He didn't rip my throat out but he was still trying to bite every inch of exposed skin.

He cursed beneath me while his dominant aura started to fade away, but the best part was hearing Oisin laugh.

I wanted to laugh, curse, cry...but I just felt a sigh of relief when I realized he couldn't claim me. My body was my own personal shield, which led to another handful of questions in my mind.

Rian tossed me back onto the bed and stomped out in a rage.

The wood in the door cracked after he slammed it shut.

And then there was him.

Oisin was smiling, still giddy but had stood up and handed me a blanket to cover myself.

"Thank you."

"For what? Kidnapping you? Ruining your life by bringing you here? Stalking you? Intimating you? Killing anyone left on the property the night I took you from Oxford? Tie you to my bedposts? I can take responsibility for all of that but I can't take credit for what your body just did."

"You saved me." He's my hero. Or maybe I have Stockholm syndrome.

"Correction, I tried to save you. You saved yourself. Clearly you aren't a damsel in distress."

Oisin sounded deflated at my lack of needing him to save me like a princess in some Disney movie.

"No, I'm not." I propped myself up sitting against the headboard. "I'm a slave, something you and your siblings like to keep reminding me. You killed Leonard and other innocent people to get to me when honestly," and here was the sad truth, "if you had just asked me to go on a date or even just go for a walk, I would have come with you. And probably without much of a fight."

His eyes shot up meeting mine and he smiled again. "Ha. Much of a fight? I doubt that. You're quick on your feet, lass, and usually smart enough to stay one drink away from tipsy. You'd see right through me. You just graduated with honors from Oxford-freaking-University. If we are being honest here love, you are way out of my league."

Out of his league? Has he looked in a mirror?

"You look surprised."

"You sound surprised by that." I shook my head breaking our intense eye-contact. His gaze was enough to make me melt and if they can smell that I'm in trouble. I need to keep my wits about me and figure a way to make the best of this situation until I can get out.

"You are an odd one." He finally said, breaking the silence. "Your great-great-great-great-great...and so on grandmother would be proud to have another woman like her in her family. It's been a long time, too long..." He just drifted off mid-sentence and started walking out of the room, calling someone to fix the door.

"Wait. Don't go. I'd like to hear more about her. It seems my mom didn't get those same characteristics that you neglected to mention at the end of your sentence."

He stopped and instead of slapping me for being rude, he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Well, I can't say your mum was a total idiot, she did end up mating with a fae, not just any fae, the most powerful one. They are easy to seduce but not quick to mate so she must have some redeeming qualities." His face says otherwise. After taking a deep breath in and out he continued. "You are...spirited. Strong-willed. Kind. And I guess not too bad to look at."

I lifted my eyebrow and shrugged my shoulders. He didn't know anything about me, not really. He caught on quickly to my internal question.

"How do I know all of that? Let's see, I met you when you were a wee one. Your mum knew you were some sort of genius and was the one to ask that you finish your education before you became indebted to our clan."

His eyes were looking far off again, as if lost in a memory. He started to tell me stories of when I was younger. He'd smile and laugh at stories I was far too young to remember. Apparently I talked to spirits, mostly ancestors but some people that had no connection to me whatsoever. When they came to me, asking something of me, I saw it through. Even as a 3 year-old I wanted to get their message to their loved ones, no matter what. I'd ask them to find a way for their loved one to bump into me so I could speak to them, and even when my mom kept me home out of fear, someone would come knocking. It apparently drove my mom crazy because even if she kept me inside instead of going to the local grocery store where I was bound to bump into someone, we'd have people knocking on our door asking to use our phone, mail or special deliveries, even people with the wrong address.

"You said you don't believe in ghosts when we met."

"Kidnapped. When you kidnapped me. Yes, I did say that. I don't remember any of this and my mom didn't bring it up."

"That's not true, you saw Leonard." Poor Lenny. Tears threatened but I held them back.

"Leonard? The guard? You made me see that. You said so yourself."

"Mmm...not necessarily. I blinded you to his bloody body. I didn't think you'd see anyone at the gate. And then you got let in after I had worked hard to breakdown those weird iron gates that keep us, others, out."

I knew how pretentious it seemed to have a campus so closed off to a place that has so many tourists wanting to peak inside these old, beautiful buildings and gardens. But it seemed like Oisin felt like an outsider. Not good enough. Maybe that's why he's surprised I would've said yes to a date with him.

"Well that and you're very pretty. You had Fiona and Liam panting after you and they are picky. No humans. They are only attracted to very beautiful things."

So you can read my mind?!

"No, you said that out loud." He quickly realized I hadn't said that out-loud. Fumbling to find some sort of logical explanation.

Can you hear all of my thoughts?

I can't be obstinate or ask a lot of questions out loud so this might be a loop-hole. But it's also invasive. I don't want anyone hearing my thoughts.

"Only when you have your guard down, Evelyn."

I jumped up off of the bed in excitement.

You said my name! He said my name. Not slave, little lamb, lass, or love, but my actual name. Aww. And I have powers! Can everyone read minds?

He shook his head no and stared at me in a way I knew I had to avoid thinking about. His smile kept getting bigger, showing those beautiful white teeth and his eyes sparkling...

Aww! He's happy that I'm happy!!!

"No, I'm not."

Sure... I thought. I rolled my eyes.

"I wouldn't roll my eyes if I were you."

Why not? OMG I'm flirting with him!

He laughed as I covered my face with my hands. Yeah, like that will keep him out of my head.

That's when Fiona and Liam frolicked through the door, stopping like a deer in headlights at me holding a blanket to cover myself, all sexed up without any actual sex. Did they think we had done the naughty.

Oisin barked out a laugh and then gave his sister a kiss on the forehead, promising her that the door will be taken care of within the hour and walked out. He heard my "done the naughty" thought. Fuck.

A roar of laughter sounded from down the hall. I needed to stop thinking.