“Wait a damn minute, where are you going?” my mother demands.
I look back at them, my decision already made. “To Solaris Pride. I’m getting my mate back. Even if it means I have to fight her father again.”
“Oh shit,” my mother mutters.
Jacob groans, rubbing a hand over his face.
I step through the portal, the cool air of the forest hitting my face. Behind me, I hear my mother grab Jacob’s hand.
“We can’t just let him go through with this,” she says. “Come on, you’re alpha.”
Jacob groans again as she pulls him through the portal after me.
I walk straight to the territory line, magic pulsing from my fingertips. The guards stiffen, their tails rising in alarm as I approach.
“I’m here to collect my mate,” I announce, my voice carrying through the clearing. “By any means necessary. So go get your alpha. Or I’ll do it myself.”
7
Aaron
Idon’t want to fight her father again, but there’s no other way.
The guards at the territory line of Solaris Pride stiffen as I approach, their tails rising in alarm. They’re different from the ones I saw last time. Younger, less experienced, but no less wary. The taller one’s nostrils flare as he catches my scent, his claws extending. The shorter one shifts his weight, ready to spring, a low growl building in his chest.
I need Mara to come back to me. I can’t handle another night without her. I don’t care if we sleep in separate rooms, but she has to come home. There’s a selfishness inside me that I can’t seem to shake, and I hate myself for it. But I can’t do this. I’ve had a year of her next to me, and I won’t accept another day without her.
Every step I take toward the territory line feels like walking through quicksand. The mate bond pulls at me, a physical ache that’s been growing since the moment Mara walked out. It’s become a living thing inside me, clawing at my chest, demanding I do something. Anything. To bring her back.
“Aaron, knock this off right now,” my mother hisses from behind me, her hand gripping my elbow so tight her nails dig through my sleeve. “You’re gonna get yourself?—“
She falls quiet, her words cutting off so abruptly I turn to look at her. Jacob’s arm shoots out, pulling her behind him in one swift movement, his body going rigid.
“Wha—Jacob, what the hell?” she protests, trying to push around him, her hands shoving against his back.
That’s when I see him. Ahmal. The massive lion shifter emerges from the tree line.
He reaches the territory line and stops, giving me an evil grin. I don’t bow in greeting. I’m past formalities.
What if Eric was right? Challenging her father might be the fastest way to get her home. Even if Jacob found a way to help Levi speed up construction on our cabin, it could still take months. Not good enough. I need her back now. I can’t handle it.
“You must have a death wish, warlock,” Ahmal says, his deep voice rumbling through.
“No, he doesn’t,” my mother chimes in, her voice sharp with fear. “Just the mate bond is all.” She tries to come around Jacob, but he won’t let her. She pounds at his back with her fists, each blow making him wince. “Jacob, goddammit!”
I keep my eyes on Ahmal. “I don’t want to fight you. I just want my mate back.”
“She will come to you when she’s ready,” he snarls, his tail swaying slowly behind him.
I sigh, but I don’t move. “That isn’t enough for me. I want her to come home. Even if she’s angry with me. We’ll work through our issues together.”
Ahmal’s tail continues its lazy sway, but his eyes narrow dangerously. “I knew you were going to hurt her. Go home, warlock. If you cross this line, I will make your mate a widow.”
I close my eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t want to do this. But I’m a desperate man. And a desperate man will do desperate things.”
“Go on then,” he challenges, his lip curling to reveal sharp canines. “Challenge me, boy.”
“Aaron, do not play with me,” my mother warns. “I’ll blow all of this shit up!”
