Adele cocked her head to the side. “What do you mean 'well not exactly’?”
Ally looked down at her feet as if she was five and had done something naughty. The image made Adele smile. “Alessandra…”
Ally had the feeling that she had done something wrong by not telling Adele about the dreams, but they hadn’t seemed all that important at the time.
“I’ve been having dreams for a while, but there weren’t as spectacular as this one. It was just about this place, the country, the wilderness and the untamed beauty, almost like some lonely planet documentary to be honest. But I woke up and knew that this place was my home, my destiny and my love. I feel a love for this land like it is a piece of me. I just had no idea that it was Scotland, or that it was messages being sent to me,” Ally said with a shrug.
Adele smiled at her. “You weren’t to know, sweetie. Have you told James any of this yet?”
“No, I was on my way to find him when I saw you.” Ally said thought about James again as an abandoned baby. How could someone do that? At least leave him on a doorstep, she thought. What if no one had found him? What would have become of him, her and the prophecy?
She sighed and leaned back into the couch. No matter what she did, thoughts of James would not leave her alone. She couldn’t escape him.
Ally looked over to her grandmother. “Has he always been this way?”
“What way?” Adele asked with a slight hint of confusion on her face.
“He knows what he wants and won’t let anything stand in the way. It’s irritating because it’s directed at me, and I’m so unsure of everything at the moment but I can’t help but admire and respect him for it. I wish I could be a bit more like that.”
“Alessandra, my dear girl, you have far too little faith in yourself, and you clearly don’t see what others see.” She lovingly looked at her. “You have a will of iron just as strong as James’. And you will have to forgive me when I say that I will very much enjoy watching this unfold.” Her laugh could lighten up the darkest of moods. It had a magical quality to it.
“You’re lucky I love you Gran, or else I might have to box your ears for that comment.”
“Oh my dear, let an old woman have her fun,” Adele said, with a twinkle in her violet eyes.
Ally rolled her eyes. “That’s another thing about James. He is gorgeous, and there is no denying that. It’s so intimidating. What could he want with me? He could have any woman, anywhere.”
“Oh Ally! He only seems that way because he’s an immortal. It’s an advantage we have over the rest of the population.” Adele paused for a moment before continuing, “When you’re an immortal, you aren’t human, and you have that unearthly beauty. You will understand when you have the conversion, and you become a full Immortal.”
“Conversion?” Ally had heard that word thrown about a few times, but no one had actually explained to her what it was or how it happened as yet.
“That’s a story for another day, but it’s nothing to worry about.” Adele continued before Ally could interrupt. “Now why don’t you go see that handsome devil and tell him about the dream I think he would be very interested to hear about it.”
“Yeah,” Ally replied lost in her own thoughts about this ‘conversion’ business. She wandered out of the lounge and off to find James, thinking the study would be the best place to start.
Walking through the mansion to find him, she couldn’t help but revel in the beauty of this house. On any other house, the neutral might seem bland but this house burned with emotion and love. She felt it calling to her.
“Is there anything in this country that doesn’t call to me?” she muttered softly to herself.
Sophie came walking towards her. “Hello, Alessandra. Are you feeling better?”
“Oh hi, Sophie. Please call me Ally, and yes I am, thank you.” She hesitated then asked if she knew where James was to be found. It was going to be quicker than searching the house top to bottom.
“He is in his study. Go up the stairs, to the first level, then just down the hall to the door on the left.”
“Thank you Sophie.”
“My pleasure,” Sophie hesitated for a moment. “One word of advice if I may? Don’t let him bully you. He’s just far too used to getting his own way.” It was said with a mother's love, and Ally didn’t fight the giggle that escaped, agreeing that she wouldn’t let him bully her.
Sophie seemed reassured that James wouldn’t be able to throw his weight around with Ally and continued on to where she was going.
Ally went up one flight of stairs then headed down the hall and stopped outside the door on her left. Her hand reached for the handle, but she stopped.
Inside, James had been pulled out of his thoughts as something had disturbed him. It took a second to locate the source, before he realized it was Ally standing outside the door hesitating. James would know her energy anywhere. Debating for a moment, whether to tell her to come in or not, he decided she had to do this on her own. Coming to find him of her own free will was a step in the right direction.
James knew she felt the connection running between them. Her actions and even her words said she did, but she was fighting it with all she had. He could understand she was terrified of what she felt, so he would try to be patient with her, but it was very hard for him. James needed her in every way, like he needed the air he breathed. She was a part of him, and he was a part of her.
He respected Ally for the strength she was showing even though it was interfering with his well laid plans.
James stood up and helped himself to another whisky while he anxiously awaited her decision. He felt her internal debating; it bounced off her in waves.
Finally, he heard a knock on the door.
“Come in,” he said, trying not to let her know he had been aware of her presence.
“Hi James,” she said as she slipped inside the door and closed it behind her.
James noted the closed door but said nothing. What was she here for? Not that he minded, but he was intrigued.
“Hello Alessandra. How are you feeling?”
Ally was touched by the amount of genuine concern that she heard in his voice, and that she could see in his eyes. “Better, thank you.”
“Glad to hear it.” He smiled at her and she almost melted on the spot.
“I had a dream and I wanted to talk to you about it.”
James raised an eyebrow in question. “What kind of dream? I don’t suppose I was in it.”
Her eyes rolled involuntarily. “You were in it, but not the way you are hoping.”
He gave a carefree laugh. “How terribly disappointing.”
“James!” she cried in frustration.
“My apologies, tell me about your dream.” He raised the glass to his mouth.
“It was about Damian,” she began.
His glass stopped just before it reached his lips.
He sat there looking at her like she had two heads. What was it about this Damian guy who seemed to get such a reaction she wondered? James appeared to be shocked into silence, something that she didn’t think would ever have been possible, so she decided to take advantage and continued. “Gran had much the same reaction as you. She told me he was your brother.”
“Yes he is or rather, was, my brother. He was lost to us fifty years ago.” James eyes were swollen with unshed tears and sorrow as her grans had been.
Lost in his own memories, she let him have a moment. And in doing so she gave herself a moment to study him and soak him up without him noticing.
He really was something else. She felt the instant need to cower away from him to go back to her comfortable place and hide, pretend that none of this was happening, but she couldn’t, and she knew that now. However, admitting that to herself was one thing, admitting it to James was another.
Ally needed time to absorb the immense amount of information she had been given and the fact that her life had been irrevocably changed by the events of the last couple of days.
She laughed softly at the thought. It seemed so distant like it had all happened a million years ago.
Her soft laugh had brought him back to reality, and he was staring at her as if he could see into her very soul. Those sparkling emerald eyes were drawing her in. Ally felt the drowning sensation begin as she found herself caught in those eyes. Everything about him was so intense, right down to his gaze.
How will I ever survive this? She wondered.
“I came here to discuss my dream so stop looking at me like that. It’s distracting,” she chided him gently.
“I was just admiring the most beautiful creature I ever beheld. You can’t blame a man for that,” James said with a devastating smile.
“What am I supposed to say to that?” She asked.
“Thank you springs to mind. It was a compliment after all.” Amusement was written boldly across his features.
“You said you wouldn’t push, James,” Ally reminded him.
“No, I said the decision would be yours, but I also said I wouldn’t hesitate to push the scales in my favor."
“A mere technicality.”
“Perhaps,” he took a sip of whisky looking at her over the rim of the glass. “Is it working?”
“No.”
“You say that but I don’t believe you,” He stated confidently.
“You’re wrong,” she said, however inside she knew he was right.
“Stubborn woman of mine,” he said with a loving smile. “You will come to my way of thinking soon enough lass.”
“Oh for the love of…” Frustration was beginning to take hold again as he drew the conversation away from the dream.
“The dream, James,” Ally said as patiently as she could manage.
This seemed to bring him back to reality.
“Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry. Now the dream concerning Damian, tell me about it.” James appeared to be open, and she had his full attention back onto the dream, so she relayed the information to him.
The same thing happened again as it did with her Grandmother. Ally could see he was lost in thought, sadness and a sense of pride that she hadn’t seen in Adele, but each person would have a different way of seeing things.
“So what do you think?” Ally asked once she had finished.
“About the dream or why you had it?” he asked with a seriousness she hadn’t seen before. He wasn’t flirting or charming her, but he gave off the feeling he would take care of things. It made her feel safe, and it was very appealing.
“Well, about both.”
“As for why you had this dream I don’t know. The ancients do things for a reason, but sometimes it takes a while for that reason to be apparent to us.”
“Gran said the same thing.”
“Adele knows about the dream?” His eyes were full of concern.
“Yes, she does, and I know about Damian being her soul mate.”
He put his drink down on the table beside him and went over to stoke the fire. “I imagine it was painful for her to relive that night.”
He was full of empathy another part that she hadn’t seen before now. So far, he had been playing the part of the gorgeous, eternal playboy. Perhaps Gran was right and there was more to him than she thought.
“It was, but she is holding up fine. I had no idea that she had a soul mate or that he was my mother’s father and in turn my grandfather. It was surprising to say the least.”
“I can imagine.” As James drifted off in his mind, something must have occurred to him for his eyes flew to her with what appeared to be horror. “Did Adele explain the relationship between my brother and me?”
“Yes she told me. Not until after I began thinking that you were a close blood relation, though,” Ally said with a wry look at James.
James’ lips curled upwards at the image of Ally in his mind as she found out she was Damian’s granddaughter, and in turn, her soul mate would have been her great uncle. “I’m glad she told you.”
“Me too.”
“What about you though, finding out that Damian was your Grandfather must have been a shock. Are you alright?”
“Surprised, shocked and everything in between, but I will be fine,” She replied.
James didn’t appear to be trying to flirt or draw her in but just comforting. Ally had to admit it was nice. He wandered back over to the sofa beside the fire and sat down next to her. He took her hand in his and turned to look at her.
She was caught up in the haze of desire that his touch brought. Ally looked into his eyes.
“I know you have had your life turned upside down again, and I just wanted to tell you I think you are handling it remarkably well.” His voice was gentle, and it conveyed the respect and love that he felt for her.
“Thank you.” Ally said as a pale blush crept up her cheeks.
“I have a wonderful idea,” he said still rubbing his thumb gently against her hand.
“This sounds dangerous,” she said dryly.
A joke he thought, that was a good start. “I wanted to take you riding around the area tomorrow. The mountain range is spectacular and there are some ruins not far from here that I think you will find interesting. I thought it might be a nice way to forget about all the hard stuff for a day and just enjoy ourselves.”
She was astonished. It sounded wonderful!
“I would love that. This place is incredible. It would be lovely to see more of it.”
“Good. I will organize a lunch to be packed for us too.” He beamed a smile so bright at her, she thought she might go blind. “There is just something I need to organize first, a present of sorts before we go.”
Her eyes widened like a child on Christmas morning.
I must remember to thank Henry again, he thought. Romance seemed to be quite the charm.
“A present? What is it?” she asked.
“It’s a surprise so you will have to wait and see,” James teased.
Ally was so excited she almost couldn’t contain it! A ride in this beautiful place and a present!
“It may just be the enchanting distraction I need.” In more ways than one, she thought. It would be a good chance to get to know him better, get past the façade and find out just who the real James was…perhaps even have a few questions about the immortals answered. All in all, she was really looking forward to this day out.
“Dress for a day in Antarctica and you should be warm enough.”
“That sounds ominous, is it really that cold?” she asked suddenly concerned.
“No, not quite. But it is better to be prepared. You can always take a layer off when you get hot, but you can’t put a layer on that you don’t have with you.”
She said with a smirk, “Very sound advice James. I shall take it on board.”
She is breathtaking. He is mesmerising. They thought simultaneously.
The air started to crackle around them as the seriousness that was desire settled around them. Both lost to the web of passion, they found themselves tangled in. Neither wanting to fight it but one knowing she must for her own sake, but the will to fight quickly vanished.
Their eyes locked, immersed in each other’s green depths, the windows to their very souls.
Ally and James had been bewitched and entranced by each other. It was inevitable, they both knew it would happen. The only question left to be answered was when and that was entirely up to Ally.
Their bodies were moving without conscious thought toward each other, slowly but unavoidably.
Ally could feel the desire radiating out of him. It sent a dizzy wave of lust through her body like a lightning bolt. His desire was for her and no one else.
James could sense the anticipation that was pouring off her in waves, and he felt her body stiffen slightly in response to his touch. He also had the added ability of reading her mind, so he pushed gently hoping Ally wouldn’t realize, but instantly he was thrown out as she threw a wall up.
Ally hadn’t reacted at all, James thought to himself i
n amazement. She has no idea that she can do that, and yet she did, annoying for me but good protection for her. If Ally is capable of all this as a half Immortal, then imagine what she will be as an Immortal…almost unstoppable.
Hope surged through him and took him higher than the very sky.