Page 101 of His Bonded Omega Mate
“Please, don’t. I can’t go with you!” I pleaded to an unhearing Jared.
There was a crack and panting behind us. Someone was close.
I feigned a fall and landed in the brush.
“Get up!”
“I can’t, it hurts!” I wailed, being louder to cover the sound of the approach. Jared hadn’t seemed to have heard our pursuer. I adjusted my position, waiting.
He bent as I sprang, my weight knocking him onto his back just as whoever was behind us came into sight.
Rescue
Asher
Melodypulledthevanover about half a mile from the house that we’d located on the map. Dalton was back at the compound trying to get information for the council on who owned the house and the layout if they could.
We had to assume, since they had used magic to get the omegas out of the compound, that they would use wards around the perimeter of the house. Thankfully, we had witchy back up. The Northarbor Coven had sent a couple of their witches, a quiet man, Oak and a bubbly woman, River.
Their car was on the side of the road when we pulled up. “Hey, I’ve just finished dismantling the wards. They’ll likely know you are coming,” Oak said as he held his hands out, examining the magic. “It’s Basil’s, isn’t it?” he asked the woman.
“Oh, for sure! That signature is unique. Also easy to break through if you’re used to his ways.” River seemed to pluck at some invisible strings. “There’s ten people in there, from what I can tell. There could be more, depending on what magic they’ve used on the house.”
“Thanks River,” Axel said. Then he turned to me. “How do you want to do this?”
“We don’t know where they are keeping our mates and with magic, they will probably be cut off from their alters and our bonds. I say, we just go in and take no prisoners.”
We all turned at the sound of a van approaching. Logan, our former alpha of the Northarbor pride, exited and walked towards us. “That house belongs to my ex’s family. This is Jared’s doing.”
My gaze went to Roan, who looked like he was shaking with rage. Right then, I knew that everything that had happened before was done with. My lion was there with his wolf. We needed to protect our family.
Jared. I couldn’t believe that Hiroshi was face to face with his rapist.
“Logan —“
“Try to keep Jared alive. He needs to stand trial so we can root out his conspirators. He’s not my son anymore. Do what you need to do.”
Reasonable. Logan seemed resolved to Jared’s fate. Once he stood trial, they would execute Jared, his crimes too serious for any other action.
“Let’s shift.” I looked at Axel, who nodded in approval. We’d put on sweatpants that had been in the van for driving through human areas. They were less accepting of nudity. We shucked our clothing in the van and shifted. My lion joined Logan’s Amur tiger, Melody, Axel, and Roan’s wolves, Larken’s Komodo dragon, and an adorable red panda that was Micah.
When Logan shifted, the remaining pride members in the van joined us and shifted to their various cat forms. I didn’t have it in me to greet my former pride mates. So many of them had been complicit in allowing Jared’s behavior to get out of hand.
At that moment, I truly felt sorry for Logan. He was a good man, a powerful leader, when he wasn’t caught up with the pride council. If he didn’t have the pride elders dictating, his leadership would be more progressive than it was.
My lion rubbed over Roan, sensing that he was needing the touch. We were both of the same mind for the first time in far too long. Roan had submitted to us. We were the top alpha in our family, and we would protect them all.
Running full out, we entered the house to a strange hush. “Magic! Get down!” Oak ordered.
We took cover as things exploded and shifters came out of hiding. Claws and teeth ripped into flesh as we fought our way deeper into the house.
“They’re this way!” River shouted over the chaos.
Roan, Axel and I let the others fight with the guards as we stalked behind Oak and River. The witches encased us in a bubble of protection, debris pinging off harmlessly.
As a group, we entered the library just as a door slammed shut. “Asher, Hiroshi’s been taken! We can’t shift!” Tate cried. Carl punched my mate, making my lion growl.
I tried speaking over the bond, but got silence, so I shifted as we stayed locked in a standstill. Tate was being guarded by Carl and Sven from the pack. There was no sign of Hiroshi and Jared. “Where are they?”
