Page 72 of Elemental Healer

An angry rage had come over me. My vision tunneled in on those who wanted to pass me to get to my mate. I would not have that. The girl was mine to protect, and protect her I would. Time did not exist, nor anything else, as I destroyed my enemy. One after another they fell.

One tried to run around me. He didn't live as my Love element, the destroyer of all who would come against my family, shot out of my hand and hit him in the chest. People thought Love weak. They had not witnessed when Love went to war. Love protected, defended.

"Retreat!" The call was given, but my mind was past computing. I could not let them get away. They'd come to hurt what was mine.

I raced after them, destroying as I went, my mind numb to the calls behind me.

A figure appeared in my path. My beautiful mate was too close. I couldn't stop in time, couldn't pull my power back. She was going to be destroyed!

My body collided with hers, and instinct had me wrapping my arms around her as we fell so I'd take the brunt of the fall. We landed hard on the ground, Tessa on top of me. Her elbow dug into my gut and knocked the air, and the last of the fight, out of me.

I groaned and swiped at her still-embedded elbow.

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

My reply was another groan.

Her face was smiling down on me. "Well, I guess you can touch me when you go all protective mate on me."

"You ever take a risk like that again, and we're going to have a discussion you won't like." The growl and livid eyes of her mate seemed to pull her from her humored feelings. "You scared me to death, Tessa, and there was nothing I could do to stop things from unfolding. I've never been so terrified."

She ran her hand through my hair as I lay in the snow, her smile gone. "I know. I felt it. I'm sorry. I thought I'd try to lighten the mood, help you calm down, but I guess it didn't work."

My eyes closed, and I relaxed into the ground, not realizing until then how exhausted my body was.

Footsteps came up from behind us. I recognized the auras. Carmon, Dalton, Grace, Nathaniel, Damian, and Victor. The others had stayed to protect the babies.

"Well, remind me not to get on the bad side of a Healing Elemental." Nathaniel joked, but his voice shook.

"That wasn't the Healing element. That was Love." Carmon stood above me, upside down in my view. "You should know. Your girl has her powers."

My eyes went back to lock with Tessa's. Pink tinged her cheeks, and not from the cold.

"Um, I could look at them and know what their last healing was, and I could undo it." She cringed. "It dropped quite a few to their knees."

"In other words," Carmon continued, looking mildly amused, "the ones you missed, Tessa stopped in their tracks. She stopped them. We killed them. They never got near her after you lost your mind."

Remembering why I'd lost it in the first place, I asked, "Are you okay? You cried out."

Her cheeks ignited into a red color instead of pink. "Yeah, I um, tripped."

My hands, lacking their red swirling element, rubbed over my face. The last of my strength failed me as my relief hit me hard. She was unhurt.

"I do not think they will be back anytime soon." Damian walked into my view. "Like Nathaniel, I will not underestimate you again, Lord Jeff."

"Let's get this guy back inside." Carmon bent down to help me up when Tessa climbed off my body. "He'll need blood and sleep. Back to the main house we go. Sylee and Sophie are cooking a meal for the two of you."

Carmon and Dalton held my weight between them. Even with their help, my legs still shook. With every step, they took more of my weight. I'd used up too much energy destroying our enemies.

The adrenaline had begun to wear off by the time we left the forest line behind. It was then I remembered I hadn't dressed appropriately for the weather in my rush to get out the door. If I had, though, the enemy would have been at my doorstep before I'd been ready.

How many made it away?I asked Carmon to distract myself.

Twelve. You and Tessa took them out like nothing I've ever seen. It was pretty impressive. She dropped them so fast. Especially when you lost it. I've only ever witnessed you lose it like that once in my life. This is the second. I'd rather not see it again. You're pretty scary.

I tried to smile, but it didn't work.If Sylee had been out there like Tessa, you'd have done the same.

Probably.

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