My skin grows hot, and my chest pulls tight the louder they get. The answers to the things they’re voicing continue to pile up in my mind. I can’t answer them, though.
My voice refuses to rise above theirs to get their attention.
“Everyone, stop,” Thayla demands, holding her hands up toward the others. All our attention falls to her, but she focuses solely on me. “Are you okay?”
Her delicate question that has nothing to do with what’s going on surprises me. “Why do you ask?”
She observes me carefully and I fight my body’s desire to shift. I’m used to being scrutinized and examined to great extents. I’ve trained my mind and body not to react to it.
It’s growing increasingly difficult to enact my own training in that department when it comes to her. Even more so now that I know her soul is merging with myown and her pupils dilated in her bedroom when Kyzen and I told her we wanted a relationship with her.
That reaction was arousal. Not anger.
That realization has taken up far more space in my mind than I should allow it to.
“Would you like the truth, or would you like to explain what you know while we listen quietly?”
“You sayoras though I must pick. I expect both.”
Her mouth opens and closes repeatedly like she’s lost for words. I can’t fathom why she even considered I’d choose one or the other of the options she presented me.
“Okay then, starting with the truth. You just pulled on my soul. Or at least that’s what it resembled.”
My mind silences. “Did I hurt you?”
“No. It was like I became aware of you. I’m not really sure how to explain it, but I suddenly felt very anxious, and I could feel it pulling me toward you.” She turns to Creed with her brows raised.
He blows out a harsh breath as he runs his hand down his face, then peers between us.
“Like I said, the two of your souls are the most interwoven and our souls are the foundation of who we are, what we feel…everything. It’d seem what he’s experiencing is starting to vibrate down the tethers of yours. I didn’t think or even consider it’d get to the point you could tell who the sensation was coming from.”
She tilts her head to the side. “I’ve felt flutters before, but I don’t purposely try to notice who they’re coming from. Just now, what I felt was strong and drew my attention to Amick.”
“We’ve all felt sensations here lately. We just didn’t know why that was. Any one of us could’ve accidentally done it back while we were trying to soothe the weird feeling. Yesterday was the strongest it’s ever been and I tried to internally relieve it.”
What Kyzen says is true. I’ve caught myself numerous times rubbing my chest, trying to ease the ache the jerking sometimes brings. Thayla hums and nods, but she doesn’t take her eyes off Creed.
He shrugs. “It could’ve been any of them.”
Lie.
His left cheek twitched.
Interesting.
“This is a new development we need to keep in mind. You felt my discomfort, although I didn’t mean for that to happen. I’m pleased it didn’t hurt you, but we all need to be mindful when we’re experiencing stronger emotions.”
“That shouldn’t be much of a problem for you,” Riven snorts and I ignore him. Thayla does not.
“Don’t you dare mock him, Riven.”
“No one’s mocking him. It’s a fact he’s emotionless.”
She pivots her whole body toward him as her eyes narrow. “It’s the furthest thing from a fact.”
“Listen, it’s adorable that you’re defending him right now. It really turns me on when you get so protective over us, but I’ve known the god my entire life compared to your hiccup in time. You should accept that I know him best and what I’m telling you is a fact.”
“What I know and what I’m telling you is you are wrong.”
