Page 25 of Tamed By Her Vampire Protector

“It is done.Destroy it.”Cassandra’s faint voice pierced through the ringing in my ears.The last thing I heard was the sound of glass shattering as the orb was smashed onto the ground.

Slowly, early morning sunlight flooded in through the windows.

It was all over.

We had saved the day.

All around me, the humans rejoiced the return of daylight and their freedom from vampire bondage.

And yet, all I could do was curl up and weep.Leo accomplished his mission, but at what price?

“Come on.Let’s go home,” Amanda said in a soft voice usually reserved for animals, babies, and her pathetic crying friends.Several hands stroked my shoulders and helped me to my feet.

The girls and I gathered each other in a hug as we escaped the rowdy crowd.While the other humans were celebrating their freedom, we were mourning the loss of our lives as we knew it with our mates.

We staggered into the bright light of day for the first time in years.The sun was so overwhelming that I had to clench my eyes shut.

“He’s gone,” I uttered.It was like every last bit of hope in me had been destroyed.I didn’t need to ask the rest of them if they had heard from their mates.The fact that I was the only one crying told me all I needed to know.Their mates had responded when they called through their bond.

I tried again to contact Leo, but there was only silence.

“Wait a minute.Stop.”Amanda gripped my elbow.“They’ve found him.Leo’s alive.”

“What?”I choked out.A part of me couldn’t believe her words when I knew very well that the other half of my bond was missing.

Rose closed her eyes as she spoke to Dante through their bond.“There was a rock slide.Leo was buried under it, and they had to dig him out.He’s unconscious.”

So that’s why I couldn’t reach Leo.

“The sun will make it impossible for them to get out until nightfall, but they’re all okay,” Lizzy added.

My eyes watered again, this time from the joy that was overflowing from my heart.For the first time, I cursed the sun.How I wished it would go away, and the world was covered in darkness again.

We got back to the Diamantis base and waited anxiously for night.Together, we did the best we could to prepare for the return of our mates, gathering medical supplies, brewing healing potions, and waiting with the healers.

Dusk came and went.The sky outside was dark as ink before they finally returned home.Dante carried Leo on his back in a fireman’s carry, while Grant nursed a gaping wound on his chest and Alex limped as he favored his uninjured leg.

We all rushed into action, eager to do something to help our mates.After Dante placed Leo gently onto the nearest chaise, I couldn’t help running my hands over him, as if reassuring myself that he was real.

“Calm down, child.Let me look at him,” Elspeth said as she pushed me aside.

I moved out of the way reluctantly so that the healer could get to work.Biting my nails, I watched as she kneeled down next to Leo and started waving a crystal over his body like a metal detector.After the crystal, she started massaging his head as if she was making bread.

Elspeth put the crystal away into her jacket pocket and stood up.“He is fine, physically.As the single conduit between the witches and the portal, the surge of power must have shorted his mind.He will need to rest.”

Elspeth’s answer was not very comforting.

“Will he wake up?”

“It will take time, but he will eventually heal.”Elspeth touched the back of my hand with her wrinkled hand.“Have faith in your mate.He will not desert you this easily.”Elspeth patted my hand once more before leaving to treat her next patient.

I sat on the edge of the chaise next to Leo and brushed his hair out of his face.“I can’t believe you did something so stupid.You made a promise and you better keep it, mister.”

That night, Dante helped me carry Leo up to our bed.Though he offered to help once again with bathing and dressing Leo, I knew Leo wouldn’t like his fellow clan member to see him in such a helpless state.

I did the best I could, wiping away the dirt and soot of battle with a damp washcloth and dressing him in a set of loose sweats and a t-shirt

With nothing more that I could do, I recalled Elspeth’s words.Despite my best efforts to stay awake in case Leo needed me, I fell asleep while clinging to his side.

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