Blood, Body and Mind by Kathi S. Barton

Aaron, she would be able to help you. Isn’t that the way of our kind? Our mates are chosen to complement us, to be a ‘mate’ to us in all ways. What have you told her?”
    “ Nothing.” Aaron turned away with a wave of disgust. “And I don’t plan to either, not until I have some answers from her.”
    Thomas decided to stay the day within the mansion. Sunrise was very soon, and he wanted to be there to make sure that they left her alone for at least a few days, he had told Aaron.
    Later that night, Aaron was sitting in his office when there was a small knock at the door. He wanted to ignore it, but was worried it might be about Sara. “Come in,” he finally said.
    “ May I have a word, master?” April barely came across the threshold and would not look him in the eye.
    “ It’s Aaron, April, please call me that. What can I do for you?” He motioned for her to have a seat in the chair across from his messy desk.
    He had inherited the mess on it and the one in his realm when he had killed Carlos. He had not thought of either for several hours now.
    “ I’d like to know what you plan to do with my friend Sara.”
    Aaron was surprised by the question, but more so by her tone. The timid woman was suddenly gone and in her place was a fierce protector. He wondered if she even realized it.
    “ What do you mean, ‘do with her?’ I think I’ve made my position very clear on this; she will give us the answers we need to ensure our safety.” He smiled to himself when she flushed slightly.
    “ I would like for you to let her go as soon as she is able to be on her own. I want her to go back to work for us, and not be bothered again. She has gone through a great deal in the past few days, saving your life notwithstanding. If you would like, I’ll take full responsibility for any and all actions in the future. I just want her to be safe.” April was begging for Sara’s life, he realized. She thought he was going to kill her.
    Aaron leaned back in his chair. He had been sitting at his desk for nearly an hour just thinking about the girl upstairs. It had been two days since she had been hurt again, and according to Duncan, who checked on her nearly every hour, said she had not moved once. He himself had been in to check on her several times a night just sitting in the big-armed chair next to the bed, and was more than a little worried. Not about her—no, Thomas was a good doctor. He was worried about what she would do when she found out he was her mate.
    “ I don’t think I can do that, April. She knows a great deal about us. She can do a great many things that haven’t been explained. I appreciate you wanting your friend safe, but you must also understand my position in this.”
    Her being my mate notwithstanding, he thought.
    “ Sara knew all this and a great deal more before she saved our lives.” She pointed out to him.
    “ True, but we didn’t know that then. She has made herself known to our kind now, April. She killed several of our kind. I realized why she did it. I do. But what if she were to...” He stopped when she suddenly stood.
    “ No! All that would have made it much easier to kill any of us, had that been her intentions. You must agree that had she wanted us dead, she could have just let those rogues take us out, or saved Demi and me and let them kill you. But she didn’t. She saved your life in addition to ours and my child,” she snapped at him. She then stormed out of his office, slamming the large oak door with a resounding bang.
    Later that night, as he had for the past several nights, he stood over the bed looking down at his mate. He wanted to lie down beside her and hold her close to his body. He wanted to be beside her, inside of her. He wanted her with an intensity that was near tangible. But there was too much unknown between them for that to happen. He had no choice—he had to let her go, but he would keep an eye on her.

~ CHAPTER EIGHT~
     
    Sara woke the next morning. Her