Page 36 of Owning His Mate

I stop outside the room numbered the same as I saw on the monitors. He’d been alone on the screen, but I’m not sure if he still is, so I enter with caution. My heart is pounding.

When I step into the room, my heart is no longer racing—it’s sinking.

He’s not here.

But he is close by. I can feel his presence and smell him.

I pull the wheelchair into the room, letting the door close behind us, and quickly take in what’s in front of me.

This doesn’t look like the room I saw on the screen. There is a bed in the middle of the floor, thick straps hanging down—straps designed to hold someone in place. My mouth dries. What in the torture chamber is this?

A sound catches my attention. I spin around as a door I didn’t even notice opens and the woman I’d seen on the camera steps in.

She gives me a warm smile I don’t trust for even a second.

“You really are very resourceful,” she says as if we’re having a normal conversation. “It was interesting watching you. I thought for certain you’d come for him. I never imagined you’d try to save her too.”

I knew it was a trap, but I’d hoped just once luck would be on our side. I pull Savannah out of the wheelchair, pressing the little girl behind me protectively. I promised her I would get her out of here and I’m not about to break that vow. The woman in front of me is human, and her kind is so very fragile. I will hurt her if that’s what it takes to get us out of here.

As if she senses my thoughts, the bitch gives me a dark smile.

“If you try anything, your mate will die.”

I jolt. “You touch him, and I’ll rip your throat out.”

I’m surprised by how fierce I sound. Only a few hours ago I was telling Kye to leave me alone, and yet here I am, threatening to kill someone to protect him. I guess I like him more than I thought.

“He did everything he could to get to you. In his last moments of clarity, he leveled many colorful threats at me and my men if we dared to touch his mate, but he lost a lot of blood and was too weak to get up. Still, despite his own situation, hetried. The bond mates have never ceases to amaze me. Does it develop over time? Or is it just inbuilt? I’m curious to know.”

Savannah presses closer to my back as the woman moves toward us, her question hanging heavily in the air.

I pull her tighter against my spine. “And you’re never going to,” I spit out the words. “You’re not going to leave this room breathing.”

She lets out a dry laugh, as if she doesn’t believe me, but unlike her, I have something to fight for, and I will do it to the death. “That’s a big statement to make for someone who is my captive.”

“Take these shitty bracelets off and I’ll show you exactly how big of a statement it is,” I fire back, inching me and Savannah toward the door on the other side of the room where I suspect Kye is being kept.

“You’re not going anywhere. While you were unconscious we took a little blood sample from you.” I want to check my arms to see if she’s telling the truth, but I would have to release Savannah and I’m not doing that.

“Why?”

“Your blood is special. We’ve been looking for someone like you for a long time, Apryle.”

Cold spreads through my body, but I keep my expression unreadable. I can’t let her know she rattled me.

“Well, you found me, and I’m going to be the last thing you see before you take your final breath.”

“You have no idea how special you are, do you?” Her eyes are bright as she says this, and a cold shiver goes down my spine.

“What the hell are you talking about? The Order doesn’t care about special. You assholes just want to destroy us.”

Her brows knit together. “Don’t insult me! I’m not with those assholes.”

My mouth dries instantly. We assumed they were hunters, but did we get it wrong?

“Then who are you with?”

“We serve only one. Revna.”

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