“I’m an empath, so the second I reached ár mökunar, if my mate was also an empath, I’d be able to speak with him telepathically.”
He tried to pull his hand from mine, but I held firm.
I’m not lying.
“How the hell are you doing that?” he demanded.
It’s our way, love.
This ain’t right,he hissed, panicking.
“Your heart is fine, Arric.” Keeping my hand in his, I laid my other one over his heart. “You’re calm. Your mind just doesn’t want to accept it.”
Before I could say anything further, his mouth slammed down on mine, and he wrapped his arms tight around my waist, lifting me off my feet as I looped my arms around his neck.
Fragments of visions slammed into his mind. I didn’t know if they were memories, dreams, or nightmares, but they were intensely detailed, and frightening.
Rivers and rivers of blood in front of him, the smell of death surrounding him, and his heartbreak as he fought against people he thought he could trust.
I could feel heat pouring from his skin as his heart raced in fear.
I broke the kiss but dropped my forehead to his, keeping my arms around his neck. I could see his tattoos glowing under his crisp, white shirt. “It’s okay, Arric. You’re safe.”
“What the fuck is this?” he asked, setting me back on my feet, but keeping our physical connection.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, stroking his cheek. “But I promise wewillfind out.”
His tattoos lost their glow, and I slid my hands down his chest, stepping away slightly.
He gently grabbed my arm and pulled me back. “Don’t go.” He linked his fingers with mine again. “It’s the only time I feel like I’m on solid ground.”
“Look,” I said, squeezing his chin. “You need to be nicer to me.”
“What?” he said in shock. “I’m nice.”
“You’re an obstinate arse.”
“I’m that, too,” he admitted, squeezing my hand. “And I wish I could promise I’ll never do it again, but I can’t.”
“I get that this is all confusing, but will you at least acknowledge I have your back? You must know that. We might not be bound, but you can feel it, right?”
“Yeah, baby, I can.” He dropped his forehead to mine. “But that, in and of itself, is freaky as fuck.”
I smiled. “I know.”
“I can feel in my bones that I can trust you with my heart, but then my head tells me it’s all a lie.” He kissed me gently. “But I’ll do my best to trust that youwon’tlie to me.”
“You need to hear me when I say this.” I cupped his face. “Iliterallycan’t lie to you. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. My soul won’t allow it.”
“But youcanstill lie, right?”
“Yes, but not to you.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What if it’s in my best interest for youtolie to me?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Like, does this kilt make my butt look big kind of question?”
“No, like if my life depended on it?”
