hands gripped the top of the sheet, lowering it just enough so he could see her eyes. His wolfish grin was gleaming, and Trinity's heart soared in her chest. An indescribable feeling of being whole emanated not just from her, but from him as well. It was a sensation so profound she felt tears well up in the corners of her eyes. It was as if every dark or empty space inside of her was filled, tethering her to him and him to her in an endless circle of warmth that she never wanted to escape.
"Mine!" His voice was soft, yet firm, as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, completely enamored with his mate.
Letting the sheet slide down her face, Trinity pecked his cheek quickly before being overcome with shyness once again. Even though they were mates, she still felt awkward, still getting used to being naked in front of someone.
Leaning in, his soft lips pressed against her own in a kiss of possession and assurance. It was unhurried but dominating in its slowness. His large palm rested at the back of her neck, holding her that much closer as the two became lost in each other's passions.
A hard knock on the door made her eyes flutter open, but her brazen mate continued to kiss her, refusing to let go.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, envoys have begun to arrive," Corey announced, knocking on the door in a rushed manner while still trying to be respectful of the Queen and the Queen's consort.
Trinity rolled her eyes and lightly pushed against her mate's chest. "We're out of time!" she pouted, before rolling out of bed. She wrapped the large white sheet around her and went to her closet. Grabbing one of her regal green gowns, she stepped into the cumbersome dress while her mate laced up the corset at the back. She watched him, feeling no guilt that he had yet to change into his own clothes. He stood in front of her completely naked, more than a little proud of himself, she thought.
"Let's go see who is causing trouble in our kingdom?" Her mate, Mullen, reached for her hand.
Trinity felt the world blur around her. One moment she was in her bedroom, speaking with her mate; the next, she was sitting on a silver throne with a red cushion. Her pin-straight red hair was easily swept behind her ears. Mullen stood to her right, his eyes surveying the large throne room where rows of wolves had come to beg for her help. And as she sat atop the throne, her mind cleared again, as if nothing had happened.
"Your Majesty, may I present Agnes of the Bloodseeker pack," Cory announced, bowing at his waist while exposing his neck to the Queen. He then stepped back to give Agnes the opportunity to speak.
"I beg your help, my Queen! My pack is on the brink of ruin. Our muteleaf plants have been affected by the early frost. We haven't had time to collect enough muteleaf to restrain our pack. I beg for the Queen's help." Agnes lowered herself to her knees, her head bowed and her body fully prostrated in a sign of respect to the Queen. She was their only hope of survival.
Trinity considered the request. She knew of the pack; they were important, but strange. She also had a way of helping them.
"I will travel back with you to your pack," Trinity said in a voice that was far too curated to be her own. She felt as if she was on the brink of understanding, on the edge of realizing something, but she couldn't quite grasp it.
Like before, her vision blurred, only for it to clear up once more. She now stood in a large glass solarium. Wooden desks were covered in various specialties and curiosities. Some wolves looked at particles under magnifying glasses, while others heated chemical compounds over Bunsen burners. Still others seemed to be cooking with odd ingredients. Everyone was feeding into their own curiosity.
"The Red-Made Queen," whispered words traveled around the large solarium, bringing each individual to their knees. They bowed in respect and acknowledgment of their Queen. She followed the Alpha until he brought her to their dungeons, where they had been keeping all of the wolves that had been unable to be treated with the muteleaf concoction.
Standing in the center of the dungeon, Trinity closed her eyes, breathing deeply. "Mendose!" The words left her lips like a prayer, soft in its own plea. Her words were answered by the sounds of bones cracking, spines reforming, and fur transforming back into skin, as the command rushed over their bodies, taking over their minds and forcing them to shift back into their human forms.
Trinity's eyes shot open in the dark room, her mind trying to catch up and decide which memories were hers and which belonged to the previous queens. It made her feel like a muddled mess. All the pieces were there, but they didn't know which way they were supposed to go.
And as those pieces reformed, moving back into place, she felt it: the empty spots. The dark places that had yet to be filled. She couldn't help the tears that came flooding to her eyes. She felt like she had lost something, as if something had been stolen from her—a portion of her soul, or the reason for waking up. Mullen. He wasn't even hers. She had never met him in her entire life, yet she felt his loss as if it were a tangible thing, as if someone had physically cut him out of her body.
As the tears kept falling, she didn't know what to do or how to make them stop. She didn't even understand what she could do. He wasn't hers, and she hadn't lost anything. She felt the same as she had before this dream. Only this time, she knew something was wrong. This time, she could feel that she wasn't whole yet, and the realization was a crushing weight.
Burying her head in her knees, she tried to wish the tears away, to no longer understand, to not remember.
Luca felt his wolf grow restless inside his chest, enough to wake him from his sleep. He looked around and could see just as well in the dark as in the light. He saw Trinity with her head buried in her knees, silently crying. Without pause, he went over to her bed, climbing in behind her. He held her in his arms, unsure what could have made her cry like this, as he ran his fingers through her hair.
"It's okay. You're okay!" What else could he say?
Trinity turned in his arms and buried her face in his chest, hoping it would pass soon, that she would no longer feel it, that it would all just go away.
When would these dreams stop?