Page 42 of Owning His Mate

Beck pushes Kye in the chair, though the annoyance radiating through our bond tells me he’s not happy about it. Ismile despite the situation, and stumble behind them, my arm wrapped around Savannah so I can hold her little body close to mine. Now that someone else is here to handle the danger, my eyes are heavy as I feel my adrenaline taper off.

Everything happens in a rush of motion. I’m pushed against the wall as the rat-tat-tat sound of bullets rains down. The noise is deafening in the small space, hitting everything around us, pinging and thudding into the plasterwork. The scent of magic mixes with the smell of the guns discharging, and I clutch Savannah to me as Kye smothers both of us, taking us down to the ground and cocooning us beneath his huge frame.

The heat of his body and the weight of him on top of me don’t allow me to draw more than shallow breaths, so I remain frozen until the firing stops.

The silence that follows lasts only a second before the guys start barking out commands to each other.

“You okay?” Kye rasps in my ear.

I check myself and don’t feel anything is hurting or bleeding. “I’m fine. Savannah?”

“I’m okay,” her small voice says from beneath me and relief floods my body.

Carefully, Kye stands and helps me and Savannah up off the floor. I can smell the blood in the air, see it spattered up the white walls, and although I know I shouldn’t look, my gaze moves around the hallway as I press Savannah to me.

Bodies are slumped wherever they fell, pools of red spreading around them, staining the white tiles. I should care, I should feel bad they’re dead, but I don’t.

They wanted to hurt us, to make us suffer for their twisted games. I hope they felt the same fear Savannah has every moment she’s been in this hell hole.

Callum urges everyone to keep moving, and my legs tremble as I follow them. Kye doesn’t get back into the chair, and I don’targue with him. I want to get out of here and demanding he does will only delay that. Besides, through the bond, I can feel his emotions, and I can tell he needs this.

So I let him tuck me against his body while I keep Savannah pressed to my side, trying to shield her from the gory, macabre sight around us.

I don’t relax until Beck opens a door and sunshine floods into the corridor. I’m eager to be outside, and it feels like an eternity before it’s our turn to step through the frame.

The heat of the sun beats down against my skin, making me shiver against a cold I didn’t know I was feeling. The asphalt beneath my soles is hot and cuts into my skin, but that small amount of pain is a price I’m willing to pay for our freedom.

As we walk, I tip my head up to stare at the blue sky and suck in a lungful of fresh air. We’re free… but we’re not safe yet.

The guys lead us across a small parking area that seems so normal it’s hard to believe what was happening inside the building behind us. I glance over my shoulder at the three-story, unassuming structure that kept little girls locked up and starving. Surrounding us are fields and hills, with taller mountain ranges in the distance. There are no houses, no towns, or signs of civilization as far as the eye can see.

Where the hell are we?

There are several vehicles in the parking lot, but there is a long van parked away from everything else, and that is where we head. As we approach, the doors open from the inside to reveal Archie and Ayden. The latter grins at me and Kye.

“You think we were going to let you have all the fun?”

“Nothing about that was fun,” Kye mutters.

“You need a better sense of adventure.” Ayden moves aside to allow others to start climbing in. I have no idea how we’re all going to fit.

“You think being shot is an adventure? Worrying about my mate’s safety is a joke to you?”

“No, but?—”

“Don’t upset him,” I interrupt. I’m not sure why Ayden is toying with him, but the irritation rolling off Kye would scare the average person into an early grave.

Ayden’s expression slides off his face, remorse clear as he glances toward Kye, who has blood staining parts of his skin that can be seen beneath the sheet he’d at some point tied around his waist like a skirt.

“Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

“You never do,” Kye snarls at him.

I’m not sure what happens; maybe it’s the drugs that bitch injected me with, or maybe it’s the adrenaline fleeing my system, but my vision rolls like I am on a fairground ride. I sag forward, unable to hold my weight as my legs crumple beneath me.

I brace to hit the ground, but Kye’s strong arms wrap around me, holding me up even though I can feel him trembling with the exertion.

“Apryle?” The thread of panic in his voice has Beck jumping back out of the van.

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