Micaela’s Big Bad by Tijan
21
Don’t Calm Me
I can feel your nerves.
I didn’t spare Kieran a look because I was keenly aware of everything about him. How he was sitting next to me in the back of his vehicle. How he was multitasking by working, having conversations in his head with some of his workers, and how he was now tuning into me. Sometimes I could hear his conversations. He never allowed them in his head, but he’d go into theirs. Some were powerful enough to converse back, others couldn’t. I was learning all that out because as an energist, telepathy wasn’t one of our skill sets.
At least it wasn’t mine until Kieran.
But he was feeling my edginess, and I had a lot going on.
We were on our way back to Bass.
We’d been at Kieran’s estate in Indonesia, and it’d been amazing. More than amazing. Overwhelmingly amazing.
Seriously. Very overwhelming.
Kieran and I were still learning about each other, but we were psychically and magically linked. We knew the core of each other and because of that, I could feel his concern for me even before he said anything.
Everything is going to change now.
I could feel the buzz of three conversations he was still having with his employees, but his hand slipped to mine. He gave me a squeeze, and shifted his focus to me.
It’ll be fine.
He meant it when he said that, and I felt him pushing some of that reassurance over to me.
Stop.
But I thought that with a grin because I knew he wouldn’t.
Within seconds, I was content. The worry was pushed out, and he sent a surge of strength right after.
Nikki and I had our phone conversation, but I wanted to wait for a girl’s night before really filling her in on all things Kieran. Because of that, I told her the gist of what happened and how it came to happen, then asked her about Brad. The plan was to head to Bass where Nikki was working her shift.
Everyone knew we were coming, or I was assuming.
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.
