Page 64 of Owning His Mate

“I was made to use my power repeatedly,” Dove says slowly. “They had me doing these exercises with it, as if they were trying to figure out what I could do.”

“You must remember something.” I can’t stop the bite to my words. I need answers, not all this vague shit that doesn’t help at all.

Jackson bares his teeth at me, snapping as his eyes flash wolf. My lips peel back too, though I don’t blame him for snarling at me. I would have done worse if he’d come at Apryle.

“Don’t fucking talk to her like that.” That’s two males I’ve pissed off already, but I don’t care. My only priority is my mate.

“I need to know what I’m up against.” I shove to my feet, suddenly restless. “This new enemy is dangerous. They took us off the street in daylight, in front of humans. They don’t fear anything and I have no idea how to protect my mate from them.”

“We’re all in the same boat, buddy,” Sawyer says, uncharacteristically serious. “For every answer, we get more questions popping up. We all have mates to protect.”

“I think it’s safe to assume they don’t intend anything good toward us,” Cade says.

“Who cares what they want?” Jackson kneads Dove’s nape as he talks and my fingers itch to touch my mate. Sensing her in my mind is barely enough to keep me from going to her. “Let’s just add them to the list of people we need to get rid of.”

“The only thing I do remember,” Dove speaks slowly, leaning into her mate’s touch, “is that there was a guard who was always talking about ‘her children.’”

Her children.Whose children? Revna? Another tau? Again, more questions than answers.

“How ominous,” Halle mutters.

“The children being tau?” Roux asks. “Or something else?”

Dove blows out a frustrated breath, her fingers moving through her hair. “I don’t know. A lot of my time at the facility is blurry or missing from my memory entirely. I wish I could be of more help.”

Jackson nuzzles his nose into her neck, offering more comfort to her. “You’re doing fine, baby. We appreciate what you do know.”

“One thing that sticks out to me is there was a lot of superstition. The guards were always talking about something bad that was coming. Whatever it was, they feared it.”

“Something bad like our creator returning from wherever she’s being held?” Sawyer laughs, but there is no humor in it.

“Is it really so far-fetched to believe that?” Tessa rubs her stomach.

What would Apryle look like carrying our pups?

I shut that thought down instantly. I want young with her eventually, but not now. Not when so much danger swirls around us.

“Even if we don’t,” Roux says, bringing my attention back to the conversation, “it’s clear these two groups do, and that puts us in danger.”

“Which brings us back to the question of what either side wants with us. The Order started out with murder on its mind, but now it’s catching us and using us to build an army. This new group wants blood from hybrids and to free Revna.”

“I don’t like to jump to conclusions.” Sawyer moves away from Roux, pacing in front of the window. “But I’m going to take a leap here. Revna’s fan club wants blood from tau wolves, and they want to release her from wherever the hell she’s trapped. What if the two things are linked?”

“It’s possible,” Roux muses. “It depends on the spell that was used.”

“Let’s just run a hypothetical here.” Halle stands too, restless, and I feel the same vibe from the others. “The Order hates tau. They spent years trying to kill us and torturing us. Then one day they just decided to wipe our minds and brainwash us into being perfect soldiers while breeding tau and vargr together. They’re fighting a war, but we’ve never been able to understand what they were fighting. I think Savannah may have handed us the answer.”

“The Order is trying to stop Revna from escaping wherever she’s trapped?” I cock my brow. “That’s what all this shit is about?”

“I mean… We don’t have definitive proof, but I don’t think it’s a bad theory.”

Before I can respond, panic suddenly flares through my mating bond. It is so strong that if I was not sitting, it would drive me to my knees. Terror like I have never felt consumes me as Apryle’s fear pulses.

Apryle!

I stumble to my feet,hitting a wall of silence through the bond that does nothing to calm my racing heart.

“What’s wrong?” someone asks, but I rush out of the house.

---