Roan didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t challenge her further. He simply waited for her to continue.
Maddie rolled her eyes. “Anyways, these emotions just keep building—like something inside me wants out, and I can’t control it. It’s been getting stronger the longer we’ve been, well, attached, so to speak.”
Roan frowned, concern etched around his eyes.
Lyric’s senses went on high alert. She reached through the connection she had with Roan, simply because of their shaman abilities, and felt the unmistakable thrum of a bond—a living, growing connection—between Maddie and Roan. It was tangled and brand new, but powerful. And it explained Roan’s almost unconscious protectiveness.
“Well, that explains some of it,” Lyric said quietly, careful to keep her voice steady. “There’s a bond between you two. Roan, did you know?”
Roan didn’t look stunned. In fact, he looked a little guilty.
“Youdidknow,” Lyric said, her words slow as she watched the male shaman.
“I’m sorry, what?” Maddie snapped, her eyes bouncing between Lyric and Roan. “What bond? There’s no bond. In fact there’s the opposite of a bond.”
“And what is the opposite of a bond?” Lyric asked, unable to hide the amusement in her voice.
“A non-bond,” Maddie said, as if it was so very obvious. “It’s like putting the same poles of a magnet together so they repel from one another in an almost violent manner.”
“You’re seriously comparing our relationship to the rebounding poles of magnets?” Roan asked dryly.
“There is norelationship,”she denied.
Roan seemed to be fighting a smile as he continued to stare down at her. “Who are you trying to convince?”
“You do seem to be protesting quite vehemently,” Lyric said, unable to keep from poking the obviously irritated female.
“Have you methim?”Maddie asked as she turned her eyes to Lyric. “I meanreallymet him?”
“As you pointed out, I’ve known him since the dinosaurs became extinct. So, yes, I’ve met him. Actually, I’ve spent quite a lot of time with him.” She paused trying to decide if she shouldpoke a little harder to get Maddie to actually admit to the bond between her and Roan. “Alotof time,” she repeated. “I mean, we helped save our race together. You really get to know someone when you go through something dramatic, you grow closer.”
“Lyric,” Roan huffed, more irritation in his voice than anger. He knew what Lyric was attempting to do. And he must not completely disagree with it or he would have tried harder to get her to stop.
She continued, curious to see how far she’d have to push. “I mean, there were many, many nights we spent together?—”
“Okay you can just stop right there,” Maddie snapped. “You do not seemecoming up into your spider web hostage situation attempting to interrupt somepossiblebonding that may or may not have happened, ma’am. I did not step into your kidnapping scenario and just start making life-changing statements giving me some sort of claim on this Neanderthal to only then try to claim him back for yourself by pointing out how long you’ve known him and how many late night species saving meetings you had, no doubt by candlelight because there was no damn electricity, so every night was some sort of romantic interlude.”
“Madeline,” Roan tried to step in.
The female wasn’t having it.
She’d barely taken a breath as she kept speaking. “You, sir, have not been invited into this conversation, so you can just sit your web wrapped assrightthe hell back down. I mean, who are you, just inserting yourself into this conversation that I am having with your colleague, your very attractive colleague, I might add? Did I ask for your input? No, I did not. Did Lyric ask for your input? No?—”
“Actually, I did,” Lyric interrupted.
Maddie snapped her eyes to her. “Didn’t ask you, shaman chick.”
Lyric bit her lip hard to keep from laughing. Were all humans this funny?
Roan closed his eyes as if attempting to try and get a little control over his own emotions. “Do you even hear yourself right now?”
“By all means, let her keep going,” Lyric said. “The magic is just pouring off her and if you’d pull your head out of your ass, you’d be able to feel it as well. This is great stuff. It’s keeping my mind off of the subterfuge that’s happened on my watch.”
“There is no magic coming off of me,” Maddie insisted.
“Umm,” Roan started.
“No! There’s no ‘umm’.”
