Page 136 of The Alpha's Protective Mate

The knife descends, and for a heartbeat, I see the frightened little toddler who used to follow me around, calling my name. My body moves instinctively, and the knife stabs me in the neck.

Blood spurts out, and I hear an enraged howl almost instantly from somewhere among the fighters. From the corner of my eye, I see a large, familiar-looking wolf running toward me. Terrence appears horror-struck as I fall into my sister’s arms.

“No! Charlotte—I didn’t mean—”

I weakly yank the knife out, and more blood spills. He got an artery.

The terrified look in Arabella’s eyes has me wondering how much of her hatred was real and how much was her way of survival.

The wound is healing, but not fast enough considering the amount of blood flowing from me. I need to drink some...

Robert jumps in front of me, shoving Terrence away. He shifts into his human form, naked, and cradles me.

His expression is grim, and he seems to know what I need. He bites into his arm and presses it against my mouth in full view of his pack and the leaders of the other clans. I gulp down the blood greedily, my body ice cold.

A shadow falls over me, and my eyes find the reason for it behind Robert. My mouth pulls away from his arm as I see Terrence bring down the knife.

“No!” The scream emits from my mouth, and out of nowhere, someone has grabbed Terrence’s wrist.

My eyes widen as I see who it is. Or rather, what it is.

One of Terrence’s creatures has his hand wrapped around Terrence’s, stopping him from stabbing Robert.

Chapter 29

Charlotte Sanguinite

Robert leaps out of the way, with me in his arms.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Terrence shrieks. “Let go of me!”

But the creature doesn’t budge. Instead, it looks at me, as if asking me what to do.

I call it a “creature,” but on closer inspection, I realize with disgust roiling within me what Terrence meant by enslaving the wolves. I’m looking at a wolf shifter in a weirdly transformed state. His eyes are dull, and I can see my reflection in them.

What has Terrence done to them?!

“Release me! I am your master! You have to obey me!” Terrence is clawing at him, but the shifter doesn’t so much as flinch, ignoring the injuries being inflicted on him. “Why won’t you do as I say?!”

Something clicks in my head, and I say, quietly, “Take the knife from him.”

The shifter twists Terrence’s hand and rips the knife out of his hold.

“He’s listening to you.” Robert sounds shocked.

“I don’t know why, but I thought he might,” I breathe, my heart pounding in loud, exaggerated beats. “Help me up.”

The wound is healing. Ever since I mated Robert and my healing returned, it’s faster than it ever was. I’m no longer bleeding, but I’m still in pain. Robert helps me to my feet and blinks confusedly when Arabella hands him her cardigan.

She looks away, and I realize what she means.

“You’re naked.”

Robert rolls his eyes but wraps the cardigan around his waist. I look over at the fighting and try to be as loud as I can as I yell, “Stop fighting!”

I don’t expect it to work, but the drugged shifters freeze in place.

“Am I seeing things?” I feel so confused. “Why are they listening to me?”

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