Hope they’ve got good insurance.
All of a sudden, the animal’s attention snaps to me. Instinct pushes me to clench my teeth and stomp on the pedal. My hunk of junk immediately propels forward for the monster like it somehow understands the magnitude of the situation and is prepared to sacrifice itself to save me from being eaten. I expect the winged thing to roast me like the other vehicle or, at the very least, move to avoid losing a toe yet am presented with neither. It simply lifts its front leg to catch the car in its open palm. There’s no stopping my eyes from widening when it raises the entire thing into the air so that I can properly watch its talons pierce the hood.
I struggle to catch my breath and bearings on the situation when the dinosaur demon that shouldn’t exist decides to take flight, leaving me leaning backwards on what has to be the world’s scariest fucking Jurassic Park ride.
Unsure of what else to do, I toss my bag into my lap to begin an awkward digging for something, anything that I might be able to use in defending myself in the next phase of this never-ending nightmare.
Well, I’ll give the blond-haired psychopath that was probably eaten to death by the monster kidnapping me, this…
He was right.
My night has definitely gotten much worse.
I was under the impression meeting your mate was supposed to be the happiest day of your life.
Not the worst.
And this is – without a fucking doubt – the absolute. Worst.
Adjusting my sitting position on the dented hood of her car is followed by me taking a large bite of the shallot in my possession. The woman inside sneers, pops something in her own mouth, and clutches onto the tiny bottle of what I’m guessing is more makeshift pepper spray.
Fuck that.
I am so not in the mood to get more shit in my eyes.
And what kind of woman does that to a stranger?
And why is part of me not only turned on by it but fucking proud?!
Mate.
I would rather be blind forever than that be true.
Liar.
Another unhappy grunt is given on a second bite of the vegetable I summoned Gene to bring me the instant I transformed back into my Awaker form in the driveway of our family estate. He had questions, that much was written across his face; however, he didn’t ask them. He simply provided me with my requested snacks, the requested accessories, and floated back inside to resume making a later than normal dinner since no one was home at what he deemed a “respectable” hour.
Can’t speak for the rest of the fam, but I was personally a little busy.
Hunting down killers.
Trying not to get killed.
By both those pointy-eared bastards and the most gorgeous being The Great Ones have ever created.
Mate.
Suck on a shallot.
Sinking my teeth into the elongated vegetable is accompanied by another large, annoyed sigh.
How can that female waiting to murder me possibly be my Fated Mate?
Isn’t your Fated Mate supposed to instantly run into your arms – not constantly try to run from you?
Not that she is my Fated Mate.
Because she isn’t.
Because I don’t want one.
I don’t need one.
I can’t even fathom the idea of one.
Mate.
Fuck, I hate my life.
Sounds of an approaching vehicle redirect my attention to where my little brother is pulling into the driveway with his mate in tow. From the way she’s beaming at him, it’s evident that whatever he’s saying is making her happy, and that little bit of chopped onion leads to me hastily chomping through what remains of the food in my clutches. I’ve barely finished smacking on what’s in my mouth before I’m shoving more into it.
Z and Dae exit his black DUV, which is basically our realm’s superior version of the Sleeper’s SUV, in tandem. Their exchanged loving gazes during their stroll over grab low gnarls out of me that I poorly mask behind the new shallot being mutilated by my teeth.
His blue-gray stare steals a curious glimpse at the woman sitting inside the car that I’m sitting on prior to him inquiring, “Who’s that?”
Mate.
Nope.
I prepare to take another bite of the veggie I’m death gripping. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“I mean I don’t know.”
Lie.
Sh.
“Is that Sleeper a trespasser?”
“No.”
He folds his arms firmly across his large chest while Dae curiously wanders closer to the car. “Did you invite her here?”
One answer starts to leave me but after a small bite of my snack I switch to another. “Technically, no.”
“What do you mean technically no, A.D.?”
“I mean technically I didn’t invite her here.”
“This asshole kidnapped me!”
Z’s gaze widens as it bores into mine. “You did what?!”
“Kidnapped is a…strong word.
Matenapped.
That’s not even a real word.
His head tilts in an incredulous fashion. “What word would you use?”
My mouth instantly drops to answer yet simply ends up taking another bite of the crunchy snack.
I’m presented with a condescending nod and a new question, “Do you know this female’s name?”
He’s given an immediate head shake.
“Do you know what happened to her car?” His chin tips to the crunched front end and dented hood underneath me.
I present my answer in the form of an unhurried nod.
Z silently waits with narrowed eyes for more information.
“I broke it.”
“You broke it?”
“Yeah.”
“The whole thing?”
“Yeah.”
“Like the whole damn thing?”
“Stop repeating shit I’ve basically already answered!”
“Did you break it so that she wouldn’t escape from being kidnapped?”
“Strong. Fucking. Word.”
“Taken then.”
“Not much better.”
“Question remains, A.D.”