Page 67 of Fire Touched

All the commotion has people spilling out of their houses, from the alpha estate. Curious murmurs rise, even though the rain is still pounding down. In the distance, adults usher children behind them.

Six guards reach us, two of them going so far as to help us to our feet. Most of them look around, searching for the source of the upheaval. They don’t look alarmed at the gaping chasm, though in my opinion, they should be.

‘What’s going on?’ A burly guard asks, brows drawn. He gives us each a quick, measuring glance. ‘Our guests. Katherine and Ella.’ He ushers us behind him as the wound in the earth grows larger, greedily devouring everything in reach.

He holds his hands out and—to my astonishment—knits the ground back together again.

‘A man—don’t know his name—attacked us,’ Ella pants. ‘At the guesthouse. He’s trying to kill one of our friends.’

‘Killian.’ His name on my lips brings a gut-wrenching fear. That man, he’s trying to hurt my mate. At the thought, I glance at Ella, and I know what she’s feeling. I reach out to stop her from going back, after Carter, catching her round the middle. ‘We can’t. We can’t stop him.’

The guard quickly sweeps us inside the alpha estate. ‘In here, where it’s safe. I think I know who you’re talking about.’

‘He can’t hurt my mate—’ I growl. I don’t want to be shoved into a room. I need to find him. But what can I do against that kind of power?

The guard sets a hand on my shoulder. ‘He won’t. I promise.’ It’s not a platitude. I can tell from his voice he means it. He opens the door of an empty room. ‘Stay here. This building is fortified. You should be safe within these walls.’

‘Wait,’ Ella says. ‘You’re siding with us. Why? What’s your name?’

I’m as surprised as Ella that one of the guards of Terran is protecting us from one of their own people.

‘We’ll talk later. I’m Haldreg.’ With a hand on the doorknob, he says, ‘Stay inside.’ He closes it swiftly as he undoubtedly sweeps back outside. There was no click of a lock.

Ella slumps onto a yellow couch. ‘I can’t believe I just left him back there.’ She holds her face in her hands. Her shoulders begin to shake.

For a long moment, my gaze is fixed on the door. I can’t stay here. I need to find Killian. To make sure he’s safe. To keep him away from that man. Moira and Elijah, too. I wish I knew that Carter wasn’t hurt.

But Haldreg told us to stay here. For some reason, I trust the man. I believe him when he says we’ll be safe here, and that he won’t allow Killian to be harmed. I don’t even know where Killian is, and being sucked into the depths of the earth won’t help me, or him.

I lower myself to the couch beside Ella and set a hand on her back. All words have left me. I’m not sure how to comfort her. Instead, I notice something. A window. I nudge her and get to my feet. We yank the blinds open.

The man and Haldreg—backed by several guards—face each other on the expanse between the guesthouse and this building, the alpha estate.

‘Let me through!’ the intruder cries.

‘Where’s Carter?’ Ella’s gaze searches frantically.

I can’t see him, either.

Haldreg shakes his head. ‘I can’t do that, Timmen. The boy you’re after hasn’t wronged you. None of them have. They’re just kids. They had nothing to do with the massacre.’

The man—Timmen—roars, sending an earthquake toward the guards. The Earth Pack guards, however, are steady, their feet braced. We watch in awe as they absorb the shock of the earthquake easily.

Verron descends the stairs of the alpha estate—Killian and Prescott behind him. ‘What’s all this?’ the alpha shouts.

‘Killian.’ I race to the door and fling it open. In less than ten seconds, I’m at his side.

Killian smiles when he sees me, but it doesn’t last long. At the look on my face—one of urgency and fear, no doubt—he frowns. ‘What’s the matter?’ He touches my cheek.

I shake my head, trying to pull him off the steps, out of Timmen’s view. He could open up a pit into darkness, sucking my mate into its depths. I don’t know if any Earth Pack could retrieve him from such a fate.

Prescott steps in front of Killian. ‘This man wants you dead,’ the Second says, voice low. ‘Killian, go inside, now.’

Killian frowns, peering around his new human-shield. ‘What? Why?’

Prescott pushes him back, toward me. ‘Take him,’ he says to me and Ella.

‘Where is Carter? What did he do to him?’ Ella’s voice is tight with panic.

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