Page 123 of Mate Me

“I said we’ve spent all day ...” He trailed off, his eyes widening as he understood the weight of his words.

All day.

I’d been working on wards all day. Far from the portal. Expending my energy and resources to keep Tartarus safe. A sense of foreboding pressing against me, but it was nothing more than misplaced worry ... misplaced focus .. .

I snapped. Power lashed out of me, plunging the room into utter darkness before I pulled back. Pol let out a hiss. When the moonlight returned and torches relit, I saw one of the yellow flowers clamped around his ankle, its teeth burrowed deep. He bent at the waist and ripped it from the soil, pulling it out at the root. The flower released him with a wail that we both ignored.

“It was all a distraction,” he grunted.

“All of it,” I bit out.

I'd encouraged Reagan to go visit her family. When I’d offered her bodyguards, she insisted it was a short walk. Not only was it her home, but it was filled with dozens of Santiagos, all of whom had been protecting each other their entire lives. The Crossroads was safe for her, and I had a hard time disagreeing with that.

I should have.

It wasn’t a coincidence that the moment I let her out of my sight was when the wards tripped. It wasn’t a coincidence that I could feel the bond, could feel it all day when I really thought about it, except I hadn’t been able to separate the energy from my own until now.

None of it was a mistake.

It was planned.

We hadn’t tested whether our bond would control the death magic of Tartarus leaking into her world. We’d planned on waiting until she’d told her family about us. Wait until my crossing wasn’t seen as a threat.

Now there was no question of waiting. Her desire to protect Earth was null and void. My mate’s wellbeing came before anything else.

“Stay here,” I commanded. Before Pol could resist, I stepped through the portal.

Its power buzzed, coating my skin as I crossed. A slight chill in the morning air greeted me, and immediately the scent of the air was amiss. A hint of decay lingered. Death was nearby. Fear coiled in my gut.

I should have felt the bond. It should have been stronger, but it wasn’t. It still felt like it was just out of reach. Scanning my surroundings, I realized the portal was unguarded, but the park wasn’t empty.

Half a dozen yards from me, Reagan’s sister lay in the grass. Her clothes were rumpled, and grass stained her knees. A soft moan escaped her, and I ran to her side.

“Where is she? Where is Reagan?”

Sin blinked a few times, then squinted up at me while groaning.

“What ...” Her voice was scratchy, parched. Wracking coughs woke her up more. She cursed in Spanish before springing to her feet, unsteady at best. I braced her with a hand on her shoulder to keep her from falling.

“Where is she?” I repeated. I didn’t want to ask again.

“He took her.” Her pupils were dilated, and the words were thick, like her tongue was in the way. She’d been drugged, but with what, I didn’t know.

“He?” I growled. “Who is he?”

Even I didn’t recognize the terrifying tenor in my voice. If Sin was afraid, she didn’t show it. My world was fracturing without my mate, but nothing could have prepared me for her answer.

Chapter39

Reagan

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

The sound was already grating my nerves and I hadn’t been awake for five seconds. Who left the faucet on?

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