Page 17 of The Bodyguard and the Alpha
“Stop,” said my mate, stepping backwards. No. She was never going to be away from my side again. When she was near, the rage had less of a hold on me. Having her in my arms last night had soothed me. Even though I had still been trapped, she had calmed me by her nearness. I needed her beside me always. I stalked after her. She said something about noise. Oh right. Yes, that. I smirked. I suppose I had been a bit loud when I’d ripped their heads off. But they had deserved it. I wasn’t sorry. After so long being trapped inside the human’s body it had felt so good to be myself. To show my mate I could protect her. That I would always keep her safe.
When the danger surrounding us had become an immediate threat to my mate, I’d lost myself to the darkness. But now, my mind felt clearer than it had been in years. Being stuck inside my human body, being unable to touch her for so long, had been agony. Every moment torture. But in this cell, even while in my other form, I’d been able to touch her. I’d sensed her longing for me. Holding her in my arms as she slept had awoken something in me. Something more than the darkness, the clawing need,the madness, that had been my longtime companion. I wanted to prove myself to her. I understood what I had to do. This, being in my true form, protecting my mate, was my purpose. And she would choose me. As much as I would have preferred that my mate not be a prisoner here with me, this was my opportunity.Mychance.
And I would have to be clever. Stay sane. I had to fight the urge to fuck. To rut. Tobite. If I lost myself in her body the way I wanted, the humans would catch us. And they would hurt her. That couldn’t happen. I wouldn’t allow it to happen. I was the biggest predator on the planet and she was my mate. I sighed. I was going to have to listen to the voice that was shouting in my mind. The voice of the man I’d shoved down when I changed. The voice of sanity. That annoying fucker who’d locked me in his mind, refusing to share our body with me.How does it feel now sucker?I gloated.I’m in charge now. And you’re never getting out.
When she waved her hands in front of me, I’d understood that she wanted her manacles off. I got distracted by the way her tits bounced with the movements of her arms. What colour were her nipples? Did she like them to be sucked? Bitten? I realised she was still speaking. I had tuned out the words, but I understood her actions. The restraints on my wrists had broken when I shifted to my proper form. The idiots hadn’t understood that the spells on the metal wouldn‘t work against Shifter magic, but they stopped my mate being able to use her powers. But my fingers were too large. I couldn’t get a proper grip to twist the metal and my mate flinched when I tried. She tried to get in my face about it. Her scent had sharpened. She was angry. I didn’t give a fuck. She could be as angry as she wanted. It would hurt her if I pulled the manacles off. And I could never do that. I was her Alpha. I had to protect her. To give her pleasure. Never harm her. Pulling my hands away from the manacles, I took her tiny, perfect hand in mine and turned towards our way out.
I paused in the doorway, listening. Sounds came distantly from the right. Urgent voices. The sounds of weapons being readied. I turned my head to the left. The corridor was welllit. I sniffed the air. The air was sterile, almost scent-less. Only the faint trace of human sweat lingered. That way.
Chapter 17
Electra
Bastien paused, swivelling his head to the right, then to the left. His nostrils flared and then he pulled me along with him, down the left-hand side of the corridor. He was still holding my hand, but he’d moved to be in the lead. The space was almost eerily silent. I didn’t bother questioning him on the choice of direction. In his shifted form, his senses were far superior to mine and I trusted him to lead us away from any danger he could sense.
He still hadn’t spoken to me since he’d shifted but he clearly understood at least some of what was said to him. As vicious as he had been when he killed the men in our cell, he had been careful with me. Too careful. My fingers tapped out an angry tattoo against my thigh, temper belatedly sparking in my veins that he hadn’t taken off my manacles. I could have used magic to help us get out of here. I grumbled as I walked.
“No, don’t take off the Witch’s manacles. Why would you need your bodyguard to be able to do her job? Remember what I can do? My pre-cog? Remember how I prevented that sniper from taking you out?”
Without my pre-cog, I felt empty. And, I was prepared to admit, useless. In the cell, I had briefly felt free. The absence of my pre-cog hadn’t mattered while we were trapped in there. Anyone who came in was already a threat. My magic couldn’t have told me anything that I didn’t already know. But now that we were moving, it was a different matter. I could handle not having my offensive magic. While Bastien was in his non-human form, he could take care of himself. And he was so big that I just had to hide behind him. I felt an inappropriate urge to snicker. Seriously, the guy was enormous. I had no doubts about his ability to keep us safe.
But missing my special magic was beyond weird. For my whole life since I’d developed the rarest of magical abilities, it had defined who I was. It had shaped my life. My career path. I could see the corridor ahead of me. I could hear our footsteps on the linoleum floor. But I felt as though I was both blind and deaf. What good did it do me to see or hear? My physical senses didn’t tell me if we were in danger.
Was this how people who didn’t have my abilities felt? How did they cope? Humans First could be planning an ambush, and I had no way of knowing. I couldn’t help. The realisation that I brought nothing to our rescue was like a hammer blow to my psyche. Bastien should have left me in the cell and got himself out. I was already weakened from lack of food and water. I had seen how quickly he could move. I was slowing him down. I was useless. A burden. My chest tightened, my breaths becoming shallower and black spots swam in my vision.
I tugged at his hand. “Wait.” My feet dragged. I was falling. I put out my free hand on instinct, trying to break my fall. But before I could hit the hard floor, I was pulled into Bastien’s arms.
Chapter 18
Bastien
I was already turning, my mate’s distress scraping like a blade against my senses when she tugged on my arm. With a glance I took in the signs. Her face was pale, sweat beading on her forehead. When she fell, I was ready to catch her.
Despite my fear, a ragged purr stuttered into life as I tried instinctively to soothe her. My arms tightened, hauling her close to my chest. This. This was what I needed. What I craved. Her soft body against mine. Always. Her heartbeat pounded against my chest. It was rapid. Too fast.
What was wrong? I held her away from my body, scanning her for new injuries. I knew she had a sore shoulder. Was it enough to cause her to collapse or had I missed something? Had Stick-guy caused new damage? I should have ripped his body into pieces. Shifting her slender body back against mine I dipped my head, sniffing, drawing on my enhanced sense of smell. No blood. The vise around my chest loosened slightly. But, fuck, what was it? She hadn’t eaten for too long. Perhaps she was simply dizzy. She never ate enough as it was, despite my efforts to give her more food. In all the time she’d worked for me, I hadn’t been able to properly feedher. Once we were bonded, she would learn what it meant to be mated to an Alpha. No more starving her body of the nutrition it needed. She would take food from my hand when I told her to eat.
My cock jerked at the thought of her naked on my lap, sucking on a strawberry.Bite. Claim.
Not now, whispered the voice of reason at the back of my mind.Not until we are safe.
Her eyes fluttered. “M’okay,” she mumbled. “You can put me down.”
I shook my head. No, this was much better. With her in my arms I could move much faster. I could feel the beat of her heart. She was right where she was supposed to be.
I ran through the corridors, looking for a way out, checking at each intersection of corridors for the stench of men. At some point a loud alarm started to blare, and red lights positioned near the ceiling began to flash. Fuck. Our chances of getting out of here without a fight had just dramatically reduced.
Slowing at yet another intersection—how fucking big was this complex?—I tested the air. The scent of unwashed bodies and fear wafted to my nose. There were men ahead. I pulled to a stop. One voice murmured, “Shoot to kill when he comes around the corner.” I took a step back. They knew we were here.
I didn’t care. If the way out was through the bodies of my enemies, I’d wade into the battle gladly. But I had to keep my mate safe. I turned back the way we’d come, looking for somewhere less dangerous for her.
“What’s going on?” My mate whispered, squirming to get free now that I’d stopped running. “Let me see.”
I growled softly. Hell no. I wasn’t going to put her in danger. Not when she didn’t have her magic.
Her brows drew down as she scowled. “This is literally my fucking job, Bastien. Just rip the fucking cuffs off so I can help.”
In reply, I bared my teeth in a vicious smile. She didn’t flinch.
