Page 55 of The Alpha's Bullied Mate

How was Monroe talking in his head like this? This was a more powerful demon than he’d faced before.

That’s right, I am. I’m more powerful than you can possibly imagine, boy. So why don’t you just give up?

Monroe bit down hard on his shoulder. Pain ripped through Hayden’s body as teeth met bone. But rather thanfollowing up on his advantage, he released Hayden and backed away. His tongue lolled from his mouth, clearly amused and enjoying the fight.

Hayden shook off the pain, whipping to face the demon again. So what if he was more powerful than originally thought? His host body was bleeding out. It wouldn’t last long, and then the demon would be sucked back to hell.

So clever,the demon crooned.Perhaps I’ll give that cleverness a place in my court. Stand down. Swear fealty to me, and I’ll let you live.

Not a fucking chance! Hayden howled as he tore into Monroe again. Monroe tore into him as well. And all the while, the demon continued to laugh in his head.

Chapter 29 - Mica

An archdemon.

Mica sat rigidly in the chair beside her mother’s bed. The deep, even breathing from both Echo and Ryder contrasted sharply with the whirlwind emotions that swept through her. She wasn’t even sure how long she’d been sitting here. Echo had abruptly fallen asleep again—Mica had been terrified that she had died—but her words still bounced around in Mica’s mind.

Did Hayden know he was fighting an archdemon?

Part of her wanted to assume yes. Of course, he did! He knew far more than he shared with her. This was probably one of those things. He knew exactly what he was facing, and he had every angle covered.

He was protecting her. Their unborn child.

Mica let out a shaky breath as she forced herself to stand. “I’m a coward,” she said aloud to the silence. “I’m weak and pathetic. My only motivation is fear.”

And right now, this coward was going to the challenge grounds.

Oh, she was terrified. For herself. For her baby. But an even greater fear was at play—one for her mate. She couldn’t stay here, safely surrounded by salt, or run to where the archdemon couldn’t reach her. No. She was a coward and right now, her cowardice was fueled by the fear of losing Hayden.

Resolve tightened in her chest. She raced down the stairs and went to the pantry, where the barrels of salt were stored. How much did she need? She grabbed an old ice-cream pail and filled it. That ought to do it, right? Now, she could circle the stelewith salt… only, she didn’t actually know where the stele was buried. Maybe if she threw it on Monroe, it would freeze him up?

She slammed a lid on the pail and headed for the door. Before she could reach it, though, Elin and Tess both jumped in her way. Their expressions were eerily alike. Mica clutched her pail of salt to her chest, narrowing her eyes at them.

“What are you doing?” Mica demanded. Anger bubbled in the pit of her stomach. How dare they stand in front of her like this.

Tess lifted her hands in a placating gesture. Her long black hair hung around her like armor. “Mica, I know that things are… complicated. And that you must be afraid, especially with the threats against your person.”

“We’ve both been there,” Elin added, shuddering. She hunched in on herself, her gaze growing unfocused. “Monroe tried to force both Tess and I to be his mate.”

Mica shook her head. That wasn’t what she was afraid of.

Elin straightened, meeting her gaze again. “But you have to remember that Hayden is strong. He won’t let Monroe beat him. He’s going to win this fight.”

“He doesn’t know what he’s fighting,” Mica said, her heart racing.

Both the she-wolves seemed shocked but held their ground. Elin folded her arms. “I’m sure he knows. He understands these things far more than we do. Running away isn’t going to help anyone, Mica. Think about how much it will hurt Hayden when he returns to find you had such little faith in him.”

Mica stared at her. The pieces clicked together so loudly that she groaned. “I’m not trying to run away from him! I want to help him.”

If Tess and Elin looked surprised before, now they looked downright floored.

Tess let out a nervous giggle. “Help him? But you’re human.”

Mica tried to sidestep them, but they continued to block her path. “I know I’m human. I’ve spent my whole life being reminded at every opportunity that I’m not good enough to be a true member of the pack. But Hayden is fighting something he doesn’t know fully.”

“I’m sure he knows,” Elin said soothingly.

“He doesn’t! And I love him too much to let him fight alone. I love him,” Mica repeated, her voice softening. “I never stopped loving him.”

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