Page 43 of Guardian

“Gabriel, please stop her. Please! Don’t let her hurt Winter.”

Gabriel managed to jump up and rush to them. “Maya, baby, look at me, I’m fine. I’m unharmed.” He put his hand on his wife’s arm. She turned her head and looked at him. “See, I’m alright, baby, nothing happened.” Slowly he eased Maya’s hand from Winter’s neck and pulled his wife into his arms.

~ ~ ~

Winter, finally able to breathe again, coughed, knowing she was lucky to be alive. Maya had been prepared to kill her. She’d seen it in her eyes.

Logan snatched her and pulled her to his chest. She was grateful for the comfort, because she was shaking.

“It’s alright now, love, it’s alright,” he murmured to her and stroked his hand over her head.

A sob tore from her throat. What had she done?

“Easy, easy,” Logan cooed and pressed kisses to her forehead. “I’ve got you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Winter’s breathing grew steadier, and she chanced a look at Gabriel. His arms were around Maya, and she was holding on to him just as tightly as Winter was holding on to Logan.

“What happened?” Logan asked. The question wasn’t directed at her, but at Gabriel.

Maya spun her head around. “What happened? She attacked my husband! What the fuck is she?”

Winter shuddered in Logan’s arms, and he held her even closer to comfort her.

“She’s a psychic,” Gabriel said and pulled his wife’s head back to him to force her to look at him. “And it wasn’t her fault. She felt attacked by me diving into her memories.”

Both Logan and Maya shook their heads.

“But—”

Gabriel lifted his hand. “I know, she gave her permission, but it appears that a psychic’s mind works differently than a human’s. The psychic in her didn’t appreciate the invasion and was fighting back.”

Winter stared at them. They were talking about her like she wasn’t even there. But she was. And she had to say something. “I’m so sorry.” She choked the words out amidst tears. “I didn’t know how to stop it.”

Gabriel looked at her directly, a kind expression on his damaged face. “I don’t blame you. I should have realized that it wouldn’t be so easy. That a psychic is a psychic for a reason. Nobody can get into your head. It’s like a fortress.” Then he ran his hand through Maya’s hair. “Don’t be angry with her, baby.” He pressed a kiss to his wife’s lips. “Would you get me a bottle of blood? I need to heal.”

Maya tossed a look back at Winter, as if to check whether it was safe to leave her husband in the same room with her.

“I won’t let her near him, I promise,” Logan assured her.

Winter wanted to give the same assurance, but she didn’t dare address Maya directly.

“You’d better keep that promise, or I’ll rip your head off.” Maya marched out of the room.

Gabriel followed her with his eyes. “She is a fierce woman.” He smiled and looked back at Winter. “Please don’t take it personally that she attacked you. She would kill for me. And I for her.”

“I’m so sorry, Gabriel, I didn’t mean to…”

Gabriel lifted his hand to stop her. “As I said, it wasn’t your fault.” Then he sighed. “But it also means that whatever you’ve got locked away in that head of yours, isn’t for me to unlock. I won’t be able to help you.”

“Thank you for trying, Gabriel,” Logan said. “I’m sorry we caused you so much trouble.”

“Please, don’t apologize. What are friends for? I wish I could help. But maybe this is a job for Dr. Drake.”

“Dr. Drake?” Winter echoed.

“A vampire psychiatrist here in San Francisco. His methods are unorthodox, but he’s had some successes. And unlike a human psychiatrist he’s familiar with preternatural creatures. He might know how to help you.”

“But I’m not a preternatural creature,” Winter protested.

“You’re not human, Winter,” Gabriel said. “A psychic is a preternatural. Their closest relatives in our world are witches.”

Winter’s mouth fell open. “I’m a preternatural creature?” That couldn’t be. She was human. She felt human. How could she suddenly be a preternatural creature?

Logan stroked his knuckles over her cheek. “I thought you realized that when I told you that you were a psychic.”

She shook her head.

“It’s not so bad.” Then he sighed. “But maybe for right now, you’ve had enough excitement. We should let you get some rest.” Logan looked at Gabriel. “Could you give me the address for Dr. Drake so we can visit him later?”

“I’ll call him for you and set it up. You’ll have to wait for nightfall anyway. He doesn’t see patients before dark.”