Upon the Midnight Clear by Sherrilyn Kenyon Read Free Book Online

through his body. There was no magic to it. No spiritual bonding between friends and family.
    People were users, plain and simple. Hoping for anything better only led to bitter disappointment.
    No, this was his life. He’d be alone until the day he died. But deep inside him was still that stupid, insipid dream of one day having a family. Ever since his parents had been killed by a drunk driver, he’d missed that sense of bonding. Of family belonging. His parents had loved each other dearly and had had mutual respect—at least it had looked that way to his seven-year-old mind.
    Who knew what the truth really was. Maybe they’d hated each other as much as his brother hated him, and like Donnie they’d kept it a secret.
    As for Heather, that bitch was the one who should have an Oscar on her mantel instead of him. Her acting had been exceptional right up until the end.
    And right outside his door was the first woman to set foot in his house since Heather had walked out of it …
    â€œSo what?” he asked himself under his breath. One woman was as good as another and most likely she was twice as treacherous.
    Disgusted with it all, he lay down on the couch and turned on his TV to let his Star Wars DVD distract him from the madness of letting a stranger into his home.
    *   *   *
    Leta paused as she felt the slight unconscious tugging in the back of her mind. There were really no words to describe the sensation, but anytime a human target went to sleep, a dream god could feel it.
    As quietly as she could, she made her way back to Aidan’s den where she found him dozing on the couch.
    He was leaning back with one foot still on the floor and one arm draped over his face. Cocking her head, she stared at how strangely attractive his pose was. His faded T-shirt was stretched tight over a chest that was absolutely ripped.
    The stubble on his cheeks only emphasized the rugged handsomeness of his features. He looked vulnerable and yet at the same time she had no doubt that if she made the slightest sound, he’d jerk awake, ready for battle.
    As she closed her eyes to spy on his dreams, she saw the snowstorm outside that she’d started was permeating his subconscious. Kneeling on the floor by his side, she let her thoughts drift until they connected more fully with his.
    Here in the dream world she was an observer who followed his lead.
    He stood outside a basic Cape Cod house where lights twinkled against a dark snowy storm. She heard the sounds of laughter and music coming from inside the home. Curious, she moved to stand beside Aidan as he spied on the party’s attendants through a frosted window.
    â€œLook at them,” he said as if accepting her presence in his dreams without question. His lips were curled disdainfully.
    Leta scowled at the revelers who were toasting each other during a Christmas party. “They seem very happy.”
    â€œYeah, like a nest of scorpions waiting to strike each other down.” He jerked his chin toward a thin, pretty woman in the rear of the group. “The blonde in the corner is my ex-fiancée, Heather. The balding guy she’s draped over is my brother, Donnie.”
    The two were making cooing noises at each other before they drank out of the same wine glass. Boy, Freud would have had a field day with Aidan’s dreams.
    â€œWhy are they together?” she asked him.
    â€œThat’s an interesting question. After I gave Donnie a job, Heather threw a fit over it. Next thing I knew he’d started snaking on the bitch. The most amazing thing is she always told me she absolutely hated him. She thought he was brainless redneck trash who needed help to tie his own shoes.”
    He shook his head as he pointed to a brown-haired man at the table across from Heather and Donnie. “That’s Bruce. He was the president of my fan club and a longtime personal friend. My nephew Ronald befriended him and the next thing I