“Jesus, the guy’s a right prat,” my dad said with a groan.
“Dude, she’s glowing, and she’s got red eyeballs. Just give me a sec. I ain’t ever seen anyone with red fuckin’ eyeballs before.”
I hissed again, and Arric focused back on me.
“Baby, you need to stay really still,” Mum said to me. “Try and breathe slower if you can. I know you’re having a hard time regulating your emotions, but I need you to try. Let Arric help you.” She turned to him. “Hand on her chest and back of her neck.”
Arric reached out, sliding his hand to my neck, and tugging me forward, his palm going to my chest. The second his hand touched my breast, however, my nipples tightened, and my womb contracted. I hissed again, uninterested in what he did to my body.
“Calm down,” Arric ordered, and I tried to shake off his touch.
“Cauld Ane newbie tip, dude, telling your mate to calm down might not be the way to go here,” Dalton warned.
“Dalt,” Andi admonished.
“Breathe slowly,” Mum directed, and Arric took a deep breath.
“I hate you,” I rasped.
“Gee, I couldn’t tell,” he retorted, taking another deep breath.
“Isla, mirror Arric’s breathing, baby,” Mum said, and I shook my head.
Arric gave my neck a gentle squeeze. “Breathe with me.”
“I want you gone. Out of my life, forever.”
“I know,” he crooned. “Breathe, Isla.”
His hand stroked my neck, and even though I tried, I could do nothing but follow his breathing. My heart calmed, my skin cooled, and I noticed my family all relax simultaneously.
“You can let go of me now,” I ground out.
“Just a second,” he whispered, giving my neck a squeeze again.
I shoved his arm and stepped away just as Hershey leaned over and bit Arric on the thigh.
“Fuck!” he snapped, jumping out of the stall, and laying his hand over the wound. When he pulled away, there was blood seeping through his jeans.
“Holy shit, he broke the skin,” Dalton said, and reached over to stroke Hershey’s nose. “Good horse.”
I rushed to Arric and laid my hand on his leg, healing him instantly.
“Just what the fuck is going on?” he rasped.
“Maybe if you spent more time letting us explain things to you, and less time being a complete dickhead, you’d know,” I returned.
Once I’d done my mate duty and healed him, I rushed to my father who wrapped his arms around me and held me close, kissing the top of my head.
“I don’t think I can face everyone tonight,” I whispered.
“We need to have a conversation with Kade. All of us. Right now,” my father said, sternly.
“Your father’s right, baby girl. Let’s get up to the house and have a chat with Kade,” Mum said. “Then we can go from there. You have apparently inherited my fire gift, but since you’re also an empath like your father, I’m not sure how that’s all going to work.”
I nodded. “I’m scared.”
“I know, baby. It’s okay, we’ve got you,” my father said.
