Page 14 of Thayne
“Was that your leopard? Oh my god I didn’t even think about Colton and everyone else hearing me!” She buried her head against my chest, I thought she was crying. Her whole body was shaking but she was laughing.
Yep that’s the asshole.
Hey! I resemble that remark.Scarlett giggled against my chest.
“I’ve only ever heard my own animal's voice. I thought mine was the only one who talked to me like that.” She stroked my chest, looking up into my eyes.
God, you are beautiful.I thought as I ran my fingers through her hair. Her smile spread right before she lifted up and kissed me softly on the lips.
As she settled down beside me, her breathing even out and soon she was asleep in my arms. Laying there with my arms wrapped around her enjoying the feel of her against my body, I knew that there was no one else for me. The fact that fate had given us the gift of communication solidified that even more. Only my fated mate would be given that kind of gift. Drifting off to sleep my last thought was of how much fuller my life just got and I fell asleep with a smile on my face.
The feeling of soft lips against my chest and the first rays of the new day starting to peek through the curtains were the first things I noticed upon awakening. Scarlett was lying halfway across my body. Her nipples brushing against my torso along with the feel of her lips were awakening other parts of my body as well. I could definitely get used to this kind of wake up for the rest of my life.
As tempted as I was to roll her under me and ravish her until her screams bounced off the walls again, we needed to talk to Colton. Maybe he knew why Scarlet could hear my thoughts now. I also wanted to check to see what they’d found out about the traffickers who took her. Scarlet gave me a pouty face before kissing me softly and rolling out of bed.
“You’re right, as much as I would love to stay in bed all day and be ravished by you; we have questions that need to be answered. And as much as I love Colton and Katia and everyone else I think I’m ready to be home.” I was distracted by the swaying of her breasts as she pulled the dress Katia gave her over her head that I almost missed her train of thought. My heart stuttered a little when she mentioned she was ready to go home. Did she mean her home, wherever the hell that was, or my ranch? Suddenly I had the urge to drag her back into bed with me and never let her go.
“Now you sound like me in here.” Scarlet smiled at me while tapping her head to let me know she’d heard me.
“While I’ve never been a fan of moving from place to place it’s kind of been my MO my whole life. I never found somewhere to really call home until I met you. You’re my home Thayne, not my lonely apartment that I probably don’t even have any more. So when I say I’m ready to go home I mean I’m ready to go with you. Wherever that might be.” I released the breath I didn’t realize I was holding with a sigh of relief.
You’re my home too. As much as I love my ranch, if you hate it we will figure something else out. I want you to be happy. I want you to want to be there because you are happy not just because I’m there.I let her know as I reach for my clothes and start to get dressed. Once we’re both dressed, I pull her in for a hug and hold her, once again just relishing in the feel of her body next to mine. I’d forgotten how touching someone I love could sooth my inner chaos.
“Oooh you love me. Oh shit I wasn’t probably supposed to hear that. Sorry I can’t control it, it’s like everything you think goes directly into here.” She says as she points to her head looking embarrassed.
You’re cute when you’re flustered in case you didn’t know. You should hear that I love you because I do. Not because you are my mate, although that does help, but because of all the things that make you, you. I love you Scarlett.She stands there looking at me with tears glistening in her eyes and I start to think that maybe I went too far, too fast. Suddenly she’s throwing her arms around me, sobbing into my neck while kissing it.
“I love you too Thayne. I think I have from the moment you rescued me. Growing up I never liked the knight in shining armor rescuing the damsel in distress. I always had to rescue myself and I was okay with that, until you came along. You’re not my knight in shining armor; you're my leopard in shiny fur instead.” Crushing her lips to mine, I devoured her, I needed to be as close to her at that moment as possible. I was even more tempted to drag her back to bed but we really did need to talk to Colton.
Scarlett
It’sstrange being able to hear someone else’s thoughts. I’m sure Thayne has been doing it for so long it’s like second nature to him. For me it’s like trying to sort through a basket of socks to find a mate. All the colors start to blend together making it hard to find a match. I can see things from his past and I feel like I’m an intruder, a thief stealing his memories.
You can’t steal what I give you freely, stop worrying my love.Thayne gave me a reassuring squeeze on my thigh under the table as we sat across from Colton and Katia.
“So you two can actually read each other’s thoughts? And this happened after you um…sealed your bond?” Colton asks right before he stuffed his mouth full of waffles. We’re sitting around the kitchen table trying to explain to him what happened and find out if it’s normal or not. So far Colton has just asked the same question while looking astonished.
“Yes, for the eleventh time I can now hear his thoughts since we…you know bonded.” Colton looked over at Katia and then back at us.
“So, can you read anyone else’s thoughts? Like can you read mine?” I sighed in frustration and rolled my eyes. Thayne signed something at Colton while thinking about strangling his friend. Colton raised his hands in surrender, something I’d never seen a male shifter as dominant as him do.
“Okay. I’ve heard of this happening with other mated shifters, but it’s rare. I’m guessing fate has her hand in this cookie jar.” Colton looked between the two of us before setting down his fork and giving us an understanding grin.
“Look, think of it like a bonus gift for being mated or maybe like a wedding present without the wedding. No one really understands fate or how it works. We just know that we can’t ignore her when she throws shit our way.” Colton said with a smile as he reached for Katia’s hand, giving it a little squeeze.
Thayne gave my thigh another grope nodding to Colton in understanding. Inside he was thinking of how useful being able to communicate would be for us. How worried he’d been about not being able to talk to me and how he used curse fate but now he’d have to thank her. Not that any of us knew who fate was or if they were an actual person or not. She was just always there, playing with our lives. Sometimes she was a wicked mistress and other times, like Thayne finding me, she could be a blessing.
Thayne starts to sign to Colton again, this time he’s asking about any information they’ve found on the bastards who took me. I’m torn as to whether I want to know more about these asshats or if it would be better to go back to Thayne’s ranch and pretend none of it happened. Ignorance is bliss isn’t that what they say. Thayne pulls my chair closer to him, kissing me gently on my forehead. He has plans for all those who were involved with what happened to me and they are very graphic. Before Colton can answer though Baron came strolling in like he owned the place.
“Well lookie what we have here, a newly mated couple. Ain’t y’all just the cutest thing ever? Just remember Scarlett honey if he don’t treat you right I’m always here for you.” Baron waggled his eyebrows then gave me a wink while Thayne proceeded to growl in his direction.
“Oh stop it, you know you don’t want nothing to do with being mated you big flirt. You just want to see how much you can rile Thayne up. I’d bet money your bear is itchy to do battle against his leopard.” A look of shame crossed Baron’s face briefly before he concealed it with another one of his cocky grins. The bear was an enigma wrapped in a riddle frosted with a little crazy. It would take a helluva woman to come along to tame his wild ways.
“Have a seat Baron, you’ll want to hear what I have to say and frankly I don’t feel like repeating myself.” Colton pointed to the chair next to Thayne and, of course, Baron decided to poke the beast one more time by taking the seat next to mine.
He flipped it around, straddling it as he nodded for Colton to start. I could hear Thayne’s leopard inside his head telling him to shift so they could kill Baron already. It was my turn to grip Thayne’s thigh and give him a reassuring squeeze. He in turn kissed the top of my head while giving Baron the stink eye.
“So we did some digging into the company that owned the restaurant you guys were being kept at. Turns out several companies own it. Companies run by some of the most wanted criminals in the world.” Well that wasn’t a whole lot to go on but at least we had a start I guess. Thayne signed, asking Colton if there was any of them that stood out yet.
