Free New Territory by Sarah Marie Porter Page B

human? That union would never produce pups. It was forbidden by the Creator and thus would not be blessed. No, it was not possible. Perhaps the Creator had blessed the human with a glimpse into the wolf dream. Having found a less revolting option, she accepted it, and her mind was quieted. She closed her blue eyes and dozed dreamlessly until late morning.
     

 
     
    Cian Collins woke suddenly, his whole body tense. He groaned, and crawled from his tent to do his morning stretches. The brisk Canadian spring morning made him shiver. Liam was already awake, brewing coffee and frying up some hotcakes. "Morning, Alpha. Sleep well?" Cian only grunted, then turned away and brought his arms over his head to stretch out his back. The other man just chuckled and poured some coffee into a tin mug. Once Cian felt less tight, he took the mug wordlessly and sipped the still-steaming liquid. "Blech," he stated, then grabbed the sugar.
     
    "Something give you nightmares?" Liam asked, as he served them both. Cian took a big bite of hotcake and shook his head as he chewed. "No nightmares... just the wolf dream." Lian shook his head. "You know, you can choose normal dreams. The wolf dream is so...empty." Cian shrugged. "Usually, it is." Liam lifted his eyebrows and gave him a curious look. "What do you mean by usually? Did you see someone last night?" Swallowing the last dregs of his coffee, Cian turned and shook out the mug on the ground. "I saw a wolf," he said slowly, staring at the campfire. "It looked like a full-blooded female wolf. And she spoke to me." Liam just looked at him, open-mouthed. "Are you sure she was a true wolf? Despite this lycan curse, no true wolf has ever spoken to one of us. We’ve always assumed they are just animals, whereas we are something more." Cian nodded, his head aching. "I know, I know," he growled. "I think I'm losing my sanity. Are we almost to the rogue's territory?" He asked, changing the subject bluntly. Liam gave him a knowing look, but allowed it. "We are only a mile or two from the boundary line, from what I remember. He's not far." Cian looked up and grinned. "Good," he said. "I'm quite ready to give him a piece of my mind." Liam nodded. Serving himself another hotcake, he chewed it absentmindedly. “You know, Camilla mentioned something about lycans meeting their lifemates in the wolf dream,” he suggested. The thought made Cian pause his chewing. He stared at Liam for a long moment then shook his head. “Then she could not have been a true wolf,” he concluded. Liam nodded slowly, but then asked, “What if she is your lifemate? Shouldn’t you find her?” Cian looked up, a slight grimace on his face. “You know I’m not ready to find my lifemate, Liam. Besides, we have a job to do here.” He returned to his breakfast, signifying the conversation was over. Both of the lycans fell into a brooding silence.
     

 
     
    Keva woke Mira quietly, too curious about her adventure in the wolf dream to sleep any longer. Mira yawned widely and turned her blurred eyes toward the young female. "Can't an old wolf get some rest around here?" She grumbled. Keva pawed the ground and whimpered slightly. "Please, Mother. I have had a strange dream." This revelation made the old she-wolf's ears perk up. She laid her nose on her front paws and sighed. "Very well. Tell me about it." When Keva explained her dream, Mira nearly jumped up and growled, but she held herself still. "Pup, you are saying that you met a human in the wolf dream?" Keva flattened her ears against her head and averted her eyes. "Aye. He told me he was part man and part wolf, but how can that be?"
     
    Mira growled deep in her throat. "A lycan, " she said, her hackles rising. "Werewolves. They are cursed by the Creator. Few of us have met one. We never speak to them; they are cursed with dangerous power. To be two different species in one makes it difficult for them to find their place in the circle of life. They have not the mind-speak