Page 13 of Taming His Mate

“You know exactly who I am. Just like I know exactly who you are,” Mercy says softly, but with a bite.

I watch as Isabelle’s features settle from the openly fake politeness back to her usual sneer. With vampire speed, her hand snaps out to circle Mercy’s wrist.

“Shit!” I hiss under my breath, surging forward, only to be stopped by the impenetrable wall of vampires. I don’t know what Isabelle is planning but knowing her, it can’t be good. I wouldn’t have thought that she would harm Mercy or Noa, but suddenlyI’m not sure what to think with her. Everything I thought I knew about her seems to be a lie.

“Isabelle, don’t!” I warn.

With her hand wrapped around Mercy’s wrist, Isabelle hesitates. Then she steels her face and pulls her out from behind Jarik and into her arms.

All hell breaks loose.

Jarik roars as his beast comes surging out thinking his mate and son are being threatened. Tattered cloth flutters around him as he lunges for Isabelle. The vampires take the same moment to make their move and surround him.

I rush forward when the wall that was blocking moves in on Jarik, at the same time Isabelle spins and thrusts Mercy at me. I capture my sister-in-law, tucking her and my nephew against me, just as Jarik’s beast lunges for Isabelle, his dripping jaw open and roaring. My heart clenches and I reach for her but she’s too far.

“No!” I shout.

Just before he reaches her, she traces away and Jarik skids into the wall hard enough to make the whole building shudder. The ballroom is quickly dissolving into chaos. Most of the factions are fleeing, while some stand frozen to watch the shit-show unfolding around them.

I sag against Mercy with relief when Isabelle reappears safely on the other side of the room. Jarik’s beast is still riled as he pivots, looking for her before his sights fall on the vampire coven circling him.

“Luka, what’s happening?” Mercy shouts over Jarik’s roars.

I shake my head as I turn her so that Noa is pressed between us. The sounds of his son’s distressed cries are fueling Jarik’s beast’s rage as he takes in each calculated movement by the circling vampire coven.

What are they thinking?Jarik’s beast will strike first and ask for forgiveness later. The way the vampires are provoking him, this battle is going to end up being a massacre.

I need to get to Isabelle. My own beast is howling and fighting to join my brother so that we can protectourmate. It’s taking all my strength to hold him back, to protect Mercy and my nephew.

“Luka, let me go!” Mercy begs me over the cacophony of the vampire’s shouts and Jarik’s roars.

“I can’t,” I shout back. Not yet, because a group of vampires have broken off and are closing in on us. Across the room, another group is flanking Isabelle while her mother is trying to pull her toward Jarik.

My beast growls as the matriarch drags our mate towards danger while the rest of the coven presses in around us. Their eyes are locked on Mercy and the air is saturated with the scent of malice.

“Luka, let me go!” Mercy shouts again. “Please, let me go to him!”

“Mercy, he’s in a rage! His beast—” His beast slashes through a line of vampires, sending bodies and limbs flying.

“His beast needs me!” she argues as she struggles in my arms. “He’ll never hurt me or Noa.”

I glance over at Jarik’s beast and my blood turns cold. He caught sight of Isabelle and he’s crouching down, ready to attack. When he lunges, I let go of Mercy.

The moment she leaves my arms, my beast bursts out of me. The vampires standing between us fall under a single swipe of my craws, clearing the way for her to run to her mate.

“Jarik!” Mercy screams.

Jarik’s beast freezes in mid stride and his huge dark head snaps to the side. His eyes glow gold and he swerves, faster than something so big should be able to, straight to his mate.

She flings herself at Jarik who wraps her in his arms. My beast laughs at my relief that Mercy was right, and Jarik’s beast would truly never hurt her.

Never hurt mate,he snorts in my mind.

I’m only allowed a moment before a female’s pissed off scream grabs my attention.

“You stupid bitch!” Lysandra’s scream echoes through the ballroom. My head snaps to where the irate female has her hand wrapped around a fist full of Izzy’s hair. “You had one task, and you couldn’t?—”

Her tirade is suddenly cut off by an arrow protruding from the center of her chest. Her chin drops and she looks down at the blood slicked shaft with surprise. Isabelle’s mouth falls open in horror as she falls backward and scuttles away.

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