Page 91 of Owning His Mate

“I’ve seen it happen, which means it’s already in motion. You will do this, and you will unleash her on the world.” Her lips turn down at the corners. “I’m sorry. I wish I had better news to tell you, but my visions always come true.”

Kye steps toward her, as if he is contemplating throttling her, so I wrap my fingers around his arm. The last thing I want is for him to get hurt defending me. I ignore his grumbling under his breath, focusing instead on Hester. “I understand that, but forewarned is forearmed. We have information now that can help us, and if you know anything else, you have to tell us.”

Hester runs a hand over the back of her neck, as if she has too much tension there. “I should have known it would eventually get to this stage. I should have done more to prevent it. Erik is just as psychotic as our father was, and he is not going to stop until he fulfills whatever purpose he has.”

Dove steps forward, Jackson moving with her. “You can’t keep burying your head in the sand. For over a thousand years, this asshole has been murdering our kind—your kin. Now, he’staking hybrids and brainwashing them into being good little soldiers that he can breed more good little soldiers from. He is snatching babies out of their mothers’ arms, Hester. You are a mother yourself, you have to know how that would feel. You did everything you could to protect your children, so help us protect ours. Please.”

Her chin wobbles, the emotion weaving through her words. She and Jackson still have no idea if they have a child of their own out there, and although they hold out hope of finding out the truth, I’m skeptical they will ever have the answers they deserve.

But hope is a powerful motivator, and it is the only thing we have left. We have to hope we can be reunited with our loved ones, that we can win this battle and be allowed our freedom. Without hope, there can only be despair, an empty abyss with no option but to lie down and die.

I’m not ready to do that. I have too much to fight for now. And I promised Savannah she would have a safe, happy life. I’m not going back on that.

Hester blows out a breath, as if trying to calm herself. “You can’t win this battle. He is stronger and more determined?—”

Dove narrows her eyes. “There’s not a single person on this planet more determined than I am to find out whether I have a child in his disgusting little prison.”

Halle places a hand on Dove’s shoulder, showing her support. “If you think he’s stronger than us, then you’re not seeing the full picture. We have so much more to fight for than he does. I want my mother back, Dove and Jackson want their child back, Tessa and Abel want their pup to grow up in a world where they are not hunted like an animal. We all want to be free, Hester, and we understand that freedom comes at a price, but it is one we are willing to pay. The Order has to be stopped. Wehave to fight, and whether you like it or not, you are a part of that fight.”

“You might even end up finding your sister and having a family again,” Roux adds.

Hester flinches as if she’s been hit, but it has the desired effect. She lifts her lashes, her gaze bouncing between us. “I would give anything to see my sister again. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss her with a deep ache in my heart, but the odds are stacked against us.”

“I don’t think so,” Callum says, speaking for the first time in a while. “Every day, more and more tau groups reach out to me, wanting to form alliances. I think we have a pretty big army at our fingertips. And the girls are right. I’m tired of running, I’m tired of hiding, I’m tired of fearing that every day will be my last or the last of someone I love. We’re not weak, not at all. Each one of us has access to intense power. We can stop all of this if we work together.”

“What do you say, Granny?” Sawyer asks. “You want to lead the revolution against your insane family?”

“She’s not leading anything,” Kye snarls. “Did you forget the part where she just tried to kill my mate?”

I rub his arm, trying to soothe the angry beast inside him. “We’ve all tried to kill each other at least once,” I tell him. He doesn’t find it amusing, so I kiss his cheek. “We need her. She has inside information that we can use to fight this war.”

He grits his teeth together. “And the moment your back is turned, she’s going to stick a knife between your shoulder blades.”

I can’t argue with that, mostly because I think he’s probably right. “Then we’ll have to make sure my back isn’t turned. Besides, no one is going to get close to me when you’re around.”

His brows come together, clearly not buying the shit I’m peddling. “I was around just now and you’re bleeding.”

I glance down at the wound Halle healed. “Not anymore.” I pull apart my sleeve to show him the unblemished skin beneath. “See, good as new.”

He growls again under his breath, pulling me away from the others. As soon as we’re out of earshot, he dips his head toward me. “I don’t want you good as new. I want you unharmed, period. That woman thinks you’re dangerous, and she’s not going to step aside and let you bring forward her mystical fucking ancestors.”

“I know, but what’s the alternative, Kye?”

“We run and hide.”

I feel the power moving through the air at the same time as the others. I grab Kye, dragging him to the ground, and hoping someone does the same for Savannah as an explosion ripples through the air around us.

Chapter 24

Apryle

My vision is hazy as I lift my head. The high-pitched whistling in my ears makes it hard to hear anything, but I can see the panicked looks on the faces around me. Even though I was the one who pulled Kye down, his huge body is draped over mine, protecting me as plaster showers down from the ceiling.

“You okay?” I can barely hear him. His words sound as if they’re coming to me from underwater, but I nod my head as he helps me to my feet.

“Where’s Savannah?” I’m pretty sure I’m shouting, but I can’t decipher how loud my voice is, and I don’t care.

I want to find Savannah and quickly.

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