“Is that what you wanted to tell me?” I crossed my arms.
I had fucking razor burn, and it hurt like a bitch.
He laughed. “No, not the only thing.” His face turned serious. “What I wanted to say was, I think it is best you work on getting Nadia talking, and fast.”
My grizzly snapped, taking a step toward Locke. He put down his lighter, his eyes lit ablaze. “Remember who you are talking to, Bear.”
“And you remember who you are talking to? I don’t need to be here. I don’t need to submit to you. Bears don’t need a pack,” I snarled.
“But your brothers need you. We are all family. I’m thinking about us as a whole, and she can write shit down, but I need emotion from her. That is where I’m going to get my answers. I can’t tell if she is lying through writing,” he snapped.
“Why would she lie?”
“We may have rescued her, but we stuck her in another room with no way to escape. And now you are hovering over her like you are going to eat her! Nadia probably thinks you have saved her, claimed her for yourself in some sick and twisted way!”
I backed away, punching the opposite wall.
“I claimed her. She is mine! She is my mate!”
“Yeah, but she doesn’t know all that bond shit. And we don’t know if she will believe it tomorrow either. You need to back off. Give her some space.”
Give her space? Was he serious? Would he give his mate space? Hell no, he wouldn’t. I wouldn’t be surprised if he took his mate and marked her right there on the bar downstairs.
“She doesn’t think badly of me,” I muttered.
“How the hell do you know? Have you asked? Has she said, ‘oh Bear, thanks for rescuing me. How can I ever repay you!’” He squealed in a girly voice. “No, the fuck she hasn’t. She’s playing it cool right now because she doesn’t know what she’s been dropped into. Nadia thinks this is the lion’s den. She’s biding her time, looking for an escape when the time is right. Think about it.” He points to his head.
My claws lengthened, and my lip pulled up to a snarl. Locke has it all wrong. Nadia would never run because I wouldn’t ever let her leave.
As we argued, a piercing scream echoed through the wooden door. My heart raced as I pushed it open, revealing the sight of Nadia writhing on the bed. The room was dimly lit, with only a faint aroma of wild berry scent lingering in the air. Nadia’s face was contorted with pain, and her body glistened with sweat in the dim light. She appeared to be levitating a few inches above the bed until she suddenly dropped back down as I entered. She continued to thrash and grunt, her movements wild and uncontrolled. The sound of her screams filled the room, making my ears ring. It was a bone-chilling scene that left me feeling helpless and terrified.
I ran to her, screaming her name.
I pinned her to the bed so she didn’t hurt herself, my hand cradling her face. She calmed, her body relaxed, and her breath calmed the more I touched her.
“Your female has a set of pipes on her,” Locke said.
Bones runs into the room in just his boxers, panting. “What the hell happened?”
“Nightmare,” I breathed, checking my mate’s body for injury.
“You sure, you are on top of her while Locke is watching, are you doing something she doesn’t want?” Bones yelled.
“Fuck no!” Locke grabbed Bones by the arm. “We do not do that to unwilling women. You are just an asshole today, aren’t you?” Locke shoved Bones into the desk. “Not even funny to joke about.”
Bones ripped his shoulder from Locke’s grip. “It was an odd scene to walk into, just making sure.”
“She hasn’t had a nightmare before this.” I lay on the bed next to her. “She used her voice, and I swore she was—floating.”
“Floating…” Bones sighed. “Maybe it isn’t just psychological then.”
I pulled my mate closer to me, wrapping her up into my body. She welcomed the touch, her face laying against my chest.
“What do you mean?” Locke paced the room.
“Nadia not speaking, I told you all it was something psychological. She was scared into not talking, but now I wonder if it is something more. If she’s levitating”—he waved his hand to the bed—“then magic, dark magic specifically, could be involved.”
Chapter Nine
