Page 74 of Blood Bearon
“Are you okay?” he asked to be sure, sitting up with her on her lap.
In the distance, sirens began to scream as the Plymouth Falls Fire Department came to the rescue.
“I’m okay. Are you? I saw what that blue thing did to the tree,” she whispered, looking back at it with horror on her face. “What was that?”
“Magic,” he said. “Powerful magic.”
They sat still for a long moment, neither talking. Eventually, Rachel stirred in his arms and together they got to their feet, arms linked around one another. He hated to see such devastation but knowing Rachel was safe allowed Khove to feel a slight amount of relief. She was what mattered most to him. Buildings could be rebuilt.
“What about the people in the rooms?” Rachel asked quietly.
“There weren’t any,” he rumbled.
“What? How do you know?”
He rolled his eyes. “You really don’t think that much of me, do you? Do you think I would choose this as a potential battleground while leaving innocents around to get hurt? I rented every room for four times the price this morning and had management kick everyone out, paying them as well if need be. There’s nobody in the building at all.”
Rachel sagged into his side, fitting nicely. “I’m sorry I doubted you,” she whispered.
“It’s fine. But I can’t stay.”
“Why not?” she asked. “I’m not about to leave a crime scene, Khove. Not when it’s stillon fire. We’re staying!”
“Korred’s going after the Manor,” he explained. “And I need to be there to help stop him. And you’re coming with me.”
He scooped her up into his arms, ignoring her protests. He’d almost lost her once. He wasn’t about to do so again. Not now that Korred knew she was important to him. There was no way Khove was risking her life.
His mate was going to be safe, whether she liked it or not.
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“I can’t believe you,” she snapped. “Forcing me to abandon Plymouth Falls. I swore to defend it, and the people. You’re preventing me from doing my job. My duty!”
“The people are safe,” he rumbled, staring at the road, ignoring the glare she was sending his way.
Rachel bared her teeth and flopped backward into the seat.Ow. She rubbed at her head where it had hit the back of the seat. Khove had been right, the back seat of the cruiserwasuncomfortable.
She recognized the irony of him stuffing her back here to ensure she cooperated, after how she’d done the same to him, but it still infuriated her.
“The people arescared,” she countered. “One of two hotels in town just went up in flames. It’s still light out. People are going tonoticethat. They’re going to need protection.”
“Then help me protect them. Korred is going to strike the Manor. If we can stop him, then his ability to terrorize the populace will be finished. They will be safe, and no more attacks will occur. Isn’t that what you want?”
Rachel fell silent. That wasn’t fair, because he couldn’tknowthat, not for certain. She would be of no help to him surrounded by a veritable army of shifters. So why was he so insistent on bringing her?
“Why do you need me to come along?” she asked. “You’ve said it before, I’m human. This is out of my league. Can’t you and your kind stop him together?”
“I want you safe,” he admitted with a sigh. “There. I said it.”
“Yeah, now I’m even more confused,” she said, sarcasm filtering into her voice. “You want me safe, so you’re taking me and putting me in harm’s way?”
“The Manor is where you’ll be safest,” he repeated. “The soldiers are ready. The defenses raised. I’m bringing you there because I want to keep you close. With me.” He focused on driving, giving Rachel the sense he was hiding something, or had come uncomfortably close to saying something he didn’t want her to hear.
“What if he attacks while I’m here with you?” she asked sullenly. “How do you think I’ll feel?”
“He won’t.”
She glared at the back of his head. Khove was as stubborn as she was, and there didn’t seem to be any fighting it. They were going back to the Manor together, it seemed.
