Page 110 of Awakening His Mate

She nods. “Callum’s sending the doctor again, but I don’t think there’s anything she can do. It’s just part of getting our baby.”

Abel’s large hand rests over her small bump, practically hiding it beneath his palm. “I’m taking care of her,” he says, a hint of defensiveness in his tone.

“She’s in good hands,” I assure him.

“Where’s Cade and Halle?” Jackson asks.

“They went to meet Callum,” Sawyer says. His arm is wrapped around Roux, who is sitting next to him clutching a steaming mug of coffee. “Big brother isn’t happy about Klaus the asshole still being here. It’s giving Halle some flashbacks that are making him a little homicidal.”

“That’s hardly surprising, considering what she went through under his leadership,” Tessa murmurs, her eyes closed as she swallows down what I assume is her nausea.

“Yeah, but Callum is as stubborn as Cade, and I tend to choose battles I can win.”

Jackson leads me into the kitchen, opening the fridge and peering inside. He mutters a string of curses under his breath. “We’ll have to go to the main building. There’s nothing in here to eat.”

“That’s okay,” I say. “I want to check on Apryle anyway. She’s distancing herself from us. It worries me.”

Jackson shuts the fridge door, glancing over the island counter to where the others are sitting. They’re talking among themselves, but he drops his voice anyway.

“She’s trying to figure things out, I guess. Hester’s lies hit her pretty hard, and I don’t think seeing the rest of us together the way we are is helping.”

It doesn’t surprise me that he came to the same conclusion as me. Jackson is an intuitive wolf, acutely aware of things happening around him. “I don’t want her to pull away from us. Or to feel like an outsider.”

He nods. “We’ll make sure she’s okay while getting food.” He presses a hand against my stomach, making my insides heat. “I need to feed my woman. Can’t have you accusing me of neglecting you.”

“Like that would ever happen.” I poke him in the ribs, making his torso twist to the side to avoid my fingers.

Walking over to the main building is starting to feel familiar. There are faces we know—other hybrids who stop and talk to us as we make our way. It’s not as peaceful—or as beautiful—as the Sanctuary, but it is comforting. I feel safe walking around here, even though I know our enemy waits for us on the other side of the perimeter walls Callum has built around the compound.

As we step into the main building, a place known as the quad because of the four uses of the space, I quickly scan the room.

Most of the long tables filling one section of the room are already occupied. I can smell the food from the kitchen and see Lessa moving around inside, getting the next batch ready.

Apryle isn’t sitting at any of the tables, but she’s where I expect her to be. She’s circling one of the mats, Beck in front of her, both in a fighting stance. His brother Archie is standing with Ayden, both watching the sparring session in front of them.

Apryle’s black hair is scraped back into a high ponytail, and she’s wearing a black sleeveless shirt that exposes a thin slither of flesh between the hem and the waistband of her yoga pants.

The concentration on her face as Beck lashes out at her tells me how seriously she’s taking this. I watch as she ducks, narrowly avoiding being clipped in the jaw. It makes sense that she would want to learn to fight. We have our magic, and it is strong, but if we’re unable to use it for any reason, we should be able to protect ourselves.

“If you want to learn how to fight, I’ll show you,” Jackson says, and I realize I conveyed my interest through the mating bond.

“Beck seems like a pretty good teacher. Let’s face it—he’d push me. You wouldn’t.”

Jackson growls under his breath, his eyes fierce. “No one else will ever put their hands on you but me.”

I roll my eyes at him, though I’m secretly enjoying it. “You can retract the claws. I’m not planning on asking Beck to teach me anything.”

Movement behind us has me twisting around as a group filters into the main hall. I don’t recognize any of them. I guess this must be the reconnaissance party, finally back. Reading between the lines, we had the impression that Callum was a little worried they weren’t back yet.

I’m certain the guy at the head of the group is vargr. It’s hard to be totally sure with all the competing scents in the room, but with his size, he couldn’t be anything else. He’s over six foot four, with broad shoulders and dark blond hair that is shaved at the sides.

I immediately sense that something has rattled him. His head snaps around the room, his eyes darting back and forth in search.

I don’t know if it’s instinct that has Jackson pulling me behind him as the vargr wolf locks his eyes on Apryle, but I’m glad he does.

The stranger’s lip curls into a snarl as he takes in the scene in front of him. Apryle is on the mat, with Beck on top of her, pinning her down. There’s nothing violent in the act. They’re just training, but the wolf tears across the room like a whirlwind.

I let out a squeak as Beck is torn off Apryle’s body.

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