Page 64 of His Mate

Kendra tensed beside me, her muscles coiled, ready for another fight. One wolf barely managed to reach the Resistance linebefore a blast from a shotgun sent it crashing to the floor, blood splattering across the walls.

“Kendra,” I called again, struggling against the chains that bound me. “Get down! They’ll shoot anything that moves!”

She turned her head toward me, her glowing green eyes wild, still caught in the primal rush of the battle. Her fur was matted with blood—both hers and her enemies’—and her breath came in heavy pants, but I could see the understanding in her eyes. Then before I could say anything more, one of the Resistance fighters spotted her.

“There’s another one!” a voice shouted, and I saw one of the soldiers raise his weapon, his rifle trained directly on Kendra.

“Wait!” I screamed, my voice cracking as I strained against the chains, trying to draw their attention. “Don’t shoot! It’s Kendra! She’s not one of them!”

The soldier hesitated, his finger hovering over the trigger, confusion flickering across his face as he looked between me and Kendra.

“She’s not—” I started to say, but then another voice cut me off.

“Hold your fire!” Captain Sorin’s voice rang out as she stepped into the warehouse, her cold, calculating gaze sweeping over the scene. Her eyes landed on Kendra, then flicked to me, chained up and helpless. “Stand down,” she ordered the soldier, who immediately lowered his weapon, though his eyes never left Kendra.

I let out a shaky breath, my body sagging against the chains, but my relief was short-lived.

Kendra growled low in her throat, her eyes locked on Sorin. The captain didn’t flinch, her hand resting casually on the holster at her hip, though she didn’t draw her weapon.

“You’re not like them. But that doesn’t mean I trust you,” she said, her voice cold and detached.

I struggled against my chains, my voice hoarse as I spoke. “She’s my mate, Sorin. She’s not a threat.”

Sorin glanced at me, her expression unreadable. “That remains to be seen.”

Kendra, still in her wolf form, growled again, her eyes gleaming with distrust as she glanced between me and Sorin.

“Sorin, please,” I said, my voice strained. “Let me out of these chains. I can calm her down.”

Sorin raised an eyebrow, clearly weighing her options. She stared at Kendra for a long moment, then turned to one of her soldiers.

“Get the key to his chains,” she ordered, before turning back to me. “But know this, Blackwood—if you so much as try anything, we’ll put you both down like we did with the rest.”

I nodded, feeling a surge of relief as one of the soldiers hurried to unlock the chains binding my wrists and ankles. My muscles ached as I stood, the weight of the chains finally gone, but I kept my focus on Kendra.

I stepped toward her slowly, my hands raised in a gesture of peace. “It’s okay,” I whispered, my voice low and soothing. “It’s over. We don’t need to fight anymore.”

I knelt beside Kendra, my fingers threading through her black fur, feeling the heat radiating off her body. Her muscles were still tense, her eyes glowing with the remnants of the battle as she glanced warily at the Resistance soldiers surrounding us. She was still on edge, stuck in her wolf form, the animal instincts holding her in their grip.

“Kendra,” I whispered, keeping my voice low and soothing, like I was coaxing her out of a nightmare. “It’s over. You’re safe now.”

She let out a low growl, but it wasn’t directed at me. It was a sound of frustration, of confusion. Her wolf form wasn’t releasing its hold on her as easily as I had hoped, and I could sense her struggle, feel her tension as she fought to understand what was happening. She was stuck, caught between the human she was and the wolf she had become, and I knew I had to help her shift back. Not yet. Not now.

But very soon.

The scent of her agitation clung to the air around us, thick and heavy, and as much as I tried to calm her, I could feel the bond between us pulling tighter. She needed me, needed something primal.

She needed to yield.

To bemadeto yield.

Sorin stepped closer, her cold, calculating eyes narrowing as she studied us. Her gaze flicked to Kendra, her lips pressed into a thin line.

“She’s not shifting back,” she observed, her tone pointed.

I shook my head, keeping my hand on Kendra’s neck, trying to keep her calm. “She’s still new to this. The shift can be hard to control at first.”

Sorin’s eyes flicked between the two of us, then she crossed her arms, her expression unreadable.

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