to be, and that helps me to be at peace with whatever happens. I can’t say for sure, but are you feeling protective over her now?”
Siah’s brow furrows at Torrez’s question.
“Your mate’s in a room with other males, one of which just had his hands all over her. Did you need to rip his throat out?” Torrez presses.
“No,” Siah admits, and I can hear the surprise in his voice.
“Listen,” I say and take a step toward him. “There’s no pressure.” My magic chooses that exact moment to send a purple flash across my forearm. “Ignore that,” I prompt. “It has a mind of its own and no fucking tact. So I happen to like your blood, and you happen to like mine. Clearly, my magic is drawn to you, but that doesn’t mean you have to force yourself into a situation that you’re not comfortable with. We’re all new to this mate thing. We’re all getting to know each other more and more every day. And we all know this is going to take a lot of work. It’s not for everyone, and if it’s not for you, that’s cool, no hard feelings. Okay?”
I give Siah a reassuring smile and then do this awkward snap clap thing with my hands before I turn to the rest of the guys. “I’m going to go shower. I make no promises about there being any hot water when I’m done,” I announce and then sprint to the bathroom and slam the door behind me.
Yells of protest fill the room on the other side of the door, and I can’t help but laugh. I feel flushed all over from all of this mate talk. I also feel confused as fuck and overwhelmed by everything in general. I don’t know what will happen if Siah decides this isn’t for him. I don’t know if I’ll feel like there’s a missing piece or if my magic will just tag the next eligible bachelor, but even as I think that, the notion doesn’t sit well with me. I rub my dirty hands over my dirty face and make my way over to the large glass enclosed shower.
I thought at first that maybe my magic just tagged strong options for me, Chosen who were magically a good fit. But now I don’t think that’s actually how it works. Each of the guys feels like they’ve been handpicked just for me. The way I fit with each of them is unique. Our personalities mesh and complement one another, and there’s an ease with them that doesn’t exist just anywhere. It’s like I’ve known them forever, even though I haven’t. I’ve never believed much in destiny and fate, and yet when Torrez said that maybe his soul recognized that this is where he was always meant to be, I felt that. Felt the truth of it resonate in the deepest part of who I am.
Siah’s fangs on my neck, Ryker’s hands on my body, and Sabin in just a towel flash through my mind, and I stare at the temperature dial in the shower. Fuck, maybe I’d be better off taking an ice bath at this point. Stupid-ass hormones and hot mates. A strike of purple magic blinks up my torso, and I roll my eyes at it. You mind your own damn business, magic, and just so we’re clear, hoarding is not an attractive trait. Violet magic sparks up on my arm and moves across the back of my hand and blinks out at the tip of my middle finger. I stare at my hand, open-mouthed, not sure if I should laugh or be offended by the fact that I’m pretty sure my magic just told me to fuck off.
I laugh. Cheeky fucking magic!
28
I look in the mirror and take in the disaster that is everything about me right now. I haven’t showered in way too long, and after this battle, I’m covered in a layer of ash and blood. Tear tracks mark my face, and on one cheek, the streaks reveal what looks like blood under the ash. I wipe at it, and the ash disappears to show a bloody handprint on my cheek. I stare at the mark Lachlan left on my face and make a mental note to call the sisters. None of us have had much of a chance to discuss what just happened to Lachlan or Keegan. I feel sad about what happened, how it happened. I can’t imagine how the twins feel or