Page 161 of His Retribution

I roll my eyes and honk at the car in front of me. "My wound is healed, there is no condition; though, I appreciate the protective big brother act."

Zan smiles a little sheepishly before his eyes go wide as dinner plates when I nearly sideswipe a semi. "That is not the condition I'm referring to!" he yells when I do it again. "My gods, are you sure you have a valid driver’s license?!"

I stick my middle finger in his face then slam on the gas. "I have been driving since cars were invented, thank you very much! I'm a fantastic driver!"

"Cora, stop sign!"

I brake hard, look both ways then speed through the intersection. Ok, so I really am a great driver but not when I'm so worried about my mate I could explode.

Zan explained that the Blood Moon is a critical piece in The Prophecy of the Dark One, that if Havok kills Nero under it then all of that bastard’s darkness will indeed transfer to my mate but has a better chance to remain permanent if he does not overcome it before the Blood Moon passes.

Basically, it acts like a spiritual crazy glue and I'm the dissolvent.

I understand why Havok did what he did, why he got info from Zan and decided to use it while I was gone but I could strangle him right now for it.

Obviously he just took his brothers since everyone else was home, and knowing it's only the five of them taking on the over one hundred and fifty in Nero's army, an army compiled of fucking vampires and dragons, makes me want to scream.

I might take a page from Posey's playbook and smack all of them upside the head when I get there.

If they aren't mangled, bloody messes, that is.

I gun it faster then make a hard left onto one of the back roads that will lead to the mine, fingers choking the steering wheel, adrenaline through the roof.

Why wouldn't he tell me?

Why wouldn't he take me with him knowing what we do about The Prophecy, about that son of a bitch Nero?

And why the fuck wouldn't he use all the magic we've got on tap, the other shifters, Hank and Karel, with all of their power and knowledge?

Hell, Posey and I could have probably been Havok's best form of back up ever. The fact that when she shifts she is completely on fire and can channel that without even having to breathe it, my ability to do all kinds of damage with light alone. I mean, Posey and I could have wiped out pretty much everyone while Havok went after Nero and then I would be there to make sure the darkness doesn't consume my mate.

Fucking A, Zan is a demon for Pete's sake! I'm sure he has all sorts of destructive powers that would have helped in this particular situation but no, my lovey had to run right out with his brothers who are in so much trouble, had to take this on all by themselves and for what? To prove that they can? So it's a Dragovihk that kills Ivan? So Havok can finally end Nero's reign of terror on his own? Why go in only half prepared, half armed when things would have been so much easier at full force?

Then it dawns on me.

The grieving, the sadness, the mournful attitude.

Havok doesn't think he's walking away.

My beautiful, sweet, amazing jackass of a mate doesn't expect to leave that nest and that asshole didn't even have the decency to say goodbye!

"Motherfucker!" I punch the horn as I go off the road completely and start cutting through the forest toward the mine.

"Cora?" Zan, the big scary demon, turns to me with fear in his eyes as he repeatedly hits his head on the roof of the cab. "My gem, this isn't a road."

"He is in so much trouble!"

"I fear we will be in so much trouble if you do not get back onto the designated path."

"I'm taking a short cut!" I snap and push the gas to the floor. "Havok is so fucking grounded it'll be another two hundred and seventy-five years before he leaves the compound!"

"My gem, this isn't a short cut." Zan bounces up and down as he fights with his seatbelt. "You did not even know where we were going before I shared it with you, this is merely you driving a truck through the woods."

I roll my eyes and twist the steering wheel in my hands. "This is the same way you walked through the woods to get to the mine."

A look of surprise passes over his face then he scowls. "Quit digging through my memories!"

"No!" I screech as I narrowly miss driving into a tree. "I can't see your essence like everyone else and since you speak in riddles half the time, I needed to figure out the truth!"