Chapter 21
Rafe
Everything in my body tensed up, ready to fight but the man beside my mate simply put his hands up and took a step away from her. I rushed to her side and touched her face. She scowled at me and I realized that I had overstepped. I had revealed she was my mate to everyone else but her. “I’m sorry,”
Her eyes lightened and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “It’s okay,” Even her voice sounded normal now. It felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. “But we don’t have much time.”
My eyes went to the man beside her. I recognized him as the man that had slid his hand into her skirt the previous day. I narrowed my eyes. I would never forget his face. The need to tear his head from his shoulders was strong. But I wouldn’t start a war tonight.
“You’re right,” Tracey wobbled forward to grab Jade’s hand. “We have to hurry if we are going to get you out of here and the rest of the Guardians.” Her words sounded slurred now. Something wasn’t right. My eyes went back to the guard at Jade’s left. He had noticed Tracey was acting funny too.
I pointed at him with a clawed finger. “What do you know?”
The man’s eyes didn’t leave Tracey. “The woods are spelled against witches.”
Tracey wasn’t a witch though. My brows met and I turned to look at my friend just as she pitched forward and lost her footing altogether. Knox caught her with little effort. “She’s not a witch, she’s a wolf.”
The man shook his head. “If she has witch blood inside of her, that’s all this place needs. Anything that she touched here is poisoning her.”
Knox looked pained as he held our friend in his arms. He was uncertain of what to do. Protect and get Tracey to safety or help me get my mate back. I shooed him with my hand. “Take care of her, I will be fine.”
A growl rumbled through his chest. “I am not to leave my Alpha. We should have brought more backup with us. This could be a trap.”
The man took a step forward and held his hands up. “This isn’t a trap but you will all die if you don’t leave tonight.”
Jade brushed Tracey’s hair from her face as a tear rolled down her cheek. “He’s right and that’s why we are here. If you don’t leave you will all be killed. If you take me with you or try to help me escape, the families in this pack will be hunted.” She motioned to the stranger beside her. “His family and children will be slaughtered. I am not more important than all these people. It is our duty to protect them.”
Everything in me screamed to tell her no. To tell her that she was my only priority. That the world could burn and I wouldn’t give a damn as long as she was safe. That I was willing to let everyone die if it meant that she wouldn’t. I would throw it all away and I knew it the moment I was willing to change her against her will. But I had a lot of redemption to earn and letting the world burn for her wasn’t the way to get it.
