Page 40 of Wrong Mate

“Stop it!”

“I will grant what you seek,” Rosesaid. “You already know the price for what you want.”

He nodded.

“Good, but you see, there’s always a steeper price I demand. I need you to tell me exactly what you hope to find.”

He gritted his teeth.

She took great pleasure in this.

“I want you to remove the mating bond that binds me and Leah together. I know the cost. Leah and I will no longer be mates. I will never have the chance of mating again, but Leah will find a mate.”

Rose chuckled.

“And tell her what you had to do in order for this tocomplete.”

This was cruel. He didn’t know if this was part of the price, or just Rose being a bitch. Hehad never known this witch before, nor had he ever heard of her.

“I had to mate with her first.”

Rose clicked her fingers.

“What the hell are you doing?” Leah asked.

He turned to look at Leah and saw the tears shining in her eyes. That mating bond madehim hate what he was doing. He didn’t want to hurt her but it was the only thing he could do.

“I’m so sorry, Leah.”

“Are you insane?” she asked, looking at Rose then at him.

“I can’t risk this happening to the pack. You are a risk, Leah, and I vowed to my father that I would do whatever it took to keep them safe.”

“You fucking idiot, don’t you see? You going through with this could be the whole point of the prophecy. Mates are strong together. They’re united. She is a witch—a bad one—and she could take away what makes you strong. Each prophecy is subject to interpretation.”

“Oh, enough.” Rose clicked her fingers and Killian watched Leahdisappear and then she was in Rose’s arms. “He doesn’t want you. He’d rather go through life miserable and alone, and I am more than happy to grant his wish. After all, I was told that one day an idiot wolf would bring me what I seek most.”

He’d been played.

“And you, sweet little Leah, you have a price on your head, that I cannot let go.”

He watched as Leah was lifted upwith something around her neck. Magic.

Killian had the sword in his hand, and he charged forward, only to be flung back. He got to hisfeet and attempted to charge, only to find two more witches in his path—Greta and Olivia.

“Sorry, littleWolfboy. You should have killed us when you had the chance.”

Killian didn’t have time to think, nor to question. He charged at the two witches. One of them faded, while the other laughed at him. He waved his sword at them, but they were able to deflect it. Whenever he had battled witches in the past, in human form, it had been useless.

Pouncing through the air, he split his skin, turning into the giant alpha wolf he knew himself to be. He saw the fear in Greta and Olivia’s eyes. Killian also knew these were Lucinda’s sisters. He didn’t know if killing them would hurt his friend, but he couldn’t allow them to hurt his mate.

Killian had fucked up. He knew this.

Greta and Olivia were full of dark magic, but neither of them were a matchfor his skill. Olivia went down first, he snapped her neck, taking out her threat, and sending her over the flames that danced around them. Witches could be killed, even dark ones. In fact, he had come to find that the darkest of witches were at times the most fragile. Greta remained, and she turned on her heel about to run, but he captured her.

“She’s going to kill Leah. She is going to turn her magic dark and then extract her powers.”

He turned his head to see that Rose had let Leah go, and now, because they were on the darkest of grounds, Leah might be the weakest of them. She had no Mother Nature to call upon. She was lost and alone.

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