Zehn opened and closed his mouth, unable to lie.
Talzec sighed. “Zehn, Lore. I know you value your mate, that you have bonded with her. But we do not force our mates to stay when they want to leave. She must come to you of her own free will.” Since Talzec’s his first female had been kept against her will then killed by the same male who’d raped and oppressed her, Talzec had decreed that taking mates by force would never happen again. Not in the Vyctore clan.
“We must stay to protect her,” Lore said. “What if there are other Earthers waiting to take her back to Earth?”
“We’ll keep watch over her. But if she chooses to leave Ussed, you must let her.”
“She’s with child,” Zehn yelled, losing his calm at the thought of losing his mate. “She’s ours. By the Maker, don’t be so dense. You would never let Skye go. Why are the rules special for you?”
Xav stared from Zehn to Talzec, and Zehn knew he’d gone too far. But Mandy was his and Lore’s. Shehadto stay.
Talzec clenched his fists. “Xaveht, arrange an escort to take Mandy back. Make sure to follow my directives.”
“Yes, alpha.”
Talzec glared at Zehn. “Then bring them back and work them until they drop.”
Zehn wanted to argue, but Lore grabbed him by the arm.
“Yes, alpha,” Lore said.
Talzec stared at Zehn, his tattoos racing, his dominance irrefutable.
Zehn met his gaze for a moment longer than he should have. He readied to be beaten to a pulp. Because without Mandy, he lost a part of himself that should have cared. Next to him, Lore grieved as well.
The fight sapped out of him, and he bowed his head. “Yes, alpha.”
He was surprised to feel Talzec’s hand on the back of his head. “Don’t worry, Zehn. She’ll come back to you.”
But what if she didn’t?
