Confused, I look at Athanis, but he also doesn't know what the blessed one means. Still hoping to share what I heard from my mate, I sit beside the infernal one.
The vampire sits on the other cushioned bench, glaring up at Asher as though daring him to begin a fight. "Let me guess. You're going to go full protective bodyguard on us and say to fuck off and get lost because you think she's not our girl."
The blessed one folds his arms, studying the three of us for a moment. Then he shakes his head.
"The way I see it, Heidi needs people in her corner. The more batshit insane the people fighting in someone's corner are, the safer that person usually is. So no, I don't really mind three more protective fuckers panting after Heidi. Problem is, you're all clearly goners for her, and if someone gets jealous and loses their shit around my charge, she might get hurt again."
"No problem there," Zak shrugs. "I'm not the jealous sort. Plus, Ian's not gonna attack me."
"What Zak's saying is, he made me make some demonic pledge," Ian grumbles. "And so long as no one here poses a risk to Heidi, I won't rip out any throats. For now."
Asher looks between them before looking at me, his green eyes narrowing. "You. Go ahead and share why you're here."
"Heidi is my mate," I offer.
Mate,my beasts repeat in agreement, pleased to be in her abode.
That makes Ian and Zak's heads whip toward me. The vampire looks as fierce as a threatened wild beast, while theinfernal one is full of surprise. But Asher's expression doesn't budge. There is something reassuringly steady about this stern, blessed magic-user that puts my inner beasts at ease.
"Guessed as much," he grunts. "Does Heidi know?"
I pause, realizing that with a language barrier between my mate and me, perhaps she does not know who fate intends me to be for her. I look at Athanis. "Does she?"
Ian follows where I'm looking, confused when he sees nothing. "Who are you talking to?"
My priestly friend frowns. "I suppose I failed to mention to her that you are her mate. I assumed she would know it by your scent."
Not all shifters can identify their fated ones through scent alone. It's a rare gift, one I'm not surprised my inner beasts have been afforded. But Heidi—Elise—does not seem to possess this gift.
She does not know,my wolf growls.
Tell her.
My mate must not understand why I am truly here. I look down the hallway, standing as I prepare to go tell her. Asher shakes his head, holding up a hand.
"We're not done here. Tell her after she's gotten some rest."
He is right. My mate looked exhausted, so I sit again, deciding I will share with them what I overheard once we have spoken about whatever has the blessed one looking so pensive.
"Boone, you still being alive clearly means a hell of a lot to Heidi. Zak's a half-demon, so he may be an infernal godsdamned shitty fucking scumball?—"
"Still a verytakenscumball," Zak interjects pointedly, though I don't understand why.
"But he kept Heidi alive in the Nether," Asher goes on with a slight frown before looking at me. "And Birthday Suit?—"
"Kaenon," I correct, unsure why he is calling me after birthday clothing.
"Right. To your credit, you could have lost your temper when I stabbed you earlier."
I shake my head. "You are protective of my mate. It was honorable."
My beasts rumble inside of me, agreeing that this blessed one has our respect.
"See, this is what I'm talking about. You're all goners for her. Too bad for you fuckers, Heidi told me she wants one boyfriend. Only one," the blessed one clarifies, holding up a finger.
"But she deserves more," I jump in, looking at these three males as I decide this is the time to share. "I overheard her speaking with her ghostly companion. She says she desires oneboi-frehndbecause she is not worthy of more love. We must show her that belief is false."
"What do you mean, she thinks she's notworthy?What a heap of shit," Zak scowls.
