Page 61 of Trapped for Her Blood

“Hey.” Psycho raises his palms. “Like I told you. There’s no fucking way to escape this place.”

“Just because you have not found a way,” Zuben says to Psycho, while keeping his eyes on Axe, his palms still raised in a passive position, “does not mean that there is not a way.”

Psycho shrugs. “Happy to prove you wrong. Got nothing better to do. Just so long as you keep that fucking beast away from me.”

Axe snorts and turns toward Psycho, and I rub his fur, lacing my fingers through the hairs, coarse but soft, the skin underneath like a velvet container for his massive, hard muscles.

I shift forward so I can look directly into Axe’s eyes, so expressive, maybe even more expressive in bear form, and I stroke the sides of his head. Under my touch, I can feel him calm himself.

“Hey,” Psycho says. “Believe me. No way am I messing with your lady.” He holds up his hands. “Won’t even joke about it.”

“Because you fear the bear,” Zuben says.

Psycho shakes his head.

“Because she is my mate?” Zuben asks.

“Nah.” Psycho shrugs. “The wordmatedon’t mean much down here.” His eyes narrow. “Especially not to me.”

“Then why?” Standing, I turn to look Psycho in the eye for the first time. “What can you say to convince me, to convince Axe—“ I rub his fur “—that you won’t try to hurt me?”

“Because you scare the shit out of me.”

I take a step back. “I do?”

He nods. “If I learned one thing from my bitch of a wife…” Psycho avoids my gaze “…it’s never underestimate a doll, no matter how tiny.”

Zuben turns toward Psycho, dropping his hands for the first time since I saw them arrive in the mouth of the cave.

“Your explanation,” Zuben says, “does not make sense. Why would you fear a human, a small, unarmed one at that?”

Axe’s muscles tense under my hand, and I know that he’s ready to attack if he doesn’t like Psycho’s response.

Psycho looks at me, and I do detect fear in his eyes. It must be his fear of Axe.

His eyes narrow. “Youdidsomething to me…”

I eye him quizzically. “Idid something? Me?”

He nods. “Something…something pushed me back from you.”

My heart rate accelerates. I remember Psycho stepping back from me suddenly, as if some force had acted against him, but it had nothing to do with me.

He doesn’t need to know that.

“That’s right.” I raise my chin and glare at him. “Come near me again and you’ll be sorry.”

Psycho nods. “I won’t hurt you. He turns to the guys. I would never touch her. Honest.” He glances at me sideways, and again, I see fear in his eyes.

It’s crazy to think that Psycho’s frightened of me. I didn’t do anything, but I’m fine if his strange idea keeps him from threatening me.

“This…gentleman.” Zuben clears his throat as he turns toward Psycho. “He has agreed to tell us everything he knows about these dungeons. I suggest we accept his offer to give us a thorough tour.” Zuben gestures down the passageway out of the cave.

Axe grunts and lunges toward Zuben.

Zuben raises his hands. “Okay. Okay. Perhaps we should wait until Axe is ready to join us?”

Axe bends his head a few times toward the cave floor, in what can only be interpreted as a nod.