Page 291 of Alpha Mates

We don’t move an inch. It’s not a threat, not an attack, but uncapped magic fuelled by barely caged emotions. It’s bleeding out of her, uncontrolled, fuelled by something dark.

“And it’s not murder,” she snarls as she glares at us—at me. “Whattheydid is murder.”

My hackles rise to defend myself, but I can’t figure out how as I stare into her eyes and see the type of pain I saw too often in the mirror. The one thatsparked fresh whenever I glimpsed framed amber eyes. She lost someone, too.

“Need something to placate your conscience?” she asks bitterly, pulling back her sleeve. The skin beneath is smooth at first—then ink unfurls beneath her glare, twisting into spirals that rise as welts.

A shiver rushes down my spine as I stare at the marks … the ones that now cover every inch of her skin, even her elbows. It’s all over her, every inch of her.

Anger churns in my gut, but it’s nothing compared to the sour rage that sprouts inside Aiden. It roils through our bond, making my insides twist uncomfortably because Iknowwhat this means.

“They go all over,” Katerina says in a breathless whisper before she snatches her trembling arm back and locks it to her chest. The scars vanish, hidden once again by smooth skin. “The people in my coven did that. And I’m going to kill them for it—for that and every other fucking thing they ever did to me.”

Her voice shakes, but her resolve doesn’t. “Now, I’maskingyou to just fucking stand guard while I do. It’s not hard. I could ask for so much worse, but I’m not. So are you going to help me, or what?”

Before Aiden even turns to me, I know what he’s going to say. Just as I know that there’s nothing I can do to stop him.

“You think you can take out an entire coven?” I ask, locking eyes with her. The fire is still simmering in hers, but I see the same fracture lines from her past as the man standing beside me.

“I can,” she says simply. “I have enough power to take out six. I only need Aiden in case someone slips away.”

Aiden. She says his name like she already knows he’s the one going with her.

“There will be two of you against Goddess knows how many of them,” I say, tightening my fingers around my mate’s. “We don’t know how strong they are, and I’m not willing to put my mate’s life on the line.”

“Julian, I’ll be fine,” Aiden murmurs, but we both ignore him. This is between her and me.

“I won’t let him get hurt,” she vows. I part my lips, but she rushes on. “I’ve got a failsafe spell—one that’ll send him home at the first sign of any real danger. It’ll activate without a thought from me, and it already has the power needed for it. Even if I’m down, it’ll work. Nothing will happen to him.”

I watch her closely, knowing she’s telling the truth, but that’s not why I stare at her.

I want her to see—reallysee—what will happen if she’s wrong.

If anything happens to my mate, anything at all, I would find a way to make her pay. I don’t care how strong she is. Patience is a virtue, and I’d use it to lock her down and bleed every drop of power from her veins before I kill her myself.

Something in my expression must get through, because she nods slowly. I return the gesture before I finally turn to my mate.

“Be safe,” I say, my chest suddenly too tight. “Mask your scent and keep your eyes open. Don’t go running into danger. And I swear to Goddess, Aiden—if you let anything happen to you, I’ll come kill you myself.”

He grins, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. I allow him this one as I pat his chest and step back. He eases his way over to Katerina’s side, and she slowly relaxes.

I tilt my head, wondering if Katerina actually needs one of us or if she just doesn’t know how to do this alone.

“How are you getting there?” I ask warily as I feel her magic gathering again.

“Oh, you haven’t seen her teleport!” Aiden gasps with sudden excitement. “It’s actually really cool. She doesn’t say anything, she just suddenly—”

Disappears. They disappear into thin air. No sound, no light, no trace. I just stand there for a moment, blinking at the space they’d occupied. Worry sparks, but I shove it down.

I have to put my faith in Katerina, there’s no other choice.

She might be a witch, but so far, she’s always kept her word. And she was right—she could’ve asked for far worse.

Whether she realised it or not, she just secured the best person to help her through this.

I just hope her demons aren’t as vicious as his.

Chapter 58