Page 27 of The General’s Captive (The Rift #1)

My eyes then shot to the doorway where I knew it would soon come barrelling through before jumping over the kitchen island to get me. The bread knife right there, and like my body had hit the replay button I grabbed for it regardless of knowing it was useless.

A frightened gasp left me the second I saw it appear but this was when my dream really started to change and I had no control.

No, that was held by another and I knew that the moment I saw a tall figure emerge from within the shadows now stepping up behind it.

A roar of anger quickly dying from the werewolf’s muzzle the second the figure behind it moved.

A swirl of darkness too fast for my eyes to track as it suddenly twisted the head of the beast instantly snapping its neck.

Large hands then let it go making the dead werewolf drop to the floor revealing the General behind it.

I swallowed hard and raised my shaky hand up with what I knew was a meagre weapon pointed his way, one he looked at and grinned.

Clearly unaffected by this pointless threat I presented he walked towards me, his long strides eating up the space between us so as the island was my only protection.

“Come now Alexandra, I think we both know that would do very little if this situation was reality.” Well, he wasn’t wrong there. His handsome face with its hard raw beauty and a look that radiated that authoritative arrogance was near overwhelming.

“Why are we here?” I asked making him shrug his large shoulders.

“I was curious after reading your journal entry and wanted to see it play out for myself.” He told me making me cringe knowing that he was reading it. But that was when I closed my eyes and told him,

“This isn’t real…I’m just dreaming this.” But the next time I opened them he was right in front of me, the island now gone, and in its place his looming figure so much taller than me. His large body only the length of the knife away and all the space he would allow… for now.

“Dream of me often, do you?” he asked making heat invade my cheeks as I lied,

“Nnno.” I stammered making him grin, the moonlight from the window behind me glinting on the whites of his perfectly straight teeth. The storm no longer battering against the glass and adding to the horror. But then he looked down at the knife I held and told me,

“I don’t think we will be needing that.” Then with a flick of his wrist it went flying from my hand the force imbedding it into the cupboards with a resounding thud.

My eyes shot to it, the shock making them widen before coming back to him.

Eyes that had no choice but to journey upwards the second he started to close the last step between us.

Which meant I was then quick to take two back.

“Fucking wake up, Alex!” I shouted to myself, trying to will myself to wake and end this! But he shook his head down at me,

“You are no longer in control of this sleeping mind of yours.” He told me unaffected by my pointless shouting.

“And you are?” I asked in disbelief after taking a calming breath.

“I am.” He stated firmly now looking down at his hand as if seeing something there that I couldn’t see, the hand that had traced my scars that soon fisted as if the memory of our first touch plagued him.

“But why…why me? Why did you let me go?” I asked knowing that if what he said was true then this dream went both ways, that he was experiencing it just like I was. But this was when he lowered his head closer to mine dipping enough so as to catch my eyes as he told me,

“Did I though?” My eyes widened once more at this, something he seemed fascinated with.

“I’m not your captive.” I stated firmly.

“Aren’t you…then what would you call this?

” he pointed out now straightening to his full height as he swept out an arm to his side.

An action that caused the room to suddenly change to one made of bars.

The whole room like a golden jail cell with bars that glimmered off the hundreds of candles that surrounded the black walls beyond the chamber.

I gasped, this time taking a step back into the walls of my cage.

“I don’t understand, what is it…is it you want with me?” I asked now shaking my head. But instead of answering me, he asked,

“The werewolf, did he harm you?” I jerked back at this surprised he asked, that he even cared. My eyes betraying me as I glanced quickly to my shoulder where the scars remained.

He didn’t miss it as suddenly my t shirt was gone and in its place was a long flowing pure white gown with thin straps showing my bare shoulders.

I pressed myself further into the bars at my back as he eliminated the rest of the space between us, then he raised up his hand and ran the backs of his fingers across my scars.

“Your beast did its damage.” I snapped making his eyes whip back to mine, those dark eyes narrowing slightly before countering,

“Yet you survived to tell the tale.”

“Yeah I did, and I killed the bastard.” I stated now raising my shoulders not letting him see how much he frightened me.

It wasn’t just the intimidating size of him or the dark cloak he wore that seemed to move behind him like he owned the night, it wasn’t those dark eyes that seemed to study me taking in every single detail missing nothing, or the way his raven black hair was pulled back as if for the sole purpose of adding to his regal persona.

It was everything.

The man in charge in constant control of every aspect of the world he commanded.

But I couldn’t help but wonder what he would look like with his hair down, would it add a gentleness to those hard lines?

If that grin of his was ever genuine instead one of cunning and smug arrogance, what would he look like then?

Would it manage to soften those formidable features?

That strong jaw line and high cheekbones, would it melt in the hands of a lover?

Would a single touch of kindness evaporate that foreboding spell he created?

I didn’t know but a secret forbidden part of me wanted to find out so badly.

A shameful wish I was glad nobody would ever discover.

“Just as you did that day with the Chimera before hiding from me.” He said confirming what Riley had said, that the General had known. I swallowed hard and hearing this gave him cause to grin as he watched the motion, his hand now grazing down the front of my bare throat with a feather light touch.

“Impressive Little Human.” Again, he smiled as he felt another hard swallow go down.

“And yet you let me live… again.” I braved to point out and this time he smirked.

“Careful of that wayward mind of yours Alexandra.” He said, confusing me as to what he could mean by that.

“I am just stating facts.” I argued, trying to ignore what his light gentle touch was doing to me as it snaked across my collar bone.

“Perhaps I was intrigued by the fabled name of Alexandra, the girl who survives all the darkness throws her way, perhaps I felt somewhat protective over the girl who got away.” He said making my mouth drop a little at his admission.

But before I could ask why once more, his eyes stopped following the journey his fingers were taking and rose to mine.

“Where are you hiding from me now, I wonder?” I shook my head at this quick to deny him,

“Not somewhere you can reach me.” I lied making him scoff,

“There is no where I cannot reach you, not now I know who you truly are.” I flinched at that,

“And who is it you think I am, exactly?”

“All in good time little survivor.” He replied smoothly.

“You won’t beat me.” I challenged making him really grin this time and say,

“I didn’t know you and I were at war.” I laughed this time, a short and disbelieving sound.

“We have always been at war unless you forgotten that this is my world you invaded.” I snapped making him scoff and roll his eyes,

“Perhaps I held too much weight in your intelligence.” I scowled at the insult, before telling him,

“Great, then maybe that means you will leave me the hell alone!” at this his eyes narrowed, and he warned,

“Take heed Alexandra, for my patience has limits, even with you.” His look alone told me this was true and not something I was in a position to push right now, although I still questioned why he would have any patience around me… just who did he think I was?

“Wise decision.” He said as if he could see my thoughts playing out on my face or most likely how I had opened my mouth to speak only to close it just as quickly.

“Now enough of this, tell me where you are before their darkness finds you.” Shock was my first response at hearing his slip up.

“Who’s darkness?” I asked making him seethe down at me.

“You do not want to find out, now tell me where you are!” he snapped this time but this was when I finally hit my own limit.

This was a dream after all and he couldn’t hurt me in it!

So, no matter how much he frightened me it was time to take back some control.

Which meant the second I saw my chance I quickly ducked under his arm twisting away and putting distance between us. Then I shouted,

“Enough of this!” Which was when the cage he had fabricated suddenly evaporated and I was back in that house, wearing what I had been that day.

Layers of soaked clothing replacing the delicate silk and giving me protection against his penetrating gaze, one that made me feel naked and dangerously exposed.

The shock on his face was a victory as he hadn’t expected me to push back and win this fight. To take back control of my own mind.

“I can take care of myself.” I told him something that seemed to piss him off further.

“Is that so?” he mocked.

“Yes.”

“Then why did I find you lying in the road freezing and all alone little survivor?” I winced hating that he knew this. But he wasn’t done, as he stood taking long steps towards me and asking in a barely controlled rage,

“Tell me, where was your white knight then Alexandra, the one who shouted your name and failed to reach you?” he suddenly disappeared just before he reached me only to reappear directly at my back.

His hands coming to my shoulders and yanking me back hard against him.

The gasp that left me was one he felt against the hard wall of his muscular chest, though I barely reached halfway, as he towered above me.

“Where was your hero then?” He growled down at me, the bitterness in his voice one I didn’t miss.

I gritted my teeth and shrugged to pull myself free when he suddenly banded an arm across my chest. He was so big that all that solid muscle I could feel was impossible to fight against as I couldn’t move even an inch.

“Tell me, who’s voice was it you heard rousing you from sleep?

” he asked in a far softer tone this time, one far more dangerous as I closed my eyes against what it did to me.

I swallowed hard refusing to speak only the second his other hand collared my throat I gasped at the threat because it might have been a dream but like this it was hard to see it as anything but real.

The feel of him was all consuming.

“I asked you a question girl.” He snarled.

“It was you.” I admitted giving him what he wanted and hating myself for my weakness.

“Indeed it was. So if you think for one minute you are safe with him then you are foolishly mistaken.” He said strangely sounding jealous. But then the second I heard my name being called in the distance he growled at my back once more, making me whisper his name,

“Riley.” The second I did his hand suddenly covered my mouth, as if he couldn’t stand the sound of another’s man’s name coming from my lips. I struggled against his hand as my name grew louder in the distance.

“Looks like our time is at an end. But make no mistake Alexandra, I will find you again and next time Little Warrior…” he paused so as to lower his lips directly behind my ear…

“…There will be no letting you escape me.”