Page 81 of Owning His Mate

Her magic lashes out suddenly and faster than I thought possible.

It hits me like a thunderclap, pain exploding through my skull. I scream as I’m driven to my knees, my hands fisting over my temples. The pain is blinding, whiteness blanketing my vision as I emit a shriek so carnal, it makes the hairs on my arms stand up. I cover my head, trying to block her magic, but it is no use.

Wave after wave of bone-crunching pain pulses through my skull as I feel something dark and insidious slide inside my mind.

I’m going to die. This bitch is going to kill me.

“Apryle!” Hands grab at me, shaking me violently, but I can’t move or breathe. “Baby, listen to my voice!”

I latch on to it, the familiar baritone sound reverberating through my mind.

It’s home. It’s safety. And I try to follow it.

“Apryle, come back to me, please.”

The woman is nearly in front of me, and my screams are still piercing the air.

“APRYLE!”

My consciousness slams back into my body, and my eyes fly open as I jackknife upright. Arms wrap around me, pulling me into a hard chest. A scream bubbles out of my throat as I flail.

“Sweetheart, it’s me! You’re okay.”

Kye.

His scent fills my nose, his awareness is in my mind, the mating bond thrumming between us. I sag into his hold, sobbing as he holds me tight.

“Shit… I’ve got you,” he tells me over and over until my tremors stop.

My heart rate is rocketing beneath my ribs, but I’m out of the dream and safe.

“She was so powerful. I couldn’t… I tried to… She was in my head.” I’m aware that I’m not making sense to him, but my thoughts are jumbled.

“Who was?”

“I dreamwalked.” I pull back a little, but he keeps a tight hold on me, as if he’s scared to let go.

Judging from how the covers on his side of the bed have been tossed aside, he came to me quickly, and there’s relief knowing he had my back, even somewhere he couldn’t follow.

I rake my fingers through my hair, pushing it off my face, and as I do, I feel something wet on the side of my face. Pressing my fingers close to my ear, they come away covered in crimson wetness.

I’m bleeding.

That shouldn’t be possible. Things that happen in dreams don’t carry over into the real world.

And yet I have seen what Savannah can do. She brought someone to her while asleep.

Kye grabs one of his tees from the floor and presses it against my ear.

“What happened?”

I try to swallow my terror as I raise my eyes to his. “I saw her.”

“Saw who?”

My tongue darts out to wet my suddenly dry mouth. I have no idea how I know this information, but the moment I speak it, I know I am right. “Revna. I was in her dream—her memory—and I saw her being tortured. She shouldn’t have been able to…” I close my eyes. “She looked right at me, Kye. She hit me with magic, and I felt pain in every inch of my body.”

“What the hell does that mean?”