Ryan moved back across the building, and then yelled out, “can you still hear it?”
“Yes.”
“I’m going to hold my breath, tell me if you hear it then.”
Ryan sucked in a breath and waited.Shawn’s eyes grew wide, and then he began frantically feeling the walls and searching for something.
“Is it her, am I hearing her?”Shawn asked, his voice full of his anxiousness to find El.
“I’m not sure,” Ryan, replied hurrying back across the building and opening the door to make sure there was no one around outside.
When he came back in, Shawn was tugging on a slight string hanging down.It looked like it would pull down a staircase.No matter how hard Shawn pulled, nothing happened.
“It has to be her.Here help me pull,” Shawn demanded.
They both grabbed the string as best as they could and tugged.Nothing happened.Then Ryan heard it, soft banging.
“El!”he roared as he began to try and put all his weight on the damn string.It didn’t even look thick enough to hold his weight, but somehow the damn thing wouldn’t give.
“Can you hear that?She’s up there.She’s banging on the door.
“El!”Ryan roared again.
Trip and Marcus raced into the building; they must have followed the commotion.
“You found her?”Trip asked, his eyes frantically taking in the situation.
“She’s up there, but Willow’s protection on the opening is too strong,” Ryan said.
All four mates began grabbing at the string and yelling for El as loud as they could.They kept working at it to no avail until suddenly, a flash of bright light sent them all flying across the building.For a brief second, they saw Persia dragging El down the staircase they had just frantically tried to open.Willow was following right behind, and she raised her hands as she held them all off.
“Please, give her to us!What are you doing?”Marcus roared, his lion dangerously close to taking over, his fangs were lengthened, and his eyes were wild.
Ryan knew he should subdue him, but his own lion was on the brink of forcing the shift, and if that happened, Ryan wasn’t sure he would ever be able to shift back.He definitely wouldn’t be able to without El.
They all were bound by Willow’s magic and helplessly watched El dragged through the front door.Tears streamed down her face as she fought against Persia’s hold.As the door slammed shut behind them, they all felt Willow’s hold on them weaken.By the time it had completely worn off, all of them were so angry that instead of four men standing in the abandoned building, there was now three lions and one panther.
Chapter 25
El
“Go back!”she cried as she continued to fight Persia’s unnaturally stronghold.
“Your mates are powerful; they almost broke through Willow’s spells.I’ve never seen anything like it.We must get further away from them so they won’t find you.”
“Please, take me back to them,” El sobbed again.
The pain etched on each of their faces had almost been too much for El to bear.Not to mention the unbearable pain she was feeling herself.The separation from all four of them was going to hurt.
“I’m so sorry, my Luna, we must keep moving.In time, we will return you to them,” Willow said softly.
“How long?”El demanded.
“When the babe is born,” Willow replied, her voice quiet because she knew the weight of her words.
“You expect to keep me from them for six months?”
“Yes.We can’t risk it.Even then, I don’t know.I’m hoping for more guidance from the Mother on what to do even then.”
