Page 28 of His Sold Fated Mate

I blinked. “Tell me what?”

She stammered. “Oh… wow… okay. I guess I’m popping this bubble. Well, sex is a bit of a trigger to get things moving. It’s how Janella and I got to connect with our magic. We were struggling until we did the deed.”

My jaw hung open for a moment as I soaked her words in. I quickly shook my head. “There… you’re saying there is no other way?” Is that why we weren’t getting anywhere this entire time?

She shrugged. “There could be, but that’s what we found worked. We were both struggling ourselves before… well… sex.”

I waved a hand. “Or maybe it’s the connect, like you said, and not the sex part.”

“Maybe,” she offered, giving me a weak smile. “But I’m not going to lie to you.

“Got it!” Victoria said, her voice breaking through the space. “Alright, now let’s begin.”

I moved into their circle, feeling like my world was spinning. Sex couldn’t be the answer to this. Klaus and I could hardly get along, let alone be in the same room like that. There was no way this man was going to agree to having sex. I would never get my freedom. I was going to be stuck here.

“Alright, you’re going to feel like there are hands on you, maybe even a temperature change. You’ll be fine as long as you stay still. This bubble will form; do not touch it. Magic like this can burn a person.”

I nodded, standing in the center. I bit hard on my cheek and softly prayed that this worked

Victoria and Elize stood outside and started to speak. But their voice grew muffled like a wall suddenly slammed down around me. I blinked, and it was like a bubble had formed. I watched their lips move, but I couldn’t hear them.

All the hair on my body stood up, and I suddenly felt like I was in an oven. I felt hot all over, and sweat started to form. I fanned myself, feeling a need to cool off. I wiped at my forehead, but it only grew even hotter.

“Guys, it’s like an oven in here. Is it supposed to be this hot?”

I could tell the temperature kept rising. I was starting to feel dizzy, and sweat was soaking my clothes. I felt my head starting to spin, and my legs grew weak. I suddenly stepped backward, and my foot hit part of the bubble. A searing pain ripped through me, and I screamed. The bubble popped, and I fell to the ground.

Pain radiated through my entire body, and I felt tears quickly build up, and I slammed into the ground.

“Aubrey!”

I curled in, my body shaking as the pain started to settle. But it wasn’t Victoria or Elize who was talking. It was Klaus.

He stood above me now, his arms reaching down. They felt cool against my skin, his fingers grazing over me. “Where are you hurt! Aubrey! Where are you hurt!”

“Aubrey! Are you okay?” Elize spoke up in a softer voice.

“You! You hurt her! What the hell is wrong with you two! Have you no idea how weak a human is! Are you trying to kill her!” Klaus yelled at them, and I shook my head, trying to pull myself up.

“Klaus, I’m fine.”

“You’re not!” he snarled. “You screamed! And not just a scream but an ‘I’m in pain’ kind of scream!”

I opened my mouth to argue, but he hoisted me off the ground and into the air. My eyes widened as he turned us.

“Put me down!” I yelled, pushing against his chest. “I’m fine. I already told you that!”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.”

He headed straight for the house. He wasted no time taking me inside and setting me down on the couch. “Where are you hurt?”

“I already told you I’m not.”

He grabbed my feet, looking them over. He scowled. “You have blisters on your feet. What the hell happened?”

“It’s nothing. I’ll be fine.”

“I’m getting some ointment.”