Page 47 of Captivated By Alphas 1, Fated (The Blood Moon Chronicle #4)

Jace hesitated only a moment before pushing the already ajar door, his panther’s enhanced senses already picking up the accelerated heartbeat and distressed sounds from within.

The scent of fear and sweat and tears hit him like a physical blow, his beast roaring with the need to eliminate whatever was causing their mate such distress.

The sight gutted him. Eli thrashed in the sheets, skin flushed and damp, those delicate features twisted in terror. The silk pajamas Sheena had loaned him clung to his body, showing off exactly how small and vulnerable he was. How perfectly he’d fit against them.

Mate suffering, his panther whined, momentarily setting aside its usual aggression in favor of comfort and protection. Help mate. Soothe mate. Protect.

“No… please… don’t…” Eli whimpered, his voice so broken it made Jace’s panther surge protectively beneath his skin, claws extending before he could stop them.

That broken whimper shredded Jace’s control.

His claws burst through, drawing blood from his palms. The sound of their mate in pain was worse than any torture.

Jace moved to the bedside, his beast urging him to gather their mate close, to protect him from whatever horrors haunted his dreams. He’d dealt with nightmares before—his siblings, cousins, even pack members traumatized by battles—but this felt different. More intimate. More desperate.

Eli’s next words froze him in place.

“Blood… so much blood… they’re all… please stop…”

The Blood Moon. Nine years ago. Eli would’ve been twelve. Jesus fucking Christ. His panther howled, imagining their mate as a child, witnessing that kind of violence.

Find them, his beast demanded. Find who hurt mate. Kill slowly. Make suffer.

“Eli.” Jace forced his voice gentle, fighting back the red haze of rage. He sat on the edge of the bed, his movements deliberately slow and controlled despite the storm raging within him. “Eli, you’re safe. Just a dream.”

When Eli didn’t wake, only whimpering more desperately, Jace carefully gathered that slim body against his chest, nearly growling at how perfectly Eli fit there. The heat pouring off Eli’s skin wasn’t normal. Far beyond human temperature, beyond even shifter norms. Something was happening.

Something wrong, his panther noted with growing alarm. Mate sick? Mate hurt?

“You’re safe,” Jace repeated, one hand stroking Eli’s hair while his panther rumbled soothingly in his chest. “I’ve got you. Nothing can hurt you here.”

His panther pushed forward enough to produce the deep rumble that panthers used to soothe their young. The sound vibrated through his chest, pure instinct and protection.

Gradually, Eli’s struggles lessened, his body unconsciously seeking comfort from Jace’s embrace. He turned his face into Jace’s chest, fingers clutching at his shirt. The desperate grip made Jace’s heart clench, his panther purring louder in response.

Protect mate, it insisted. Keep safe. Always.

“Shadows… crimson shadows…” Eli pressed closer, fingers clutching Jace’s shirt. “Mom… Dad… run…”

The moonlight hitting Eli’s skin made Jace’s breath catch. A soft silver glow emanated from within, subtle at first but intensifying. His panther went dead still, recognizing something ancient and powerful.

Then—fuck, he wasn’t imagining it—silvery-white feline ears flickered into existence near Eli’s head, delicate and ethereal before fading like mist.

His beast surged forward so hard he nearly lost his human form. MATE, it roared. TRUE MATE. SPECIAL. OURS.

Adrian, Cole. NOW. He slammed the image through their pack bond, raw urgency making the connection flare white-hot.

He didn’t need to explain further. The raw intensity of his call, coupled with the unprecedented image he’d shared, was enough. Within moments, both cousins appeared in the doorway, expressions shifting from concern to pure shock as they took in the scene before them.

“Holy shit,” Adrian breathed, approaching the bed slowly, his own panther pushing forward until his eyes gleamed green-gold in the darkness. “Is that…”

“Watch,” Jace growled.

As if on cue, Eli shuddered in Jace’s arms, and the silvery glow pulsed brighter. This time, all three men saw it clearly—the brief manifestation of feline ears and, for just a moment, the ghostly outline of a long, elegant tail curled around Eli’s hip.

“Snow leopard,” Cole whispered, his usual composure shattered. “The Ghost of the Mountains.”

“They’re supposed to be extinct.” Adrian’s voice was rough with awe, though his panther was pushing forward eagerly. “Wiped out by power-hungry alphas centuries ago.”

“Yeah, well, we’ve got one right here,” Jace said softly, looking down at the young man in his arms. The manifestations had faded, but the silvery glow remained, pulsing gently with Eli’s heartbeat.

Their panthers understood the significance before their human minds fully processed it.

The celestial felines were perfect matches for apex predators like panthers—their energy amplifying strength, enhancing healing, bridging different supernatural elements.

A celestial snow leopard could stabilize rituals that would otherwise fail, could purify corrupted magic, could bind different supernatural powers together.

And three Carmichael panthers had found the last one alive, living right under their family’s roof.

Perfect mate, Jace’s panther purred, circling the knowledge with possessive satisfaction. Rare mate. Special mate. OURS.

“We need answers,” Cole said, his voice low, his panther’s protective instincts evident in his stance. “If Eli is what we think he is…”

“He’s in fucking danger,” Jace finished, his arms tightening protectively around Eli’s slender form. His panther snarled at the thought, ready to destroy anything that threatened their mate.

Protect, it insisted with single-minded focus. Never let go. Kill all threats.

“No wonder he was hidden,” Adrian murmured, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from Eli’s forehead, his touch reverent. “No wonder Helen kept him close.”

“They were protecting him from the supernatural world,” Cole realized, his expression grim.

The three cousins exchanged looks of understanding, their panthers momentarily subdued by the weight of this discovery.

Their unprecedented reaction to Eli made perfect sense now.

The celestial felines were said to be perfect mates for apex predators—their energy complementing and enhancing the power of their chosen partners.

“What’s the play?” Adrian asked, his eyes never leaving Eli’s face, which had finally relaxed into peaceful sleep.

“Tonight, we stay,” Jace decided, his panther rumbling agreement. “In case the nightmare returns.”

Won’t leave mate, his beast insisted. Stay close. Protect from bad dreams. OURS to guard.

Neither cousin argued. Cole carefully lifted Eli so Jace could slide fully onto the bed, then placed him back in Jace’s arms. Adrian settled on Eli’s other side, while Cole took up position at the foot of the bed.

Titan, who had been watching from the doorway, jumped up to join them, curling protectively near Eli’s feet.

“Tomorrow we get answers,” Cole said quietly. “From Uncle George, from Elder Matthews, from whoever can tell us what we need to know to protect him.”

Jace looked down at the sleeping young man in his arms, his panther rumbling with possessive satisfaction. The beast was perfectly content in this moment—their mate safe in their arms, protected on all sides by pack and family.

Perfect, it purred. Mate safe. Mate protected. Where he belongs.

The three cousins settled into watchful silence, their protective instincts fully engaged. Whatever Eli Harper was—whatever secrets surrounded his past—one thing was certain: he belonged to them now. And Carmichael panthers protected what was theirs.

Mine, Jace’s panther declared with absolute certainty as he breathed in Eli’s winter-pure scent. Ours. Forever.

Eli slept peacefully for the remainder of the night, safely ensconced between three powerful alphas whose world had just been irrevocably changed by the beautiful enigma in their midst.

Two hours of lying next to Eli without being able to touch him properly was torture worse than any Hollywood fitness regimen. Jace’s panther clawed beneath his skin, demanding release with the subtlety of a chainsaw through silk.

Out. NOW. Run. HUNT.

The beast wasn’t asking anymore. Jace caught his cousins’ eyes across Eli’s sleeping form. The same feral intensity burned in their gazes—three predators on the edge of losing their carefully maintained control.

They extracted themselves from the bed with the delicate precision of bomb technicians, though Jace’s panther bitched about every inch of separation from their mate. Titan raised his massive head, those knowing canine eyes tracking their movements.

“Guard him,” Jace whispered, not bothering with pleasantries. The Newfoundland huffed his agreement, settling his bulk protectively against Eli’s legs.

The cousins moved through the darkened mansion like shadows with purpose, not bothering with lights.

What good were enhanced senses if you didn’t use them to navigate your own home in the dark?

Once outside, they were greeted by the storm’s aftermath—trees dripping with rainwater, flooded patches of lawn, and the rich scent of soaked earth.

The storm had finally blown itself out, leaving behind a landscape transformed by its fury. Fallen branches littered the grounds, and what had been manicured gardens now resembled miniature swamps. The air hung heavy with moisture, every breath tasting of rain and ozone.

They headed straight for the tree line, stripping as they went. Designer clothes hit sodden grass without ceremony—Armani and Calvin Klein sacrificed to more primal needs.

“Perimeter,” Cole bit out, already half-transformed, skin rippling with the effort of holding back. “Something’s been testing our boundaries. Storm’s perfect cover.”