AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I look into his serious eyes. “I assumed you would feel the same. That you would blame me, too,” I admit softly.
“Never,” he says heatedly. “I wish we would have called Elijah sooner. I should have waited until he got there. We have all done things that we wish we could do over. What matters is that we are here, we found our mate, and now we are going to rescue her.” He cups the side of my neck. “Nothing else matters.”
“Nothing else matters,” I mimic. He squeezes once and drops his arm.
We nod and keep moving. I pray that we can find her in time.
The forest around us is quiet. I can barely hear the steps of our friends. On any other day, I would be thrilled to be within the trees. My lion loves to play and climb. The small natural animals around us are hiding, sensing the beasts walking through their home. Their instinct is to avoid anything bigger, and we are the biggest of them all.
We may be part human, but we are all animals underneath the skin we wear. They would usually have nothing to fear. If only our mate wasn’t taken. Our beasts are pounding at our chests, ready to break out and tear apart whoever inflicted pain on her.
Las’s lion is massive, stalking in front of us. His mane almost brushes the grass beneath his feet. His large paws leave indentations in the ground as he prowls, Breeane’s scent guiding him. All three of us are roughly the same size, but I believe his hair is longer. Within the lion's pride, our manes are a sense of strength, which is not always true. With Las, it is a fact. He is the most stable and clearheaded. He wouldn’t agree.
Logan used to be the one who held that title. I know it grates on him when he lost himself and his purpose. I’m grateful he is finding his way again.
All because of Breeane.
She is our anchor, our center. We would still be stuck in the past, in our pain, without her. If something happens to her that she can’t come back from, I fear we will fall apart in a way that can’t be fixed.
I live for her now.
I will kill for her now.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Breeane
Itry to lift my hand to my face, but something is holding it in place. The fog that had settled in my head is slowly dissipating, bringing awareness of my situation. I don’t want to open my eyes as the images that got me here come flooding back.
I am sitting in a hard chair, and my legs and arms are tied to it. They are tied too tight, and I can barely feel my fingers. I can feel my face. Unfortunately, the pain is severe. I keep my head bowed, my hair shielding me. If only I could disappear. If only this wasn’t really happening.
I hear the voices of the two men who took me speaking quietly. I don’t hear anyone else. It’s cold wherever they brought me. There is a breeze swirling around me, and my skin is chilled.
I hope the guys have discovered my absence from the cottage—oh, and my blood.
“Little girl,” the voice sings. I will hear it in my nightmares for years to come.
I refuse to acknowledge him. Instead, I give myself the pep talk that I desperately need.
When I am safe at home with my lions, I can cry. Las will baby me and kiss all my wounds. Lucas will tease me and look at me with his sad eyes, doing anything he can to cheer me up. Logan will hold me and protect me with his calming presence.
They will let me break down, and then, together, they will pick up the pieces.
Right now, I have to pretend not to care. I have to act as if they will never break me, body or spirit.
I slowly open my eyes and lift my head. Lenny bends at the waist and tilts his head.
“There she is,” he grins. “You were out for a long time. We thought you wouldn’t wake up before the boss gets here.”
“Boss?” I ask snottily.
“You’ll see,” he says.
“What is your name?” I turn to the one that hit me. “I like to know the name of the men who hit me.”
He smirks. “What does it matter? You won’t be around too long once he gets here.”
“You are an asshole,” I growl.
