Free Talson Temptations 4: Talson's Match by Marie Harte

Romy’s voice
did that odd echo thing again.
    Pachi looked alarmed. “What the hell are you?” He
backpedaled. “I’m leaving.”
    “Go.”
    “And I’m not coming back. If you’re smart, you’ll get out of
here while you can. Trotter’s got it hard for the female. And he won’t stop
pushing the Majesty while he’s making so much currency.”
    “I know.” Romy pointed to the woods. “Now get the hell out
of here before I remember how you looked at my iriu .” His fingertips
sizzled, and a tree next to Pachi crackled as lightning hit a low-hanging
branch from out of nowhere.
    Pachi took off, running hard.
    Romy waited until they could no longer see Pachi, then he
settled back into the hovercraft as if nothing had happened.
    Tara stared at him in shock. The man had set fire to trees,
blown up a car, and deflected energy blasts he too could apparently see. And
he’d completely melted her resistance to boot. How the hell had he done all
that? Was he controlling her now? And would she know if he were?
    “Don’t be afraid of me, Tara,” he said quietly, driving the
vehicle back onto the main road. “I’m not like other Otra. But then, neither
are you.”
    She shivered, more due to his nearness than the power he’d exerted
to protect her. She didn’t want him to have control over her. He’d called her
his iriu , and she knew enough about the Otra that they took their mating
very seriously. How could she belong to someone she knew so little about, and
that seemed to have more power than any one man had a right to? She didn’t want
a partner who could read her mind or force her will. But could he read her?
    I’m going to jump out of this vehicle as soon as you slow
it down . She let the thought linger in her mind but didn’t broadcast it.
    Romy slowed at an intersection without a worry and didn’t
speak. If he’d thought to prevent her from leaving the vehicle, slowing down
hadn’t been wise.
    “You can’t read my thoughts, can you?” she asked.
    “Not yours, no. Not unless you want me to. For some reason,
around you, I’m both stronger and weaker than I normally am.”
    “Explain.” Damn, a glance at him had her aching to feel him
inside her once more.
    His eyes flashed with heat before he concentrated on the
road. “Most Otra have one or two psychic abilities.”
    “Your psychei .”
    “Right. It’san ability that shows itself early in
Otra. Most of our kind can manipulate energy in small amounts and share
thoughts if both parties willingly agree. Otra clans typically communicate
without words, a closeness of familial and affectionate ties.” He let go of the
controls to squeeze her knee. “But there’s usually one particular ability that
stands out. For instance, my oldest brother forecasts the future. My other
brother moves things with his mind.”
    “Telekinesis.”
    “And I…”
    “You?” she prodded, feeling oddly protective of him. She
sensed his hesitance, his concern that she wouldn’t like what he had to tell
her.
    “I can do a lot of things. Scary things.” His mouth turned
down. Trotter would have been bragging about his power, but Romy didn’t seem to
like it.
    “Like what? Setting fire to hovercrafts? Calling on
lightning? Lifting men up without a finger and throwing them into trees?”
    “Yeah, that. I’m not sure exactly what I can do. Every time
I think I’ve reached my limit, a new doorway opens. It’s hard to keep my energy
suppressed. It’s draining. I know it makes my family uncomfortable, and I hate
that fear I can sense but can’t see. If my family, who loves me, can’t handle
my power, think how others will see me.” He looked at her again. “I don’t want
to be a monster.”
    “You’re not. You’re odd and annoyingly persistent, but
you’re no monster.”
    His wide grin made her feel worlds better. “It pleases me to
hear you say that. Especially because I think you’re much of the reason for my
recent control. From what I’ve seen, you