Page 36 of Come for Me
Chapter Twelve
Dax
“Your Majesty, Alaina’s gone,”my pack guard says through the mindlink.
A volcano of fury erupts inside me as the news rattles my brain. The thought of my unclaimed mate alone and left to the vices of my enemies has me feral. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt true fear.
I’m kicking myself for not pushing to secure our mate bond. If I had let my wolf claim her, I could easily track her. Leaving her unmarked was a liability I took too lightly. I let her mewing pleads sway my judgment.
The last time Alaina was truly safe was when she was straddling my lap and wrapped in my arms. I thought I was protecting her by having her go with Sam. I didn’t know how Olivia would react, and I didn’t want Alaina to be caught in the crossfire, so I trusted Sam to keep an eye on her.
I bark through the mindlink,“Bring me Sam. NOW!”
He better have a good explanation why my queen is unaccounted for.
Moments later, yet not soon enough, my guards throw Sam at my feet, his knees and palms hitting the grass hard. As he bows his head, his eyes dart around, studying the dirt beneath my feet. The muck I stand on is worth more to me than he is right now.
Snatching Sam by the collar, I lift him to my face, his feet dangling. Sam’s eyes widen at my sudden force, but he doesn’tstruggle in my grasp. He knew what would happen next, and his lack of fear leads me to believe that losing her was unintentional. But I don’t like to make assumptions. Not with so much at stake.
I call on my powers to assess the reason she went missing. They confirm my suspicion of Sam’s fuck-up as accidental, but it’s still unacceptable.
“Where is she?!” I growl.
Birds flee at my boom.
“I don’t know! She said she was exploring her new home,” Sam says. My patience is dwindling, and still, Sam isn’t shaking under my rage. The only one scared here is me. “I told her someone needed to go with her. Then she pulled rank.”My mate is already pulling the queen card.If I weren’t so concerned, this would turn me on. “Then told me that she’s my boss, twisted my nipples, and ran out.”
My guards snicker at Sam’s expense, and even I stifle a laugh. But my fear quickly engulfs that laughter.
“She’s fucking fast!” Sam tries to lessen the blow. He growls at the guards, who are holding their bellies as they laugh.
Sam is fast, so the fact Alaina could lose him is impressive.
I toss Sam, letting his humiliation hold him instead, and he lands on his ass, not daring to get up.
My wolf roars as I pace, contemplating my next move.
Sam and I are the closest either of us have to a brother. We grew up together, survived countless battles and women at each other’s side. He was there for me when my mother died and observed my most ruthless tortures. He knows what I could do to a man, how I could torture wolves and vampires, and how I take pleasure in their ruin.
Although he doesn’t fear me, Sam isn’t stupid. He knows I can’t always make an exception for him to the rules he enforces among the wolves beneath my chain of command. Sam is aware I still need to set an example for the others.
I squat to his level, resting my elbows on my thighs, grinning at my sadistic idea of his punishment. Dipping my head like a vulture preparing to devour its prey. “If you’re not strong enough to protect her, I’ll make you.” I stand, turning my back to Sam. “Hold him.”
Footsteps and grunts commence behind me.
My men march toward him and pick him up by his arms. Sam holds his head high, knowing he fucked up, ready to take his punishment like a champ. Fueling my fear for my mate into something more productive, I allow my wolf to come forward, canines protruding, making my way toward my target.
* * *
Sam should’ve alerted the guards to keep watch. He should’ve informed me the moment she left his sight. She doesn’t know the area yet.
The beta’s role is to detect potential danger and run the pack when my energy is expelled elsewhere. I must be confident in his skill and ability to lead the kingdom in my absence.
If Sam cares for his life, he’ll ensure this never happens again. While protocol around the queen hasn’t been trained for just yet, common sense should have directed his actions. Nonetheless, Sam can serve as the first lesson on protecting their future queen from any harm.
I can see the strategy in my enemy’s action. Taking her from me would mean my destruction. In war, casualties are commonplace. She’d be a pawn in their schemes and the end of my world in its entirety. We aren’t dealing with civilized werewolves; these rogues hold no ground for decorum. She could be near the clutches of death, and I wouldn’t know where she was or how to save her with us being unmated. Without themate bond, sensing her and tracking her is more difficult than it should be.
If my enemies wanted to attack, she’d be the perfect victim. Even unmarked, my wolf is bound to her. The center of my universe has shifted, and without her near, I’m off orbit. I’ll be out of control until she’s within my grasp. I’ve seen the savagery of our enemies; unspeakable, unimaginable tortures await her as their prisoner.
