A low growl rumbled up from Logan’s chest, and he squelched it. The female was scared enough, and he had to remain calm for her. “Are you harmed?” If there was one bruise on her, Niall would feel a thousand.
“No.” She looked back up to meet Logan’s gaze. Her pupils were still a little wide, but her skin had regained some color. She vibrated a little in place, but her pulse was finally slowing to a normal rate. “I’ve been training when I could find the time, and I did the feet-to-the-hip move to toss him over my head after he kissed me.”
“Good job with throwing him.” It was shocking Logan could sound so calm, although his tone had gone demon hoarse. When he found Niall, he’d make sure the king never again could use his mouth. For anything.
She pressed her small hands against his abs, her touch soothing even though he still wanted to hit something—or somebody. “Niall wouldn’t have gone through with it, Logan. He’s feeling pressure to fulfill this destiny we’ve been charged with since birth. Oh, I’m mad at him, but he just made a big mistake. Probably already feels bad.”
Not as bad as he was going to feel. Possessiveness battled with protectiveness inside Logan until they melded together with one common goal. Make Mercy his. Period. “Why did you change your mind?” Logan had to ask, though the why didn’t matter. “About your duty?”
“The elders’ plan to repopulate isn’t the only way to protect my people. We don’t have to follow some arbitrary breeding chart.” She swallowed. “Besides, when it comes to the Seven, I think you’re right. The Kurjans will set Ulric free, and the bubbles will both burst. Could kill us all, but the Seven are our only chance to deal with Ulric.” She sighed and dropped her head for a moment. “We’ll have to figure out how to counterbalance the change in dimensions, but one thing at a time.”
Not exactly a declaration of love, but he’d take what he could get right now.
“And, I didn’t want to mate Niall.” She bit her lip but didn’t say anything else. Her gaze cut away and uncertainty filtered across her angled cheekbones.
His anger cooled and his center calmed. It was a good start. Hopefully they’d have centuries together, and she’d learn to express those feelings she wanted to hide to protect herself. That was his job now. “I’m glad,” Logan said softly.
She exhaled slowly, visibly relaxing. “Okay. So finally we’re on the same page here. We need to mate.”
The idea roared the blood through Logan’s body, but he forced his mind to take over. Oh, the sweetheart. She was more frightened than she let on. He tightened his hold on her delicate hands. “You don’t have to mate me to be safe. I can kill him for you.” In fact, he should’ve already done so.
“No.” She planted both hands on her face and then dropped them. “Listen to me. You need to mate before you go through the ritual. Niall is planning something, and he’s the best at teleporting. He probably has abilities I haven’t even realized, and you’ll need even a small amount of my teleporting skills to even have a chance.”
His chin lifted and his chest warmed. She wanted to protect him. It was sweet but unnecessary. One Fae king who, so far, had only dared to attack a female wasn’t a threat to him. “I can handle Niall and anything he’s got.”
“Your arrogance is not your most appealing quality.” She rolled her eyes, panic still widening her pupils. “You have to listen to me. God, you’re stubborn. Just mate me, damn it.”
He wasn’t being clear. “Oh, I am mating you, baby. But it isn’t because I need your skills. It’s because you’re my fucking mate.” A fact he’d known with absolute certainty the second she’d teleported away from him.
She blinked and faltered. Her hands wiped down her jeans. “Now wait a minute.”
“But first we’re going to have a nice chat about you just teleporting out of here a couple of hours ago.” He wasn’t happy with her, and he had no problem letting her know that one simple fact now that he’d reassured her. It was time she took him seriously. She couldn’t just go zipping around with people who wanted to hurt her.
“Now, listen—” she started, her head snapping back.
“No. You listen.” He lowered his chin. “We’ve been dancing around this for too long. It’s a done deal, Mercy. You know it, I know it, and it’s time to stop fucking around.”
She tapped her foot. “I’m the one who showed up here saying we should mate.”
Her temper was prodding his, and he struggled to remain reasonable. “I know, but mating comes with some understanding. One, for sure, is that you stay in the same damn dimension as I am.” His growl went low and hot. She’d purposely rescued an asshole who wanted to hurt her. That could never happen again. “I will do everything in my power to help your people, but your loyalty is to me. Period.”
Sam cleared his throat from near the counter. “Do you two, ah, want some privacy?”
Logan had forgotten the others were even in the room. “Yes. We do.” He dipped his nose toward his errant mate’s. “Can you teleport us to my cabin? The one by the river?”
She swallowed, her throat moving. “Yes. I can picture it, but if you gave me the location, it’d be easier.”
“Priest River, Idaho,” he said. They needed privacy for the rest of this discussion. He’d allowed her too much freedom, and she’d teleported away from him and into danger.
“We’ll be in contact,” Garrett said quietly.
Logan nodded, slipping his phone into Mercy’s back pocket, his fingers sliding along her pert backside. Arousal flared inside him from the one little touch. It was a good thing the Fae could transport metal and other objects. Then he looked at Garrett, determined to focus. “Call me when the Seven are prepared for the ritual. Tell them I’m ready.” He grasped Mercy’s arms.
She looked like she was going to argue, caught sight of the other two males, and then closed her eyes.
The world spun away, darkness surrounding him with the softest of touches. A second later, he stood near the fireplace in his secluded cabin, the sound of thunder rolling high overhead. It was the most comfortable teleporting experience he’d ever had.
She released his arms and took several steps away. Rain poured down outside in the darkness. Yet another nighttime in another time zone. “I think we’re going to have to get some things straight, Logan Kyllwood.”
