If only the three of them were mates. If they were, then all of this attraction would make sense, wouldn’t it? Because there was no way the need she felt was normal. And if she kept telling herself that, maybe she’d start to believe it.
Instead of dwelling on what would never be, she stared into Seth’s eyes and became lost. They weren’t blue or green, but rather aquamarine, as if the color had been pulled from the shallowest depths of the most glorious ocean. She’d never seen him in his merman form, yet she knew he’d be even more beautiful in it.
Tristan was no slouch either, with those forest green eyes and regal cheekbones of his. She knew he was far older than she and Seth but didn’t care. Her life had changed the day the lightning flared within Dante’s Circle, and now she knew to take life and the experiences and new revelations that came with it as they came.
“What did you want to ask?” she finally said, her voice husky. She quickly cleared her throat, not wanting Tristan and Seth to know how much she craved them. They were paranormals, looking for mates, someone to spend their lives with in a most momentous fashion. They wouldn’t want to waste their time on a human that couldn’t be theirs. She wouldn’t shift into her other half without her mates, and even then, she might be different.
She’d always been different from the others in some way. Perhaps she was the only one who, despite the lightning, would never shift, would never find a mate in the ways the others had.
Seth studied her face but didn’t touch her. Instead, he frowned and tilted his head as if trying to figure out what she was thinking.
He opened his mouth then shut it again before shaking his head as if clearing his thoughts. “We want you to come with us.”
Her eyes widened. That was the last thing she’d expected him to say. “Excuse me?” What on Earth had he meant by that, and what did he mean by ‘us?’
Were Tristan and Seth together?
Her heart ached at the thought. What if they were bonded and she was on the outside looking in. It was a familiar place for her to be, after all.
“Come with us to my realm,” Tristan said softly. “We need to speak with you, talk to you about things. And, well, the others said it’s been a long time since you’ve been out of the human realm. Maybe you can call this a vacation of sorts?”
She frowned. “You talked to the others about me? What on Earth do you have to talk to me about that you can’t say right here?” She looked around and was relieved to find that there weren’t many people walking around them on the sidewalk in front of Dante’s Circle. The fact that humans weren’t alone in the world wasn’t something that was out in the open, and frankly, she didn’t want the crazy looks strangers would give her once they overheard their conversation. She’d had enough of those looks to last a lifetime.
“We weren’t talking about you behind your back,” Seth put in then cursed under his breath. “What I mean is, they’re worried about you, and frankly, so are we.”
That put her back up. “Why are you worried? I don’t think it’s any of your concern.”
“Damn it,” Tristan muttered. “We’re going about this all wrong. Fine, Amara. Seth and I are your mates, yet we know you don’t feel the tug of the bond like we do. So we want to go to my realm where we’re away from prying ears and eyes and get you away from the job that is putting a strain on you, the one you so clearly hate. We want to figure this all out. The others agree that you should leave here and find some peace, though, frankly, I don’t think peace is exactly what we have in mind at the moment.”
She took a step back at his words, her hands shaking.
“Oh, that was good,” Seth said with a snort. “Why don’t you just scare her into coming with us? Good plan. Next you’ll be listening to Eliana and wanting to throw her over your shoulder and kidnap her.”
“If I remember correctly, you were the one who mentioned kidnapping first.”
Maybe if she turned and ran away right then, they wouldn’t even notice her leaving. Amara pinched herself, trying to wake herself up from this bizarre dream. There was no way what these two were saying was true.
Kidnapping? Mates?
What. The. Hell.
She needed a drink. Or to wake up. Or something that wasn’t her standing on the side of the street with her mouth gaping like a freaking fish.
“Whoa,” she finally said. She held up both hands, palms facing the two men, and blinked. “I have no idea what the hell you two are talking about, but first, there will be no kidnapping. I know you’re stronger and bigger and have magic and crap, but I’m drawing the line at kidnapping.”
Tristan’s mouth quirked with a smile while Seth winced.
“I didn’t mean actual kidnapping,” Seth said softly.
“Oh, I’m sure you didn’t,” she lied. She wasn’t sure about anything anymore. “Second,” she continued, “Why do you think I’m your mate? Because if that’s the case, then there’s something wrong on my end.” Pain slashed at her chest, but she ignored it. “I’m a bad bet, so you’d better just walk away.”
“Amara,” Tristan whispered. “You’re anything but a bad bet.”