Visions Unveiled

For a third and final time, Shane walked the downstairs rooms of his house, checking each thoroughly as he went. Earlier, once he was convinced that Logan's injuries were healing, Shane insisted that his beta, along with Erin and Kevin get their rest. Once they had gone up to their rooms, Shane spent an hour cleaning, mopping and disinfecting. All traces of blood were now gone. Following that, he checked each door and window, making certain all were secure.

On his final tour through the rooms, Shane shut off all of the lights. That done, he was at last ready to head upstairs himself. He climbed the first flight of stairs and paused at the landing for a moment. He glanced down the hall looking to see if there was light visible under any of the doors. He debated checking on his mate, but he hesitated because he did not want to risk waking anyone. Before he could decide his senses jolted to attention when he suddenly realized that he could detect her scent somewhere above him.

Confused and desperate to zero in on her location, Shane's head snapped towards the stairway as he inhaled a deep breath. Mindlessly, he followed his senses until he realized that her scent was coming to him from the staircase which led to his suite. Slowly, he climbed the stairs, all the while his weary mind was spinning. By the time he reached the outer doors of his suite Shane had imagined a dozen scenarios as to why his mate might have entered his rooms, but none seemed very plausible.

Because he did not wish to startle her, Shane called her name as he slowly entered the suite. There was no answer, and Shane immediately began to panic. Was she gone? Had she made herself invisible to evade him once again? Another few steps into the room quickly alleviated that fear, as he discovered her at the small square table in the kitchenette. She had fallen asleep with her head resting on her open journal. His wolf was thrilled to discover his mate here in his private dwelling and didn't want to disturb her for fear she'd leave. The man however, had more concern for her discomfort, and could not allow her to remain sleeping where she was.

Again, approaching her slowly, Shane gently placed his hand on her arm. "Faline, I hate to wake you, but you'll be sore in the morning if you stay where you are."

Though still groggy, Faline stirred immediately. She raised her head and rubbed her eyes. She didn't appear to be startled, but she also didn't seem to know where she was. "Shane?" she asked, "Is it morning? Did you hear anything about Sophie?"

Pulling out a chair, Shane lowered himself to sit beside her. "No, I'm afraid not,

m'chroi.

It is still the middle of the night. I'm sorry to wake you, but you can't sleep at the table, it's not good for you."

She stared at him for several moments without speaking, her brow furrowed as if she were puzzling over something. "How long have you been here?" she finally asked.

"I came upstairs just a moment ago. I hope I didn't startle you," he told her.

"No," Faline was shaking her head, her eyes now clear. "I meant, how long have you been here in the States? How long since you left Ireland?"

Shane swallowed before answering. He was partially confused as to why she would ask this, and he wasn't certain she was ready to hear his answer. But Shane was honest to a fault, and so he answered her in his own way. "In 1901 my father made the decision that his pack should emigrate. However, I don't recall telling you that I was born overseas."

Faline offered a shy smile, "You didn't. But I can hear it in your voice. It's not always there, but now when you are tired, or earlier when you were very upset ... the accent faintly comes through."

Shane nodded, realizing what she said was true. "In the beginning, I worked very hard to mask my accent. Back then, being considered a foreigner could impact survival. Because the pack already had a secret to hide we needed to not call any additional attention to our family. Though you are correct, the accent does slip back in from time to time. Usually, it's when I am distracted."

At her next words, Shane couldn't help but to stare at her in amazement. "You were raised in the countryside," she said, "Not too far from the sea, somewhere in the north of Ireland."

"Donegal," Shane confirmed, his voice touched with awe.

Faline smiled, "Lovely there, and quite peaceful."

"That my motherland certainly is," Shane agreed. "You know it well?"

Faline shook her head, "I wouldn't say that. But I visited once, and traveled through again a few years later. I always wanted to spend more time there, I just haven't had the chance yet."

"Perhaps once all of this is over, you might allow me to escort you. My brother, Torrin, now lives near Galway. We could visit there also if you would like," Shane added, thinking he was long overdue for a call to his brother, who didn't yet know his mate was truly alive.

Faline gave him a faraway smile, "I would love to go to Ireland again. But right now, all I can think about is Sophie."

Shane's hand was still resting on her arm, and he gave her a reassuring squeeze. "We will find her, and I will return her to you. I know you are frightened for Sophie, but I don't want you to worry. We will know more soon."

Faline nodded before looking around the room. Suddenly her eyes turned back to Shane, "I'm sorry to be up here uninvited. I was curious about the third floor, and then I discovered the laundry. I was waiting and suppose I just ... dozed off." Rising from her chair she added, "I'll get my things and go, you must want to get to sleep."

It was the wolf who propelled his next movement, and Shane rose immediately to stand before her. The wolf was reluctant for his mate to leave. After a moment, Shane was able to gain a hold of his voice, "There is no rush,

m'chroi.

As I've already told you, you are welcome here."

"You keep calling me that," Faline said to him,

"M'chroi

. Why?"

Until she called his attention to it, Shane hadn't realized he had acquired this habit. Shrugging slightly he admitted, "It's an endearment, in Gaelic

m'chroi

is-"

"My heart,"

Faline softly finished for him, a slight question in her voice.

Shane nodded remembering that like her father, Faline's understanding of languages was vast. "I apologize if it bothers you," he told her.

Faline stared at him for many moments. "Earlier tonight," she finally went on, "Kevin told your sister that I was your mate. Is that true? You believe that?"

Shane wasn't certain this was the best time to have this conversation. However, the topic had presented itself and he had no intention of evading her. With a sigh he nodded, "Yes. It is true. Without question, you are my mate."

Her silence was breaking his heart, and Shane reached out to take her hand, fearing she would flee if he didn't. "I know you are frightened of my kind," he said to her, "But I promise to you, there is no rush or expectation. My wolf recognizes his mate in you, but I also know you will need time to accept this."

Long moments passed before she finally spoke again. "I don't fear you," she whispered. The relief he felt at her words was overwhelming, and Shane fought the wolf's urge to pull her against him. Instead, he forced himself to remain still. "At first I did, before I knew you," Faline went on, "Now I know that you and your pack are not like the others. But I don't see how I could be your mate. Wolves mate for life, and I am not a wolf."

"Rarely, it can happen that a wolf finds his mate in one outside of our kind." Shane squeezed her hand gently, "When you feel you are ready, we can talk about this more."

After a moment she nodded. "It will just take me a moment to get my things and then I'll go back downstairs."

In his head, the wolf protested, reluctant to see her leave. He tightened his hold on her hand slightly, "You don't have to go. You can have my bed, and I will sleep out here."

Even as he said the words, Shane never expected her to accept his invitation. He watched as she mulled over his suggestion and then she gave him an apologetic smile. "I don't know why, but I feel more at ease up here. Downstairs, I know that Kevin and Logan aren't far away. Still, I can be the one to sleep out here. I don't want to be any more trouble than I already am."

"Nonsense," Shane said, as he steered her towards his bedroom. As they went by the table she reached out her free hand and grabbed her journal. Once they entered his room, Shane gestured to the far side of the room. "The bath is through that door, there are extra blankets in the chest and if you need anything else at all, I will be just in the next room."

"Thank you," she said, "For everything you've done. I promise that I'll find a way to repay you."

At this Shane shook his head, "All I ask is that you get some sleep

.

Tomorrow may be another long day." He raised her hand and kissed her knuckles before releasing her. Then he quickly opened one of his drawers and withdrew a change of clothes for himself before turning back to her. "Try to rest as much as you can, and I will see you in the morning."

As she nodded Shane backed out of the room. Once the door between them was closed, Shane released a deep breath. Leaving his mate standing alone in his bedroom was more difficult than he would have imagined, and the wolf inside was most unhappy with this decision. In his heart though, Shane knew his mate needed more time. Once Sophie was out of harm's way, he would be free to introduce Faline into his world. With that thought, he reassured his wolf that soon he would be able to finally join with her, sealing their bond. The sentiment appeased the wolf little, but Shane felt confident that before long Faline would accept that she was his mate.

* * *

Alone in Shane's bedroom, Faline felt a little uncomfortable knowing that she would be sleeping in his bed while he spent the rest of the night on the sitting room sofa. Though she also knew that Shane had made up his mind on the subject, and if she'd learned anything about him at all so far, it was that he was quite stubborn once he set his mind to something.

She stared longingly at the bed, admitting to herself that it did look quite inviting. Faline ran a hand through her hair and realized that she felt filthy from the episode in the clearing earlier, to the battle with the werewolves in the shop. And while she'd long since cleaned away the traces of Logan's blood which had been on her hands, she could not justify climbing into Shane's immaculate bed in her current state.

She placed her journal on a nightstand and then collected her clothes from the dryer. They were still warm, and she spent a few minutes folding and stacking them neatly on the dresser. She then selected her nightclothes and walked into the en suite. She also brought with her the bathing items purchased earlier in the evening. Before she could talk herself out of it, Faline closed the bathroom door and retrieved a towel and washcloth from the linen closet before going to the large shower. Just inside the first wall were the faucet controls, and she turned the setting on warm before disrobing. Taking her soap and shampoo, she stepped into the shower.

She made a point to bathe quickly, though she could not deny the shower was luxurious. She loved the way the water cascaded from above as if from a waterfall, and the dark stones beneath her feet absorbed the heat of the water, practically massaging her feet with each step. Once she had washed and rinsed her hair, she quickly cleaned her body and closed the taps. She dried her skin with the towel before putting on her new, clean pajamas. She did not imagine Shane would have a hairdryer in his suite, and so she ran the towel through her hair until she was convinced the rest would dry by air quickly. She brushed her teeth and at last, Faline felt clean. The shower had been relaxing, and so she was ready to settle down.

Faline left the bathroom and finally approached the bed. She switched on the bedside lamp, pulled down the covers and climbed into the large bed. She settled herself under the warm duvet and then began to reach for her journal, figuring she could read a few passages while she waited for sleep to come. To her surprise however, she realized that Shane's bed instantly enveloped her in warmth. The safe, secure feeling she'd experienced in her earlier vision met her again here. The moment she pulled up the covers and rested her head against the pillow Faline drifted into a deep sleep.

* * *

Shane also needed a shower. His suite, which belonged to his parents at one time, had been built for a family. That being the case, there were three smaller bedrooms and another bathroom down the hallway which Faline hadn't explored. He took a fast shower and then dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Taking a sheet and pillow from one of the bedrooms, Shane stretched out his body on the couch, making himself as comfortable as possible. He realized that he could have attempted to sleep in one of the spare bedrooms, but he did not want to be any further from the main entrance or his mate than necessary.

For a while Shane listened to the sounds of his mate moving about in his room. He heard the opening and closing of the dryer door, the running water of the shower, and miscellaneous other sounds as she prepared herself for sleep. Soon after, he heard her switch off the light, and then there was silence as she finally quieted.

Once his mate was resting, Shane attempted to close his eyes. For him, sleep was not coming easily. He tossed and turned on the sofa as an endless parade of worries marched through his mind. He fretted over the possibility that Sophie might be injured or worse by Danvers. The whereabouts of Justin also troubled him. His cousin had caused him countless problems, but Shane did not wish the younger wolf dead. Turning again onto his back, Shane thought now of his mate. He was relieved that she was coming to accept him more and more, however there was the chance that she would not want to be with him. How would he cope? His wolf whined mournfully at the thought, and Shane sighed, uncertain of how his wolf would react if his mate did not want him.

At long last, his eyes grew heavy and Shane finally felt his body relax as it gave itself over to sleep. He slept peacefully for an undeterminable amount of time before the inevitable happened. The nightmare which had haunted his sleep every night for the past 33 years presented itself in the usual way. As always, it began with the startling sound of Ilsa's scream. Shane groaned in his sleep, pained to realize that though he now knew that his mate lived, he still could not escape this unrelenting dream.

In his sleep, Shane was bracing to relive the dream as he'd always done, though he was vaguely aware that somehow this time the dream was different. Ilsa's initial scream, which had always been a painful wail, had been replaced with a much louder, shrill cry of terror. In tonight's dream, Ilsa sounded much closer, and more panicked than she ever had before. Deep in his mind, the wolf howled on high alert and Shane instantly responded. His eyes flew open and he sat bolt upright as his body finally caught up with what his wolf was telling him. He was not dreaming, and what he was hearing was not his memory of Ilsa at all.

In a flash, Shane was on his feet and rushing to his bedroom as soon as he realized that tonight the scream was real. Fear raced through him once he was aware that the terrified screams were coming from his mate. While he was only a few steps from his room, Shane could not get there fast enough. Shane burst through the door and paused briefly as his sharp eyes scanned the darkened room for any threat. At first glance nothing seemed out of place and Shane was relieved that his enemies hadn't gotten by him. His eyes turned then to his bed where he saw Faline, clutching a pillow as her strangled cries began once more.

He was by her side in a moment, where he switched on the lamp and reached for her. Faline was still asleep, and Shane realized it was she who was caught in a nightmare and not him at all. Touching her gently, as to not frighten her more, Shane attempted to wake his mate. "Faline, it's just a dream. I'm here now."

At his touch, Faline tossed violently.

"Non!"

she cried.

"Non! Maman! Non! Non!"

Shane struggled to understand her words. When she didn't wake, he took her hands in his, hoping to bring her out of her nightmare as quickly as possible. She fought him wildly, and Shane moved his hold to her upper arms to steady her. Once she stopped thrashing, Shane called her name until her eyes opened and she came fully awake.

"Autant elle a disparu. Non, non, non,"

sitting up, Faline gasped for air as she repeated the last word over and over.

"Faline, I can't understand French, love. Please calm down, everything's all right," Shane desperately wanted to hold her, but she was still terrified, and he didn't want to cause her more alarm. He waited while she took a few breaths. "Can you tell me about the dream?" he finally asked her.

"Sang pleut,"

she said, and waved her hands in frustration at the sound of her own voice.

"En Anglais!"

she cried, her tone indicating her distress with her own speech. Finally she regained her hold on English. "Blood everywhere and Sophie was

gone,

" she said, her voice trembling.

Tears were forming in her wide eyes, and Shane risked taking her hands in his once again. "Was this a vision?" he asked her, "Did you notice anything else?"

"It wasn't a vision," Faline said, "This felt so much more real."

Shane nodded, "Where were you in the dream? Somewhere familiar?"

Faline shook her head, "I can't remember. There was just so much blood."

"Perhaps your mind was just processing what happened tonight. We did not find Sophie as we expected, and the blood was Logan's," Shane offered as he attempted to interpret her nightmare.

Faline inhaled deeply before nodding, "That could be it. I hope that's all it means."

Her body was still shaking and Shane pulled her into his arms, unable to resist the urge to comfort her. "I'm sure of it. It was just a dream, nothing more."

He felt Faline's arms wrap lightly around him and as she began to relax she rested her head against his shoulder. He rubbed a hand down her back to sooth her. "There you are, you'll feel better soon." He felt her nod against his shoulder. "Would you like me to bring you some water or tea?" he asked as he began to release her.

Instantly, he felt her fingertips digging into his back as she clutched him desperately. "Please don't leave," she blurted as she tightened her hold on him.

He could feel her heart racing as she leaned into him and Shane pressed a kiss to the top of her head, "Never worry about that,

m'chroi.

I will stay as long as you need me."

Several long moments passed before Faline finally backed away from him and Shane immediately searched her face for signs of distress. "I know it was just a dream," Faline said sheepishly, "I'm sorry that I woke you."

Unwilling to release her yet, Shane kept hold of one of her hands. "I have had my fair share of disturbing dreams. I know how difficult they are to shake off."

This time, she squeezed his hand and Shane was beginning to feel more confident that his mate was growing closer to accepting him. "How is Logan?" she asked.

Shifting his weight so that he now leaned against the bedrail, Shane pulled the rest of his body onto the bed. "His injuries are on the mend. Kevin thinks that the stitches will probably be ready to come out as early as tomorrow night."

Almost immediately, Faline settled herself next to him, resting against his side. Shane didn't think that she was conscious of her actions. He welcomed her into his embrace by wrapping an arm around her, securing her to his side.