Free Tactical Magik (Immortal Ops) by Mandy M. Roth

he wanted to remain in contact with her, they needed out of the container and fast. Helmuth knew enough to put him in lead-laced chains and a lead-lined box. That meant he fully understood who and what Eadan was—that he was Fae.
    And that meant PSI had a mole. Helmuth’s men shouldn’t have been expecting him. Yet, clearly they were.  
    Dammit.
    Inara tugged on his hand, returning his full attention to her.
    “When you were out cold, and I was petting you, it suddenly felt and sounded like hundreds of bees were buzzing around us.” She turned her face away from him. “And your head healed when it happened.”  
    Eadan gasped. Her Fae side had responded to his, as a mate would. She’d healed him without realizing what she’d done.  
    She is my true mate.
    “I’m your true what?” she asked.  
    Eadan grinned. She could read his thoughts. As a mate should be able to. Though, she didn’t seem to have registered she had. He’d seen this happen to couples before. Sometimes, they tried to rationalize what was happening before admitting to the strange and wonderful.  
    Grabbing her and holding her close before claiming her as a Fae male would was all he wanted to do. Their current predicament demanded he postpone that desire, however difficult that may be. It was especially hard because Eadan’s line of Fae derived power from sex. It intensified their gifts.  
    She looked at him and tried to pull her hand free from his. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why it happened or even really understand what happened.”  
    He kept hold of her hand, bringing it to his lips once again. He kissed it and noticed she closed her eyes, leaning in to him more. That was a good thing. It meant they trusted one another on a baser level. It was elemental, as it should be. “Inara, you healed me. Like a mate would.”  
    “A mate?” she asked.  
    “We can talk about that later.”  
    A confused expression covered her face. “How could I heal you? I’m not magik.”  
    “You’re more magik than you realize,” he responded.  
    Skepticism entered her green gaze. “No. I just touched you and then…then there was a buzzing. It increased when—” She looked to the floor, seeming entirely too interested in it. “Never mind.”  
    He fought the urge to grin. She was sexually shy and he found that endearing as all get out. Since his line of Fae were sexual by nature, it was refreshing to have a woman like Inara near him. There was an innocence about her that made him question Jack’s statement that she might be romantically linked with James Hagen.  
    His temper began to rise but he held firm, refusing to allow it to ruin the small exchanges between them. “The buzz grew when you were aroused, correct?” he asked, already knowing the answer to his question.  
    She groaned. “Yes. Fine. It did. What does that mean?”  
    “That we can heal one another through sexual energy.”  
    She jerked her hand free from his and stood. He made no move to go after her. She needed to feel safe with him. He understood that. He’d read what little had been in her file. She’d had a rough go of it. Life hadn’t been kind and he was guessing he’d probably never get all the gritty details out of her. He’d give her all the time he could, considering their situation, to come to terms with everything. He sat still, watching her move, memorizing the sway of her hips, silently wanting them swaying above him as she rode him.
    She twisted and looked at his wrists. “The lead, it hurts you, right?”  
    “I said I was fine.” Eadan didn’t want her concerned with him.  
    “You lied,” she corrected. “You’re not fine.”  
    She had him there. He nodded.  
    Inara approached him slowly, as if she were prey nearing a predator. Her actions were cautious. He remained in place, knowing it helped her feel in control of the situation. She moved to her knees and reached out a tentative hand to him. Her fingers skimmed his wrists and