Page 102 of Those That Are Lost
“As opposed to having no agency at all?”
“The magic knows who will be good for you. It wouldn’t put you with a mate who isn’t your soulmate.”
I don’t question Antares out loud, but I can imagine some Fae must be unhappy with their chosen one. I hope that if Atlas is his, then he turns out to be one of the males we take into our pack. If we end up having to kill him or cast him out, I don’t know what that’ll do to Antares.
“We should get some sleep,” I say, too tired to get deeper into this conversation.
“Is Ty going to have my balls for sharing a bed with his mate?” Antares says jokingly but I hear the worry beneath the flippant comment.
“He’ll be happy I’m being protected,” I tell him. It’s partially true, although I can imagine my mate getting a little possessively jealous if he knew.
We shuffle round and get into the bed. I don’t know how much sleep I’m going to get, especially as the door doesn’t lock, but I know I’m going to need to be refreshed for our first full day in our enemy's den.
Snuggling down into the covers I let down the barrier in my head for the first time in hours. Ty notices immediately.‘Please tell me you’re okay.’
‘I’m good.’I feel the relief pour through our bond.‘I miss you already.’
‘I think Henry is ready to stab me, this is harder than I imagined.’I curl myself up a little smaller, hugging my arms around myself at feeling my mate’s pain.
‘It’s not for long, then we get forever,’I say to reassure him, and myself.
‘Holding you to it, Red.’
‘I love you.’
‘I love you too.’
I feel my brain start to slip into unconsciousness as thetiredness takes over. I keep our connection open as I drift off, feeling Ty at the other end even though we don’t exchange any other words.
A handover my mouth jolts me awake. Fangs immediately extending, I punch my hand out to grab the throat of the male standing over me.
As my eyes focus, I recognise Atlas in the darkness. He doesn’t resist my attack. I don’t have a firm hold on him but I dig my nails into the sides of his skin as he muffles a choked sound at me hitting his Adam's apple.
The commotion wakes Antares beside me who is quick to assess the situation and leaps over me to shove Atlas away.
“Stop,” Atlas whisper hisses. “I don’t want the others waking up.”
To my surprise Antares doesn’t use his power on our intruder but rather drops his arms away from Atlas’s chest as soon as he is between me and the threat. He looks back over his shoulder to check I’m not injured.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, sitting up in the bed and untangling my legs from the covers. I lean over and switch on the bedside lamp, dull orange light filling the space.
Atlas backs up a little. I don’t think he was actually here to harm me, so I gently pull Antares back until he’s sitting on the bed beside me.
“I needed to talk to you,” Atlas says, keeping his voice low. “It’s not right. You shouldn't be here.”
“Why shouldn’t she be? This is her home,” Antares answers for me.
“Because I’m not giving up on him. And I find it too hard to believe that you have too. It doesn’t make sense,” Atlas addresses me, looking straight past Antares. “I told you he’snot dead and you barely reacted. Either you’re really not the person I thought or you know the truth and are hiding it. Ty wouldn’t fall for a cold-hearted bitch.”
That last comment stings. I don’t want Atlas to feel that about me, but I need to be sure I’m not being played. Afterall, Atlas is bonded and could have been ordered to test my loyalty, test my story.
“You’re bonded to Adicious.”
“Only because Ty is… was in this pack. I have no loyalty to the male leading it. I only took the bond because I could see how much Ty was trapped here and knew that only from the inside could I free him.”
“Why would you risk yourself like that?”
“Because we’re a pack. Him and I. I tried hunting him down after the war but because I wasn’t in the military, I had no contacts and didn’t know who I could trust. I couldn’t poke around too much or I could’ve exposed either of us. As soon as I found out he was here, I came back.”
