I woke at three in the morning from another shared dream.

Woods. Warmth. Her scent. I lay in the dark, my heart pounding, listening to Val breathe across the room. Slow and even. Asleep.

I'd woken from this dream four nights in a row. Each time it was slightly more specific. Each time I remembered more of it when I surfaced. The way her hand felt in mine.

The way her voice sounded when she said my name. The way the bond had pulsed between us like a living thing.

I did not think this was ...