“Stop bitching already,” Amara groans. “I'll go.”
A sigh of relief choruses within the trees.
“Thank you for your sacrifice!” Kace calls cheerily.
“Cowards,” Amara grumbles.
Hearing the crunch of leaves, I turn my head to the side and find a smiling Amara waving at us. “Hi…uh… sorry to interrupt. It looks like you’re both really enjoying yourself. But unless you plan on fucking for all to see in broad daylight, you might want to cool it down a bit.” Amara fixates her gaze solely on Darius. “And Darius? There's someone named Lennox here to see you.”
Gaze wandering past Amara, I find both mine and Darius’ friends, along with a new guard standing only a few paces away. Just Staring. Watching. Watching, I suspect, for the entire time we’ve been rolling around on the forest floor, both of us too lost in one another to take notice of anything but ourselves.
Nope, not wrong.
Mortification fills me as the fire from moments ago travels to my cheeks, coloring them scarlet.
Well, this is awkward.
A male clears his throat.
“What is it, Lennox?” Darius asks, his gaze unmoving from mine.
“There’s a scheduling issue, Sir.”
“You're interrupting me now with a scheduling issue?” Darius snaps.
Darius’ frustration flows down the bond into me and I realize I’ve allowed the connection to reopen. Lennox’s fear lashes out at me and I stiffen, dread filling me as I shut my eyes and spread my senses out. My alarm grows even more when I realize I not only feel Darius’ emotions, but all those present.
Slowing my breaths, I attempt to contain my Gift. It’s a struggle and it takes much longer than usual, but I do eventually succeed. But as I try to do the same to the bond between me and Darius, it resists, slinking between my fingers like water.
Darius cocks his head to the side, eyeing me quizzically as I struggle with the unruly bond, and that's when I feel it. A tap. A poke. Then, inquisitive male fingers crawling along the tether to invade my person.
For as far back as I can remember, I’ve always had the ability to see auras and feel what others do, but I’ve always been passive in receiving only, never interfering. Having to safeguard many secrets myself, I know to cross over that barrier, to interact or alter another's emotions is a violation I'm unwilling to take part of.
But here Darius is, expertly maneuvering as if we've had this bond forever. Studying me, mimicking me, dissecting what makes me me. Completely unaware of the intrusiveness of his actions, he digs deeper and deeper and deeper, until he meets my very core to plunge headfirst into my soul.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I try over and over again to stifle that connection. I squeeze, hit, kick, and choke, but I fail at every attempt. I even try to stab the son of a bitch, but nothing. His emotions still flow into me. Yet, even though I'm anxious and frightened, I remain mostly calm throughout my efforts. But when I try to wrangle the slippery bitch in a last-ditch effort, I feel a strange sensation similar to a caress stroke at my very soul.
I panic.
My eyes instantly snap open and I stare into his glacial blue orbs as I throw myself at that fucker. Digging my nails in, I scrape, claw, and gouge, fighting tooth and nail as I maul it like a feral animal until I eventually manage to strangle the link. Blowing out a relieved sigh, satisfaction fills me as I regain my control. That is, until I see Darius' lips turn down into a frown and a whisper of male hurt pinches at my chest, and I realize the tether refused to submit. That an almost undetectable, but undeniable breadth of space remains within the flow.
Lennox clears his throat. “Captain, someone’s been altering the guard rotation.”
Darius’ features harden, his nostrils flaring. “I'll be right there.”
Agitation flits down the bond as Darius leans forward, pressing his lips onto mine in a sweet, gentle kiss. Much milder than the lusty kisses he gave me earlier, but infinitely more powerful, more intimate.
“Stay here,” he whispers against my lips, as much a plea as it is a demand. Tracing a circle with his thumb along my cheek, he stares down at me with so much longing and need that my chest tightens with an unfamiliar emotion. He stares for a moment longer, then lifts off me to stand and strides away without a backwards glance, his guards and Trip following closely behind.
Without his calming presence, all my emotions bite back with a vengeance. My anger, embarrassment, and fear at my loss of control. My dread at what this could mean. But more prominent is the lust and passion. The intimacy. The combination of all of these emotions is so overwhelming, it affects not just my mind, but my body as well, manifesting into a fizzing sensation that sweeps across my skin and raises the hairs along my arms.
I rub fisted hands against my eyes, trying to quell the sensations, but the results are the same with every action I've taken today.
I fail.
Amara’s amused face suddenly appears above mine.
“Wow… Just wow,” she says, biting her lip.
“Shut up.” Pushing off the ground, I stand and shove her out of my path.
“What?” She rushes to my side, Tristan and Zander trailing behind.
“Just… just don’t.” Stepping outside the forest’s reach, I turn my back on the training grounds, heading towards the city street.
“I wasn't going to say anything bad,” Amara replies. “I was just going to -”
I round on her with fisted hands. “Don’t, Amara.”
I feel a tug on mine and Amara’s bond and her amused expression falls as she nods slowly. Then I feel a soft tug from Tristan and a yank from the not-so-subtle Zander. Standing behind her, their expressions are a mirror image of Amara’s. I quickly look away and continue onward, feeling too exposed to discuss any of what just happened.
“Are you alright?” Zander asks, his gaze earnest as he moves to my side.
No, I'm not alright.
“I just want to be alone,” I reply, stepping off the grass onto the side street between the palace gates and the Guard’s Base.
“I can see that,” he says gently. “But I don't think that’s a good idea.” He glances up ahead, his brows bunching together. “Especially in this part of the city.”
