Page 20 of Broken Mate

“Anais!”

Not even hearing her mate helped.

“You should leave, Ledger,” Jericho said.

“I’m not leaving her.”

“Then don’t interrupt. Hear me?”

“Yes, Alpha.”

The world swam in and out of focus.

“Anais,” Jericho commanded. “Open your eyes and look at me. Let me help you.”

It was torture to do as he said, but she was forced to obey the power of his alpha wolf. Her eyelids peeled back and their gazes locked.

“Don’t be afraid, little wolf. You’re safe now. You’ll never be betrayed again. It’s time to come out and make you and your human whole.”

He kept repeating the words, over and over. Trying to soothe her. To heal her. Slowly, the pain began to dissipate. As if he somehow pulled out some of what she was experiencing, drawing it from her and into him. The burning moved down her spine and radiated outward, threading through the muscles of her legs. Her torment didn’t completely go away, but enough so she could think rationally.

“L-Ledger?”

“I’m here,” he said and slid his hand into hers.

“Don’t leave me.”

“I won’t,” he vowed. “I’ll never leave you.”

Alpha Jericho continued to push his alpha force into her. She didn’t know how long they stayed like that, but at some point, she was able to relax and sleep. Her dreams were of a wolf prowling through the night. A beautiful silver animal with streaks of dark grey running through the fur. She trotted closer and then sat down, cocking its head as if asking Anais what was the matter.

She took a step closer, holding her hand out. Trying to be as nonthreatening as possible. This was her wolf, and it was clear they were two individual entities. They needed to merge once more, be one unit, because shifters couldn’t live without their animal. If her wolf decided to stay apart, then she faced death. Then her wolf stood up and stretched, the tongue hanging out of her mouth. Slowly, the magnificent beast padded over to her hand, and gave a sniff. Anais knew this was the moment she’d been waiting for. Her heart thundered as she mentally begged her wolf to come back. To stop hiding. To make them whole once more.

Then her animal gave her hand a lick, and a blinding light jolted her awake.

Anais blinked her eyes, and stared up at the ceiling. The pain was gone, and her wolf bumped happily in her mind.

“Hey.”

She turned her head and saw Ledger. He lay next to her, elbow on the bed and propping his head up. He stared at her, concern on his face. She reached up and ran her fingers through his beard.

“Do you have any pain?”

“No,” she replied.

Relief chased away the fear.

“I’m glad.”

“Was … was Alpha Jericho here? Or did I dream him?”

“You better not be dreaming of any man except me,” he teased. “Yes, he was here. I called him because I was scared.”

“Scared? You?”

“I was scared I was losing you,” he admitted. “Alpha power to the rescue.”

“Is he still here?”

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