Cale: Okay. Just hold off. I need a few more days with Kieran and then I’ll be back.
Nikki: OMG! KIERAN. I can’t. Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit. He rules the other half of the world, literally.
Cale: Dude. I’ve not even told you about Rakon.
Nikki: RAKON?!Two days later.
Nikki: I can’t wait any longer. What’s going on? I need to know.
Cale: lol I know. There’s a lot of changes going on.
Nikki: I can only imagine.
Cale: A few more days?
Nikki: What about your classes?
Cale: I had my last exam. That’s getting worked out too.
Nikki: Okay. I miss you. Jay asked about you.
Cale: Jay?
Nikki: He was in the cages with us. He fought for you.
Cale: I had no idea.
Nikki: He’s saying he’s just concerned about you, about Kieran. He’s sniffing, being nosey.
Cale: That’s none of his business. How are things with Brad?
Nikki: You’re just trying to distract me.
Cale: Yes. Did it work?
Nikki: YES! Now I can only think about Brad. Let’s have an actual conversation tomorrow. I’m heading to Bass for a shift. Guess who are being super friendly to me? Trey and EVERYONE. I’m loving it. They’re all kissing my ass because of you. Anyways, love you girl. Miss you. I have to babysit Bud tomorrow too, so a phone call would be awesome.
Cale: Yes right back. Grrr to Trey and everyone else. Stay sane with Bud. Follow your gut with Brad. You might have to just try it to get him/it out of your system?Later that night.
Nikki: Yeah.
Cale: What?
Nikki: Brad showed up at Bass during one of my breaks…
Cale: You opened your bedsheets for him?
Nikki: I’m weak. We’re going to try.
Cale: Now you’ll know, though. I’m being supportive for you trying. But, if it goes bad, you’ll finally know.
Nikki: I’d rather know more about you and your MATE!
Cale: lol soon. Promise. Love you lady.
Nikki: Love you back.21Don’t Calm MeI 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.