Page 41 of Fated Surrender

They heard the door swing open and slam into the wall behind it. Felix stood there breathing hard, a look of panic on his face.

“Please tell me Madison is here,” he pleaded, his eyes filling with tears.

Connor felt his heart stop. He looked around wildly as expressions of panic flared and took off like wildfire. He couldn’t breathe. Why couldn’t he breathe? Connor put a hand to his chest as he hunched over. He felt himself being hauled up and looked up into his brother’s face. He saw Aleks’s lips moving, but there was no sound. All he could hear was his heartbeat thundering loudly as pressure built behind his eardrums.

Sound came back all at once as he stood and looked at his brother, his chest heaving. Aleks began to push him to the back door.

“Breathe, little brother.” Benedict supported Connor on one side, Aleks on the other.

When the cool autumn air hit his face, he opened his mouth and an ungodly scream emerged. He balled his hand, cocked his arm back, and buried his fist in the brick siding of the diner. Again and again he slammed his hand into the brick wall.

Aleks pulled him away from the wall as he was about to swing again. Connor felt his canines drop as he challenged his older brother to let him go. He threw his head back and roared. Aleks simply wrapped his arms around his chest and held on. Connor thrashed, screaming out his rage. His mate was gone!He had failed to keep the most precious thing in his life safe. He screamed again and again his impotent rage.

“Connor?” a soft voice called out from the doorway. Snarling, Connor swung his head around and growled at the voice. When his eyes focused, he saw Rebecca standing in the doorway of the back door to the diner. She was weeping gently, but it was the pain in her eyes that made him stop his struggles.

“Becca, go inside, I don’t want you around me when I’m like this,” he growled.

Rebecca walked up and pulled Aleks’s hands away from Connor’s chest. Connor sagged and she stepped into his body. She wrapped her small arms around him, her hardening belly pressed between them.

He felt someone else hold his arm tightly. When he looked down he saw Ashby crying. The small, angelic man buried his face in Connor’s upper arm. He took a step back and bumped into his older brother. Aleks placed warm, steadying hands on his shoulder. Kate came over and held his other arm, both of her mates right behind her. Benedict reached in and rested a hand on top of Aleks’s on one shoulder. Nic came and stood behind Ashby. Sebastian walked up behind Rebecca and placed a supporting hand on her lower back. Connor closed his eyes and let the tears flow.

When he opened them again, the small courtyard behind the diner was full of his family and close friends. Rebecca stepped back and smiled up at him. She sniffed then balled up her tiny fist and punched him as hard as she could in the stomach. Connor grunted and bent over slightly. She stood on tiptoe and cradled his face between her two small hands.

“For someone so smart, you really are dumb.” She smiled up at him.

“Why do you have to carry these burdens alone? Why wouldn’t you want the support of your family and friends,especially when you give so much of yourself all the time? Is it so hard to surrender the responsibility so that you aren’t crushed by its weight?” Her eyes searched his face.

Connor shook his head. Rebecca wrapped her arms around him again.

“You ready to roll, Professor?” Baron and his Sentinel squad stood in the background waiting for him.

“Yup, just needed someone to talk some sense into me.”

Rebecca beamed up at Connor. He was about to step back when he felt something jab him in the hip. Surprised, he looked down. Rebecca’s face held a look of wonder, and she placed a hand on her belly.

“That was him! He totally just kicked you!” She laughed.

“What? Really? Let me feel,” Aleks said, moving Connor out of the way. He dropped to his knees and placed the side of his face against her belly. Connor watched as Aleks suddenly leaned back.

“He kicked me in the face!” Aleks laughed out loud.

Rebecca turned to Connor a look of determination on her face.

“Your nephew wants you to bring his Aunt Madison home.”

Connor nodded and turned to Baron.

“We’ll search every inch of the warehouse district.”

Baron’s face became thoughtful. “Are you sure that’s where he took her? He has broken pattern. They could be anywhere.”

Connor growled in frustration.

“Connor is right, they are heading north toward Brighton,” Daniel said, without looking up from his tablet.

Connor pushed past Bran and Caleb, stepping right next to Daniel. “How can you possibly know that?” he asked.

“While you were having your breakdown…”