her family who was an empath. Growing up, she had hated it, but now she was counting on it to show her what her mate was really feeling.
She was bombarded by the swirling depths of anger, but they weren't directed at her. He was filled with self-loathing. He hated himself for his words, for deliberately hurting her. But deeper down, past the anger, was an overwhelming, urgent sense of fear. He was drowning in an ocean of dread. He honestly felt that he was beyond redemption and would do anything to keep her away from him, even break her heart.
"You're afraid," she whispered, looking up at him.
His eyes widened in shock. "You're an empath?"
She nodded. "You're afraid of hurting me. You're afraid that our mating will destroy me." She took a step closer, and he took a step back.
"Stay away. I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't hurt me. The fact that you have a mate means that you're not lost."
"Men with mates have turned feral before."
"You're my prince, and you won't hurt me. I can prove it."
Darian froze. "What did you say?"
"I said, I can prove you won't hurt me." She walked up to him.
"No about being a prince..."
She didn't get to hear the rest of his question; she was already in motion. She brought her leg up and kneed him solidly in the groin. She smiled down at her mate as he hunched over taking gasping breaths.
"See, if you were really lost, you'd have hit me."
Darian tried to talk but words didn't come out. He shook his head. He tried again. "Do you know why I haven't hit you?" He choked the words out still bent over.
"Because I'm your mate," she said smugly.
He turned his face up and she stepped back. Maybe kneeing her seven-foot plus mate in the groin hadn't been such a good idea.
"No, because I can't move. When I can..." His eyes darkened.
"Shit." She took a step backward.
"Run," he growled.
She turned and bolted for the door. As she raced down the stairs, she screeched at the top of her lungs. "Ryuu! Aiden! Help!" She hit the foyer as Ryuu came racing from the back of the house as Aiden and the others came out of the front room. Behind her, she heard the heavy footsteps of her mate as he chased her.
Aiden stepped in front of her, a concerned expression on his face. "What happened?"
She scrambled up his back and held on for dear life.
Darian stalked toward them. "Give her to me."
Aiden stepped back and held up his hands, keeping Darian at bay.
"Maybe you should calm down first," Sascha suggested from the front room doorway.
"Calm down? She kneed me in the balls. I can still barely feel my legs, it's a miracle I'm standing!" he roared.
Aiden turned his head to her. "Why'd you do that?"
Amelia grimaced. "I was trying to convince him that he wouldn't hurt me."
Aiden's eyes widened. "So you kneed him?"
"Well, I figured if he didn't hurt me after I hit him in the balls, he'd know I'd be safe around him." She paused. "Not a good idea?" she asked.
Aiden shook his head. "No."
The three of them turned at the sound of laughter beside them. Sascha was leaning against the doorway, his arms wrapped around his stomach. He was laughing so hard tears were streaming down his cheeks. "Why is it that the Alpha females are crazy?"
Meryn shrugged. "She made sense to me."
Colton turned to Meryn. "You also set Aiden's car on fire when he ignored you."
Amelia looked at Meryn. "Sounds reasonable."
Meryn grinned. "I know, right?"
Her comment sent Sascha into more convulsed laughter. He straightened and wiped his eyes. "So Darian ended up with a witch version of Meryn."
Darian looked at her. "Witch?"
Amelia thought about it for a second. "Sort of."
Darian sighed and walked around Aiden to pluck her from his back. "How can you 'sort of' be a witch?" He set her down between them.
Amelia beamed up at him. "See, I knew you wouldn't hurt me."
He glared down at her, his expression unchanged.
She stuck her tongue out at him and crossed her eyes. He blinked in surprise. Smiling she answered. "I'm
She was bombarded by the swirling depths of anger, but they weren't directed at her. He was filled with self-loathing. He hated himself for his words, for deliberately hurting her. But deeper down, past the anger, was an overwhelming, urgent sense of fear. He was drowning in an ocean of dread. He honestly felt that he was beyond redemption and would do anything to keep her away from him, even break her heart.
"You're afraid," she whispered, looking up at him.
His eyes widened in shock. "You're an empath?"
She nodded. "You're afraid of hurting me. You're afraid that our mating will destroy me." She took a step closer, and he took a step back.
"Stay away. I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't hurt me. The fact that you have a mate means that you're not lost."
"Men with mates have turned feral before."
"You're my prince, and you won't hurt me. I can prove it."
Darian froze. "What did you say?"
"I said, I can prove you won't hurt me." She walked up to him.
"No about being a prince..."
She didn't get to hear the rest of his question; she was already in motion. She brought her leg up and kneed him solidly in the groin. She smiled down at her mate as he hunched over taking gasping breaths.
"See, if you were really lost, you'd have hit me."
Darian tried to talk but words didn't come out. He shook his head. He tried again. "Do you know why I haven't hit you?" He choked the words out still bent over.
"Because I'm your mate," she said smugly.
He turned his face up and she stepped back. Maybe kneeing her seven-foot plus mate in the groin hadn't been such a good idea.
"No, because I can't move. When I can..." His eyes darkened.
"Shit." She took a step backward.
"Run," he growled.
She turned and bolted for the door. As she raced down the stairs, she screeched at the top of her lungs. "Ryuu! Aiden! Help!" She hit the foyer as Ryuu came racing from the back of the house as Aiden and the others came out of the front room. Behind her, she heard the heavy footsteps of her mate as he chased her.
Aiden stepped in front of her, a concerned expression on his face. "What happened?"
She scrambled up his back and held on for dear life.
Darian stalked toward them. "Give her to me."
Aiden stepped back and held up his hands, keeping Darian at bay.
"Maybe you should calm down first," Sascha suggested from the front room doorway.
"Calm down? She kneed me in the balls. I can still barely feel my legs, it's a miracle I'm standing!" he roared.
Aiden turned his head to her. "Why'd you do that?"
Amelia grimaced. "I was trying to convince him that he wouldn't hurt me."
Aiden's eyes widened. "So you kneed him?"
"Well, I figured if he didn't hurt me after I hit him in the balls, he'd know I'd be safe around him." She paused. "Not a good idea?" she asked.
Aiden shook his head. "No."
The three of them turned at the sound of laughter beside them. Sascha was leaning against the doorway, his arms wrapped around his stomach. He was laughing so hard tears were streaming down his cheeks. "Why is it that the Alpha females are crazy?"
Meryn shrugged. "She made sense to me."
Colton turned to Meryn. "You also set Aiden's car on fire when he ignored you."
Amelia looked at Meryn. "Sounds reasonable."
Meryn grinned. "I know, right?"
Her comment sent Sascha into more convulsed laughter. He straightened and wiped his eyes. "So Darian ended up with a witch version of Meryn."
Darian looked at her. "Witch?"
Amelia thought about it for a second. "Sort of."
Darian sighed and walked around Aiden to pluck her from his back. "How can you 'sort of' be a witch?" He set her down between them.
Amelia beamed up at him. "See, I knew you wouldn't hurt me."
He glared down at her, his expression unchanged.
She stuck her tongue out at him and crossed her eyes. He blinked in surprise. Smiling she answered. "I'm
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