Page 40 of His Mate

They dragged me through the forest, my feet scraping against the ground, my struggles useless against the strength of their grip. The sun sank lower and lower, until the last of its light was swallowed up by the shadows, and the cold began to seep into my bones. The wolves kept going, their eyes forward, their jaws clamped tight around my arms and shoulders, as if I were nothing more than prey they’d caught in a trap.

As they carried me away with them, the only thing I could think about was Rowan. My body ached, every inch of me protesting against the rough way they pulled me along, but the pain in my chest was so much worse. It twisted and tightened with every step they took, a deep, throbbing ache that grew stronger the further they dragged me away from him.

Rowan.

His name echoed in my mind, over and over, until it was all I could hear, drowning out the sounds of the wolves’ growls, the rustling of leaves, the snapping of twigs beneath our feet. Icould still feel the warmth of his arms around me, the safety and strength that had enveloped me, and it made everything about this moment feel colder, emptier. I’d only known him for such a short time, but somehow, he’d become my anchor. And now that he wasn’t here, now that they were tearing me away from him, it felt like I was being ripped apart, piece by piece.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the forest, the wolves, the fear that gnawed at the edges of my mind. But all I could see was his face—those dark, intense eyes, the way they softened when he looked at me, as if I were something precious. I thought about the way he’d held me, the way his voice had wrapped around me like a blanket, telling me I was his, that he’d never let me go. And now here I was, being dragged away, and he wasn’t here to stop it.

The thought sent a wave of panic crashing over me, and I fought against the wolves’ grip, thrashing wildly, desperate to break free and run back to him. But they were too strong, their claws digging in deeper, forcing me forward, away from him.

Finally, they stopped in a small clearing, the moon rising above us, casting everything in an eerie silver light. One of them shifted again, his bones cracking, fur receding until he stood as a man, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Stay here,” he ordered, and then they bound me to a tree, the rough bark biting into my back as they tied ropes around my wrists, my arms stretched above my head until I could barely breathe.

I watched them warily, waiting for the moment they’d come back for me, waiting for whatever fate they’d decided I deserved. But instead, they melted into the shadows, their eyes glowing in the darkness, their forms barely more than silhouettes against thetrees. They were watching me, waiting, and I felt a shiver of fear crawl up my spine.

Almost like they were using me.

As a trap.

I didn’t know how much time passed—minutes, hours—every second dragging on longer than the last. All I could think about was Rowan.

How I hoped he wouldn’t come so they couldn’t hurt him—or worse, kill him.

My body ached, my wrists burning where the ropes dug into my skin, and I felt the tears slipping down my cheeks, though I fought to keep them back.

I have to be strong. I have to…

A sound cut through the darkness—soft, barely more than a whisper. I jerked my head up, straining to see, my heart leaping into my throat, and then I felt it—warmth, familiar and comforting, reaching around the tree and curling around my belly.

In an instant, I knew it was him.

“Rowan…” I breathed, my voice trembling, and he emerged from the shadows, his eyes glowing that deep amber that sent a wave of relief crashing over me. “You… you found me.”

He was at my side in an instant, his hands working to loosen the ropes, his fingers brushing over my skin in a way that sent shivers racing down my spine.

“Of course I did,” he growled softly, his voice low and rough, filled with something that made my heart skip a beat. “Did you really think you could get away from me?”

I swallowed hard, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to spill over. “I thought…” My voice broke, and I shook my head, trying to focus, trying to keep my composure. “I thought you wouldn’t know where I went.”

His eyes flashed, and he leaned in closer, his breath warm against my ear.

“I’ll always find you,” he murmured, and there was a promise in his voice, a fierceness that sent warmth flooding through me. “You’re mine, Kendra. Nothing and no one will ever take you from me and when I get you out of here and somewhere safe, you and I are going to have a long discussion about what happens to little mates who run off without a word and get themselves into danger needlessly.”

Before I could say anything else, before I could ask how he’d found me, he pulled back, his expression hardening, and I saw the shift in him—the way his muscles tensed, the way his eyes narrowed, as he focused on something deep in the woods.

“Stay here,” he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I’ll be back.”

“Don’t! It’s a trap!” I shrieked, but that didn’t stop him.

He moved so fast that he quickly became a blur in the darkness as he leaped toward the wolves that waited in the shadows.

The first one didn’t even have time to react. Rowan’s fist collided with his jaw, sending him crashing into a tree, the sound of bone shattering echoing through the clearing. The wolf tried to rise,his body shifting, fur sprouting along his skin, but Rowan was on him before he could finish, his hands wrapping around the wolf’s neck, twisting with a sickening crack.

I watched, unable to look away, as Rowan moved through the clearing like a force of nature, his movements fluid, powerful, like he’d done this a thousand times before. Another wolf lunged at him, claws flashing in the moonlight, but Rowan ducked, driving his elbow into the beast’s gut. He grabbed the wolf by the fur, slamming his knee into his snout, and blood sprayed across the ground, dark and shining in the moonlight.

Three more wolves circled him, their eyes glowing, snarls ripping from their throats. One charged, claws extended, but Rowan sidestepped him, grabbing the wolf’s leg and twisting, using the momentum to throw him into the others. They crashed to the ground in a tangle of limbs, and Rowan didn’t hesitate—he leaped forward, his fists a blur as he struck, every blow landing with the precision of someone who’d spent a lifetime fighting, a lifetime surviving.

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