"Because you're not." He shook out his hair.

"I am your mate. I dreamt of you."

He shook his head. "That's just a byproduct of the council spell gone wrong," he argued.

"I dreamt of you before they cast that spell. I first dreamt of you when I was six years old," she whispered softly.

He turned, and for a moment, he had gentle look on his face, exactly like her prince from her dream. Quickly, his features changed into a mocking expression, his lips turned up in a sneer. "I think I would remember dreaming of my own mate."

"Evidently not," she rebutted.

He turned his back to her. "Just go. Even if you are my mate, it's too late for me now." He walked over to the bed and picked up the pair of grey slacks that had been laid out. He glowered at her. "Do you mind?"

"No, I don't mind," she grinned at him. He shrugged and dropped both towels.

"Oh. My. Goddess," she gasped. She had grown up with three brothers and had spent more time at the training field at Storm Keep than was probably healthy for a small child. She had seen the unit warriors in various states of undress, but those brief stolen glimpses were nothing compared to the side view of her mate's sculpted back and firm ass. It felt like her heart would beat out of her chest as his manhood seemed to be playing a torturous version of peekaboo with her as he turned and lifted his legs getting dressed. His golden skin was flawless and was just begging to be touched. Just when she was about to throw dignity out the window and jump the man, she heard a masculine chuckle.

"What?" she demanded, her voice cracking.

"You amuse me; that's a rare thing nowadays. We could have some fun before you leave the city." He pulled on a royal blue sweater and turned to face her.

She stuck her nose in the air. "As if I'd cheapen our mating with a booty call."

His eyes hardened. "It wouldn't be a booty call. It would be a pity fuck."

She felt tears spring to her eyes. Clearing her mind, she stared at his chest. Slowly, she envisioned the mental trunk that housed her gift opening.

Her power caught her off guard and flared out of control. She quickly reined in her abilities and focused on her mate.

He frowned. "What are you doing?" He rubbed his hands up and down his arms.

She had always been able to feel other's emotions. She was the only one in her family who was an empath. Growing up, she had hated it, but now she was counting on it to show her what her mate was really feeling.

She was bombarded by the swirling depths of anger, but they weren't directed at her. He was filled with self-loathing. He hated himself for his words, for deliberately hurting her. But deeper down, past the anger, was an overwhelming, urgent sense of fear. He was drowning in an ocean of dread. He honestly felt that he was beyond redemption and would do anything to keep her away from him, even break her heart.

"You're afraid," she whispered, looking up at him.

His eyes widened in shock. "You're an empath?"

She nodded. "You're afraid of hurting me. You're afraid that our mating will destroy me." She took a step closer, and he took a step back.

"Stay away. I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't hurt me. The fact that you have a mate means that you're not lost."

"Men with mates have turned feral before."

"You're my prince, and you won't hurt me. I can prove it."

Darian froze. "What did you say?"

"I said, I can prove you won't hurt me." She walked up to him.

"No about being a prince..."

She didn't get to hear the rest of his question; she was already in motion. She brought her leg up and kneed him solidly in the groin. She smiled down at her mate as he hunched over taking gasping breaths.

"See, if you were really lost, you'd have hit me."

Darian tried to talk but words didn't come out. He shook his head. He tried again. "Do you know why I haven't hit you?" He choked the words out still bent over.

"Because I'm your mate," she said smugly.

He turned his face up and she stepped back. Maybe kneeing her seven-foot plus mate in the groin hadn't been such a good idea.

"No, because I can't move. When I can..." His eyes darkened.

"Shit." She took a step backward.

"Run," he growled.

She turned and bolted for the door. As she raced down the stairs, she screeched at the top of her lungs. "Ryuu! Aiden! Help!" She hit the foyer as Ryuu came racing from the back of the house as Aiden and the others came out of the front room. Behind her, she heard the heavy footsteps of her mate as he chased her.

Aiden stepped in front of her, a concerned expression on his face. "What happened?"

She scrambled up his back and held on for dear life.

Darian stalked toward them. "Give her to me."

Aiden stepped back and held up his hands, keeping Darian at bay.

"Maybe you should calm down first," Sascha suggested from the front room doorway.

"Calm down? She kneed me in the balls. I can still barely feel my legs, it's a miracle I'm standing!" he roared.

Aiden turned his head to her. "Why'd you do that?"

Amelia grimaced. "I was trying to convince him that he wouldn't hurt me."

Aiden's eyes widened. "So you kneed him?"

"Well, I figured if he didn't hurt me after I hit him in the balls, he'd know I'd be safe around him." She paused. "Not a good idea?" she asked.