Page 27 of Bound By My Alpha Mate

But she did. My name hovered soundlessly on her lips.

“It’s okay. We’re going to get you out of here,” I promised.

I helped Billie support Muriel while Aislin led us through the tunnel and into the wide cavern where most of the fighting was taking place. All of a sudden, we were exposed to the Dalesbloom wolves and Inkscale dragons defending themselves against a tide of our packmates, backed by Mythguard humans. Surprise anchored me to the spot. I hadn’t expected such bravery from the wolves who had allowed my mother to be taken prisoner and claimed not to know where to even find their enemies.

“They must have followed us,” Aislin suggested. “Thank Luna!”

But I gave no god any credit for this. It was pure, dumb luck that Billie and Aislin were stupid enough to try to sneak off without telling their Alpha mates. Obviously, they would have been followed!

My ears rang from all the gunshots firing through the cavern. Past all the bloodshed, I glimpsed the far-off entrance to the mine, where freedom glistened in rays of dawn. “This way!” I said to Billie, pulling her and my mother forward.

Aislin protected us as we pushed toward the entrance. She swung her fists at anybody that got too close, digging her nails into skin and throwing hard kicks into ribs. Her teeth flashed in vicious warning until somebody knocked her sideways and to the ground. “Damn it! Aislin!” I shouted, but before I could even reach out my hand to her, somebody else stepped in to brutally snap the neck of the dragon shifter that had attacked her. I reeled back, staring in awe at the dirty blond, bearded, steel-eyed Viking that was Everett March, standing over Aislin.

“Ev!” Aislin rasped, rolling onto her stomach. “Shit, is that guy dead?”

“Get up,” Everett growled, grabbing her hand and helping her to her feet.

From across the room, another voice hailed us. “Billie!” The brown-haired Grandbay Alpha paused to throw a punch at someone, then looked our way again. “Are you okay?”

Billie swallowed hard, urging my mother forward. “Yeah, I am. Gavin, be careful, please!”

“You got it, babe,” Gavin replied before promptly being drawn into another fistfight.

With Everett’s help, we charged into the crowd and made our way toward the only exit. We were so close I could taste the fresh air. Just a little further…

A thunderous sound broke through the cavern, and suddenly, Everett jerked forward, a bullet in his shoulder. Aislin cried out and grabbed her mate.

“No further, or I’ll put a hole in his head!” roared David.

Everybody in the room stopped still. The fighting immediately paused as we all turned our eyes to David, lurching toward the crowd, clutching his abdomen where he had previously taken a bullet. Colt lingered behind him, hugging the infant tight.

Everett snarled, forcing himself to stand up. “Keep going. I’ll deal with him.”

His eyes met David’s with a warning. When David raised his weapon to shoot Everett again, the Eastpeak Alpha charged at him, brimming with vengeance.

I knew it took all of Aislin’s strength not to go after her mate. Her eyes flashed with worry, but all the same, she started leading us toward the exit once more. The fighting resumed, only now we had Mythguard protecting us from Dalesbloom and the Inkscales.

When I felt somebody grab my free arm, I let go of my mother to fight the offender off—only to see Colt already bleeding from where he had been attacked in the fray. He shoved the infant into my arms. “Get her out of here.”

“No!” I protested, thrusting the wailing child back at him.

But Colt refused to take her.

“Kiara, let’s go!” Billie pleaded as she supported Muriel by herself.

One of the dragons broke through our Mythguard defenders and tried to grab the baby away from me. I recognized him as the tattooed guard; blood was trickling from his temple. Then, time seemed to slow. I watched Colt turn his eyes to the dragon, his expression twisting in rage at the sight of someone attacking me. With his hands now free, he lunged at the dragon, disappearing into the crowd with him.

Colt had turned on the dragons to protect me. He was risking his own life trying to get this baby to safety. For a moment, I was too stunned to process what I’d seen to keep moving with the group. I snapped out of it quickly, and step by step, we got closer to freedom.

Out of nowhere, a body eclipsed the rising red sunlight. He was the only thing standing in our way…

Lothair Javier.

The bedraggled man was breathing heavily, as if he had fought through hordes to get here. He wore only black pants—no shoes, no shirt. Long blond hair hung over his shoulders and in front of his dirt-smeared face. His piercing, yellow eyes sank into me like teeth—I was holding his daughter. “Give her to me,” he said darkly.

Seconds ago, I hadn’t wanted anything to do with this baby. But now, inexplicably, I simply couldn’t hand her back to the enemy.

“Give me my child!” Lothair roared.

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