Gage could practically feel Azure’s rage coming through the phone.If he’d been standing in front of Azure, he wondered if the snake king would have tried to kill him.
“Fifteen?”Azure finally said after at least a minute of silence.
“Crazy, right?”Gage sure as hell was feeling crazy.His beast was about to lose his mind.Gage needed to be on a plane and headed in Katy’s direction as of ten minutes ago.
“How much do you want, Nox?”Azure knew the Alpha wolf would have no problem hearing him.
“Ten million.”Nox smirked.
“You’re willing to trade me fifteen females for one little wolf?”Azure asked incredulously, as if it was the most absurd thing.
No,Gage mentally responded,I want to trade you fifteen females for my mate, then strangle you with your intestines, and then feed you to the sharks in the Kingdom of Tides.
“No,” Nox answered.For a split second, Gage considered that the Alpha might make a similar threat.He hoped Nox remembered they had to keep things cordial while Azure still had Katy.“I want to send you youranimibecause the Creator has seen fit to bless your males with mates.And I want you to send Katy home to us so she can meet her mate.”Nox met Gage’s eyes.The pain in the Alpha’s gaze was a gut punch.He genuinely hurt for The Dire.Nox knew how hard this was for him and his beast to stand here negotiating while they should be storming the KOV stronghold.
“Fine,” Azure snapped.“Send the females.Gage, come get Nox’s little wolf.She’s making Otto soft.I need her bad influence away from him, anyway.”The call ended.
Gage was moving before he even considered the fact that he should plan something.All he could see was Katy’s face.He needed to get to her.Nox’s hand came down on his shoulder, and it took every ounce of his control to keep his wolf from ripping it off.
“I’m going.”Gage’s tone dared anyone to challenge him.Then he sidestepped to get out from the Alpha’s touch.
Nox simply nodded.“I want regular updates on Katy’s situation.The Kingdom of Fangs stands ready to intervene if needed.Link will join you with the KOVanimi.”
“Noted,” Gage said coolly, “though I work alone.”
Nox’s eyes glowed emerald with the force of his wolf spirit.“She bears the mark of a wolf.That makes her pack.And we protect our own.”
“She bearsmywolf,” Gage reminded Nox.The Alpha’s possessive claim rankled Gage’s own wolf.Katy belonged to him and him alone.But he was pragmatic enough to use whatever resources he must in order to save her, including these mangy mutts if necessary.“Point taken,” Gage conceded.“I’ll keep you updated on any changes.”
Lola still looked troubled, her fingers worrying the hem of her shirt.Callon pressed a kiss to her temple.“All will be well,Sazzi.We must have faith.”
Faith had never come easily to Gage, not after the horrors he’d endured.But for Katy’s sake, he wanted to believe that she would be spared any more pain.He had to reach New Orleans ahead of Azure’s dark scheme in case the snake believed Katy.Gage’s wolf strained inside him, desperate to have their mate safely in his arms.His beast was pissed that they had to deny their claim on her and that she would hear those words because Azure would repeat them to her.Gage would hurt her, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do.
“Time is of the essence,” Gage said briskly.
He moved to leave, but Lola’s voice stopped him.“Wait.Can you take her a message?From me?”
Gage paused.He knew it would mean the world to Katy to hear from her friend.
“Tell her…” Lola’s voice grew thick with emotion.“Tell her I love her.And that I approve.”
“Me, too,” Maddie spoke up.“Tell her the same from me.”
Gage’s chest tightened at the worry in Lola’s eyes and at the thought that Katy’s two best friends had just signed off on him as her mate.
“She’ll know you love her, and she won’t believe that you approve,” he promised gruffly.With a final nod, Gage left to make preparations for his departure.But Lola’s parting words stayed with him.
They stirred an unfamiliar protectiveness in his weary soul.Perhaps after a lifetime alone, Gage was ready to be part of something beyond himself—a family, a home.If he could just get Katy back safely, he vowed to try.For her, he just might find the faith to believe again.
* * *
Katy refused to let herself shutdown simply because her feelings were hurt by a guy she barely knew.It didn’t matter that they were supposed destined, or fated, or mates, or whatever.The point was, she still had a job to do.And shewasgoing to do it.She knew Gage had a reason for denying her to Azure, and it was most likely an attempt to protect her.The silly wolf would learn that she was just as willing to protect others as he was.
“I can prove it,” she blurted out.
Azure turned to look at her, his brow raised.“Oh?And how could you possibly do that?”
Katy jutted out her jaw.“Have Otto bite me.”She’d been paying attention even though Myron had been attempting to brush off what the lizard had been saying.Otto had said it wouldn’t matter if he bit Katy because she was Gage’s mate, which meant she was a dire wolf.It was in her damn name, for goodness’ sake.That couldn’t be a coincidence.No, she had no idea how her last name being Dire had anything to do with her actuallybeinga dire wolf, but someday she’d figure it out.She just needed to live long enough.“If I’m a dire wolf, his bite won’t kill me.”
