“I don’t think he feels like being coddled.” Gustavo heard a female voice, but he was too far lost in the blinding torment to identify thespeaker.
Then all other voices became insignificant when he heard hers. At first, all he heard were her screams, but then he heard words.“You will notbreakme.”
What. The. Hell. Gustavo was on his feet, the pain in his stomach still there, but he forced it into the background as he heard her voiceagain.
“You will not break me, and you will not win. You can come at me over and over again, but I will rise back up every time you knock me down. I have too much to live for. I have friends who I care about and care about me. I have a mate I really want to get a chance to know. I have a mom who I need to know better. I have a future that I didn’t know existed, and you will not take itfromme.”
What fool had thought it a good idea to harm his mate? Volcan? It had to be Volcan. How on earth did he get his hands onhisAnna?
“Annasathia.”Gustavo used every amount of his power to push himself into her mind. Her shields were weak, almost non-existent, most likely due to the pain she was experiencing.“Tell me where you are. Criña, whohasyou?”
“Gustavo?”Her voice sounded surprised, as if she didn’t think he would be able to feel her or hear her. Then again, she didn’t know much about the mate bond, so she probably hadn’tknown.
“Yes, amor, I can feel your pain. I can hear your distress. Please tell me what is going on. Tell me who I need to kill for daring to touch you.”And he would. He would rip Volcan, and any of the fae’s minions that he used to harm his mate, to shreds. He would tear the fae apart systematically, making sure he stayed alive and awake through the entireprocess.
“Little more graphic than I need right now,”his healer said. It sounded like she was talking through grittedteeth.
Gustavo needed to pull himself together. The last thing she needed in that moment was more violence.“Forgive me, I just cannot stand knowing you are being hurt. Will youtellme?”
“I really don’t think that’s agoodidea.”
“Anna.”He growled inwarning.
“Sorry, but kind of hard to be afraid of you when I’ve got a vampirebrandingme.”
“WHAT!” He roared out loud and through their bond.“A vampirehasyou?”
“Not exactly. We’ve been left in his care byhisboss.”
“We?”
“Oh, didn’t I mention Jewelishere?”
“From the beginning, Criña, tell me from the beginning.”He was shaking with emotion. Some he understood, but others he hadn’t realized would be so intense. Just over a week ago his mate had been here, running from him, almost within his grasp. Now she was somewhere completely out of his reach being tortured, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could doaboutit.
“Oh, mother of lobster babies,”she whispered into his mind.“You think each time it would get a little less painful, or that you’d be more prepared for the pain. But no, no, it hurts just as bad as thefirsttime.”
“Ann, please, I need to know what isgoingon.”
“Ann? I kind of like that. You’re the only person who’s ever called me Ann,”she said as though she was grasping for adistraction.
“I’ll call you whatever you want me to. Please tell me where you’ve been and what has happened.”Gustavo was begging. His wolf needed to know exactly what his mate had been up to and who had held her captive.They will all pay,his wolf snarled.Any involved in her pain will pay.The man agreed wholeheartedly with his beast. None would escape hiswrath.
“I’m not sure I should tell you anything. From what I understand, un-bonded males who can’t get to their mates are quite dangerous. I don’t want anyone around you in danger. Are you still in the pixie realm? Are you still with the other healers? I don’t want you scaring the girls. I’d have to hurt you if you scared them, and I’d rather not start our relationship beating you with a stick. But I will if Ihaveto.”
Her threats would be humorous is she wasn’t out of his reach and in horrific pain, but as it was, he couldn’t even crack a smile.“I am still in the pixie realm. We are trapped here. I would never harm anyone you care about, nor would I harm any gypsy healers. They are precious to our race, as are all females. You havemyword.”
“I have a feeling I’m going to regret this,”she muttered intohismind.
Gustavo didn’t know if it would work, considering they’d never met face to face and they hadn’t done the Blood Rites, but he decided to try. He pictured himself running his fingers over her face and downherneck.
“Are you doing something to me?”she asked, sounding a little breathless. The pain was still there, but it didn’t seem asintense.
“You can feel my fingers on your face?”He asked, his voice sounding as awed as he felt.Cago,he wanted to touch her. Gustavo wanted to feel her in his arms where she belonged. He tried very hard not to allow those thoughts to reach her. He didn’t want to scare her, but his wolf wanted to offer her some comfort. Touch was something his kind thrived on. Touch from a mate was as essential asbreathing.
“How are youdoingthat?”
“Our link mentally allows it. Our minds are very powerful. And the emotions that fuel my desire and need for you impact your brain, allowing those needs to be felt by you—emotionally andphysically.”
