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"Who are you?" the tall, lean man asked with the low and calm voice of a leader.
I forced my gaze away from the white wolf. "Kaiya Maderoth, Sir. We were just here to —"
"I know what you're here for," he said. "And it's not whatever you were about to say. Your mate needs you, and you're here fucking someone else!" He ran a hand over his hair and looked between me, Jaiel, and the white wolf.
He turned to the woman. "It's obvious they are bound, but the mate isn't at all what I expected. How is this even possible, Faera?"
The woman's lips pressed into a thin line as she stared between me and the white wolf still circling Jaiel, his lips lifted in an angry snarl.
Wait. Did he say mate?
How in the seven hells was that shifter supposed to be my mate? I'd never even met him before. Wasn't there supposed to be some sort of scent exchange or marking or something with body mages?
As I stared, the white wolf let out a howl and leaped toward us, turning to gray smoke mid-leap.
Jaiel tried to move, but the mage had reformed into a very naked, very tattooed, very large man, crouched protectively between me and Jaiel.
"Mine!" he growled, voice a low rasp as he adjusted his stance so he could face both of us, those angry yellow eyes all too familiar.
Prickles spread over my skin, and something clicked into place inside my chest.
"Tye?"
Chapter 37
Tye
3 DAYS EARLIER
The hair on my arms stood straight up, and I scanned the water for a threat, confused. There was nothing between my skiff and the rocky shore of the Forsaken Isle.
Mage forsaken!
I hadn't even reached shore, and some kind of dark magic was already assaulting me. But there was no going back now. I stared after the trader ship as it disappeared into the distance and gritted my teeth.
I should get back to rowing, but something was definitely wrong … and whatever it was, was almost on top of me.
Fiery pain shot through me as some invisible force wound itself around my body, invading my senses with the scents of fire and charred wood.
The Guardian. It had to be …
The pain grew with every second, but I had no instructions for when to drink the potion. I'd planned on taking it right before approaching the Guardian, but I'd never imagined it would be invisible! And now the creature was upon me. Was it too late?
Fire shot through my legs, and I doubled in half, fighting off the urge to scream.
Gods save me!
I fumbled at the small vial and removed the stopper, downing the thing in a single gulp.
Cool ice burned my tongue and throat, while a sharp citrus and musty scent spread up my nose.
It was putrid!
I gagged and coughed as the liquid tried to come back up, but I forced deep, slow breaths to settle my body. If this was going to work, I needed that potion to stay inside my body.
But the pain grew stronger and stronger.
Either I'd used the potion too late, or it was fake. I was going to die … yet I couldn't help but think of Kaiya's face, her scent … so reminiscent of stone and sunshine.
