Page 69 of Her Bossy Wolf Protector

“Be careful, Gabriel.”

Chapter 28

Jade

I’m in a daze, feeling numb and detached from everything around me. People are talking, but their words all blend together into an indistinct hum. All I can focus on is the overwhelming guilt of shattering Gabriel’s life. The image of Mariya’s body lying on the floor in a pool of blood keeps haunting me. I keep praying that Liam is okay.

I am in a warehouse. I’m unsure how long I’ve been here, but it feels like days. Questions are thrown my way, but I can’t muster a response. Sadness envelops me, and I try to shut everything out by closing my eyes, seeking solace in the darkness.

I’ve been fighting back the tears since they told me Gabriel was dead. I don’t believe it. I can’t believe it.Wouldn’t I feel something if my mate were dead?That small thought keeps me going.

Gabriel, where are you?If he’s alive, he will come for me. I know it. But will it be too late? He’s days away, I think. I simply have no idea how much time has passed.

Suddenly, amidst the flurry of noises, I hear a familiar voice calling my name.

“Jade!”

Chaos ensues. There is so much fighting, growling, screaming. And I can only watch. Then I realize… It’s not real. I’m dreaming, or it’s some kind of trick they’re playing on me, to mess with my mind.

Then he’s rushing toward me.

“Jade? Are you okay?”

“Gabriel? Is it really you?”

“Yes, Jade. It’s me.” He rests his hand on my cheek. “I’m here now.” And he begins untying my bonds.

He explains that the vampires littering the floor were vanquished with a spell conjured by Mariya. Gabriel had also set up protection spells around us, thanks to Mariya’s handiwork. He extends a hand to help me up, and I fall into his arms.

“Gabriel, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. Liam… and Mariya…”

“They’re okay. Don’t worry about that now, Jade.”

“What? How? I saw what they did to Mariya–”

“Trust me. They’re okay. We’ll talk about it when you’re safe. Now, let’s get out of here.”

As we dash towards the exit, we’re met by an unexpected confrontation—Seraphina, Lucius, and Ambrose (their little henchman) blocking our path. Fear grips me, and I cling to Gabriel’s arm.

“I am right here,” he reassures me.

“What have we here?” Lucius asks.

I cringe at his voice. He visited me several times during my captivity. As his prisoner, I was forced to listen, making me hate him a little more each time.

During our “visits,” he told me about my family and why I was now an orphan. He gloated as though he and the council had done something worth bragging about. I seethed with anger and tried not to show my despair. The waste of it all. I was a child, and they took everything from me.

“We’re leaving. Get out of our way,” Gabriel spits out.

“I don’t think so,” Ambrose says, charging towards us. I let go of Gabriel’s hand as he moves towards Ambrose. My attention, however, is redirected to the two people responsible for the loss of my family, my home, and what should have been my identity.

I feel the anger and frustration bubbling deep inside me. I can feel the surge of power in my veins.

They took everything from me.

I have no family because of them.

“You,” I scream at Lucius. His eyes are on me as he watches me approach.

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