She had no idea what to say to that, but knowing what he wanted from her—hearing his thoughts spoken aloud—made her own sexual hunger rise, answering the challenge.

Lyka couldn’t let this happen. She couldn’t give in like this.

She knew that Theronai couples frequently engaged in sex. Most of them considered the bond a form of marriage—one far more permanent and binding than any piece of paper issued by some governing body. But she hadn’t been raised as one of them. She didn’t have to follow the path they did. She could still be connected to Joseph and mate with a Slayer male.

Couldn’t she?

“If you think I’d ever let another man touch you, you’re insane,” he said.

“Get out of my head. I didn’t invite you to listen to my private thoughts.”

“And I didn’t invite you to drop in on my deepest fantasies.”

He had a point. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“No, you shouldn’t have. But you did. And now that you’ve opened Pandora’s box, there’s no closing it. You’ve seen how I feel about you. Do you really think that I’d let you go in search of another man, another mate?”

“I really never considered that you had a right to let me do anything.”

His grip on her wrists tightened. She thought about trying to break his hold, but she doubted she was strong enough, even on her best day. And today was definitely not her best day. She was weak, shaky, unsteady, both mentally and physically.

He closed his eyes, pulled in a deep breath. Let it out again. She watched as he reined himself in, shoving down his frustration and lust an inch at a time until it was all tucked neatly away, out of sight.

But she knew it was still there. She’d been inside his thoughts—felt his emotions too keenly to ever pretend they weren’t real.

No man had ever wanted her the way Joseph did. It was as thrilling as it was terrifying.

“You’re too weak,” he said as he let her go and moved back into his own seat. He started the truck and pulled back onto the gravel road. “It’s my duty to see to your care, and right now, you wouldn’t be able to defend yourself if we were attacked.”

“I’m fine,” she lied. All that brain hopping she’d done had worn her down even worse than before.

“You can’t lie to me about this. I know I’m right. You need me to revive your strength.” Even though they were out too far in the countryside for streetlights, her vision was good enough that she could make out fine details in his skin. Freckles, a light dusting of hair, scars faint with age.

He really was sexy as hell—built just the way she liked her men. Tall, strong, sturdy enough to take whatever she might throw at him. Joseph wasn’t the kind of man who was easily broken, not even once her two brothers got their hands on him for staking a claim on her without council permission.

“How do you do that?” she asked. “Because I’d really like to have the strength to keep moving tonight.”

“I can pull power from the earth and feed it to you.”

“How does that work?”

“I’m not entirely sure. I’ve never done it before, but my instincts are strong, and I’ve seen bonded pairs do it over and over.”

“So, we never need to rest?” she asked.

“Not never. What I’ll do for you is only temporary—just enough to get you on your feet in an emergency. Think of it like an energy drink.”

“How long will it last?”

“I don’t know. We’re going to have to figure it out together.”

“Pull over. We’ll do it here.” She was worried she’d piss him off and he’d refuse to work his magic on her. The longer she kept talking, the more likely it was she’d say something that would set him off. She simply couldn’t take the chance that he’d change his mind.

“No. I’m not risking an experiment with something I’ve never tried before out in the open like this. We’ll do it at a Gerai house, so that if it goes badly, at least we’ll have shelter for the night.”

Lyka knew about Gerai houses—safe places stocked with food and supplies, magically warded to increase their security against attack—but she’d never been to one before. “You’re going to trust me with the secret location of one of your safe houses?”

His shoulders seemed to droop in frustration. “You still don’t get it, do you?”

“Get what?”

“There are no secrets between us anymore. You saw my last one. Soon you’ll let me see all of yours, too.”

She didn’t scoff, but nearly pulled a muscle restraining herself.

“I’m serious,” he said.

“I know that you want us to share a brain, but I’ve told you it’s not going to happen.”

“Too late, kitten. It already has.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, dread rising like a flash flood.

He turned onto another gravel road. Moonlight spilled over his face, showing her just how grim his expression had become. “You were in my head a minute ago.”

“So?”

“It works both ways. While you were in my mind, I read your thoughts.”

Uh-oh. He couldn’t know. She kept all her secrets carefully locked away behind doors so hidden, even she had trouble finding them.

But she’d been drawn to the thing he’d tried to hide from her. Maybe when she wasn’t looking, he’d been drawn to the same thing in her mind. She hoped that she would have known that he was poking around, but maybe she wouldn’t. Maybe she was too new at this conjoined brain garbage to even sense his intent.

He could know. All of it. Everything.

Fear trickled through her like ice water. Her muscles stiffened against it, making it hard to breathe.

One of her hands strayed to the door handle while the other got ready to unbuckle her seat belt so she could make a quick getaway.

“What thoughts did you read?” she asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Instead, there was a slight waver in her voice she was certain he’d heard.

He didn’t look her way. He stared straight ahead, his big hands tight on the steering wheel. “I know what you’re hiding.”

“I’m not hiding anything,” she lied.

“Yes, you are, and it’s time we deal with it,” he said as he turned down yet another deserted country road—the kind where no one would ever find her body. “What it do you mean?”