Page 26 of Stalking His Mate

In the hours that I’ve been lying here, I’ve been putting together a plan to keep the Brotherhood from taking my mate and her memories.

We could run… but they’ll come after us. And when they catch us, they’ll rip her away from me, swipe her memory, and leave her to the confusion that will no doubt follow. It would be far worse than just letting them take her in the first place. Plus, she would forfeit the money she needs.

There are rumors that Jarik, our Alpha of Alpha’s, stole his female back after winning her in an auction. And of another couple that also got to keep their female. It gives me hope.

We’ll go before our Alpha and explain what she is to us, my cat rumbles.

Except that how can I get an audience with him. I’m no one special. Sure, I’m an alpha but I’m part of a large faction. There are hundreds of us. There is no way the Alpha of Alpha’s would see me without scheduling a meeting months from now.

Which is why we need Yesenia. She’s one of the Alpha’s advisors.

Glancing down, I brush the backs of my fingers across Amy’s cheek as I watch her sleep. Her deep, even breaths warm against my shoulder as her eyes dart behind her closed lids. I wonder what she’s dreaming of. I’ve already used my favor that Yesenia owed me to get Amy into the auction. All I can do is hope that she’ll help me again.

Carefully, I wriggle out from under my mate’s warmth. She moans and her face scrunches up when I’ve disentangled myself from her, but then she rolls into the warm spot I vacated, and she drops back into her deep sleep.

Grabbing my cell, I head into the bathroom and quietly close the door behind me. My thumb swipes across Yesenia’s name as I lower my naked ass onto the toilet lid and wait. It rings, and rings, and rings, and rings…

“Com’on, Yessi,” I whisper as it continues to ring.

I’m about to hang up and call her again, so that it doesn’t switch over to voice mail, when the line suddenly picks up and a low growl greets my ear.

“D’you have any idea what time it is?” her voice is huskier than usual, with sleep.

“I need your help.”

“And this can’t wait for business hours?”

“She’s, my mate.”

Yesenia is quiet on the other end. When the silence continues to stretch, I pull my phone away from my ear to make sure she didn’t hang up on me. “Yessi?”

“I heard you,” there is the sound of rustling bedding and then a soft click, like she closed a door. “Fucking hell, first Jarik, then Jacob and Kez…This is getting out of hand,” she grumbles, and I hear the sound of coffee brewing. “What exactly do you think I can do for you now?”

I open my mouth but then blow out a breath that I hadn’t realized I was holding. “I—I don’t know. I can’t let her go.”

She whispers a string of curses and then loudly sips the coffee she just made.

“Jarik will skin me if I call him with this right now. Your best bet is to let her go and then we can approach him about this later?—”

My cat is scratching at my insides and a low snarl slips past my lips at the thought of letting them take her.

“Look, Dante, I get it. I really do, but there are rules for a reason. They are in place to protect these females.”

“She’s my mate, Yesenia!” I scrub a hand down my face and try to stay calm. I have to remind myself that losing my temper and freaking out isn’t going to get me what I need. “She’s not just some female. Not just a quick fuck to get my rocks off that I might want to see again. She’s. My. Mate!”

“I know,” her voice is little more than a whisper. “I honestly can’t imagine how this must be for you. But you must abide by the rules for now. Let her go, and then we’ll go before Jarik together to make it right.”

It’s like I’m hit in the center of my chest with a cannon. A ringing starts up in my ears and my lungs stop working. My extremities go numb, and I almost drop my phone.

“But—her memories—” the thought of her not remembering our night has my stomach churning and I slide to my knees, lifting the toilet lid because I think I might actually vomit.

Yesenia’s exhale is a thin hiss. “Maybe… maybe don’t… God, Jarik is going to kill us both. They will leave a syringe for you to inject her with. That’s how Kez got around it. So don’t inject her, but you’d better hope your girl is a good actress when they come to take her. If she suddenly wakes up, they’ll dose her anyway. Tell her she must pretend to be asleep, no matter what happens, while they take her home.”

Asleep… Amy sleeps like the dead! This could work out perfectly!

I lean back on my heels, “Yeah. Yeah okay. I can do that.”

“Wait, just like that? Dante, you’ve never agreed with me so fast in your life. What are you thinking?”

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