Page 30 of Bound By My Alpha Mate

“You know we can’t trust you,” Everett said stiffly. “Nor can we accept you into our packs. But if we’re going to protect Kiara and stop David and Lothair from performing the Lycan ritual, we’re going to need to know everything that you know.”

I nodded. “I’ll tell you everything. Please. I want to help.”

But when I took a step forward, the group collectively bristled. “You can help by keeping your distance,” warned Aislin. “Remember, you’ve been just as bad as David, you creep.”

Her words slapped me across the face. My shoulders sank, and once more, I nodded. “Just tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll do it.”

Everett glanced over at Sebastian. “You still have those zip ties?”

The taller man nodded and, without a word, approached me as he withdrew the fasteners from his vest pocket. It seemed they had come prepared to take prisoners, if necessary. Perhaps particularly those on their extermination list.

To prove my willingness to work with them, I stuck out my wrists, standing quietly while Sebastian secured them together. He then grabbed my arms and nodded at Everett.

“Okay, let’s go,” said Everett, ushering the group in the direction of Eastpeak and his house.

I still didn’t know if I was even going to survive this. But at least now, everyone would see how desperate I was to redeem myself. They would know that I wasn’t the wicked monster I came off as by obeying my father. I wasn’t like him. I wanted so badly to be better than that.

While we walked, I took comfort in the sight of my fated mate ahead of me. She was the only comfort I could find now. Every now and then, she glanced back at me, and I wondered whether she understood my intentions, whether she felt my guilt.

If I could embrace her one last time, in earnest, I would die happy.

Chapter 19

Kiara

I walked in a haze for the rest of the journey back to Everett’s house.

Clouds moved across the sky, blocking out the sun and turning the air cold. Even with the leggings and t-shirt I wore, there was a chill in my blood that I couldn’t seem to shake. I knew what it was from. The last image I’d had of my mother was lodged in my mind, that vision of her staring sadly at me as I left her—again. Tears rolling down her cheeks. Only this time, we both knew that I wouldn’t be able to save her. It would be the last time I’d ever see her, and the weight of her permanent absence dragged me down to the depths of my inner ocean, sapping all the heat and strength from my body. I’d failed.

The small reassurances offered by my companions meant nothing to me. Aislin and Billie apologized softly for having to leave my mother behind, but it wasn’t their fault—it was mine. I was the one stupid enough to endanger the infant and force my mother to stay behind and help her. Maybe if I had handed her to Lothair, he would have let us slip past him to freedom. Or maybe if I had been stronger, if I had been able to force my mother to her feet, we could have brought her with us. I could have healed her with my own magic. My mind was rife with hypotheticals, but no matter how desperately I conjured alternative solutions, nothing would override the truth of what had happened. She was gone, and there was nothing I could do to bring her back. My jaw trembled as I tried to keep myself from breaking down.

We arrived at Everett’s house on the mountainside in silence, the aftermath of the night at the mine bearing down on us. Mythguard had lost five operatives, while Eastpeak had lost one pack member, all for a seemingly pointless rescue mission. It would have been worth something had we recovered my mother. But all we had that we didn’t have before was Colt Hexen lumbering behind us. The Alphas believed they could use his insights to defend ourselves against David and Lothair, but I didn’t think we could trust him worth a damn. Not after everything they’d told me about him, and not after what he’d done to me. His apologies were just words. He had handed me that baby knowing it would endanger me—for all I knew, it had all been part of his plan to get the infant injured and make my mother stay behind. I couldn’t help but blame him. As we walked into Everett’s living room and everyone else finally sat down, I hovered, refusing to look at anyone, unsure if I even wanted to be here.

Gavin ran his hand through his hair. “Okay. The full moon is in less than a week. We need to come up with a game plan.”

Everybody stayed silent. Turning my back to the group, I clasped my hand over my mouth, fighting an unwelcome surge of emotions.

“Hello? Guys?” probed Gavin.

“Give us a moment,” said Everett, his voice rough with agitation. “We just lost six people this morning.”

Gavin sighed. “Right. Sorry.” I heard his footsteps leading back to Billie and imagined his hands on her arms as they exchanged quiet comforts.

“Kiara…” Everett continued.

I didn’t face him.

The Eastpeak Alpha stepped closer. “What are the chances your mother will survive the next few days? Do you think it’s worth raiding the mine again before the full moon?”

My heart clenched with pain. I wanted to yell at him for the insensitivity of his question, but rationality told me he was only trying to prepare, to come up with a plan like Gavin had just urged us to do. Still, my head was spinning, and my mouth was too dry to say anything useful. “I don’t know.”

“Your mother was in bad shape when we left her. All that blood she was exposed to could kill her,” Everett pointed out.

“I know.”

“So, do you think she’ll survive until the full moon?”

“I don’t know, Everett.”

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