Page 85 of Rejecting his Mate

“I’m talking to Hester. She is waiting outside with the others.”

“Others?”

Tessa smiles. “Would you like to meet the rest of the coven?”

My answer sticks in my throat, suddenly feelingclogged as if I can’t speak. I don’t know who I am, and having the chance to finally find out what I am makes me emotional in a way I didn't expect.

“Yes,” I manage to choke out. “I want to meet them.”

Chapter 20

Cade

Idon’t want to let her out of my sight, so when Tessa and Halle stand, I rise with them. Halle is far too quick to trust these people. She has no idea what they are or what they are capable of. I refuse to believe they drove all this way just to save her life. They don’t even know her.

Sawyer starts to rise, but I place a hand on his shoulder. “Wait here,” I tell him.

My brother doesn’t seem happy with this arrangement, and I don’t blame him for that. If the roles were reversed, I wouldn’t allow him to go and meet a coven of tau.

He doesn’t argue with me, though, not in front of outsiders. I keep close to Halle as we head out of the building and back into the parking area. The road beyond is quiet, not a single car in sight. It is desolate out here—the perfect place for an ambush.

I keep my wits about me as Tessa leads us around the side of the building. My pack is inside, and if theytry anything, all I have to do is call them. That eases some of the tension growing inside me. I want to trust that this little wolf-witch hybrid means Halle no harm, but I have a hard time trusting anyone.

Holding Halle’s wrist, I keep her close to me as Tessa and her mate, Abel, lead me over to a large SUV. I can see figures inside, females.

Pulling on Halle, I force her to stop before we get too close. I want to make sure we have an exit route in case we need one. Abel is a big guy, and while he smells like a wolf, if he is with these other hybrids, it’s hard to know what he might be mixed with.

The back door opens, and a woman climbs out. She gestures inside the car, telling someone to wait there, though I only glimpse a dark-haired woman in the back. When she turns toward us, I take her in.

She has raven-dark hair, and her skin is smooth as if she has never laughed a day in her life. She’s wearing a dark green jacket with a ribbed shirt underneath, her slim-fit jeans tucked into a pair of boots. She looks normal, but as I scent her, I smell something powerful beneath her wolf.

My own wolf paces the confines of my mind, urging me to shift and give him control. His sole thought is Halle, and how we can protect her. I don’t agree with a lot of things my wolf does, but we’re on the same page about this. If this female so much as twitches in Halle’s direction, she’ll lose a hand.

She must sense the direction my thoughts have taken because the tau wolf snaps her gaze toward me, awarning in her eyes. My defiance shines through, but she doesn’t seem affected by it.

“I didn’t realize Halle had a bodyguard.”

“Four, in fact.” Tessa smiles as she says this, and I wonder if she ever stops being happy.

My eyes drift to the claiming mark on her neck, and I know why she is happy. The depth of their connection suggests they are either fated or chosen who have been with each other for a long time.

“Halle and Cade, this is Hester.” Tessa gestures toward the raven-haired woman.

I feel a light brush over my mind, like the ghosting of fingertips. Is she in my thoughts? I step back, growling at her and tugging Halle with me.

“Stay out of my fucking head.”

Hester shifts her shoulders. “You can’t blame me for looking. I have to protect my girls. The easiest way to do that is to know what your intentions are.” She glances between us before her gaze comes to rest on the claiming mark on Halle’s neck. “The wolf who gave you that… Where is he now?”

I feel Halle stiffen in my grip and squeeze her hand, assuring her she is not alone. “I’m not sure. He was chasing us, but then Cade kicked his ass, and he called in the hunters. I don’t know if he is still tailing us.”

Hester doesn’t speak as if she is considering what Halle has said. This woman is odd. I feel her power, her magic, and it calls to my wolf in a way, but she makes no move to use it against me in order to take Halle.

It leaves me wondering what she wants.

“Is he your chosen mate?”

“Was. At least until the point where he tried to murder me.” I don’t miss the bitterness in her words, and I rub my thumb over the back of her hand. Instantly, she starts to calm down.

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