Kieran was the new owner, and the workers there knew he was coming. Nikki knew I was coming with him so I was just doing the math here.
Kieran would do what he needed to do and I’d spend my time with Nikki. After that, we were going to figure things out. Whether that was staying here for me or staying where he needed to. I had a feeling we’d be doing a lot of traveling.
I had another feeling that the Western Hemisphere was going to need to get used to seeing a dragon flying around more than it had before. Rakon rose quite a bit when we were at Kieran’s, and Kieran shifted and merged with Rakon. All of us went flying after that.
Our time had been almost dream-like.
You’re starting to worry again.
It’s a big adjustment.
He stopped his other conversations and turned to me. I was getting his whole focus now.
The power and intensity behind his gaze reached all the way inside of me, taking hold of my heart, and it was like he was cradling that in the palm of his hand.
Me too.
What?
Me, too. That’s how I’ve felt about you since my mark showed. You have my heart.
I wasn’t going to cry. Nope.
Not going to cry.
Not me.
Micaela.
Sigh. The soft way he thought my name, and I felt it reverberate inside of me. It was like a drum beating and sending the waves of the rhythm outwards.
Kieran.
Mates are for life.
I know.
No, you don’t because I can feel your resistance.
He was right, but images were bombarding me.
As he was staring at me, studying me in the blue velvet room.
Our time in his vehicle.
When he stopped at Harry Bahl’s for me.
When we eviscerated Quesadilla, the first time.
The time after.
When I was missing him and I didn’t want to admit it.
When Rakon reached out to me.
When I thought Kieran was having sex.
When Kieran told me he wasn’t having sex.
When he was concerned about me not eating.
When he said he’d come back so I could eat him.
When Quesadilla attacked me.
When I felt them coming for me.
When he killed Quesadilla for me, a second time.
When I woke and felt Rakon’s mark on me.
When we kissed.
When he slid inside of me.
When Kieran’s matching mate mark surfaced on him.
You’re doing this, I thought to him.
He was sending me all those images, but they were memories from his point of view. I was feeling his intrigue, his confusion, his reluctance, his amusement, his interest, his caring, his concern, his warmth towards me, and then his possession, his claim.
The last one had me blinking my eyes.
I knew it. I felt it.
I was scared to label it.
I feel that, too. But I wasn’t scared to tell him.
I know.
He squeezed my hand again before leaning over, cupping the back of my head, and kissing me a soft kiss to my forehead. He touched his forehead to mine after, and I looked at him. He was looking at me.
He had shut everyone else out.
We rode like that until we pulled up to Bass.
22
So Girly
We walked into Bass, and all eyes were on us.
All eyes were on Kieran, but then the curiosity and somewhat hostile attention turned to me. I was having deja vu from when we walked into Quesadilla’s compound.
This time, it was demons.
And this time, I heard a, “MICAELAAAAAA!” before Nikki broke from the crowd and came running at me.
We ran to each other.
We collided. We didn’t care.
Arms around each other.
Bodies hitting each other.
We were laughing, and crying, and being girls.
“Oh, girl! I have missed you so freaking much.” Nikki wound her arms even tighter around my neck.
I squeezed her back.
Kieran was inside of me, feeling the hug through our link. He started to pull out, giving us privacy.
No. I pulled him back. I wanted him to feel how I felt about Nikki.
She’s a good friend to you.
Except for the part where she didn’t tell me Jay was cheating on me.
Well, she’s a demon. And that’s not an issue anymore.
I glanced back, grinning at him.
He grinned back before the Stuck-Up Vampire from the blue velvet room approached him.
I need to go and work.
Okay.
I was still hugging Nikki. We were starting to rock back and forth.
If you go with her, my driver will take you.
What about--
I stopped in mid-thought because I knew. His driver would take me to Nikki’s apartment. He’d return for Kieran, and both of them would come to get me.
Kieran would take me back to the estate he uses here.
Nikki just didn’t know that part.
Your friend understands mates. She’s expecting it.
You’re in her head?
She was worried about you. She’s not so much anymore. Have fun with your friend. I’ll come for you tonight.
After that thought, I felt his own surge of emotions. Possession. Need. Want.
And that emotion I was still scared to label.
I felt him walking away, his mind returning to his other conversations from before.
“I get you tonight, don’t I?”
Nikki pulled back, asking as she did.
I heard the uncertainty in her voice, and guilt speared me a moment.
I didn’t like hearing that in my best friend.
I nodded. “Yes. Your place?”
She laughed, the relief palpable in her tone. “Hell yeah! Ralph ubered me here. I was told that I should expect to ride back with Kieran Raoul’s mate because he’s not likely to let her ride back unattended.” She rolled her eyes upwards, grinning. “I’m lying. I wasn’t told that, but anyone who’s anyone in our world would know that about you.”
We headed out.
I felt Kieran through our link, and I felt his goodbye.
I sent mine back, linked arms with Nikki and we were getting into our vehicle.
“Fancy schmancy.” Nikki climbed in, looking all around.
It was the same vehicle I rode in with Kieran to Quesadilla’s compound. I hadn’t taken it in on that ride. I’d been worried about Nikki and distracted by Kieran, but since then I’d come to appreciate the grandiose of it.
Leather seats.
Blacked-out windows.
There was a whole system where we could push a button, and our drink of choice
