Page 14 of His Spellbound Mate

Tamzyn crossed her arms over her chest, her green eyes flashing with anger. "I’ve been on my own for a while now, Neville. I don’t need you to protect me."

Neville clenched his jaw, trying to quell the frustration building inside him. She was infuriatingly stubborn, and it was clear that appealing to her sense of reason wasn’t going to work. He could see the way she bristled at the idea of being taken care of, as if accepting his help was an admission of weakness.

"You don’t understand," Neville said, his voice dropping to a softer, more earnest tone. "There are things out there—things you admit neither of us can fully control. We need to work together to figure this out, and I can’t do that if I’m worried about you being all alone. Besides, it will be easier for us to collaborate if we’re in the same place."

“Then you come here.”

“That makes no sense. The compound is bigger and better protected.”

Tamzyn’s expression softened for just a moment, but then she shook her head. "I appreciate the concern, Neville, but I’m not some helpless damsel. I can handle myself."

Arguing with Tamzyn was getting on his last nerve. He was not accustomed to having his orders questioned. When she refused to listen to reason, Neville’s patience snapped. He was done arguing. He moved so quickly that Tamzyn barely had time to react. In one smooth motion, he scooped her up off her feet and tossed her over his shoulder, ignoring her startled gasp and the way she struggled.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

His grip was strong, and he wasn’t letting go.

"Making sure you’re safe," Neville replied, his voice firm as he carried her toward her SUV so he could get them to the compound.

Tamzyn glared at him, her cheeks flushing with a mixture of anger and something else—something that sent a thrill of satisfaction through him despite the seriousness of the situation. "Put me down, Neville!"

"Not until you’re somewhere safe," Neville said, keeping his gaze fixed ahead.

He reached the SUV and then drove them to the compound quickly. Once he had parked the SUV at the compound, she got out of the car and turned on her heel to start back down the drive. Neville met her at the rear of the vehicle and once more tossed her over his shoulder, turning back to the main house, his strides long and purposeful as he carried her up the stairs and into his room.

He was aware of the pack members they passed, their curious glances and knowing smiles, but he didn’t care. Let them talk. Protecting Tamzyn was more important than maintaining his usual calm, controlled demeanor. Tamzyn continued to struggle, her protests growing more urgent, but Neville ignored her. He deposited her on the bed, stepping back just enough to close and lock the door behind them.

"This is ridiculous," Tamzyn snapped, sitting up and glaring at him. "You can’t just lock me in here!"

Neville leaned against the door, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at her with a mixture of exasperation and concern. "I’m locking you in and keeping you here until you see reason."

Tamzyn’s eyes narrowed, and Neville could see the fire in her gaze, the fierce independence that had driven her to survive on her own for so long. But there was something else in her eyes, too—something vulnerable, something she was trying desperately to hide. He stepped out of the room and locked it. He would give her some time to cool off.

He walked down to his study, sat behind his desk, and tried to focus on some more routine tasks that needed doing. He didn’t have much of a chance as one of the young wolves, who Neville knew to be on patrol, burst into the room. Neville’s attention snapped to the door, his senses on high alert.

"Alpha, there’s a strange glow coming from your room," the sentry reported, his voice tinged with concern.

Neville was on his feet and charging up the stairs. He tried the door, but when he turned the knob, he realized she’d locked the door from the other side. His instincts screamed that something was wrong. He tried the door again, but it wouldn’t budge.

He pounded on the door with his fist. "Tamzyn, what’s going on?" Neville demanded; his voice rough with concern.

Silence was the only answer. He didn’t have time to think. With a growl, he stepped back and kicked the door with all his strength. The wood splintered and cracked under the force of the blow, and the door swung open, revealing the room beyond.

Neville’s breath caught in his throat.

Tamzyn was standing in the center of the room, encased in a sphere of shimmering light. Her eyes were closed, her lips moving in a hurried, whispered spell, and the energy radiating from her was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was raw and powerful, a display of magic that was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

"Tamzyn!" Neville shouted, trying to break through the spell that held her.

Her eyes snapped open, and the light around her flickered. She raised a hand, and before Neville could react, she hurled a ball of magical energy directly at him. Instinctively, he braced himself, but the energy fizzled out just before it reached him, dissolving into harmless sparks.

Tamzyn stared at her hand in shock, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She tried again, and once more, a ball of fire that looked as if it could kill him just disappeared into nothing. Neville could see the horror in her eyes, the disbelief that her magic had failed her.

He couldn’t help it—a low chuckle escaped him, the sound rough and almost incredulous. "Well, that’s interesting."

Tamzyn’s gaze snapped to him, her expression a mix of fear and anger. "Not funny, Neville."

But Neville wasn’t laughing at her. He was laughing as he watched realization slowly dawn on her—their connection, the one he had sensed from the beginning, was much deeper than she must have realized or understood. Her magic hadn’t failed because of some external force. It had failed because of him.

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