Page 38 of His Mate

My Kendra. My sweet, perfect mate.

We were connected now, in a way that would never fade, would never change, and I felt a sense of peace wash over me, a calm that settled deep into my bones, easing the tension, the worry, the pain. We lay there like that, the only sound our raggedbreathing, locked together, my cock still pulsing, her body still trembling, until slowly, gradually, we came back down to earth.

I looked down at her, and a surge of pride, of protectiveness, of love, swelled in my chest.

Because this was the woman who was mine, the one I was going to spend the rest of my life with, the one who would bear my children and help me rebuild this broken world.

My mate.

She looked up at me, her green eyes shining, and I felt something shift inside me, something I hadn’t even known was there, until the moment I saw her.

I’d finally found home.

CHAPTER 13

Kendra

I woke to the warmth of Rowan’s arms wrapped around me, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my cheek, the rise and fall of his chest as he slept. For a moment, I allowed myself to sink into it, to savor the safety of being close to him, the way his presence made me feel protected, wanted. It would have been easy to stay there, to pretend that this moment could last forever.

But as reality began to creep back in, so did the voices—the words of the guards echoing in my mind, like a constant, gnawing ache that refused to be silenced.

They’re thinking of taking them at eighteen now… production’s too low… we have to maintain the numbers…

I swallowed hard, my heart tightening painfully as I thought of Mariah and Lia, my friends, the only people who had been like family to me in that hellhole. They had always been there, looking out for me, for each other, even when the world had fallen apart around us. And now, because of me, because I’dmanaged to escape, they were still there—waiting, unprotected, and unaware of what was coming.

The thought of them being taken, of them suffering through the horrors I’d barely survived, twisted something deep inside me, something that refused to let me stay here, safe and warm while they faced that nightmare alone.

I had to go back. I had to warn them. I couldn’t leave them behind, not like this.

I turned my head, glancing up at Rowan. His face was relaxed in sleep, softened in a way I hadn’t seen before. Even now, even in the soft light of the afternoon sun filtering through the canopy above us, he looked so strong, so capable.

And I knew he’d try to stop me if he knew what I was planning. He’d tell me it was too dangerous, that we’d find another way. But there wasn’t any other way.

Not before it was too late.

Taking a shaky breath, I slowly, carefully, began to untangle myself from his arms, wincing as his grip tightened instinctively, as if even in sleep he didn’t want to let me go. I waited, heart pounding, until he relaxed again, his breathing evening out, and then I slipped free, moving with the same caution I’d learned from sneaking around the compound at night.

I couldn’t afford to wake him. Not now.

I stood, my legs trembling, and looked back at him one last time. My heart twisted painfully in my chest, and I fought the urge to reach out, to touch him, to say goodbye. But I knew if I did, I wouldn’t be able to leave. I wouldn’t be able to walk away from him, from this.

I’ll come back, I promised silently, the words catching in my throat.I’ll find my way back to you.

I turned, picking up my dress from the forest floor and pulling it on, covering my nakedness. Then I slipped through the trees, moving as quietly as I could, forcing myself not to look back. Each step felt heavier than the last, as if some invisible force was pulling me back toward him, but I kept moving. I had to.

For Mariah. For Lia. For the girls who hadn’t been given a chance to fight.

The forest grew darker as I ventured deeper, the shadows swallowing me up, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. My heart hammered in my chest, the fear and doubt gnawing at the edges of my mind, but I pushed it aside, focusing on one step at a time, one breath at a time.

The further I went, the colder it became, and a chill settled over me, but it was nothing compared to the icy dread that had taken root in my stomach, the fear that I wouldn’t make it in time. That I’d be too late.

Please, I prayed, even though I didn’t know who I was praying to.Please let me get there in time.

I kept moving through the forest, my legs aching, my heart pounding in my chest with every step. The chill of the morning air sank into my bones, and I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to ward off the cold. The thin clothes I wore from the compound were barely enough to keep me warm, and with every passing minute, doubt gnawed at me, the fear that I wouldn’t make it in time.

But then, through the thick curtain of trees, I saw a cabin, nestled among the pines, half-hidden by the overgrown foliage.The wood was worn and faded, and one of the shutters hung crooked on its hinges, but it was there. I felt a flicker of hope, and I moved toward it, my steps quickening, my breath catching in my throat.

I paused at the door, my fingers trembling as I pushed it open, and it creaked, the sound loud in the stillness of the forest.

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