Page 37 of Come for Me
Unless it’s the mutt, whose infuriating intentions would’ve cast her away and mark her unclaimed neck. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was behind this little stunt. I’ll tear every limb from his body and soak the rest of his dying form in silver. He’ll die in agony for taking what’s mine. If that’s the case, she might as well run forever because I won’t try to control my wolf when I find her. I’ll let him wreak havoc.
I meant it when I said I would mark her if she went near him again, with or without her consent. As much as I wanted to mark her at our first encounter, I understand she might have needed time.
Shit, I needed time myself.I needed time to make sure everything was in place to protect her before my enemies could discover she’s my only weakness.
I gave Alaina a choice: to be marked on my terms or hers. All she had to do was follow one simple order, to stay away from the mutt.
But now I have to mark her—regardless of whether she went near him. Not as punishment—as there are more pleasurable ways of doing so—but to keep her safe, knowing there isn’t anyone who can protect her better than me.
I was a fool to think my mark would endanger her being associated with me. Alaina and I will make each other stronger once the mate bond is complete. We’ll be formidable. Myenemies may become hers, but so will my soldiers and our allies. People will lay down their lives for their queen.
Or they’ll die as traitors to the crown.
Another possibility stops me in my tracks.What if she wasn’t taken or confused at all? What if she left me?
My last interactions with Alaina play out in my mind like a bad flashback. I pushed her away. She has shown she could be vulnerable by telling me what she wanted from me without having her mind clouded with arousal, and I turned her down at the mention of another female’s name.
This is all wrong. Could she really think I don’t want her? Does she not know how much she already means to me?I’d kill for her. I’d die for her.How could she think I was rejecting her?
My pack has only seen me smile when I’m scheming or torturing someone. Clearly, I’m not the best at expressing my emotions outside of anger and boredom.
I owe no one justification or explanation; my men are trained to blindly follow. I remain stone faced before my enemies. I’m king, after all. I haven’t had to worry about upsetting anyone since my father—because what could they do to me? Who would take me down? But going after Alaina... Fuck. I can’t even think about that.
I have to explain things to her, to make her understand. This can’t be over already—it’s hardly begun. I’ve just found my hope of escape from the council’s twisted plans and a future of misery with that vampire.She can’t leave me. I’ve waited too long to find her, and I refuse to lose her.
My wolf roars its dread as we descend into madness without her, control slipping from my grasp.
“Find her. NOW!” I growl at my men.
My wolf rages a war, wanting to tear down the dense forest and pulverize every boulder between us and our mate.
My skin stretches taut over my growing form, transforming into fur. Claws and canines descend. My wolf’s viciousness is unmatched, but now, with our mate on the line, the brutality in which we’ll destroy the world would make the devil himself fear us. My wolf is prepared to deliver destruction to all in her name. The suffering he will inflict on those around him will surpass the agony I’m feeling without her. Today, I’ll be bathing in blood, collecting souls, and burning their tattered flesh.
Echoing anger turns into a growl as he snarls, spooking the birds resting in the trees. Claws tear at the ground beneath as I lurch forward. Almost no time haspassed, but every second feels like an eternity, my mercy diminishing with each moment.
I curse the Moon Goddess for making my mate so careless about her safety, who’s choosing to be unmarked as a war wages against my kingdom. A sweet aroma of black raspberry with hints of vanilla wafts through the breeze.
I howl, signaling to my pack I’ve caught a whiff of her. The scent of unmarked males follows her delicious fragrance, and my pace quickens. In an instant, we race toward my mate’s scent, the forest blurring, panic fueling my inhuman speed.
Fear and fury battle the ice-cold cage around my heart as the possibilities race in my mind.
I’m coming for you, darling. Just hold on.
Chapter Thirteen
Alaina
Shouts of laughter and merriment draw me from the castle’s walls to the courtyard. A cacophony of fated mates flirting and single wolves drowning their sorrows are signs of the after-Hunt party.
Hehadto be here. As future alpha, his duty required his presence, welcoming and congratulating new pack members. Roaring music negated my attempts to shout my alpha’s name.
Faces I hardly recognize blur while I frantically search the crowd for Caleb. As night creeps near, string lights lining the courtyard cast shadows on some and illuminate others from their canopy in the trees, the setup intending to give new lovers privacy.
Caleb is my last hope to help me escape a fate worse than I can endure, one where my mate refuses to be monogamous. Urgency leads me to weave through tangled bodies sweating on the dance floor.
I have to find him.
After pushing my way to the edge of the courtyard, I climb on a trellis of rambler roses for a better view.
