Page 58 of Cosmic Power

He was bonded with his werewolf. Impressive.

“Braeden,” a deep voice called out from behind him.

Her brother stopped and glanced over his shoulder, gritting his teeth.

“Let it go.” Another silver-haired shifter came up beside him and stared down at her. He was taller, wider and ten times more menacing than Braeden. He reeked of pure dominance and power. He had short hair that was styled neatly, bright, piercing blue eyes and a golden tan that Zamorra would kill for. With his strong jaw and sculpted features, he was the spitting image of Barnabas.

Great. This must be her other brother. She wondered if she was going to receive the same treatment from him that she did from Braeden.

Zamorra got the distinct impression this guy was older, though. It was in the way he moved, the way he held himself. He had this certain air about him, one that demanded respect and held authority. She sensed he was higher up on the power scale than Braeden. A high-level Beta; an extremely powerful one. His dominance bordered on Alpha level. And yet, he wasn’t one. He had to be the strongest Beta she’d ever come across.

“Off you go,” he said to Braeden, flicking his head to the side. “I’ll take her the rest of the way.”

“Father told me to bring her, Mathias.”

“And ordinarily, I wouldn’t interfere. But he’s testing you and so far, you’re failing.”

Braeden frowned. “Testing me?”

“Yes. He knows how much you hate her and he wants to see if you have enough self-control not to act on your feelings.”

Zamorra snorted. He was failingbig time.And she barely did a damn thing.

Mathias narrowed his eyes at her but said nothing as he refocused on Braeden. “Go on, I’ll cover for you. Take ten minutes to calm down and then come back.”

Glaring like he’d love nothing more than to rip her throat out, Braeden turned on his heels and marched away.

“He’s gonna need more than ten minutes. I can be pretty infuriating.”

Mathias grunted. “Of that, I have no doubt. Let’s go,” he said, leading her down the long hallway.

“Where are we going? Mr Stick-Up-His-Ass wasn’t particularly forthcoming about what’s going on.”

He didn’t answer, just continued to march ahead with heavy footsteps. Zamorra blew out a breath and decided to keep her mouth shut. She wasn’t sure if she could handle another douchey comment from her second brother.

Eventually he stopped in front of a large set of ornate double doors. With a powerful push, they swung open. It was a formal dining area. A long mahogany table sat in the middle of the room, decorated with expensive, fancy china plates and matching cutlery. Enough food to feed a small army sat atop it, the exquisite scents and steam wafting into the air. Hanging above the table was a beautiful dark candle chandelier, each candle aflame, setting a real homey vibe.

At the head of the table, in what Zamorra could only assume was another golden throne, sat Barnabas. He was dressed in a dark three-piece suit and bow tie, like he was at some important black-tie event.

Her eyes flicked to the other guests, and she locked eyes with the demon next to her cell. The one she’d been talking to moments before she was taken away. There were three other supernaturals seated, two of whom she recognised; the vampire and the dark mage from down in her prison.

What the fuck was going on here?

“Come on in.” Barnabas waved a hand at one of the empty chairs. “Take a seat.”

Zamorra didn’t move. She was assessing the situation. She scanned the room in its entirety, looking for exits. Apart from the large floor-to-ceiling window behind Barnabas, there were none.

She could smash something into it and try and make a run for it? When she noticed the guards he had posted throughout the small space, she instantly dismissed that idea.

Mathias gripped her shoulder. Pain cut through her mind and she winced, grabbing her temple. It was the same pain she had felt when Braeden had touched her.

“What the fuck is that?” she growled, pulling away from him.

The shifter grunted and rolled his shoulders back, shrugging off the pain. “Familial bond,” was all he said before he shoved her into the dining room.

Light magic rolled over her skin and sunk deep into her body. She gasped in shock and clutched her chest as it soared through her, its intent unclear. Panic quickly took hold and she called on the power of her werewolf but…nothing happened. She tried again and again and got the same result.

Are you still there?Zamorra asked her werewolf, expecting the worst.

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