Page 41 of His Mate

One of them managed to grab him, claws digging into his side, and I felt my heart lurch, felt a cry tear from my throat, but Rowan didn’t slow. He snarled, and with a surge of strength, he wrenched himself free, his elbow slamming into the wolf’s nose, and the sickening crunch of bone filled the air. He spun, his leg sweeping out, knocking the last wolf off his feet, and then Rowan was on him, his hands around his throat, his expression cold, merciless, as he squeezed.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I held my breath.

And then, just like that, it was over. Rowan stood over the bodies, blood dripping from his hands, his chest rising and falling with every ragged breath. He looked like something out ofa nightmare—something wild, dangerous, but my heart swelled with relief and with something else I couldn’t quite name.

Something I wasn’t ready to name…

He turned to me, his eyes still glowing, still fierce, and in two strides, he was in front of me, untying the ropes and catching me as I fell into his arms.

I buried my face in his chest, my body trembling, my heart racing, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt safe. Safe in his arms. Safe in the knowledge that he would always come for me.

“Let’s go,” he murmured, and I nodded, clinging to him as he lifted me into his arms.

I couldn’t help but tremble as his words echoed in my mind.

“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.”

I swallowed hard, wondering what that could possibly mean, but I clutched at him even tighter.

CHAPTER 14

Kendra

I woke with a start, the first rays of morning sunlight cutting through the thick canopy of leaves overhead, warming my skin. My muscles ached, and I shifted, wincing as I sat up, the events of the previous night flooding back in a rush. The memory of being hunted, captured, and then Rowan tearing through the wolves like a storm… It all felt like a blur, like something out of a half-remembered nightmare.

I blinked, trying to clear the fog from my mind, and that’s when I looked around and spotted him.

He sat a few feet away, crouched on a fallen log, his broad shoulders illuminated by the soft morning light. In his hands, he held a long branch, and I watched, transfixed, as he dragged the edge of a knife down its length, shaving away thin curls of wood. The branch was smooth, pale hickory, and as he worked, I realized what he was doing.

He was carving it into a switch.

My ass clenched nervously.

My breath hitched, and I felt a shiver race down my spine, equal parts fear and something else I couldn’t quite name. He must have heard me, because he paused, his head tilting slightly, and then those intense blue eyes locked onto mine. For a moment, neither of us moved, neither of us spoke, and I felt my heart pound faster, harder, under the weight of his gaze.

“You’re awake,” he said finally, his voice low, gravelly, and I couldn’t help but notice the faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, as if he’d caught me doing something I shouldn’t have. “Good.”

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry.

“What… what are you doing?” I managed to ask, even though I was pretty sure I already knew the answer.

Rowan’s gaze flicked back to the switch in his hand, and he continued carving, the movements smooth and controlled.

“Making sure you don’t run off again,” he said simply, and there was a hardness in his tone, a finality that sent another shiver down my spine. “You shouldn’t have left, Kendra. It was far too dangerous.”

I opened my mouth to protest, to tell him that I had to go back, that I had to warn Mariah and Lia, but the words died on my lips. The intensity in his eyes, the way his fingers tightened around the hickory branch, told me he wasn’t in the mood for arguments.

“Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?” he continued, and there was an edge to his voice now, something sharp and firm. “You could have been killed.”

“But I wasn’t,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, even though my heart was racing. “You found me. You saved me.”

“Yes,” he growled, and the sound was almost feral, his gaze boring into mine. “I saved youthistime. But what about next time? What happens if I’m not there?”

I didn’t have an answer for that, and we both knew it.

He stood then, the switch in his hand, and took a step toward me, his expression dark.

“I told you,” he said, his voice low and dangerous as he loomed over me. “You’re mine, Kendra. And I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Including welting your bare little ass whenever you need it.”

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