Page 49 of Roar Letter Word

He took command of the room then. The king was no longer furious but righteous and driven. He rushed everyone out, telling them to wait for him in the lounge area.

But before Skoll and Ruzyll left, he drew them back. “Ruzyll, Skoll, please forgive me for my … grouchiness. I’m trying so hard but keep failing. Maybe I’m not worthy of my mate.”

They both smiled pleasantly back.

“Humbleness is a feat for a king,” Skoll quipped. “It’s no matter, my friend. All is forgiven."

“And you are more than worthy of your mate,” Ruzyll said. “It’s said that the stronger your emotions are, the more you care. And you love her and all your people very much. Feel no regret, My King. If you didn’t get worked up, then I would worry you no longer cared.”

Mahes sucked back tears. Truer words could not have been said. He cared very much for so many. And right now, the most important person in his life needed him. He would not let her down.

The burden on his shoulders lifted. He couldn’t have any of that shame weighing on his heart while he tapped into the mate link. It was a fairly meditative practice that required the utmost concentration. He could be reaching across the entirety of Nova Aurora for all he knew. The planet was double the size of Earth.

He swished the curtains closed and switched on the spinning lantern. It helped him concentrate. As the room danced in a swarm of siren red, goblin green, and magenta, the king of the desert sat on the floor in the lotus position. He breathed in deeply, just the way he had been taught.

Come on, Addie. Tell me where you are. I know you can hear me.

It only took a matter of seconds for Mahes to feel the cool chill of stone against his back and a throbbing headache pinned to the right side of his face like a mask. He grimaced, picking up that something was mortally wrong.

He saw what she saw but in a silhouette. Two men about his size were standing there. Her wrists were strained and aching. Then came that unmistakable decaying breath from a mouth neglected for decades.

His eyes shot open. It was Zorrtan. And Addie was in danger.

TWENTY-THREE

MAHES

Mahes was able to isolate Addie’s location through the mate connection that very night. He summoned his pride of lions, including his friend, Skoll, and prepared them for a stealthy attack. He was able to pick up that his mate had been taken to someplace damp, likely an underground holding cell.

He’d heard rumors about Zorrtan and his lair just outside the desert region in ancient buildings that had been abandoned long ago. The king went with his gut, along with the glowing thread that tangled around his heart that led to his beloved.

The gathered members of the pride headed out after a quickly curated plan was set, taking Mahes’s vehicles and parking them at a certain place in the desert. The sky was dark and foreboding, splinters of stars poking through the soft satin blanket.

Mahes was razor-focused. He had sobered completely, the vibrations of his mate being in any form of agony transporting him to the edge of existence. He was keen and ready, back to the ferocious kingly mode that made him such a formidable foe.

First, they were to sneak into the lair in their human forms for the sake of dexterity to assess how many guards were present before any potential violence broke out. He also didn’t want to alarm Addie. She knew he was a shifter, but it was a lot for a human to cope when a swarm of pissed lions invaded the space.

The desert air was cool, with not a single drop of moisture. Mahes instructed five of his men to creep around both sides of the building while he and Skoll got rid of the men guarding the front. Then, together, they would locate Addie and sound the distress signal if a brawl broke out.

Mahes secretly hoped that Zorrtan would push his luck so he would get a chance to wrap his teeth around his pathetic, scrawny neck. Still, he wanted Zorrtan to think he had a sliver of a chance against the great king. It made the defeat all the more delicious.

Skoll and Mahes took out four guards at the front of the dilapidated fortress in their human forms. They snapped their necks like twigs, knocking a few out with a slam against the stone wall. They then dragged their lifeless bodies into the shadows and listened for the sound of scuffling from inside.

“I will lead," Mahes said, leaning up against the iron door.

Skoll stared at him the way he had earlier that night when he was somewhat drunk. But Mahes was incredibly clear-headed now and interpreted the look the way it was originally intended … with pure love and pride.

“Are you sure?” Skoll whispered through the night air. “We don't know what kind of state Addie is in …"

When Skoll trailed off, the king smirked. He then tapped his forehead, confident as ever.

“I’m okay, Skoll. Don’t you fret. Your king is back."

Skoll grinned, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Go on in. I will be right behind you."

Mahes did, moving in a crouch through the dim, dank setting. Skoll was close, and they wove their way through empty corridors, torches flickering on the walls like they had gone back in time.

---