“Let’s just say your boyfriend threw his weight around.”
“He’s not my-“
The denial sticks in my throat. Um. Maybe he is. Unless he does this kind of thing with women casually all the time… Does he? Shit. It isn’t like we had a conversation before he ripped my shirt off.
Reflexively, I glance down-but no, I’m not naked. There’s a hospital gown covering me.
“Do you remember what happened right before you passed out?”
Heat floods my face so fast I wonder if I might pass out again. Fragments flash through my mind-strong hands gripping my thighs, the heat of his breath against my neck, the relentless pressure of his fingers inside me, the way his voice rumbled against my ear as he-
Lyre’s nostrils flare as she waves her hand in the air.
“Get it together, Grace. You’re projecting so hard I can practically smell it.”
I yank the thin hospital blanket up to my chin as if it might shield my thoughts.
“It’s not-I don’t-“
But there’s no point denying it. My body betrays me with its crimson flush that surely extends from my hairline to my toes.
“So it was good, huh?”
A hint of mischief dances in Lyre’s expression.
“Shut up.”
I bury my face in my hands, mortification making me dizzy.
“I can’t believe I… with him… and then just… collapsed.”
“‘Collapsed’ is putting it mildly.”
Lyre perches on the edge of my bed.
“Your energy was practically nonexistent. I’ve seen ghosts with more life force.”
She’s so casual about it, like she’s really seen a ghost before. Lyre isn’t one to bluff, but…
“Wait, have you really seen ghosts?”
“Why? Do you believe in them?”
“Ghosts? No, of course not.”
Lyre’s laugh rings through the room, light and musical, yet with an edge. The hair on my arms stands up.
“Oh, Grace. You might want to open up that worldview a little more. There’s so much more than just humans and shifters out there.”
She gestures vaguely to the space around us, as if invisible creatures lurk in the corners of the hospital room.
“I know that,”
I say uncomfortably, fidgeting with the edge of the blanket. Everyone knows there are other supernaturals. Witches. Vampires. But I haven’t met any of them.
Lyre chuckles.
“Do you? Well, I suppose that’s a conversation for another time.”
She leans forward, her inhuman eyes studying me.
“Do you remember stabilizing Caine?”
I shake my head immediately, frowning at the unfamiliar term.
“Stabilizing? What do you mean?”
Lyre scratches at her cheek again, hesitating for a split second before her expression shifts to blunt curiosity.
“Well, the two of you fucked, right?”
A cough rips through my throat, and I cover my burning face with both hands.
“We didn’t-“
My voice drops to a whisper.
“We didn’t go all the way.”
“Close enough.”
Lyre waves her hand dismissively.
“The more intimate the contact, the more transference is going to occur.”
My hands drop to my lap.
“What are you talking about?”
The question comes out weak, pathetic. I try desperately not to think about what happened in the camper after Lyre left us alone-Caine’s hands rough with need, my body arching against his, the way he growled against my ear, the shocking intensity of release that crashed through me…
Not thinking about it is clearly going well.
My face heats further.
“Energetic transference.”
Lyre’s voice shakes me from my thoughts.
“Look, I don’t need the details of what you did. I’m just trying to explain what happened when you did it.”
My fingers clench the thin hospital blanket. The mortified part of me wants to derail this conversation entirely, but obviously this isn’t an option.
“I get that, but I’m not understanding what you’re saying.”
Lyre frowns.
“Has anyone ever explained what happens with a mate bond?”
“Oh-he didn’t… I’m not…”
My hand jumps to the side of my neck awkwardly.
“We aren’t mated or anything.”
She rubs her forehead.
“That’s not what I was asking. Do you know what happens to two shifters when they complete a mating bond? The marking scars are just the physical expression. The real bonding happens on an energetic level. When a shifter claims their mate, there’s an exchange of energy. Usually, it’s balanced. A give and take.”
A cold feeling settles in my stomach.
“Okay…”
“It isn’t much, and there are levels of sensitivity to a bond. Some pairs can feel each others’ emotions, for example. There’s almost always a mental link between pairs. And they can share in each others’ pain and healing to a small extent.”
I nod.
“And then there’s you.”
Now she’s just getting ominous.
“I’m listening.”
Lyre’s expression softens with something that might be pity.
“Caine… took. A lot. Though I don’t think he meant to. To be fair, you’re a bit of a special case, yourself.”
I squint at her.
“Um. Lyre? Not to sound repetitive, but Caine wasn’t trying to mark me.”
She runs her hands through her hair with a groan.
“Grace, you need to work on your relationship aversion. I know he wasn’t trying to mark you, but are you really trying to say you still haven’t figured out you two are fated mates?”
Time stops. My mouth hangs open. The twinkling lights grow dim in my vision as I process her words.
Lyre arches one eyebrow, waiting for my response. The silence between us stretches uncomfortably long.
My heart jumps at the thought, but then I crush the hope ruthlessly in a mental fist. No. Stop daydreaming.
“That’s…”
My voice comes out flat, emotionless.
“That’s impossible. Humans can’t be fated mates with shifters.”
Lyre snorts.
“Says who?”
“Says… everyone. It’s common knowledge. Fated mates are a shifter thing. It’s about compatibility between wolves. Humans don’t have that… that biological imperative.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.