A shiver of disquiet ran through me. I sped up before realizing it couldn’t be that serious or Zane would have teleported me directly to her.
The trees thinned. Snow floated down from the sky in fat, wet flakes, obscuring the path. By the time I reached the covered deck outside the bear shifter’s cabin, my lips were blue.
As I lifted my hand to knock, the door swung open to reveal the grinning incubus.
“Vanilla popsicle. So glad you could make it.”
I threw a punch at him, but the fucker blinked out of view before I could connect with his jaw. The momentum threw me forward, and I stumbled through the doorway, nearly falling over the damned kitsune.
The fucking thing growled and sank its teeth into my leg. When I howled and kicked out, it blinked out of sight, reappearing on the kitchen table, baring its teeth at me.
“For a powerful mage, you’re not very graceful,” the vampire commented with dry amusement.
“Fuck off.” Brushing the snow from my shoulders, I scanned the room. “Where is she?”
“Aww, he cares after all.” The incubus smirked before pointing to the couch. “There.”
The witch lay in the bear’s arms, her skin almost gray in the muted light from a small lamp.Goddess. The last time I’d seen her, she’d sparkled so bright it had hurt my eyes. And also my heart because no matter what bullshit I told myself, my stupid heart wanted her.
So fucking badly.
“Did the vamp take too much blood?” The thought of the bloodsucker drinking from her veins made me want to fry him, but I reined in the compulsion to let my storm magic loose.
It didn’t prevent an ominous rumble of thunder above the cabin, so loud and ferocious the entire structure trembled on its foundations.
“No. He’s not fed from her since we took her into the club.” Maverick’s nails lengthened into claws. He rumbled softly, his eyes glowing amber as the witch whimpered but still didn’t wake.
I reached out and touched her wrist, being careful not to get too close to the bear. I didn’t feel like being disemboweled tonight.
Ignoring his low growls, I pushed my magic into the witch. The rush of power that hit me almost knocked me over. I’d massively underestimated her.
We all had.
And if my father discovered her, he would lock her up and drain every last bit of that power.
5
Maverick
The mage’s eyes widened in surprise. My bear demanded we rip him away from our little mate, but I shoved him back down. As much as I despised the mage, we needed his healing magic.
I didn’t dare take her to the healers on campus. They’d ask too many questions. One of the healers had magic that could read thoughts and emotions. I knew Raven could block her thoughts when she tried, but I didn’t trust her shields to remain in place while she was unconscious.
If anyone found out about Rasmus, he was as good as dead. One vampire stood no chance of fighting off hundreds of mages. Tiberius Vane wouldn’t want a powerful vampire like Rasmus Dvorak questioning the origins of the bloodborne virus.
I watched as the mage closed his eyes. A warm glow traveled across my little mate, gently lifting her hair before it faded. She tensed in my arms before crying out.
Damn it, he betternot be hurting her!
All my protective instincts screamed at me to shove the mage away from my mate, but I held back. The mage shuddered before he stepped away from the couch and dropped into the chair next to the window.
“Fuck.”
“Tell me what’s wrong with her!” My voice deepened as my bear pushed forward, trying to force a shift. Fur rippled across my hands, and my claws appeared again. It took everything in me to stop myself from shifting. This room wasn’t big enough for me in my shifted form. I’d squash my mate.
My bear growled and grumbled in fury, but he stood down.
“Dark magic is leeching her life force away.”
