“We must go at once, then,” she said, grabbing El’s arm.
All four of her mates jumped up and snarled.Ryan grabbed El and put her behind his back.
“I mean no harm.Ryan, I told you that I would protect El at all costs, even against your wishes.If her mother has said she must go, then it is time,” Willow said firmly.
“You know my mother?”El gasped.
“Please, El, we must go now.”
“Go where?Where on Earth are you going to take me that whoever the hell it is that’s after me won’t find me?”
“I know where,” Willow stated.
“Where?Why would you know and her mates not even know?”Shawn asked.
“I can’t tell you.It must just be El.”
“Fuck that!”Trip roared stepping forward.
El grabbed the back of his shirt, unsure of what he was capable of if he thought Willow meant to harm El.Although Willow’s request was crazy, El truly felt that Willow thought she was doing what was necessary to help El.
“Willow, maybe if you could explain this all a bit more.How do you know my mother?”
“I don’t.”
El waited for Willow to explain further, and when she didn’t, she tried to push for more information.
“Okay, then why would my mom telling my dad to take me away be some kind of clue to you?”El tried again.
“Because of the prophecy.”
“I heard the prophecy, and there wasn’t anything in there about my mother, or me having to be hidden from my mates.”
“Only the guardians know the full prophecy,” El said.
“The guardians?”Ryan asked, the anger flowed from his voice.
“Yes, there are those charged with her protection.”
“Wouldn’t we as her mates, be charged with her protection?”Marcus asked, always the calm one.
“You are, but there will come a time you must leave her so that she can survive.”
“Willow, I think it may be best if you leave,” Shawn told her.
“No!”El yelled.
“El, we can’t let her stay here knowing she means to take you away.”
“She can’t just take me anywhere I don’t want to go.Willow, do you agree that if I don’t want to go, you can’t force me?”
“El, it’s going to take more than that to convince us of her intentions.She didn’t tell us any of this about guardians and stuff when we first met her.I think there’s more happening here, and I don’t trust her,” Trip said.
“I do, though,” El said.
“You can trust me.I am doing as the Mother has proclaimed.”
“Then theMotherneeds to proclaim it to us as well,” Shawn snarled.
