nature. She had to smash that wall down if they were going to be
 
 happy. She would use their connection to do it. She drowsed, happily
 
 thinking of all the ways she intended to get past his barriers.
 
 * * * *
 
 “Wake up, love.” His voice pulled her from her nap.
 
 />
 
 Meg tried to sit up and realized that Sweeney had stopped
 
 moving.
 
 “Well, finally,” a familiar voice said from below her. Meg rubbed
 
 her eyes and saw Dante standing with crossed arms, looking up at
 
 them. He looked haggard and tired. “It took you forever. I expected
 
 you late this morning.”
 
 “Meg decided to take a ride on a kelpie,” Beck replied
 
 sardonically. “It caused me to push back my schedule.”
 
 102
 
 Sophie Oak
 
 Dante’s green eyes were wide and his mouth dropped open. He
 
 was utterly fangless now.
 
 “Seriously?” He turned to Meg. “What the hell were you
 
 thinking? Kelpies like to eat people.”
 
 Meg stiffened at the thought of what might have happened. “It
 
 was going to eat me? You didn’t tell me it was planning on eating
 
 me!”
 
 “Well, it wasn’t inviting you to tea, love,” Beck replied as he
 
 handed her down to the vampire. Dante set her squarely on her feet.
 
 “It was a close thing. The kelpie took her deep. I had to slit its throat
 
 before it would let her go. I damn near drowned myself.”
 
 “That explains it.” Dante rubbed a palm across his forehead.
 
 “Early this morning, Cian stopped breathing. It freaked me out. I
 
 really thought he was dead this time. He started again after a minute