Alpha Nox by Jane Doe novel Chapter 6

As I slipped into the darkness that was unconsciousness, the bed melted from beneath my body and gave way to a cool breeze that ruffled my sweatshirt and pants.

My feet met something solid, but it wasn’t the ground. No, it was a rooftop. More specifically, the rooftop of the hotel.

Past the ledge, which stood at about two feet high, I could make out the entire town of Primrose. Every road and building were lit up, creating a map I’d studied throughout the years of my life, plotted by my own two feet.

I inched closer, taking in the vast expanse of land and the houses scattered along its surface. In the dark, they appeared to rise up out of the ground. The mountains in Alaska were beautiful, but this was art. Art that invoked both positive and negative feelings, a blanket of serenity to cover up the blood and chaos.

It drew me in, pulling me into it’s orbit until the ledge grazed my thighs.

The hotel was easily ten stories high, plenty enough to kill a Werewolf if they fell. Luckily, this was nothing more than a dream.

I didn’t have to hear Nox’s voice to know that this dream was a product of his abilities. Well, one of them, at least. It was a unique kind of magic, one not often seen by our kind. Dream Walking—or Dream Weaving, depending on where you came from, was incredibly rare and often sought after.

Only a person familiar with its touch would know when a Dream Walker had slipped into their mind.

Nox’s magic had a way of changing things, altering the dream and its colors, turning it into something almost otherworldly. The sky was no longer streaked with darkness but tinted with a deep purple hue. Even the clouds followed suit, melting into powdery shades of lilac and pink. The glow of the lights in the distance became warmer, no longer a pale yellow, but a warm and almost tangible gold.

I didn’t bother to look over my shoulder where Nox stood several feet away.

“You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

Taking one last look at Primrose, I slowly turned around to face Nox. If I hadn’t perfected my self-control over the years, the first thing I would’ve looked at was the hard expanse of his bare chest and the dark swirls of ink that covered it. I didn’t bother thinking about his lower half or the silk pajama pants that hung low on his hips. I kept my eyes latched onto his face, not letting them stray in the slightest.

Propping a hand on my hip, I smirked. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this little visit?”

As a young teen, Nox had popped into my dreams hundreds of times. It was how he perfected his ability, after all. Even though we’d spend all day together, it was never enough for either of us. The moment my head hit the pillow; Nox would slip into my dreams.

Of course, that stopped once I was sentenced to the Lycan’s camp.

No more nightly visits. No more Nox.

“We thought you were dead.”

He folded his arms, which were also covered in slashes of dark ink, over his chest. His voice was husky, still cloudy with sleep. It was colder than the breeze that caressed my arms.

Huh. Who knew? Certainly didn’t expect that one.

I tilted my head, hiding surprise behind a wall of granite.

“Who is we?” I asked.

“Me, my father…your father.” He replied slowly, his words quickly trailing off.

I was no fool, despite what Nox might think. The way he stared at me was nothing short of analytical. He was gauging my reaction, trying to dig into my mind to pick up on any shred of emotion he could find.

Two could play at that game.

“Now why would you guys think that?”

Nox’s eyes narrowed slightly, his iris’s taking on a faint glow as he worked his magic.

“Executive Director Phineas Striker told my father you had died.” He explained.

That wasn’t the least bit surprising considering Phineas Striker was Satan incarnate.

There wasn’t a hint of emotion in his voice or within his eyes, but I knew he felt something. With how close we had been, always teetering on the verge of something more, my death would’ve affected him whether he liked it or not.

“When exactly did he relay the news?” I asked purely out of curiosity.

Everything Phineas Striker did was for a reason.