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My heart breaks as I watch him, and I know I need to do something.
“Let me in.” I don’t know who I’m aiming my demand at, just anyone who can help me, and my voice holds no room for compromise.
“No,” Atlas snarls. “There’s no fucking way I’m letting you in there.”
I don’t look away from Syn, not even bothering to reply to Atlas. This will enrage him, but if he’s not going to help me, then I’m not going to engage in his argument.
“He’s her mate, he needs her. You can’t keep them separate forever.” Nicolai steps in, supporting me as always, even if he does sound wary about it. However, he knows what can happen to werewolves who are kept apart from their mates and how important physical touch is with settling bonds.
Glancing at Nicolai, I give him a small smile of gratitude before addressing the others. “I will find a way in whether one of you helps me or not.”
“The barrier is one way,” Luna explains in a weary voice. “You can walk through it into the cell, but you won’t be able to come back out until someone releases you.”
“Luna!” Kano snaps, but it’s too late, I have the information I need.
I hear her warning and understand that they think Syn might be a danger to me. What they don’t realise is that my Syn would never hurt me. If he becomes caught up in madness, then he’s no longer the male I know, and it might make him lash out or act in a way that is out of character for him. By locking him away and not allowing me to be with him, they are actually making it worse, increasing the likelihood of him becoming dangerous.
Accepting the risk that I’m wrong, I take a deep breath and move towards the cell.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Atlas demands, yanking me to a stop, a noise of pain escaping me at the wrenching feeling. He’s trying to protect me and forgets his strength as he pulls me back from the barrier. In his mind, if I step into the cell, then I’m in life-threatening danger, so I do understand. What I don’t appreciate is that he thinks he knows my mate better than me, that he doesn’t trust that I can assess the risks of walking into that cell. He hadn’t really hurt me, my muscles only twinging, but that’s enough for my mates to react. I don’t have time to snap at him though, as Syn instantly reacts to my pain, throwing his whole body towards the barrier. His darkness expands around him, probing against the magic that keeps him contained.
Nicolai is at my side in an instant, ripping Atlas’s hand off me and shoving the other male back.
“Don’t touch her,” he orders through bared teeth, showing the protective side of him again that I’ve not seen before he became my mate. His whole body seems to grow as he stands between me and Atlas, expecting the witch to attempt to grab me again. Knowing Atlas, I’m sure he would, so I’m grateful for Nicolai stepping in.
Of course, Atlas doesn’t take well to being told what to do, and he responds even worse to being physically manhandled. The room suddenly drops a few degrees in temperature. He doesn’t look like he’s going to use his power, but I’ve experienced this temperature drop a few times now when he’s close to losing control of his emotions. Shoving Nicolai, he grunts as my mate barely moves. Even so, the intention was there, and it sparks something that has been slowly bubbling away, just waiting for the chance to explode. The two of them begin to fight, throwing fists and dodging blows so fiercely that Kano has to jump in and attempt to intervene.
Feeling someone’s attention on me, I let my gaze slip to Luna. Her eyes are flicking between the turned backs of the guys and the cell before us. She gives me a tiny nod of her head in encouragement, and this is all I need. Lurching forward, I throw myself towards the barrier. I’m not sure what I expected when passing through, but it feels a little like walking through molasses, my steps heavy and dragging as the magic tingles over my skin. After pushing through in what feels like an impossibly long time, the magic releases its grip on me, and I slam into a warm, hard body.
“Mate.” Voice deep with possession, Syn wraps his arms around me tightly, holding me against him as he moves to the back of the cell, shielding me from the view of the others on the opposite side of the barrier who just realised what I’ve done.
Expletives and scuffling reaches me, sounding like someone’s being held back and fighting against the restriction. I could hazard a guess as to who it is, but I’m so tightly pressed against Syn’s chest that I’m unable to see, and he doesn’t seem as though he’s going to release me anytime soon.
“Mine,” he grumbles loud enough for the others to hear, but there’s no threat in it now. In fact, he sounds pretty smug, having won me with no plans to let go of me. A deep, rumbling purr vibrates through his chest and into me, making my bond want to swoon in response, my primal instincts coming forward. Something about his possessive, caveman-like behaviour speaks to me, sparking arousal in me, shooting straight down to my clit. I gasp and grip tightly onto Syn’s shirt to keep me upright, the feelings between us somehow magnified.
“Laelia!” Atlas barks, reacting to my gasp. He’s not able to see me thanks to Syn’s body blocking his view, so he must be reacting because he thinks I’m being hurt.Or he knows you’re turned on and he’s jealous, a little part of me whispers, and I have to concede that could also be true.
Taking a deep breath, I push gently against Syn’s chest, attempting to put a little distance between us so I can assure the others that I’m safe. However, he’s busy looking over his shoulder and snarling, Atlas’s agitation only reinforcing his protective behaviour.
“Syn,” I call, and I see his head twitch, but he doesn’t turn from the perceived threat. “Mate.” This works, and his head snaps around to look at me, his dark eyes focusing on me with an intensity that makes my legs quake. Whatever I was going to say next slips from my mind as all I can focus on is him. I’m completely enraptured by him, my body calling to his. A distant part of me wonders if his current state has intensified his feelings, which in turn does the same to mine when we’re together like this. Those thoughts don’t get any further than that though, as Syn leans forward and smashes our lips together.
Unable to hold myself back, I return his kisses in earnest, desperate to feel him and prove to myself that this is real and not just a fever dream. When I saw him in the forest, I was so scared that I hadn’t been able to enjoy his touch. I wasn’t scared of him. I was cautious with him being so close to becoming feral, but I wasn’t afraid ofhim. No, I was terrified about what would happen to him as a consequence of finding me. Now he’s here and relatively safe, so my reservations and fears are gone—at least for the time being.
However, I do draw the line at fucking him in front of my half-brother, so as his hands start to pull at my dress, attempting to undo the buttons on the back, I take several stumbling steps back. My bond is screaming in my chest, demanding that I kiss him again, and the impulse is so strong I find myself starting to move forward. Gritting my teeth, I close my eyes and take a deep inhale and then slowly release it through my nose. It’s easier to think when I’m not looking at him, but I can feel his gaze on me, watching me like a predator. Werewolves are at the top of the food chain, so we know another predator when we see one, and right now, Syn is just that. He wants to devour me.
Opening my eyes, I see him staring at me with that same, intense, hungry look. He’s poised and ready to pounce, and I don’t know if I’ll have the strength to deny him a second time. “Syn, we should talk before we do anything else,” I start, attempting to call to his more rational side. “How did you get here?”
He tracks my every move as I take another step back, his eyes flicking to my neck and the rapidly beating pulse that resides beneath my skin.
“Mine,” he growls in response, taking a slow step towards me.
My heart jumps, and I feel torn. He’s beyond answering my questions, which puts me at more risk of him accidently hurting me while he’s in the grips of his primal instincts. On the other hand, I’m unable to stop the excitement and lust that his claiming incites in me.
“Fuck!” Atlas snaps from the corridor. “I’m going in.”
Until that moment, I’d forgotten they were out there, fully fixated on Syn. Glancing over, I watch as Kano and Nicolai attempt to reason with Atlas. Frankly, Atlas coming in here will only make things worse, and even the suggestion has Syn growling threateningly.
Kano snorts and grabs Atlas’s shoulder, shaking him until he knows he has the witch’s attention. “Don’t be stupid, Atlas. We can’t get you out without authorisation, and you won’t be able to use your magic to protect yourself in there.”
