Page 5

Chapter Four

When Rion leaves, I’m in the most pain I think I’ve ever been. I’ve basically been electrocuted on repeat, and that bastard didn’t let up. Every inch of my body hurts. My skin feels hot and dry, and I know my back is bleeding from the sticky wetness I can feel sliding down it. My clothing is torn and ragged, and my mouth is parched. In a painful haze, I remember looking at his black mating bands as the sparks flew from his hands.

He didn’t even give a fuck who killed Declan.

He wanted other information like King Zython’s weaknesses and the castle’s layout. He wanted to know how many guards we have protecting the king and how often they change shift—shit I’m never going to give him. I might not have originally been from this kingdom, but they’ve been good to me.

I’d die before I betrayed them.

I feel like I am dozing when I hear a familiar voice.

“August,” Astrid whispers, reaching out to touch my shoulder. Instantly, all of my pain fades away, her healing magic leaving behind nothing but a comforting warmth. Opening my eyes, I see her standing before me, dressed in all black, her long braid dangling over her shoulder. Standing behind her to her right is Rave, and on her left is Soren. She brought the cavalry.

“What did they do to you? Come on, let’s get out of here,” she murmurs, leaning down to help me stand, but I shake my head.

“No, I need to stay a little longer. Milana?—”

“I’m not leaving you here to be tortured!” Astrid whisper-yells, turning to Rave. “Talk some sense into him, please .”

Rave studies me, his ice-blue eyes giving nothing away. “They could kill you.”

“I’m not leaving without her,” I state, my jaw twitching. “She’s my mate. You would both do the same thing.”

Soren and Rave share a look.

“We will give you a few days, and then we are coming back for you. Let’s hope you are still in one piece,” Rave replies, resting his hand on Astrid’s shoulder.

“August, don’t do this,” she quietly pleads.

“Star…” I whisper, using the nickname I’ve always called her.

“It’s his choice to make,” Soren says, nodding at me. “At least let us check in and bring you some food.”

I nod, knowing I’m going to need all of my strength.

“Who hurt you?” Astrid asks, searching my eyes.

“Rion.”

She nods. “No good deed goes unpunished. We shouldn’t have helped that asshole in the first place.”

They once saved Rion’s mate and even considered him an ally.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen, August. The visions keep changing.” She lowers her voice. “I’ll be back to heal you. Don’t even bother arguing with me. I think you’re being stupid.”

Rave smirks, his shadows wrapping possessively around his mate. “August, either you kill Rion, or we’ll be back to do it.” His tone gentles. “Let’s go home, baby. Vale is waiting for us.”

“Good luck,” Soren murmurs, arching his brow as he scans the cell. “Looks like you’re going to need it.”

“You must be loving this.” I smirk, thinking about how Soren wanted to kill me for taking his mate, Pandora’s virginity.

Soren’s jaw tenses, and he rakes a hand through the middle of his blond hair. “There might be a little satisfaction there.”

Astrid slaps his shoulder and gives him a death stare. “What is wrong with you?”

Soren shrugs, crossing his arms over his chest. “We do crazy things for our mates.”

“If anything happens to him?—”

“He’ll be fine,” Rave assures her, throwing me a look that clearly says I better be alive the next time they see me.

“We could just kill Rion now,” she mutters, tilting her head to the side like she is contemplating the idea.

“No, this needs to play out,” I rasp, swallowing hard.

If they just went and killed everyone here, Milana will never come to me. She’ll never forgive me or see that we are different from them.

They all zip away, and I’m left alone with my thoughts again.

At least I’m no longer in pain.

I don’t have a plan other than trying to get to know Milana and show her there is a reason the fates chose us for each other out of every other person in this realm.

I don’t know what Laurel saw, but Milana needs to come home with me, where she belongs, and not as a fucking captive this time.

As my mate.

I’ve never really fought hard for anything in my life—I’ve always chosen my battles very carefully.

But this is one I’m not willing to lose.

Milana will be mine.

Before I see her, I feel her magic. Her long blonde hair looks like she’s run her fingers through it, more messy than usual. With a deep sigh, she rests her forehead against the bars, her blue eyes giving me a slow once-over. “What are you doing, August?”

Pushing myself off the thin blanket, I slowly approach the bars, not wanting to scare her. The chains clang with each step. I don’t dare touch the metal between us, but I am close enough that I can smell her sweet coconut scent. I want to reach out and touch her soft skin. Just imagining those lush lips on mine has my mind spinning.

Fuck! This woman makes me hard.

I hope she doesn’t look south because there isn’t much I can do to help hide that.

“Looking at my beautiful mate?” I reply, taking in each perfect feature on her face—eyes that hold a quiet storm, a nose that uptilts slightly at the end, and heart-shaped luscious lips I can’t wait to taste.

She worries her bottom lip with her teeth. “Rion is going to come back down tonight.”

“And I’ll be here waiting,” I say, shrugging. “But I’m not telling him anything about King Zython. That man took me in and gave me a home. I’m never going to betray him or my brothers. They aren’t my blood, but that doesn’t matter to me. Loyalty is more important than blood.”

“And I was loyal to my father,” she mutters, but I don’t miss the past tense she uses. “And his fight for freedom against the royal family.” She pauses and then adds, “Your family.”

“You were going to be forced to marry into that family, were you not?” I remind her, my fists clenching at the thought of her marrying Axe. “Not that I would have ever let that happen once I realized who you are.”

“If you can’t beat them, join them, right?” she replies, her eyes narrowing slightly.

I cross my arms over my chest. “Or maybe you blindly followed what your father ordered. Wouldn’t he have wanted you to find your mate and not be married off to another male, even if he is the prince and heir?”

“Not everyone finds their mate.” Those words almost sounds like regret in her voice.

“But we found each other. It might not have been under the best circumstances, but we can turn it around any time we want, Milana. It’s up to us. We control our future. And frankly, I’m fucking sick of pretending I don’t want to be with you more than anything in this realm.”