“It means you accepted the bond with Slate,” Zane says with absolute calm and authority. I take in the words I knew he was going to say and take stock of how I’m feeling. I should beterrified right now, and yet, utter peace fills me. It’s as if my body knew this is what my heart has been yearning for, and now my heart and my body have connected.
“Do you think he knows?” I ask.
Zane laughs, but it doesn’t sound like his regular laugh. “No. I can guarantee he does not know. Otherwise, he would be here right now, or he’d be blowing up our mental links with threats and who knows what else.”
“Threats? Why would he be sending threats?”
Zane doesn’t skip a beat. “Because you're his mate, and he’s not here. Add to that, Quint and I are here. Add to that you just accepted his bond, but he can’t touch you. So, yeah, it’s a good thing he doesn’t currently know.”
“How will he know?”
“I’m not exactly sure, to be honest. It’s so different from everything I was taught growing up. We were never prepared for having human mates, not that I’m complaining,” he says as a look passes between him and Evie. “I knew because I was with Evie when she accepted my bond and responded the way you are right now.”
“Are you still intervening somehow?” I ask him.
“Yes. I’m keeping the feelings somewhat muted, so you can function.”
I frown at that. “Well, obviously you can’t do that all night. So, what are we going to do?”
Zane looks at Evie. “Any ideas?”
“Your dad told you to pull back on your feelings, so they weren’t so much for me. Slate will probably need to do the same, but he’s not exactly here.”
The truck door opens on the other side of me, and Quint stares into the cab. “What are you all doing?” His eyes narrows. “Are you sneaking off without me?”
“Yes,” Zane says at the same time Evie and I say no.
His eyes bounce around the cab. “Well, which is it?”
“Zane’s helping Tessa hold back the onslaught of Slate’s emotions, so Tessa can function normally,” Evie says, filling him in.
He looks at me. “You function normally?”
I don’t bat an eye. “Ha. Ha.”
He grins again before turning serious. “Do I need to go get Slate?”
It gets quiet, and I realize everyone is waiting for me to answer. “No. Today was a huge game, and the next big one is on Monday. We’re not going to bother him with this. Okay?” I make sure to meet everybody’s eyes. “Zane, you don’t have to keep doing whatever it is you’re doing. I can handle it; it’s just Slater.”
Quint smirks. “Just Slater. I’m going to tell him you said that.”
I give him a hard glare. “Don’t you dare.”
He just grins. “Tessa, Tessa, Tessa. You think you’re so fierce, but there’s no ill intent behind your words.”
I frown. “So?”
“So,” he continues. “It’s easy to ignore your threats. Your mate, on the other hand.” He shakes his head, and a shudder runs through his body. “He’s much more dangerous. I try not to get on his bad side.”
“Slater’s not dangerous,” I argue.
Zane and Quint both laugh. “Slate’s the most dangerous of all of us,” Zane says.
Chapter 42
Tessa
Indignation on Slater’s behalf fills me. “He is not dangerous.”
