Page 92 of Owning His Mate

Chaos descends around us as everyone tries to regain their bearings. I pick my way over parts of the ceiling, finding Savannah safe with Sawyer and Roux.

She comes straight to me, wrapping her arms around my waist, and I grab her face, checking for any injuries. There’s a little dirt smeared on her cheek, but other than that, she looks unharmed.

Callum and the others are rushing around, arming themselves.

“That was magic,” Roux shouts, clearly also affected by the explosion of power that hit the building.

“We are under attack,” Callum yells, before his gaze locks on Hester. “You led them right to us.”

Did she? More importantly, did she do it on purpose? I try to read her expression, but I don’t see any triumph in her face. In fact, she looks scared. “I didn’t know I was being followed. I was careful.”

“Clearly not careful enough. Get ready to fight.” He places a gun in my hand. It’s not particularly heavy, but it feels like a ten-ton weight is sitting on my palm.

I’ve used my magic to defend myself so many times, and I wouldn’t think twice about doing it again, so I don’t need to shoot someone to protect myself. I have inbuilt weapons that are far more dangerous.

When I try to hand it back to Callum, Kye wraps his hand over the top of the gun in mine. “You stay here with Savannah.”

If he thinks I’m going to stay behind while he fights our battle for me, he is so wrong. “Why don’tyoustay here?”

That annoys him, mostly because I can see he doesn’t know how to argue against it. I’m just as capable as he is, and although I’m not physically strong, my magic means I’m not helpless. “We have to protect her, Apryle. If she has this blood, the same as you, then you are both a target.”

Now I’m the one unable to argue. “We don’t even know if they’re here for us. More likely, they’re here for all of us. I’m not staying behind, so you’re just wasting your time.”

“I’ll stay with her,” Tessa says, cradling her stomach.

Abel remains behind her, making it clear that he is also staying. “I’ll protect her with my life,” he states.

Before Abel met Tessa, he was always the one who took care of us. He would go into the nearest town to the Sanctuary tocollect food and any other supplies we might need. So when he says he’ll take care of Savannah, I truly believe him.

I press a kiss to Savannah’s head. “You do everything they tell you to,” I say, my voice wavering.

I don’t want her to hear my fear and make her scared, but I’m also very aware that we’re about to run headlong into a situation that might end with us dying.

“I don’t want you to go,” she tells me, tears brimming in her eyes. It breaks me to see them, but I remind myself that we are fighting for a future in which Savannah never has to be afraid of anything ever again.

“I know, but sometimes we have to do things that are scary and feel bigger than us.” I let go of her, and she immediately seeks comfort from Tessa, who nods at me, telling me without words that she’ll take care of things.

A tendril of anxiety unfurls inside my veins, wrapping around my heart and squeezing. I’m not stupid enough to pretend I’m not scared, but I also hold resolutely to the knowledge that we’re doing what needs to be done.

That and Kye’s presence inside my mind give me the strength to join the others. As we emerge from the building, the chaos that greets us has both of us stumbling.

The stench of magic and blood is thick in the air as tau and wolves fight for survival. My eyes struggle to see who is with us and who is the enemy, the attack so frenzied. Kye squeezes my hand tight enough that the pain is enough to ground me.

“Don’t die,” I say to him before pulling free of his grasp.

He doesn’t want me to go, but he and I cannot fight this together. He knows it too, even if he does not want to admit it.

“I love you,” he whispers, and my heart soars.

“I love you too.”

I turn away before it becomes too hard, the lump in my throat already choking me as I spot Halle, Roux, Dove, andHester engaged in a battle with a group of other tau. I dodge a blast of power, but I don’t see the wolf until his front paws slam into my side, knocking me off my feet.

I hit the ground hard, reaching for my power as teeth snap in front of my face. Shit. I whack him with a blast that sends him back a couple of steps, but then he is coming for me again.

Son of a…

I draw deeper on my power, but before I can unleash it, a gray wolf slams into him, knocking the russet wolf to the ground. I scramble back, pushing to my feet as the gray rips out the throat of the other wolf. Blood spurts, drenching the grass beneath, the russet wolf twitching as his life drains from him.

---