Page 89 of Damien’s Mate

The guard backed up until he was against the bars, fumbling for his weapon. Lila was on her feet and across the cell before he could get it, sliding her belt off and whipping one end through the bars, pulling it tight around the guard’s neck.

He choked and struggled, but she’d taken him completely by surprise. She put one foot against the bar for leverage and leaned back, pulling with all her strength. Slowly the struggling grew less, until he passed out. She reached through the bars and snagged his keys as he fell.

In a moment she was out of the cell and had bound his arms behind him with the belt, running it around through the bars so he couldn’t get out of the room. She cut strips off his shirt to bind his feet and gag him. By that time he was coming around, so she whacked him on the temple with the hilt of his dagger to put him out again.

She gathered up his weapons, and then grabbed the artifact case. She didn’t have much time.

Chapter 37

The crew hiked up the hill in the early morning light, Damien setting a fast pace, with Brandon by his side.

Ready to chain Damien up and leave him behind if he didn’t act like a good boy? Let him try.

The alpha kept scanning the land around them, as if looking for something. Dragon Boy, Damien realized. And Titan peered into the distance with that faraway look in his eyes, like he was seeing into somewhere else.

The spirit world, maybe? Brandon said something to Titan, and he shook his head. Apparently, the kid was still MIA. Little fucker was probably already eating Twinkies somewhere else, while Lila was…

Anything could be happening to her.

Damien couldn’t concentrate. His lion was pacing inside him—it was ready to tear its way through the entire Lion Guard with nothing but claws and teeth, if it meant getting to Lila.

Dimly, Damien knew that Brandon was right—that would get them all dead.

But the lion was powerful, angry, and all the way into protective mode. Damien didn’t know if he could hold him back.

Brandon dropped back, and Jaeda came up and linked her arm through Damien’s. Remy closed in on the other side. It helped, a little, to anchor him and keep his emotions in check.

But not very much. The pit of his stomach was heavy with guilt. He didn’t want them to die. But…

Lila.

They reached the very top of the hill, where the land dropped away, and where the portal had come through. Brandon deactivated the wards, and they all gathered around the spot.

Damien took off the portal key necklace and cradled it in his hand. “Okay, so, what do I do with this?”

Brandon ran his hand through his hair. “Dammit, where is that kid?”

“We’re not waiting for him!” Damien snapped.

Brandon’s eyes glowed. “Damien—”

At that moment there was a tearing sound, like fabric ripping, and a rift appeared in mid-air right in front of them, magic sparkling around its edges.

Dragon Boy tumbled through, catching himself at the last second. “It’s a good thing you’re ready to go,” he said, panting. “The Lion Guard are really rebels, and they put Lila in a cell because she wouldn’t give them the artifacts. I helped her get out, but she’s not going to be able to get to the portal room before the rebel Draken prince, Herrick, gets there to break her magical connection to the artifact box.”

He looked around the group, his face grim. “He’s pissed off. And you really, really don’t want to see a Draken prince when he’s mad.”

Brandon assigned Colt to helping Damien open the portal—apparently, all the former Bad Bloods had some experience with dragon magic.

He went off to the edge of the cliff with his cell phone, and put in a call.

“What the fuck is Brandon doing?” Damien demanded.

Colt glanced over. “Calling in backup, probably. Just in case.”

“In case we don’t come back?”

“Just focus on the fucking portal, would you?”