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Jace , I wasn’t sure what to expect. They looked
so much alike. Was it possible they could be the same person? How can you dream about someone you’ve never
met? I must’ve seen him in passing, on the television or something!
Otherwise none of this made any sense.
    Orion shifted
his weight from one foot to the other as he reached for the nightstand beside
my bed. My stomach twisted, and my breath caught when I heard the jingle of a
buckle as he removed the collar from the top drawer.
    "You’re
very quiet this evening," he said, lifting my chin so I could meet his
gaze. "What troubles you?”
    I closed my
eyes before I could answer, and he took a step back.
    For the
longest moment he was silent, slowly moving around me. To my
side. Behind me. To the other
side. Circling. Always
moving. Breathing. Never
speaking.
    Heat pricked
my skin the longer he made me stand there. His missing touch became even more
evident as my body started to cool down. Just like the night before, I was
naked, and this time so was he. But standing there, under his watch, I was completely
exposed to his sight, his touch. I wanted him to touch me. To
reach out to me. To press his lips to mine.
    He moved
again, then stopped.
    Breathe. I exhaled and almost
wobbled from the lightheadedness. This is
your dream. You can make him whoever you want. Question was, who did I want
more—Orion, or Jace , whom I knew nothing about? They’re the same person. It didn’t
matter. I’d done more with Orion than I had with Jace .
And while I felt some sort of emotional connection to Jace ,
Orion was who I needed most.
    "I asked
you a question." Master Orion’s voice was hoarse. "Why won’t you look
at me? Do I scare you?"
    By now, my
arms were behind my back and my head was bowed. "No, Master."
    "Then
why deny me your sight?"
    I took a shaky
breath. "Because…I’m afraid of what I might—who I might see."
    He rested a
hand on one of my shoulders. "And what is it that causes this fear?"
    "Another…" Another what? Man? I frowned as I
tried to find the right words. "Another you, Master. Someone
who looks like you."
    He scoffed. "Is
that all?"
    Tears stung
at my eyes, and I looked up at him. "It's not foolish of me?"
    "Of
course not. As I said before, while you’re in this world, you’re stuck
with me. Anyone you meet during your waking life has no hold over what we have
here. Now."
    "Then
why do I feel so confused?"
    "Do you
feel like you’re betraying one of us?"
    I shook my
head. "How could I? All Jace and I have done is
talked."
    "And you
feel something for this… Jace is it?"
    I nodded. "At
least, I think I do." I let my shoulders slump forward and was somewhat
relived when Orion didn’t correct me. "But we only just met."
    "So have
we."
    "But you
were first. I just don’t know what to trust."
    Master Orion
set the collar back on the nightstand. "As much as I’d like for us to
repeat what happened last evening, it would be wrong of me to act dominate
toward you when you yourself aren’t sure of what you want. So tell me, have you
ever dreamed of an ex while you were with another man?"
    "A few
times, yes."
    "And
during those times, did you feel at all like you’re feeling now?"
    "No. It
would’ve been stupid because it was just a—"
    Master Orion
was nodding before I finished. "It’s just a dream. What we have may feel
real, and perhaps in some way it is, but you have two lives now. One with me when you sleep, and another while you’re awake. And seeing as I can't join you in your waking life, I couldn’t possibly ask you
to be loyal to me all the time. All I ask is that you let me have your dreams.
The men you meet during the day can have the rest. Understand?"
      Leave it to my subconscious to make me look
like a complete ass. I forced a smile and inclined my head before closing my
eyes. I sensed Master Orion's presence as he shifted his weight again, a slight
breeze brushing against my skin as he moved.
    He returned
moments later, possibly