Hell Hounds novel Chapter 45

Yolanda lay down on her bunk within the enforcer bunkhouse along with the others going into the Dream Realm for guard duty, etc. Tonight there would be more than normal. As there would be those hunting for the Fae.

Sleep was slow in coming for her, and that always annoyed her. She already missed having Ian around. How did she end up with the luck of having the only human for a mate? She needed to concentrate and get to work. She must get into the Dream Realm because she was the leader in this. Last time she was babysitting the Luna. Yolanda believed that’s where she should be now. But nope. She’s here. Trying to sleep so that she can head up the search for the Fae. No pressure.

What the hell? She wasn’t a leader, she’d said as much when Aricka made her head of the Hell Hounds. Yolanda wanted to be in the armoury. Controlling the weapons. The gods only knew what the Fianna were messing with down there. She’d seen them heading to the armoury on her way through to the Enforcers bunkhouse.

It took a while, but she faded out of the physical realm and into the Dream Realm. Her body wasn’t there, it’s tucked away of course that in the Enforcers Bunkhouse. Now she must stay alert.

The Dream Realm wasn’t a cute and carefree place, as many humans believed. This was the realm nightmares came from. The rules were different here. Hiding out from human society didn’t matter here. Many creatures that weren’t as ethical hunted within the Dream Realm, and humans weren’t the only creatures on their menu.

Mages could enter the Dream Realm as could Druids. Fianna existed with a rule that only a select few could be part of their fighting force. Yolanda couldn’t remember if it was 100 or 500 strong. But the number didn’t matter beyond, there were never any more or less. Their fighting force somehow gained abilities that made them excellent hunters and weapons smiths. Their fighting force was the only Fianna that could enter the Dream Realm. When people spoke of the Fianna. They treated them like a species all their own. But they were a magical human family. Those not in their fighting force were as human as any other human. Yolanda was a little jealous of them, though. If they survived to a ripe old age, they got to retire, and another family member took their place.

Now within the hazy, darkened version of the physical realm. Yolanda watched the shadows for anything out of place. There wasn’t a day or night within this realm. It was always a hazy, twilight. She’d always wondered if the Dream Realm influenced the atmosphere of many black and white horror movies. With the barren trees, mists wafting about in the air without out the wind’s benefit. It was gray and dingy. No moon hung in the air here. She suspected the Fae created this place before the moon was in orbit in the physical realm. They’d made it look like the physical realm. But they didn’t quite get it right. Yes, things resembled the physical realm. But there were no birds, small animals, bugs, or wind. It was silent, bone chillingly silent.

Shifting into her wolf form she started moving. Even movement didn’t happen the same way. You could move an inch or a mile at a thought. No fears of exhaustion or fatigue. The fear was in what lurked in the darkness, and whether you could get back to your body faster than whatever was chasing you caught up.

With no moon in the sky it one needed to see by the stars and the ethereal glow of everything within the realm. The packages contained the routes and regions to search or guard. So, it should be a little safer as others would never be that far away. With distance not being an issue. Geez where was her partner? Catherine should be near by now.

Catherine was another Hell Hound and the last one she’d pull off guarding the Luna. She added three new Hell Hounds so they would have enough guards for Aricka and Evan. The mini pack needed multiple guards just to protect themselves from themselves. “Hey, Red. Where are you?” Another thing with the Dream Realm was the perk that packs could use telepathy between their members. It was a nice perk.

Catherine Windsor was a transplant from across the pond. She was as British as you could get. “Bloody Hell. You yell when you think too? How do you not give yourself a migraine?”

Yolanda laughed through the link. “I wasn’t aware that I was yelling. So, what have we got here?”

“There’s a few shifters around, but no one’s seen anything. I wish we knew what we were looking for. It’s one thing to know what something looks like from a drawing. It’s another knowing what they look like for real. How would I know if we meet up with some Fae that can change shape?”

“Doppel gangers are a form of demon, not a Fae. But that’s now a fear I have now. Thanks.” Yolanda fell into step with Catherine, and they continued their search through the gloom.

“I swear it’s quieter than it is. I mean it’s quiet but creepy. This is different. Startle you out of your skin creepy.”

“Yeah, think the realm itself is responding to the Fae returning?”