Page 65 of Rejected Nanny Mate
He was dead before he hit the floor.
Mia screamed in rage and charged, her emerald green power sparking in her hands, but any softness I held forever because of Rose had long fucking gone. I grabbed her by the back of the hair, slinging her around, and just before she could hit me with the full force of her magic, I wrapped my hand around her neck, jerked her against me, and snapped her spine.
She gasped, her eyes widening with fear, then they glazed over with pain. I dropped her to the floor, feeling nothing but satisfaction that she was no longer a threat, and then I turned back to the fight.
The death of their witch and their Beta had been enough to send the other wolves fleeing. Everyone else rushed from the room to chase them down, but I stayed. My mate needed me more than I needed to kill those who stood against us.
Gwen finally shifted, and she staggered, leaning against a nearby wall. There was a horrible bruise on her forehead where something had struck her, but when she saw me, she gave me a small smile. “You found me.”
She was in my arms a fraction of a second later, neither of us paying the dead any mind. I kissed her hard, and she grabbed handfuls of my shirt, holding me close.
“I will always find you,” I swore between kisses. “Always.”
Chapter 26 - Gwen
When Joe helped me into the backseat of the truck, my head was still foggy, but I smiled. He looked down at me, tired and adoring, and asked, “What is it?”
“This is just like when I saved you after the first surge,” I sighed as he climbed into the seat next to me. Scott and Samson were in the front, but they barely spoke, letting us have at least the illusion of privacy. They’d given up chasing the toxic wolves when Jayce suggested it’d be better to track them back to the rest of their pack.
Once Joe was settled, I leaned my head heavily on his shoulder, letting my eyes fall closed. “Only in reverse. This time, you saved me.”
“I don't know,” he rumbled. “I think you did a pretty good job saving yourself.”
I felt his lips brush against my forehead, and I sighed again. There was a heaviness inside of me, the knowledge that I had killed someone, and the pounding of my head where I'd been struck, but I'd done it. Joe was safe. Rose was safe. And the pack was safe.
It was almost too good to be true.
“Gwen,” Joe whispered softly, and I opened my eyes again, realizing that we'd made it home. I must have dozed off. “We're here.”
I allowed him to help me out of the car, but stopped in my tracks when I took in the scene around us. Joe's entire front yard was filled with his pack, some of them sitting in the grass, and others standing and talking quietly with one another. They all stopped and stood when they saw us, and while I could sensethat Joe was just as surprised as I was, he quickly recovered and stood tall.
“What is going on here?” he asked, and his Beta, Malcolm, pushed through the crowd.
“We heard there was some sort of plot to take the territory. Once the territory search was done, we came here to await orders.” The older man grunted. “But now we're hearing that it's already been handled. If that intel is wrong, we're all here to fight for you, Alpha.”
Gratitude washed over his face, and he clapped his Beta on the shoulder. “I appreciate you. All of you. But the threat has been neutralized. Thanks to Gwen.”
There was a murmur in the crowd, and I shrank against Joe, feeling overwhelmed. He held me tightly, not letting anyone close. “Thanks to Gwen,” he repeated, “The threat against the pack has been handled, and everyone is safe. She tracked the spy in our midst, Mia, and discovered the members of her pack that she'd led into our territory. Despite being hurt and kidnapped, Gwen still found enough strength to fight for us when the time came, and it was she who killed the Beta of the enemy pack.”
I swallowed hard. I wasn't sure I'd ever be proud of what I'd done, but I had protected the pack. I'd done my job.
“Because of Gwen's quick thinking and bravery,” Joe continued, “the enemy pack will not be able to retaliate, and the territory is ours. Our lands are safe. You should all go home and rest, because I plan to do the same.”
The crowd was silent at first, and then a cheer came up from somewhere in the center. It spread like a shockwave, and before I knew it, they were all cheering and clapping...
And they were saying my name.
I stood there in shock, choked up and amazed. The noise seemed to rattle through my bones, making my head pound, but I couldn't seem to stop the smile from spreading across my face.
I did this,I thought.I helped save the pack, and now they were all here, cheering for me.I hadn't even realized that I'd been so afraid of their acceptance until then, when I finally had it.
Joe tugged on my hand, and I followed him inside, stumbling along beside him. My head was swimming, and I couldn't seem to keep my feet steady as we moved, but he didn't let go of my hand.
The door closed behind us, and suddenly, there was silence. I sank onto the couch with a sigh, leaning back and closing my eyes.
“Gwen,” Joe's voice was soft and concerned, and I opened my eyes, forcing myself to stay awake. He knelt in front of me, brushing my hair away from my face. “I could feel you. We have a bond, and I think you know the significance of that...”
I did. It meant that Joe was my mate. It meant that the universe had made him mine, and that no matter where we were in the world, we were connected. It meant that I could always sense how he was feeling. It meant that our lives were forever linked.
