“Lucian wants a report on how Holly’s training is going,” was the greeting.
“And good morning to you too,” Justin growled, silently calculating the time difference in his head. It was just after 10 A.M. back in Toronto. Mortimer would normally be sleeping at this hour. “What are you doing up?”
“Working,” was the grim answer, and then he added pointedly, “We’re really shorthanded here, Bricker.”
“I know,” Justin said on a sigh. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Mortimer said. “It’s not like it’s your fault. But I’ll be glad when you’re back. You are coming back, aren’t you?”
Justin considered the question. He really didn’t know the answer. If he managed to convince Holly to be his life mate . . . well, he didn’t know if he would be able to convince her to move to Canada. She was from here, as were both their families. But if he failed at claiming Holly as his life mate, he supposed going back to Canada to work was better than hanging around here in the hopes of catching a glimpse of her.
Running a hand through his hair he admitted, “I don’t know, Mortimer.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.” The other man sighed down the line, cleared his throat and then said, “So a progress report for Lucian?”
“Good,” Justin said quietly. “She’s pretty much learned everything she needs to. I’ve taught her all the important laws and she can bring on and retract her fangs. She can also read minds and tonight we’re going to a club to teach her to control minds and feed.”
“So you’re nearly done,” Mortimer said thoughtfully. “And the wooing?”
Justin’s mouth tightened, but he wasn’t surprised at the question. Mortimer wasn’t just his supervisor, he’d been a Rogue Hunter before being promoted and had been his partner on patrol. They were also friends. Finally, he simply said, “She’s married.”
“Yeah, but surely now that she can read minds it will cause trouble with the marriage,” Mortimer said quietly. “Do you think—-?”
“I don’t know,” Justin interrupted unhappily. “I just don’t know, Mortimer. She’s receptive in the shared dreams, but the woman is as stubborn as hell. She’s definitely determined to stay married when she’s awake.”
“She’s responsive in the dreams though?” Mortimer asked, and Justin could hear the frown in his voice.
“Yeah. Very,” he assured him. “A wildcat.”
There was silence for a minute and then Mortimer asked, “Does she know the dreams are shared?”
“What?” he asked with surprise.
“Have you explained about shared dreams? Or does she just think she’s having them herself?” Mortimer explained. “Because it doesn’t make sense that she’d be so receptive, as you put it, in the dreams but so determined when awake. I mean I’d think she’d be a little resistant in the dreams too if she knew she was sharing them with you.”
Justin stilled, trying to recall if he’d explained about shared dreams to her. He was pretty sure he hadn’t. In fact, the thought now of doing so was rather alarming. If he explained about them to her and she did become resistant . . . he’d lose the only part of her he had.
“No, I don’t think she knows that,” Justin admitted quietly.
“It might help if you told her they were shared, Bricker,” Mortimer said quietly.
“Or she might start resisting me in the dreams too,” he pointed out.
“She might,” he acknowledged. “But she will also have to reexamine herself and her feelings and acknowledge that she’s attracted to you at least. Then, when the marriage fails . . .”
“If the marriage fails,” Justin said grimly.
“Just think about it,” Mortimer suggested.
“Yeah,” he muttered.
They talked for a few more minutes, with Mortimer updating him on what was going on back in Canada, and then ended the call. Justin stared at his phone for several minutes before setting it down. He then grabbed the bottle of water, opened it, and quickly drank half. If the next -couple hours went as it usually did when he shared dreams with Holly, he was going to need the liquid.
Smiling faintly at the thought, Justin reached up to remove the clamp from the IV bag to allow the liquid to start to flow. He then got carefully back under the covers, already thinking about where he should take Holly in their shared dream this time.
Fifteen