Megan rolled her eyes. “Well, I guess I must fix it then.” She scanned the room, searching, and when she spotted the key ring hanging by the door, she walked over to it and lifted the keys off the hook. She turned back to him triumphantly, dangling the keys from a finger.

Megan took her time crossing the few steps to him, and her hand trembled slightly as she began unlocking the chains. Eric watched, mesmerized. He could hear her heartbeat and smell the sweetness of her skin. He knew she was an illusion, she wasn’t really there, but she was so real. And with her so close, leaning over him as she unlocked the shackles, he could even feel the heat from her skin. It was magic, plain and simple, magic.

“I was hoping I would dream of you again,” she murmured, as the last chain fell away.

Eric grinned, and he almost giggled—almost. “Really?” he asked, as a little voice in his head shouted, she wanted to see me again!

“Well, yes …” she blushed, and dropped her eyes. But then she screamed. It rang, shrill and sharp. And just as quickly as she had appeared, she was gone. Vanished without a trace, as if she had never been there to start with.

Megan screamed again, and a loud metallic clatter resonated around his brain. The sound was agony to his ears, and his heart skipped a beat. Eric gritted his teeth, fighting to block out Megan’s screams. He could feel her awake and sensed that she was running, fearing her life, and he had to keep her that way.

Awake and running.

Eric bolted towards the door, and a wave of fear hit him, knocking him off balance. He gripped onto it, the wood snapping within his hands, as he forced himself to stay awake, and keep her spirit in her body.

CHAPTER 10

Luke wasn’t happy. He stood in the doorway, blocking Eric’s exit, with his arms crossed and his jaw flexed. “Where did she go?” he asked coarsely, as Eric tried to get a grip on himself, and push Megan from his mind.

“She woke up,” Eric said through gasping breaths. “She’s running.” He leaned against the wall, slouched over with his hands on his bent knees, sucking in mouthfuls of air, as Megan’s panic flood through him. At times like this, when she was this scared, it felt as if her emotions were actually his. It was as if her terror was coursing through his body, and the urge to run and hide was overwhelming.

If Luke noticed how much Eric was struggling to keep control over his own reality, he didn’t let on. He walked into the room, slamming what was left of the splintered door shut, and grabbed Eric by the arm. He dragged Eric over to one of the chairs, and deposited him in it. “Did you ask her where she was this time?” he asked once he had taken a seat in a chair across from Eric. Luke hunched forwards, resting his elbows on his knees.

Eric shook his head from side to side. “No, there wasn’t enough time.” But then, there never was enough time. Since the so-called dreams started, Megan had never stayed with him long.

Luke nodded, just a slight dip of his head, and he waited, staring at Eric with those inquisitive hazel eyes. Eric didn’t know what Luke was waiting for, or what he was supposed to say. So instead of saying anything, he held Luke’s stare, and to Eric’s surprise, the staring contest helped. It gave him something to focus on, and made it easier to handle Megan’s racing heart, which had now become a permanent fixture in the back of his mind.

Luke blinked first. “You need to stop fighting with Mitchell.” There was a small curve to his lips, as if he knew how impossible that statement was.

“What do you care?” Eric challenged, confused by the look Luke was giving him. He leaned back in the uncomfortable wooden chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “He obviously doesn’t.”

Luke’s expression changed in a beat. He eyed Eric sternly, furrowing his brow. “Eric, you’re his first child. He’s trying.”

“He’s a monster!” Eric yelled, jumping to his feet, and started pacing. He clenched his fists, and heat rushed up his neck, settling into his cheeks. “He doesn’t give a crap about me, or anyone. He’s going to let Megan die!” Eric knew it wasn’t entirely true. He knew that Mitchell and Luke, and well, all of them, were just trying to help him. Racing out the door and searching for someone that could be anywhere wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but it was the only thing he could think of. It was as if his soul was begging him to find her. A constant tug at his body, urging him to abandon everything, and do nothing but search. Every fiber, every cell, every single piece of his body and mind longed for her.

“You’re wrong,” Luke said, not unkindly. “He does care. Look …” Luke ran his hand through his hair and scrubbed at his face. “You know that Lola is my soulmate, right?” he asked after a minute.

That threw Eric for a loop. “What?” he blurted, stopping his relentless pacing, and looked at Luke. He knew they were together. It wasn’t as if they had hid it, but he had never really considered that any of the others had found their soulmates. If they had, they would have understood that he couldn’t stay here. They would help him, not restrain him. They would let him search.

Luke’s eyebrows rose. “Come on, you must have noticed her mark. She’s my soulmate.”

Eric tried to remember if he had ever noticed Lola’s mark. She always had her hair down, covering her neck, and in all honesty, he couldn’t say if he had ever seen it. If he had, he was sure he would have asked about it. Wouldn’t I?

“Mitchell isn’t really the best at explain things,” Luke continued. “He’s locked you up here because he doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t know how to make you understand what finding her means or what can happen when you do. And with you refusing to talk to him …” Luke smirked, and right then, Eric was pretty sure Luke knew just how infuriating Mitchell could be, “… and showing him you have no control over your emotions … well, you’ll be stuck here until you show him you’re ready for this.”

“Ready for what, exactly?” Eric asked. Maybe Luke wasn’t so bad. Maybe he actually wanted to help. He looked like he did, and he also looked like he knew exactly how Eric felt.

Luke smiled approvingly, and Eric figured that he had asked the right question. “Ready for the bond. It can change you; make you do things that you never would have thought possible. I’ve seen vampires take their own lives because of it. And Eric, there’s no coming back for a vampire.” Eric shuddered inwardly as he listened. There was an ominous tone to Luke’s timbre, as if he had harnessed a storm and channeled it into his voice, making his words sound harsh, and dangerously true. “You have, or could have, complete control over that girl. You could make her do things, control her every thought, every move. It can ruin you and ruin her.”

Eric stifled a groan. “You make just about as much sense as Mitchell. I would never try to control someone.”

“You say that now, but trust me, it will change.”

“Is there a point here?” Eric asked, plopping back down in his chair. He scratched at his head, trying to make sense out of what Luke was saying.

“Now,” Luke said, dropping his voice to a whisper so low, that Eric had to strain to hear. “If you are ready to pretend like you are not some psychopath on a mission, I believe I can convince Mitchell that you do not need to be kept down here.”

Eric scrunched his brow, confused. “Pretend?”

Luke put a finger to his lips and shushed him. Actually shushed him, and Eric almost laughed—almost. “Yes,” he whispered with a nod, and his eyes danced with amusement. When he continued, his voice was booming loud. “Didn’t you just say that you thought Mitchell was right and you were willing to wait?”

“Err … okay?” Eric said it as if it was a question, because, well, it kind of was. Talk about confusing. Eric wasn’t sure what to think. Was Luke really trying to break him out so he could search for Megan?

Luke winked, and rose from his chair. “Alright then, but I don’t want you sneaking out when we aren’t looking. Stick to what you just told me. You don’t want to put her in more danger by finding her.” Luke was practically shouting their conversation for Mitchell’s benefit, Eric figured, and it took everything Eric had in him not to burst out laughing.

To say Mitchell was relieved to see him was a definite understatement. As soon as Eric cleared the last step leading upstairs, he was wrapped in a bone-breaking bear hug.

Luke did most of the talking; reiterating the conversation, explaining how Eric finally understood, and he even apologized profusely on Eric’s behalf for worrying everyone. Each time Eric tried to say something, anything, Luke would just talk over him. In no time, Luke was ushering Eric up another flight of stairs, and pushing him down the hallway into Eric’s bedroom.

“Now, you remember what I said, no sneaking out,” Luke said, and then he pulled the door shut, leaving Eric alone.

CHAPTER 11

Eric stared at the ground so far below him. His heart was racing, and his hands began to sweat. Theoretically, he knew that the jump could not hurt him, but his brain was still stuck on being human. And this three-story jump would hurt a human.

Just jump, his brain commanded, but his feet didn’t listen, so he closed his eyes, figuring that if he couldn’t see the ground so far below, it may make it easier. It didn’t.

It wasn’t until he heard the shuffling outside his bedroom door that Eric flung himself through the open window. He hit the ground with a quiet thud, landing on his feet, and he took off running as fast as he could.

The sun was just starting to rise, soaking the cloud covered horizon with pinks and oranges. It was a cool morning, and flakes of snow fell all around him as he ran. He knew he needed to get as much distance between him and his family as fast as possible. If he didn’t, and they caught him, he was certain they would drag him back. Being the youngest had its downsides. They were all stronger than he was, and so much faster. His only hope was a head start.

Mitchell thought that Megan was close. He said that the dreams wouldn’t be happening so soon if she wasn’t. The problem was Mitchell thought it was better to wait, and try to get a lock on her location. But Eric just couldn’t sit back and wait. Not now. Not when he knew she was more than just a dream. And definitely not with her so scared. He had no choice. He had to find her. Even now, he could feel her fear. It was a constant tug, a pull on his essence, and it was a struggle to stay lucid.