Page 36

Until then, Rocco had been standing in front of him, blocking him from view of the rest of the MC as he lay vulnerable.

The argument carried on without them as the MC leadership debated whether and how Rocco was at fault and what to do with him. There was no way Emilio could defend his mate against that many witches determined to restrain him.

“Get us out of here,” Emilio whispered. “Now.”

Rocco’s brow furrowed. “I can’t just run. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Emilio twisted to look into his mate’s eyes. “If they come for you, my wolf is going to react violently. Look at me. How long do you think I’ll last against them?”

It was the most effective thing he could’ve said to get his mate moving.

If he were a better man, he would’ve felt guilty about using his weakness against Rocco like that, but he wasn’t.

One look at the way Emilio was still leaning on him rather than supporting his own weight, and Rocco was weaving his magic around them to hide them from view as he scooped Emilio up into his arms and ran for the exit.

“How long until they notice?” Emilio asked.

“Rocco! Don’t you fucking dare!” Blaze shouted after them.

“About that long,” Rocco said, jumping on his motorbike and blowing the gate off its hinges with his power as he shot forward.

“This magical bike thing is handy. No messing around with keys and starter motors,” Emilio murmured, slumping forward over the bike as Rocco wrapped his muscled body around him from behind, steering them through the city’s streets .

“Unfortunately, the rest of the club has the same advantage,” Rocco said.

“Are we being followed?”

“We will be once they get a tracer spell going to track my glamour.”

“Head straight for pack territory. They won’t risk a war to chase you down.”

Hopefully.

“Marco won’t just hand me back to them?”

“You’re my mate. You’re pack. He’d never do that.”

“Oh, are you freely admitting that now?”

“Shut up,” Emilio grumbled, closing his eyes and letting the world pass him by as he focussed on the connection between his body and Rocco’s.

A weight lifted from his mind as they crossed the Boundary Road into Lunetti territory without any further incident, and he continued to relax the closer they drew to the packhouse.

“You okay, puppy? I think we got all the silver out, but you were pretty messed up.”

“I’ll be fine. It’s just taking a minute for my body to heal. Are you okay?”

“I didn’t inhale any of it.”

“I meant, are you okay after your club turned on you?”

Rocco turned onto the road to the packhouse, not answering until he’d pulled to a stop outside.

“I’m okay as long as I have you,” he said, pulling Emilio back into his arms from where he’d been lying over the body of the bike.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Emilio said.

The moment was interrupted by Marco and Silas stepping outside.

“What the fuck did you do to my cousin?” Marco snarled as Emilio struggled to dismount .

“It’s not his fault. He saved my life,” Emilio said, voice still rasping from the effects of the damage from the silver smoke he’d inhaled.

“Blaze called me,” Marco said, eyes narrowed in concern as Rocco helped him.

“What did you tell him?” Rocco asked, his attention still utterly focussed on Emilio as he leaned forward to try and lift him into his arms.

“Don’t you dare. I’m fine now,” Emilio whispered.

Rocco settled for wrapping an arm around his waist, and Emilio leaned into the warm comfort of his body as they walked toward Marco and the house. His legs were still shot through with pain as they healed, but he could walk at least.

“That Rocco is pack and I won’t be handing him over to anyone, and that if he didn’t like it, he should go back and look at the contract we both signed that said as much in black and white,” Marco said.

Emilio tipped his head in thanks to his Alpha, not that he’d expected anything less given the potential mate bond that was now the worst-kept secret in New Trinity.

“Thank you. I don’t want to make trouble for you. Once Emmy is better, I can figure out somewhere else to stay,” Rocco said.

Marco growled and stalked forward, pulling Rocco in with a hand to the back of his neck until their foreheads were touching.

“You will do no such thing. You are pack . You are mine to protect. I will smooth things over with Blaze, and if that doesn’t work, you will stay here like the rest of my family. ”

Emilio’s wolf rumbled happily inside him at his Alpha’s acceptance of his mate.

The urge to drag Rocco off into the woods and bond him already struck hard.

Sensing the surge of need from his wolf through the pack connection, Marco turned to Emilio and grabbed his nape with his other hand so he was holding both of them.

“I know I told you to bond him, but wait just a little bit longer if you can, cousin. I will go to war for you if I need to, but your mate’s issue with the MC will be easier to resolve without a fresh bite adding to the perception that his loyalty no longer lies where it should.”

Emilio whined in protest, and Marco squeezed his neck a little harder, gently shaking him.

“I’m only saying it because it’s the best thing for your mate,” Marco reminded him.

Emilio locked eyes with Rocco and saw the same frustration he was feeling mirrored in his eyes. Marco was right, though. He needed to think of his mate’s relationship with the club.

“They’ve never trusted me, anyway. It doesn’t make any difference,” Rocco said.

Marco shook his head and released them. “Not true. I’ve known Blaze much longer than you have.

You won his trust faster than anyone I’ve ever seen.

The jobs he has you on are not ones he usually delegates outside of the MC’s leadership.

It’s only your extracurricular habits he’s wary of.

Emotions are riding high after the attack.

Give them a chance to calm down and sense will prevail. ”

“Not if Brand has any say,” Rocco said.

“Brand inherited his status from his parents. He didn’t earn it. He’s a mid-range fire witch at best, and Blaze has his own power with that element. He doesn’t need him. Brand might be part of their leadership, but it’s far easier to replace an accountant than someone with a gift like yours.”

“You know a lot about magic for a wolf,” Rocco said.

Marco grinned, all teeth and predator, as he directed them into the house. “I always know my prey’s weaknesses and how to run them to ground. ”

Emilio blinked as spots drifted across his vision while he walked slower than he ever had up the stairs, letting Rocco support more of his weight.

“Come on, puppy. You need proper rest in a bed,” Rocco murmured.

This time, Emilio didn’t fight him when he bent to slide a muscled arm under his knees and scooped him up into his embrace.

Pressing his nose into Rocco’s throat, Emilio drew in a breath of his scent, letting it settle his anxious wolf.

His fangs lengthened despite his exhaustion as he mouthed at the area a mating bite would go.

“Soon,” Rocco murmured.

“Take care of my cousin.” Marco’s voice came from somewhere to their left. Emilio was so out of it he’d forgotten there was even anyone else in the world.

“Always,” Rocco promised.