"Mom!"

"Run!"

His paws carried him through the grass and he rounded a tree. His eyes grew big when he saw the man rip his mother's throat out. The man's eyes found him and he grew still. A gun was leveled with him and the dart hit him in the throat.

Her eyes opened and she took a deep breath. Running her hands over her face, she rolled onto her side and drew her pillow closer to her. Closing her eyes, she felt the sleep pull her back under and another nightmare take over.

"Rafe, where are you going?"

He wagged his tail and said "Out on a hunt."

"Be careful."

He left the den and looked around as he tracked down trails of prey. Trotting along the stream, he caught a scent he didn't recognize and stopped. Stepping forward, something caught his leg and jerked him off his feet.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes again and buried her hands in her hair. Staring at her wall, she rolled onto her back again and prayed for some sleep.

"Take them all!"

Bullets flew everywhere and bodies went down. The adults tried moving their children to safety but were shot down. Some were killed, some just injured. One man waved his arm and a horde of men came into the battlefield. They caught up the children and threw them in cages.

"Get them loaded and let's go before the drugs wear off!"

The children screamed as they were loaded into armored trucks and the living parents tried climbing to their feet as the trucks drove away.

Her eyes opened again and she sat up in bed. Drawing her knees into her, she buried her head and let the agony finally out. The tears fell uncontrollable down her face and she dug her hands into her hair. The pain of separation and despair radiated through her and she relived all the agony she went through with the loss of her parents.

Kara?

She took a deep breath and tried wiping the tears away. She focused on stabilizing her breathing and controlling the emotions flooding the room and her mind.

I'm okay.

She glanced at the firepit and found the flames almost gone. Letting out a relieved sigh, she laid back in her bed and looked up at the ceiling. The worst of the nightmares had past and she could feel the sun rising. Closing her eyes, she took one more deep breath and sat up again. She pushed the covers aside and swung her legs off the bed.

They failed when she tried to stand and she hit the cold floor hard. The paralyzing sensation spread up into her lower back and she pushed herself onto her side with her arms. The helpless feelings began setting in and she closed her eyes. She couldn't alert Joseph of the problem and tried focusing on calming the emotions.

"Kara."

She opened her eyes at his voice and looked up as he entered the doorway. He came to her side and she caught his hand before he could touch her.

"It'll pass."

He watched her close her eyes again and try moving her legs. She managed to budge them and he let out a low growl. Her eyes came back to him and he picked her up against her will. The contact removed the paralysis but left her flooded with power.

"You should have told me they were getting worse."

He put her on the bed and she drew her knees up against her slowly. She knew he was still adjusting to not being with her at night as much as she was but she couldn't cave on her decision. It had calmed down the rumors and made it easier to work around the place without everyone expecting them to proclaim each other.

"It's a recent thing."

His black eyes rested on her face and he sighed "You've been blocking them from me."

She nodded and said "I needed to see what I could handle on my own and wanted to let you get your own nights back."

Her concern for him was more evident than her concern for her own well being. He left her side and put the room between them. This was the first time he had felt the compulsion to come after a month of being apart at night and he didn't like it. She was trying to handle all the effects these nightmares have on her but he could see they were just becoming worse.

"You need to speak with Leon about these."

She stood up and said "You promised to leave him out of this."

"I cannot keep hiding this from him when it could possibly kill you.

Frustration replaced the power pounding through her and she ran her hands through her hair. The last thing she needed was her grandfather knowing what exactly was going on with her. Since she asked Joseph to not come in the evening the man had started checking on her right before she fell asleep and they had begun to get to know each other. She hadn't realized how alike they were but what he talked about the most was the pride he had in her.

"Joseph, please don't tell him."

He held her gaze and took a deep breath. His hands were tied when it came to handling her wants and when it came to his duty to Leon, he had to follow the man's orders. The woman seemed stronger than she had been before she asked him to stay away. She was downplaying her agony to keep him from acting against her wishes but he wasn't sure he could keep it up.

"When did these get worse?"

She took a deep breath and said "About two weeks ago."

"And the rest of the time?"

"I can handle them."

He glanced at the tossled bed and said "You haven't been sleeping well. Your mental strength is low."

She knew what he was hinting at and sighed "Please. Just let me talk to Leon first."

"Not this time."

He left the room before she could argue with him and walked down the hall. Right now all he could think about is finding her in agony and paraylized this morning and it was haunting him. He located Leon in his chambers and the man dismissed the people he was talking with. The man saw the seriousness in Joseph's face and called him into his private chamber.

"What is it?"

"Why would Kara have nightmares?"

Leon sat down by his bed and said "I don't know. Ask her."

"They are becoming dangerous."

"What are you talking about?"

He took a deep breath and said "I found her unable to walk this morning and I know it was from something she dreamnt."

Leon let out a slow breath and said "It isn't entirely uncommon but it is very dangerous."

"They were never this bad."

The man focused his hazel eyes on Joseph and said "That is why you were staying with her at night. It helped."

He nodded and said "She asked a month ago for me to stop. Said she wanted to deal with them on her own."

Leon chuckled and asked "Did it ever occur to you why you were able to help?"

He shook his head and said "It is something about safety."

The man nodded and said "My granddaughter had her entire life shattered at a very young age and the only time she has felt safe the older she got was when she was around you. The nightmares could have been this bad to start with but your willingness to stay with her overnight kept them at bay. It can only mean one thing."

Joseph knew where the man was going and shook his head. He didn't want to admit the man was right because then he wouldn't be able to continue watching over her without acting on his primative instincts.

"No."

Leon nodded and said "The only cure for her nightmares is you."

"No Leon."

The man leaned back against his bed and said "Joseph, for my granddaughter's sake and peace of mind, you know how to fix this."

"I can't. I will hurt her."

"Have faith in yourself."

Joseph walked to the exit and said "I know what I'm capable of and if I were to do this, I'd hurt her more than the loss of her parents."

"You are not a monster, Joseph. You are her mate and you know it."

His black eyes snapped back to the man and he growled "Then we better find a better suited mate now shouldn't we."

Leon stood up and growled "Do not take that tone with me boy. You will respect my word and order."

He felt the room thicken with the man's power and he lowered his head. The man had only revealed his power one time prior and that was many years ago. He took a deep breath and slowly met Leon's hazel gaze. The man was standing now and appeared as a true leader.

"Until you two are willing to accept the truth, you must find an alternative method to helping Kara with these nightmares. They will kill her otherwise."

"Emily."

Leon stared back at him a little surprised at the idea and took a deep breath. His daughter could possibly help calm them down but he was far from sure she would ever come home.

"We have no idea where she is at."

Joseph studied his aged face and said "I can find her."

"You would trust my granddaughter's safety to the men here just to go on a goose chase?"

He nodded and said "I will find her."

"And what if something happens to Kara?"

"We both know that these men cannot be tested unless I am gone. I need to know if she will be safe when the time comes for me to leave."

Leon let out a sigh and shook his head. He hated the notion in Joseph's head. The man still did not trust what lied within him and it was holding him back. He knew his granddaughter saw the real side of Joseph years ago but she had come to trust him and only him. If the man were to leave and walk away for good, it would devestate her more than anything she has experienced so far.

"If you go look for Emily, you must promise to return."

Joseph nodded and said "I will leave tonight after sunset."

Leon dismissed him with another sigh and he walked out of the room. His steps were quiet as he moved down the hall and he paused outside his quarters. The guards down by the base of the steps were practicing and he stepped into his room. Looking at the bleak room, he took a deep breath and walked into his bedroom. He had left in such a hurry that his bed had been left in a tassle and he silently made it up.

"You look troubled."

He glanced over his shoulder and watched Rafe's mother enter. She took in the somber room and looked back at him.

"You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, Joseph."

"Camille."

She watched him sit on his bed and look back at her. His black eyes looked darker and bleaker than she remembered.

"What's going on?"

"It doesn't concern you."

She frowned and knelt in front of him. He avoided her gaze and she caught his arm.

"A long time ago we were close. You would tell me anything that was on your mind."

"We were children."

She sat back on her heels and said "This is about Kara."

He kept his gaze guarded and heard "You are really struggling to keep your promise."

"The relationship I have with Kara does not concern anyone but us."

"You're wrong. She is Leon's granddaughter and you are her protector. If something changes between the two of you, it affects all of us."

He shook her hand off and asked "Why are you here?"

She took a deep breath and said "I can sense the strain you are in and wanted to offer my assistance."

"No."

He stood up and brushed her aside as he walked across his room. She looked back at him and took a deep breath.

"Whatever you are about to do, remember that you are needed here."

He avoided her gaze as she left and let out a low sigh. Running a hand through his hair, he closed his eyes and slowly opened them. Looking at his entrance, he found hazel eyes watching him. She had her blonde hair pulled back in a braid and was wearing a blue t-shirt and dark blue jeans.

"Can I help you?"

She took a deep breath and asked "Did you speak with Leon?"

He turned to face her and said "I did."

Her gaze faltered and he watched her take in the room to avoid meeting his gaze again. He tried sensing what was going on inside her head but she had put up her wall again.

"What is his advice?"

"I'm leaving to get help."

Her gaze finally came back to him and he knew that was the last thing she wanted. She would never express what she wanted or felt but he could still see it.

"Where are you going?"

"To find your mother."

Her eyes narrowed slightly and the room crackled. He glanced at the fire pit and watched the embers begin to dance.

"Why?"

"She may be able to help with your nightmares."

Kara shook her head and sat down on his bed. She was able to keep them to herself and the last thing she wanted was her lost mother coming back to help her. She had raised herself without the woman's help for twenty years and didn't need her.

"I don't need her help."

"She is the only other option."

"To what?"

He took a deep breath and sighed "To me claiming you."

Her eyes shot up at him and she took a deep breath. The idea that such a thing would take care of these nightmares never occurred to her but it should have. His presence all those nights kept them at bay to the most part and as soon as she asked him to stop joining her their cruelty had begun to grow.

"You won't be able to find her."

He studied the look in her eyes and said "I don't have a choice."

She shook her head and said "I don't want you going after her."

Her words held less conviction that the earlier statement and he crossed the room. He knelt in front of her and she met his gaze.

"I will not claim you just to put an end to these nightmares. I gave you my word."

She held his black gaze and said "I am ready if need be."

"No you aren't."

"What do you mean?"

He took a deep breath and said "You are physically and mentally ready. Your emotions are too raw to undergo the process."

"I cannot have you go on a never-ending quest just like her."

He knew it was going to play on the abandonment when he left but he knew there was no other choice. If he claimed her, it would worsen all the emotional strain she was undergoing and create a physical problem. The pull such a connection creates is nearly unbareable when apart.

"I am not abandoning you. I will be back as soon as I find her."

She shook her head and said "I don't know if I would be strong enough to handle these nightmares with you gone for who knows how long."

He caught her hand in his and said "Look at me."

She rested her tired eyes on his and heard "You are more than strong enough to hold on while I'm gone. I've never seen a four year old raise herself after losing her parents and having her entire life uprooted. You took on the responsibility as a representative of our people at a young age when we met Rafe and Camille. You assume Leon's authority whenever he leaves. You are strong enough."

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and said "You may be able to find her at our home."

"Where was that?"

"I don't remember the name. It's just a feeling the place gives you."

"What did it look like?"

She shook her head and placed her hand on his forehead. The contact shot power through him but then images flooded his mind. He saw the flowers in the open field and the cabin surrounded in the back by a thick forest. A well was in front of the place and then everything was gone. The place had been burned to a crisp in a flash and he felt her hand pull away.

"What was that?"

She met his gaze and said "My home."

"How?"

A slow smirk caught her mouth and she said "Speaking to one another in our minds is not only what I am capable of."

He studied her lighter eyes and stood up. She rose to her feet and he caught her wrist. She watched him remove a chain from around his neck and fasten around hers.

"It was my father's."

Her hand curled around the cool silver and she said "Thank you."

"It will help while I'm gone."

Nodding, she followed him out of his room and they walked into the hall. The sun had begun setting while inside his quarters and she knew it was time to watch him leave. He shot her a glance as they walked down the steps to join everyone for the send off. Leon waited by the waterfall and they joined him.

"Good luck and hurry home."

He nodded and turned to the guards.

"Let nothing happen to her while I'm gone."

The men nodded and he casted her one last glance. She watched him shift on his way through the waterfall and felt his presence settle in her head. He might be apart from her physically but he was staying connected in her thoughts as long as he could.