Page 72 of Guarded By the Orc

I gasped, reaching back to grab my wand that had fallen from my hand as soon as I’d lunged for Rudgar. I rested it over his chest—right over the wound that Veron had put there—and tried to regulate my breathing and emotions.

Healing magick wasn’t like battle magick. It required focus and calm, and right now, I wasnotin that place. Still, I took a few deep breaths, pushing out everything that was happening around me until I could send a healing pulse of magick into his chest.

I waited, hoping and praying, but my mate didn’t move. I shoved down the panic, knowing that it wouldn’t help me in this situation.

I exhaled a shaky breath and then did it again. That was when the voices came closer. I felt my coven surround me, their hands reaching out to touch my arms, the chanting continuing in a sweet whisper that soothed me like nothing else could.

I’m not alone.

They would help me, and I would be able to do this. Exhaling again and no longer trembling, I sent a second pulse of healing magick into him. This time, I felt him twitch under my fingers.

The hope that bubbled up inside of me was so strong that I had to try to keepitdown as well.

Healing thoughts only.

The hands on my arm tightened, and I felt their energies twine with mine.

The coven bond.

I’d only ever read about it before. This was something that my mother had explained, but I’d never been able to experience. Power being mixed was one thing, but energies being mixed took a coven to the next level.

Tabitha’s serenity filled me along with Tasia’s resilience, Floria’s determination and Hanna’s hope. They settled my power, and the healing pulses became more frequent and powerful.

Long moments passed before Rudgar twitched under me, a soft golden glow appearing under his skin before he released a groan and his gorgeous blue eyes blinked open. He stared upat me, and a quiet sob of relief left me, but I used my coven’s emotions to center me again, continuing the healing on him.

“You’re mates,” Tabitha said in a low, awed voice, as I realized that my skin was glowing too.

My mate. Is that what this means?

I recalled the glow from before, but I hadn’t known what it was. With each pulse of magick, he was regaining consciousness, looking around, glancing down at where I was touching him, and it was only when he lifted his hand to cup my cheek in his huge palm that I stopped. I threw myself at him, finally letting the tears fall and he grunted, most likely not fully healed. He didn’t let me pull away, squeezing me against him and pressing his face into my hair to take a deep breath.

“You’re okay,” he murmured, and I choked out a disbelieving laugh.

“You’re the one who almost died,” I whispered, my fingers touching every inch of him that I could reach to make sure that this was real. That he was with me.

A loud thump next to me had me looking up and I saw Dristan, his brow furrowed as he took in his brother.

“Thank fuck,” he gasped, grabbing Rudgar into a hug, and my mate released a grunt of pain.

“Gentle,” Tabitha scolded, slapping Dristan’s arm.

“We made our way through the rest of them,” he told me, pointing toward a field of dead males, “I don’t think they’ll be bothering you again.”

I swallowed, still not able to speak, my eyes locked with Rudgar’s, who was smiling back at me.

“It looks like you’re safe now,” he told me in a low whisper, sweeping my hair behind my ear.

I nodded, joining Dristan’s hug, and it wasn’t long before Tabitha sighed, doing the same, and then the entire coven was hugging these two males who had protected us.

“We don’t have to join in, do we?” Rok asked from where he stood nearby, and I lifted my hand, waving them forward.

There was a lot of grumbling and complaining, but eventually the males joined us in the group hug. I rested my ear against my male’s heart again, listening to the strong sound of the beat, and closed my eyes in sweet relief.

It’s finally over.

CHAPTER 37

Rudgar

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