Cursing, he gets to his feet, raking a hand through his hair. “Fuck, Rel, more than a city. At this point, they’ve likely figured out how to drain people without killing them. They can keep them on tap like batteries, and fifty? No matter how you look at it; fifty mages leveling up once a week until they’re more powerful than anything we’ve seen, or fifty different people a week until they create an army that’s a cut above average, that could changeeverything.”
He pauses in his pacing as everything else clicks without me having to say a word, pulling all of the pieces together. “They’ll definitely still be looking for you if they think there’s even the slightest chance you’re still alive. Blacklisted or not, there’s no way the humans won’t dig into that place if you tipped them off about anyone amassing power.”
Pausing, he stops pacing, turning to face me. “What does any of this have to do with you thinking you’re not a good person?”
Fidgeting uneasily, it’s hard to look at him, but I feel like I owe him that if nothing else. “Because I wasn’t going to go back.”
He simply blinks at me. “Well of-fucking-course not, that’d be suicide. They already nearly killed you once!”
“You just said you ran into battle to save a bunch of humans.”
Dropping to his knees in front of me, one of his hands grips the edge of the mattress and the other my thigh. “Yeah, because we had a small army of shifters, a few mages, and aplan.I’m not saying this to be mean, but you didn’t have anyone before you came here, and you still aren’t sure if you do. It wouldn’t matter if you had the most noble intentions in the world, one person going up against countless others would be stupid. Sure, you might free a couple of people, but they’d just get killed alongside you. How does that help anyone?”
Rising up, he presses a soft kiss to my lips. “You don’t have to be a martyr to be a good person. And there’s no shame in not wanting to save a world that’s given up on you.” Palming my cheek, he kisses me again before whispering, “I want to see things change too. I don’t blame you for wanting to look the other way while someone destroys a system that isn’t working. People always die when there’s a dramatic shift in power, and it’s terrible and sad, but the desire for change is stronger than the emotional connection to faceless people you don’t know and can pretend never even existed in the first place.”
A few traitorous tears snake down my cheek that I hastily swipe away, but I don’t get the chance to respond before there’s a massive thump in the living room and we startle apart. The pull of my magic churning beneath my skin leads a clear path, signaling that it’s just Rheyas returning. I pause in the hall, glancing between him and the unconscious man at his feet.
His eyes narrow first on me before settling on Ian. “You’ve upset her again.”
“No, happy tears, it’s fine,” I rush out, using my sleeve to dry my face.
A look of utter confusion morphs his stoic face. “Why would you cry if you’re happy? That doesn’t make any sense.”
“You learn to roll with it,” Ian counters. “Women don’t make sense on the best of days-ow!” He rubs his arm at my smack as I bypass him.
“Is he dead?” I gesture to the body slumped on the floor.
Rheyas uses his boot to flip him over, bruises coating Hawk’s face. “Not yet.” His eyes fall on my face once more in accusation, sending me back a step. “The interrogation was cut short when he spouted off about you being his mate. He fell unconscious shortly after and has yet to wake up.”
My heart stutters in my chest, but Rheyas’ low growl pulls my attention back to him immediately. “You asked me to prove I had an interest in you. You seem to like the idea of mates, so I didn’t kill him. You’re welcome.”
Eighteen
Hawk
Her intoxicating scent has my eyes flying open, and I get to my feet with a groan, lobbing my words at the bear that’s more beast than man. “Fuck, man, you didn’t need to drag my ass here. I’d have happily skipped and saved you the effort of carrying me.”
My jaw is a bit sore, but by how faded the bruises already feel, I’ve been out several hours. Few more, I’ll be good as new, but still; fuck that guy. He brought me to my fated though, so he can’t be all bad.
“How did you know my name?” Esmerelda asks, sitting on a barstool and leaning against the wall on the far side of the living room. “I never told you.”
Automatically I take a step closer to her, though it’s cut short as a hand wraps around my upper arm. Sure, I could likely bite it off before the man could blink, but that wouldn’t be a good way to start our happy little family. Esmerelda may be my mate, but these men will become my pack.
A pack that’s constantly at each other’s throats is weak, and with something as precious as a mate to protect, a pissing match is ridiculous. I’ll happily sacrifice my pride and step into whatever role is necessary to ensure our family runs smoothly and efficiently.
“A pretty mage coming to a small town like this? Your name spread like wildfire, and everyone knew who you were and your scent by the time the sun set on your second day, gorgeous.” She scratches the back of her neck sheepishly, looking embarrassed at being paranoid, and damn if it isn’t adorable as heck.
Taking a bit of mercy on her so she doesn’t doubt herself, I add, “Well, and I was stalking you, so-“ I shrug, a warning growl sounding from my side as predictable as clockwork.
Ian eyes me warily, but the guy has a keen eye and picks up on the things that aren’t said as well as the best of them. “You weren’t watching her for an opportunity she was away from us to kill her, or you never would have caught her at the bakery. You also don’t seem to give a shit about pissing off Rheyas, and would have known she’s your mate from the second you caught her scent, but didn’t say a word to try and stake a claim. So what angle are you trying to play here?”
Grinning, I tip my head at the man. He’ll be a good asset, in time. “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders. Think before you act instead of just being reactive; a skill hard to find out here.”
He just deadpans, “If you’re trying to seduce me, I prefer gifts over flattery. What do you want?”
Barking out a laugh, I return my attention to my beautiful mate, answering her instead of the men in the room that don’t seem to realize that a mate is the real alpha. They’re the heart of any pack, the driving force. Their words and judgments carry far more weight than those of the most dominant male in any room.
“Rumor has it, there’s a bounty out on your head.” Her eyes widen with fear that I promptly try to assuage, needing with every fiber of my being for her to realize she’s safe with me, that I’ll protect her with my life. “So while the others have been watchingyou, I’ve been watching the shadows surrounding you to ensure no one else was waiting in them.”
