Nightmare

“Starr…”

I kept my eyes closed, wanting nothing more than to go back to asleep, to back to the dream I was having of Zacky before I was so rudely interrupted.

“Starr, darling, please wake up…”

I sighed, ‘now waking up’; my eyes fluttered open to see Tristan hovering over me, a worried look in his eyes. I sat up, stretching, tossing the book that I had fallen asleep reading to the side, glancing to the clock, seeing I had just been napping for an hour.

“Tristan?” I looked at him in shock—he never came to my room, only sent servants to get me.

“Darling, you must get up,” he told me, holding the side of my face, allowing me to see how serious he was.

“What? Why?” I asked.

“There’s no time to explain, Starr; please, you must come with me right now.”

I got out of bed, puling my Vans on as Tristan instructed, before taking his hand that he had outstretched in my direction, leading me out of the bedroom. Over the past few weeks since that night at dinner, Tristan and I had been spending more and more time together, and from what I had seen, he was a pretty cool guy. He had a great sense of humor, able to make me laugh for hours, but was also very sweet and charming, treating me like I was the only girl in the world.

Although I missed Zacky everyday, life with Tristan wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Obviously, I was even on a first name basis with him.

“Tristan, where are we going?” I asked, noticing all the bodyguards around us.

He said nothing, only continuing to guide me along the hallways, his eyes scanning the walls as if he were waiting for something to pop out at any second. There was a loud booming sound coming from the other side of the castle, making the entire hallway shake. I screamed in the terror of not knowing what was going on, as Tristan wrapped his arm around me, pulling me to the ground, hovering over me, blocking the debris that were falling from the ceiling.

Once it was safe enough, Tristan got me back up, holding both of my arms, staring into my eyes.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“I… Tristan what’s going on?” I asked.

“Are you okay, Starr?” He asked.

I nodded. “I’m fine… please, Tristan, tell me what’s wrong!”

He glanced down at the other end of the hall before looking back at me. “It’s my brother. He’s attacked in an attempt to take you away from me.”

I let my mouth hang open in shock hardly able to believe he had just said that. Johnny wasn’t lying when he said people would do anything for me. Vega had just launched an attack on his brother’s castle, an invasion in order to kidnap me so that I would be his queen, instead of Tristan’s.

Dammit, I hate my life.

“Starr, don’t worry, I’m not going to allow him to take you from me,” Tristan said, reading my mind.

I just nodded, deciding to keep the fact that the only reason I would want to stay with Tristan was because of the link to Zacky.

“But it isn’t safe for you here, my love,” Tristan continued. “You have to leave. I’ve arranged for you to be taken somewhere safer than here. Once everything is back under control, I will come for you again, but until then, I need to make sure that you are safe. Do you understand that?”

I nodded. “But Tristan, where is that?”

“You’re going to live with the one person that I trust with everything I have,” he told me. “I know he will keep you safe if I tell him to, not letting any harm come to you.”

“Who is that?” I asked.

“Come with me.”

Tristan led me down the hallways to another part of the house, bringing me into another room, which looked like one of his studies. He turned to face me, holding both sides of my face.

“Starr, you’re going to be safe with him, okay?” he said. “Once this is done, I’ll send for you. But until then, you need to stay hidden from Vega. I won’t let anything happen to you. I love you.”

I had no idea what to say to that. Tristan just told me he loved me. I just wore the shocked face, one that read I was having information overload, hoping he would understand that was the reason why I wasn’t saying anything, turning to look to my left. The person that I saw made my mouth hang open in shock once more.

“Zacky,” I gasped.

A smirk appeared on his lips. “Surprise.”

I broke away from Tristan’s grip, going to Zacky, wrapping my arms around him, as he did the same hugging me close. Once again, I felt the sense of the world resume by being in his arms.

“Zacky.”

Tristan’s voice made us break apart, making me step away from him, turning back to the Prince.

“Guard her with your life,” Tristan spoke to him. “Do not let anything happen to her.”

“Yes, My Lord,” Zacky answered, bowing his head slightly.

Tristan gave one nod before turning around, starting to walk towards the door with his bodyguards. Zacky turned to look at me with the same smirk playing on his lips, taking my arm, leading me the other way.

“Zack, what are you doing here?” I asked.

“You will be staying with me while Vega and Tristan battle it out here,” he said, his eyes sparkling. “And that fight won’t be over anytime soon.”

Words can’t explain how much I love this man.