Page 30 of Owning His Mate

The crack of the gun fills the air before the pain registers in my shoulder. I don’t think that was what he was aiming at, but I don’t miss the tremble in his hands as he tries to keep control of the weapon.

I slide onto my back, the sky filling my vision as I hit the ground. Everything swirls around me as my pain blossoms through my shoulder savagely.

Apryle screams, and I can sense her through our bond, trying to comfort me, demanding I hold on, but I can’t answer her. My brain feels slow and sluggish, and all I can hear are my labored breaths in my ears.

I try to find my mate among all the chaos. She fights and comes to my side, dropping to her knees. “Kye, hold on, okay? Please just keep breathing.”

She’s worried about me, and if I wasn’t in so much pain, I’d call her out on it, but the darkness is creeping in at the edges of my vision.

I blink to clear it, my gut twisting as I notice thick metal bracelets wrapped around both of her wrists. I’ve seen them used before and it enrages my wolf and me. They are to subjugate those with magic—tau and witches. They deliver an electric charge to whoever is wearing them any time they try to use magic, like a shock collar used on dogs. The fact these fuckers think we’re nothing more than animals pisses me off.

Clearly, Apryle has never come across these, because she tries to use her magic before I can warn her. She goes rigid before she drops forward onto her hands, her body convulsing as pain spears through the bond.

Fucking asshole. I memorize his face so I can find him again and tear his throat out.

“I’m going to kill you first for that,” Apryle hisses even as she ducks her head. Despite her fire, she’s suffering, and I urge my body to move, but I can’t even manage a twitch of my limbs.

He steps up behind her, bending down so he can speak into her ear, and while he’s looking at me, he says, “You won’t even remember me when we’re done with you, bitch.”

“Don’t worry, mutt,” the one standing over me says, “you’re coming too.”

I can’t do anything but watch as Apryle is dragged up to her feet with so much violence she cries out.

We’ll getout of this,I promise her, even though it is not a promise I can keep.

I’m sorry for everything,Kye.

It’s okay,I tell her.

And the lastthought I have before my vision winks out completely is that I have to save my mate, no matter what it takes.

Chapter 8

Apryle

I’ve been scared many times in my life, but when Kye’s eyes close, it is as if everything stops.

The only thing that keeps me from going feral is that I can still sense him through our bond. He’s not dead, he’s still breathing, but I can smell his blood in the air.

Stay calm, Apryle.

I can’t use magic. Every time I try to draw on my power, the bracelets around my wrists send a wave of electricity through my body and it hurts like a motherfucker. I need a new plan, one that doesn’t involve using my magic until these shackles are off.

Kye hasn’t moved from where he fell and my heart squeezes painfully. I don’t have the first clue what to do to save us, but I’m not letting us fall into the hands of our enemy. I can’t be a prisoner, caged like an animal, or used like a science experiment. I don’t want that for Kye either. He’ll never tolerate being a captive.

One of the assholes grabs my bicep and not too gently drags me onto my feet. I glare at him as I come up, but he just smirks at me as if I’m no threat to him.

“Move,” he orders as he shoves me forward.

I’m not expecting it, so I stumble on uncertain feet before turning to scowl at him. “Asshole.”

“That’s me. A total asshole. Keep fucking moving.”

He pulls out a phone and types out a message. When he’s done, he pockets it and lifts his eyes to his friend. “Transport’s on the way.”

Transport doesn’t sound positive. We won’t be getting into any kind of vehicle. It would be the beginning of the end for Kye and me. That’s not happening.

I glance around, searching the street for any sign of our party, but we’re alone. My stomach dips. No one is coming to help us. I’m the one who needs to save us.

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