Page 33 of Bound to Four Alphas

The room was silent but for the beating of her heart as she leaned forward, pressing an ear to the heavy oak of the door.

They got closer, closer,closer…

Her heart stopped as they paused outside her door-

And nothing.

The footsteps continued, fading as whoever it was walked away.

She released her breath in a great whoosh of air, stumbling back from the door.

She really was being paranoid.

A hand wrapped around her mouth, stifling her scream, the sharp point of a dagger pressed into her back.

“Make one single sound,” a voice hissed in her ear, “and you’re dead.”

Chapter 16 - Ronan

“She’s not in the gardens.” Elian brutally shoved a lion shifter out of the way to get to Ronan, his eyes flashing dangerously. “I searched them twice.”

Ronan’s fists clenched, panic coursing through him, practically choking him. “And there’s no sign of Malek?”

Elian shook his head, “I lost his scent near the woods.”

“Fuck,” Ronan snarled, whipping around, ignoring the fearful looks from those around him. “Can’t you use magic or something?”

“Oh yeah, hadn’t thought of that, what an obvious and easy solution,” said Elian with a sneer. “My powers are limited here, I’m practically blind.”

“Fuck off with your sarcasm, Benellane, now isn’t the time,” Ronan said, pushing past him with slightly too much force.

“What, you think I’m not taking this seriously?” Elian shouted after him. “I’m just as worried as you.”

“I shouldn’t have left her with Malek, fuck.Fuck!” Ronan roared, punching the stone wall. The pain didn’t even register. All he could think of, all he could possibly focus on, was the fact that Selena was missing.

And she was in danger.

He had been joking with some of his warriors when he smelled it. Thick and pungent, it nearly sent him feral then and there. The scent of his mate in distress. And not just distress, complete and utter fear.

Elian had come running from whatever shadowy corner he’d been hiding in soon after, equally panicked, murder clear in his bright green eyes. Together, they’d combed the hall and the gardens but found no trace of her, or of Malek, beyond a lingering scent in the far reaches of the garden.

Kaelen appeared, all but spewing flames. “I swear to all the Gods, when I find her, I’m going to rip that piece of shit princeling limb fromfucking limb—”

“We don’t know it was Damien,” said Elian with a growl, his fists trembling, shadows sputtering at his fingertips.

“Who the fuck else would it be?”

“Anyone who wants control of the magic,” said Elian. “Anyone interested in the prophecy.”

“Her rooms,” said Kaelen suddenly, spinning towards the staircase. “Have either of you checked her rooms?”

“If she’s been taken, they won’t have been stupid enough to take her there,” growled Ronan, aware of every single precious second slipping by.

“But she might have run there,” said Elian, “if she was being pursued. Come on.”

They took off, Elian at the front on his Fae-quick legs. For the thousandth time Ronan raged against the magical constraints to his power, his wolf howling below the surface to break free and hunt Selena down.

As they leapt up, five stairs at a time, he finally caught a fresh scent. “She’s been here,” he growled. “She came this way, maybe thirteen, no, fourteen minutes ago.”

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