Page 55 of Pleasure and Mane
"Henry," Caius said seriously, "I need you to know that you saved us. After Mom and Dad died, you could have shipped us off to boarding school or distant relatives. Instead, you gave up your entire life to raise two traumatized kids. I don't think I ever properly thanked you for?—"
A sudden, stabbing pain ripped through Caius's chest with the powerful force of a lightning strike. He doubled over in the hospital chair, his hand clutching at his heart as agony unlike anything he'd ever experienced tore through his ribcage.
"Caius!" Henry struggled to sit up in bed, his face etched with concern. "What's wrong? Should I call the doctor?"
Oh God, am I having a heart attack too?The pain was so intense that black spots danced at the edges of his vision. But then, beneath the physical agony, Caius felt something else—raw terror and panic that wasn't his own, flooding through the mate bond like ice through his veins.
"Quinn," he gasped, understanding hitting him like a freight train. "Something's wrong with Quinn."
The pain wasn't his heart failing—it was his mate's fear and terror being transmitted through their completed bond. The realization sent a different kind of panic surging through his system, this one entirely his own.
She should have been home by now.Caius lurched to his feet, his Alpha instincts roaring to life.I should never have let herdrive back alone after such an exhausting day. If she fell asleep at the wheel, if she crashed?—
"Go," Henry said firmly, his paternal authority cutting through Caius's spiraling thoughts. "Find your mate. I'll call Bertram to coordinate with the pride if you need backup."
Caius was already moving toward the door, his mind calculating routes and possibilities. "If Vincent has her?—"
"Then that bastard just signed his own death warrant," Henry finished grimly. "Bring her home, son. And don't you dare hold back tonight."
The drive from the hospital to the highway felt like an eternity, Caius's enhanced reflexes pushing his truck to dangerous speeds as waves of fear continued to pulse through the mate bond. His lion was prowling furiously beneath his skin, demanding to be released, to hunt, tokillwhatever was threatening their mate.
When he spotted Quinn's abandoned convertible at the gas station, the pump handle still inserted in the tank, Caius's world tilted sideways. The scent of her fear lingered in the air, mixed with something else—wolf shifter and expensive cologne.
Vincent.
The name roared through his mind as another wave of Quinn's terror hit him through the bond. His mate was alive, but she was terrified and in immediate danger.
The time for justice and proper channels had passed. Tonight, Vincent Keale would learn exactly why you never threatened an Alpha's Lioness.
The ancient forest roads twisted like veins through the mountains, and Caius pushed his truck beyond all reasonable limits as Quinn's terror continued to pulse through their mate bond. Her scent trail led deeper into the wilderness, away from civilization and away from help—exactly where a predator like Vincent would take his prey.
Hold on, sweetheart. I'm coming for you.
The dilapidated hunting cabin materialized through the trees like something from a nightmare, its single window glowing with harsh yellow light. Caius killed the engine fifty yards away and approached on foot, every muscle in his body coiled for violence. Through the grimy glass, he could see Quinn bound to a wooden chair, zip ties cutting into her wrists and ankles, and a gag stretched across her mouth.
That bastard gagged her.Rage so pure it nearly blinded him surged through Caius's system.She was probably trying to get a confession out of him, trying to do the right thing even while terrified.
Vincent paced around Quinn like a shark circling wounded prey, his expensive suit incongruous in the ramshackle cabin. The wolf shifter's perfectly styled black hair gleamed under the harsh overhead bulb, his ice-blue eyes glittering with malicious satisfaction.
Caius closed his eyes and tried to send something—anything—through the mate bond to let Quinn know he was here.I'm coming for you. Just hold on a little longer.
Quinn's head lifted slightly, her green eyes scanning the darkness beyond the window. She'd felt him.
Then Vincent drew a hunting knife from his jacket, the blade catching the light as he waved it inches from Quinn's face.
That's it. You're dead.
Caius exploded through the cabin door, wood splintering like matchsticks as his shoulder connected with the frame. "Get away from my mate!"
Vincent spun with inhuman speed, the knife flashing as he lunged not at Caius, but toward Quinn. Before Caius could close the distance, the cold steel pressed against the delicate skin of Quinn's throat.
"One more step and I paint these walls red," Vincent snarled, his cultured businessman facade cracking to reveal the monster beneath.
Caius froze, his blue eyes locked on the thin line of blood already beading where the blade bit into Quinn's neck. His lion roared for release, demanding he tear this wolf apart piece by piece.
"That was your fatal mistake," Caius said, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "Putting a knife to my mate's throat."
Vincent's laugh was sharp and bitter. "Your precious little town for her life, Alpha. Sign over every deed, every acre of Leon, and publicly apologize for calling me a murderer. Tell everyone you lied."
