Ford returns with a gorgeous woman on his arm. She's tall with the same brown hair as Ford, but hers is halfway down her back. Her eyes are identical to Ford's—a beautiful grey. A slim pair of leather pants cling to her figure. The crimson top she's wearing draws attention to her matching red lips. Rion instinctively takes a step in front of me.

“Calm yourself, wolf. I mean no harm,” she states with an air of sophistication. “And if you think for one second my son would bring someone here who would hurt Ariane, you’re wrong. I dare say he cares for her as much as you do.” Rion becomes rigid. His hands ball into fists. “Good boy. You should block your mind more often. Though it won’t do you any good from me.” I’m not sure what to do with her comment about Ford’s feelings for me. No time to analyze it now.

I move around Rion. His mom is right, Ford wouldn't bring someone here who would want to hurt me. Besides, when he left he said he was going to get his mother.

She smiles warmly, no hint of fangs in sight. “You must be Ariane. I'm Eloise Verascue. My son has told me a lot about you.”

“Not willingly,” he interjects. “She has a way of getting into your head, block or not.”

“It's true,” she states as she begins a slow perusal of me. I shift on my feet at her assessing gaze. “When Ford came to me and asked if I'd help a human, well, let's just say I was a little confused. Yes, he's young, but he's never shown interest in one before. I knew you must be special. Then, while doing a thorough examination of his mind, I saw things through his eyes. You, my dear, are quite the extraordinary girl.”

A blush quickly heats my cheeks. “I'm no one, really.”

“I beg to differ. You're a dream watcher and have a wolf who wants to be your mate. Plus, my son gave you the ability to teleport. And now you're being invited to dinner at a rival pack's home. This dinner has the potential to end the pack war before the fighting begins. Then again, there’s also the possibility it could accelerate things.” I don’t like the sound of that. It’s all on my shoulders. I could prevent it or put it on the fast track. Lovely. “Are you sure you'd like more power?” she asks.

I nod. “I don't want to go in there defenseless. A mage has put a spell on the house so no one can teleport in or out. Once we're in there, we're stuck. Everyone else has the ability to shift or heal. They have sharp teeth and plenty of muscle. They aren't defenseless, but I am.”

“I told you I would guard you with my life,” Rion states.

“I know, but I don't want it to come to that. I want to know that once we're in there, I can take care of myself. I want an advantage. They know I can teleport, but if I get another ability, it will give me an edge. One that could possibly help me stop all this before things get worse.”

“Smart girl,” Eloise says. “Shall we? I have to meet a friend in Paris and don't want to be late.”

I step forward, but Rion grips my wrist to stop me. “I'm doing this whether you like it or not,” I tell him and wiggle my wrist free. “This is my life, Rion. I may be your mate, but we are not mated. And even if and when we are, I will still make my own decisions. No one will tell me what to do.”

Eloise smiles wide and holds out her hand for me. I take it in mine. “I like you more and more by the second. I'm going to ask one more time, are you sure?” I nod. “Okay.”

She brushes my hair off my shoulder to expose my neck. I tilt my head to the side. A sharpness like no other pierces my skin and then is washed away in the sensation of being bit by a vampire. That sense of euphoria settles over me. My head is in a fog. My body is warm all over.

It's just like it was with Ford, but this time, I can feel the raw power being poured into me. It's heady and has me splaying my fingers at my side as it courses through my body. Once it reaches my toes, she releases me, licking my neck, sealing the wound.

I'm dizzy, disoriented. Rion is on one side of me, his hands grasping my waist, walking me to his bed. The soft mattress welcomes me, cradling me as the effects of the vampire bite start to wear off. Seconds tick by, each bringing me back to myself, the fog lifting. Then something else happens. There are multiple voices in my mind, talking to me at once. They get louder. I grip the sides of my head and squeeze my eyes shut, trying to get rid of them.

Delicate hands touch my arms. “Ariane, listen to me,” Eloise's voice pushes through the madness in my mind. “I want you to focus on what I'm saying. Tune the rest of it out. Each word I'm speaking, the pitch of my voice, focus.” I do as she asks, the voices quieting but not going away completely. They’re background noise now. I open my eyes. “Good. You dealt with it quicker than I thought you would.”

“What did you do?” Ford asks by her side, concern lacing his voice.

“I gave her a little something extra. She can read minds now.”

“This should be interesting,” he mutters.

“Yes, it should. You need to learn to control your thoughts around her, my son.” Eloise focuses on me again. “You have the ability to heal now. When you’re cut, your skin will mend. A knife to your heart will be pushed from your body and healed. Bullets will dissolve in your flesh. The only things that can kill you are decapitation and old age, at least until you’re mated. There's no coming back from losing your head, however. You can also read everyone's minds, even with a block on them. You have the power to push past that and find out what they are thinking. You’ll grasp how to do this quickly. It will be useful tonight at dinner. You need to get into Travis' head and find out what his plan is. It will help you. But you also have to learn how to block the voices out before they drive you mad. Focus is key. Focus on the voice you want to hear. Let the others fade away. You’ll reach a point where you won’t hear those at all.”

She’s right, I hear everything except hers. I wouldn’t expect to hear her thoughts. But Rion and Ford’s thoughts blend. Ford watches me intently, then throws up a block. His thoughts stop.

“Thank you,” I send to him. He nods.

I glance over at Rion where he's standing near the window. Holding out my hand, I beckon him toward me. His thoughts are clear. He's unsure if I still want him, worried I'd rather be with Ford now that I have more powers. He hates that I'm part of this. Wishes we could run away and not look back. Everything he thinks hits me square in the chest, causing tears to pool in my eyes.

When our hands touch, I hold his gaze and speak to him with my mind. “I only want you. No one else. I have to do this tonight. Paige would do the same for me. She'd walk into a den of lions if it meant saving my life.” He nods and takes a seat beside me.

“You're giving in to your mate bond little by little,” Eloise observes. “This is a good thing. You shouldn't jump first and think later. Everything should be calculated. You're not purely human anymore. You're a paranormal. Use your new abilities for good. Don't let them go to your head.” She’s right. I’m not an average human any longer.

“I can't believe I'm a paranormal,” I say in awe.

“The day Ford gave you the ability to teleport, you became one of us.” Eloise smiles. “We're not a bad group to be part of. There are those of us who wish to harm others, but for the most part, we’re peaceful.”

Ford snorts with a laugh. “You can't be serious.”

Eloise straightens. “I most certainly am. When you've been around as long as I have, you get a good gauge on things. The situation Ari and the Avynwood Pack are in isn’t good, but it’s just that—a situation. It's not permanent. Even if the war happens, there will be a resolution and life will go on. Maybe some of the bad will be removed from this world with the war. I don't pretend to be a psychic, but I do know all things happen for a reason.” She turns her attention back to me. “Is there anything else you need, dear?”

I shake my head, trying not to read Rion’s mind or pushing past the barrier into Ford’s. I'm sure at some point my curiosity will get the better of me, but I won't forget what it felt like when Ford read my thoughts. I didn’t feel him doing it. It was an invasion of privacy, though, and I don't want to do that to anyone else unless it's necessary.

Peering up from my place on the bed, I find Eloise watching me and smiling. “I made the right decision—giving this gift to you. You're going to be a smart paranormal, Ari. A strong one, too. They won't see you coming.”

“I hope you're right. I don't feel strong at all.”

“Strength doesn't always come from brawn. It comes from your mind as well.”

“Thank you again.” Here I wanted to gain one new power and she gifted me with two.

“You're quite welcome. Ford, would you please escort me to the Eiffel Tower? I’m meeting Diane and don't want to be late.”

He holds his arm out for her. “I'll be right back.” Then they're gone.

Rion peers over at me. I don't hesitate leaning into his warmth as he wraps an arm around me. There's something very comforting about his embrace. Maybe at the end of all this, we'll be okay.

“Do you still love me, even though I can read your mind now?” I ask teasingly, trying to break the tension in the room.

“Yes. I won't shield my thoughts from you. I want you to know every part of me: what I'm feeling, my desires, and my weaknesses. If we’re going to be in this together, we have to trust one another.”

“I trust you.”

“Do you? You're relying on your new powers instead of my ability to protect you.”

I pull back to look into his eyes. “This isn't about me trusting your ability to protect me. This is about me being able to fight for myself. You're seeing this in the wrong way. Your goal is to protect me at all costs. I understand that. Believe me, I do. But my goal in going to the Diaminsey Pack tonight is to rescue my friends. Paige is only in this situation because of me. I want all of us to come out of this in one piece.”

“And you're in this situation because of me,” he counters.

“I decided to be in this relationship with you. You gave me an out, remember? I chose to stay. This is on me. It's my fault Paige was taken, and I’ll do whatever it takes so she's safe.”

“And I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you are.”

I smile, knowing I'm not going to get anywhere with him. “You watch my back, and I'll watch Paige's.”

Ford reappears. “Mom really liked you.” He doesn't seem to care that Rion and I were in the middle of a conversation. “She'd also like me to fight Orion for your hand and make you mine.”

“Come again?” I ask.

Ford laughs. “Joking, princess.” I breathe a sigh of relief but then catch Ford's true thoughts. He would fight Rion for me. It's more than a friendship he wants from me. He shrugs, realizing I’m aware of his feelings.

“I guess there won’t be any more secrets between us,” I say to Ford.

He turns toward the window, avoiding my gaze. “Guess not,” he mutters.

“What's going on?” Rion asks.

“Nothing. I was relaying to Ford how grateful I am for what he and his mother did for me today.”

The question is, what do I do with this new information? I'm with Rion, committed to him. Ford, while devastatingly gorgeous in the whole bad boy way, is my friend. An amazing friend at that. However, I don't feel the same pull toward him that I do to Rion.

“I know, princess,” Ford says solemnly in my mind. I guess we can now communicate like I do with Rion. Ford did say we share a connection.

“I'm sorry.” It’s all I can offer him. I can’t return his feelings.

This is my life now. Never a dull moment.