Page 71 of Challenged Mate
“If they’re lucky,” Chase replied. “Prisoners are often tortured mercilessly and killed before we can rescue them.”
“By the Mother…” Horror washed over me. “Has someone told Asher?”
How long until he and his army of males returned to help the town?
How many shifters had already been lost to the enemy?
“He saw the flare,” Chase stated. “He and all the other fighters will return soon. He’ll let us know when to join the fight.”
There was something about Chase’s demeanor that told me the answer to my next question. Still, I asked, “Asher won’t let me fight, will he?”
He shook his head.
I inhaled through my nose, determined to argue my case, when Kayla said, “Can you blame him? You’re his mate. Asher won’t be able to focus on the fight if he thinks you’re in danger.”
My dress flared as I whirled around, eyes wide with shock. “You… you know about that?”
“Yes.”
First Axel, now Kayla.
Why had I bothered to keep my fated bond’s existence a secret?
“Who else knows?” It wasn’t the best time for the conversation, but I couldn’t resist asking.
“Just me and Axel. Asher didn’t want anyone else to know,” Kayla revealed.
Seeing my expression, she elaborated, “He only admitted it the day after he returned. You’d been acting strange, and I had a feeling he had something to do with it. I basically forced him to admit it.”
Well, that’s something… I guess.
I nodded and let the subject drop. Now wasn’t the time for this. We needed to concentrate on the dangers lurking outside the coffee shop.
A distant, vacant expression traveled over Chase’s and Kayla’s faces. They were listening to someone speak through their pack bond.
My throat tightened when their expressions cleared, replaced by fear.
“GET DOWN!” They simultaneously shouted right before an explosion detonated along the exterior wall.
The force threw me back. Brick and glass crashed inside. I closed my eyes and tried to curl inward to brace for impact, but Chase’s arms wrapped around me while in mid-air. He pulled me into his chest. I had no idea how he’d reached me so quickly.
We landed, and I was shocked to feel no jarring pain. My eyes flew open, and I took in Chase’s magic wrapped around us like a cocoon, cushioning our landing.
But terror quickly replaced my shock as I took in the coffee shop.
The exterior wall was completely destroyed. Tables and chairs were thrown onto their sides. Broken glass and shattered bricks littered the ground. Plaster hung from the ceiling and there were countless holes in the drywall.
Had the explosion compromised the building’s integrity? Would it collapse?
If so, would it trap the shifters in the bunker below? Did they have another way out?
The questions flew through my mind thanks to spikes of adrenaline and fear. My wolf whined, sensing my tumultuous emotions. I tried to calm her down, but then my gaze snagged onto Kayla.
She staggered to her feet. I saw the blood leaking from the cuts peppering her arms and legs as she turned to face four cloaked figures standing in the street.
Their hoods hid their faces, but their eyes glowed, allowing me to see how every single one of them was focused on me.
Twenty
