Page 42 of The Bodyguard and the Alpha (Witch Twins #2)

Bastien

My mate had betrayed me. The pain in my chest was like nothing I’d ever experienced. It was too much. I had to let it out somehow.

Back arching, I concentrated all my anger, my grief into my muscles. The restraints on my wrists began to flex. Just a little more.

Then I felt it. Like a spear to my chest. Electra’s pain. I’d tried to block her out, but she was my mate. She would always be my love. No matter what happened, she was mine.

And she was hurting, even more than I was.

You fucked up dude.

I didn’t need the prick in my head to tell me that. I’d felt her guilt. And what had I done? I’d pushed her away. I’d closed her out of my mind. She’d asked for a chance to explain. And I hadn’t let her.

I was sure she didn’t even realise she was broadcasting everything to me. All her emotions. Her guilt. Her sorrow and despair. She was my mate and I had failed her.

It was for our own good .

The words pierced my self-disgust. I’d made the mistake of reacting emotionally. The cold fucker locked in my head was the master of cold logic. I needed to understand and he could help me.

Tell me , I demanded.

She was protecting us .

It’s my job to protect her , I argued.

She’s been protecting us for years. It’s literally her job.

Don’t remind me , I grumbled. I hated the fact that he’d allowed my mate to put herself at risk for us without allowing me to protect her.

Godsdammit. It’s important. He sounded frustrated. Just stop reacting for a minute and listen .

Hmm, even the emotionless one could get riled up. I stopped pulling on my restraints. I don’t understand.

She protected you against your own instincts. How would you feel about killing Charlie? Or Matteo?

My mind spun. Why would I kill Matteo?

He was in the team that came to extract you.

He was? My memories were foggy. I’d told Electra to hide under the bench. Men were coming and they were going to separate us. I couldn’t let them separate us.

Settle dude. Our mate’s fine. But she did what she had to do to prevent you… us… from killing people we like and trust. Friends.

If it was an extraction team, why are we restrained and separated from our mate?

Because you’re a mad fucker.

I curled my lip. And whose fault is that?

Surprising me, he said, Mine. I didn’t have a reply and he was quick to take advantage. So you gotta rein in the crazy and you’re going to have to grovel to our girl.

Think she’ll listen?

I’m sure we can be persuasive. His inner voice chuckled.

I could persuade her with my cock. And my mouth. Yes. I could fix this.

Baby? I’m sorry . I reached out to her through our bond.

And met a solid wall of ice.

No, I wouldn’t let her shut me out. I pressed harder, pushing my Alpha power down our mental link. The barrier didn’t budge.

Unacceptable. My snarl filled the room. Electra was mine. If she thought she could shut me out, she was going to learn that shit wasn’t possible.

Time to get my mate.

My muscles swelled impossibly larger, body flooded with adrenaline. The restraints snapped and I jackknifed off the bed. Somewhere, an alarm began to blare.

Don’t do anything rash .

Ignoring the voice in my head, I strode to the door. Reinforced metal. I pulled back my arm, then punched with the full force of my body behind the action. The metal folded like paper and I stepped through.

Straight into a posse of armed Shifters, with my brother at their head. He was in his human form, but his claws had elongated. He was ready to shift if he needed to.

Fuck, both sides of me thought in tandem.

“Stop there,” my brother said. “You can’t see her unless you can control your violent impulses.”

We stood in a silent stand-off for several minutes before Luc sighed. “You’ll need to use words brother.”

“I want my mate.”

“Bastien, I know.” My brother stressed the words. He did know. He had recently found his own mate. And for her, he had shifted, just like I had. But his two halves had reached an agreement to share their body.

I eyed him and the guards behind him. I didn’t want to hurt my brother and it would make Electra sad if I injured the others.

Unclenching my fists, I drew on my human side for control and for the words my brother needed to hear.

“I’ll behave if you give me a better room.

With a bigger bed. And bring me my mate. ”

Luc’s smirk told me that I’d played right into his hands. “See how easy that was?”

“Shut up.”