Page 75 of The Bodyguard and the Alpha (Witch Twins #2)

Bastien

I sat quietly, letting the Mage put a magical truth serum into my veins.

Fortyish, balding, he stank of fear, like the guards earlier.

Another human who believed that I was dangerous.

Sure, I was dangerous. But I wasn’t a mindless killing beast. Humans First tended to conveniently forget that my dad was human and a Mage.

Furthermore, I was a career politician, who’d spent all my career trying to resolve differences between humans and supes through negotiation and alliances.

I’d never racially vilified anyone. Never said humans were lesser than Shifters, or should be feared because they were different.

Although I had my own personal views about how some human men treated their partners and children.

Shifters treated their mates far better than many of the humans, man or woman.

I’d seen humans married to spouses who neglected them, cheated on them.

Who drank and hit them. A Shifter would never…

could never, do that to their mate, human or not.

Raised by one parent who was a Shifter, and another who was human, I knew that both species were worthy of respect.

As a species, humans were physically weaker, but only humans could wield powerful magic.

My mate’s body was much more fragile than mine, but her tiny Pixie-like appearance was misleading.

From Luc’s report of the fight he and Caly had after she had been kidnapped, her power was also strong.

Humans could be strong. Humans could be weak. This one was weak.

I dismissed him from my mind. Instead, I turned my concentration inwards. The truth serum would lower my body’s natural defences, making me want to please the person asking questions. The interrogator only had to wait for the drug to hit my system and I would become my own worst enemy.

Resisting the compulsion would take immense willpower. And the pressure would increase the longer I resisted. I’d never been given one of these serums before, but I’d been told that the longer a person resisted, the bigger tricks the mind would begin to play.

But help was on the way. My little Pixie had promised. All I had to do was wait.

I sank deeper into my mind. The cage where Beast had been locked for many lonely years, where he had locked my human half when he’d Shifted in the underground bunker, sat empty, the door open.

For years it had worked to prevent my Beast side gaining access to my body. Could it work in reverse? Could I use it to lock my consciousness away? Worth a try. At this point, it was my best chance.

Let’s do this .

I could feel the serum flowing through my system, like buzzing bees under my skin. I didn’t have long, only minutes, before it hit my brain.

Stepping into the cage, I pulled the doors shut behind me.

Awareness of my surroundings instantly ceased. There was no Council Chamber. No sweaty Mage standing over me. Silence. White light. I couldn’t feel my physical fingers or toes. Could hear no noise.

Maybe this wouldn’t be too bad. In my self-imposed imprisonment, perhaps I could ride out the spell until the lawyers arrived to stop this farce.

Shutting my eyes, I imagined a soft bed. It would be an ideal time for a nap. It had been a busy morning and I’d been up early.

***

My mate’s soft voice woke me from my doze. “Bastien, where are you?”

Was it real? Or was it the serum causing my brain to play tricks on me?

Surely it was the serum. But my heart began to pound, the sense of calm that had surrounded me when I entered the cage disappearing. What if she needs me?

I knifed to my feet, the bars of the cage the only visible thing around me. Twelve steps in each direction. Pace. Turn. Pace.

It was the serum. Only the serum.

“Bastien! Come back to me. I need you.”

A snarl left my lips and my claws extended. All I had to do was open the door and I would be able to return to my mate.

She was waiting for me. She loved me. Both parts of my soul yearned for her. I reached for the door handle, before pulling it back. No. It’s a trick.

There was a reason I was in this cage.

But it was becoming hard to remember why I’d done it. Why had I separated myself from my mate? Tugging on my hair, I tried to remember.

Her voice continued to call my name and then I heard her sob.

No. I couldn’t stand her tears.

It was my fault she was crying. I had locked myself in here. I no longer knew why.

I’m coming baby.

***

By the time my brother broke down the Chamber doors, my lawyers with him, it was too late.

The guards outside had stopped my lawyers from entering the Chamber and while they waited, the serum had done its job.

The Mage had already administered the antidote before they were allowed in.

And only once the antidote had taken effect did the person in front of me morph from being my beautiful mate to the Humans First Mage.

I had lost the battle. He had my confession.

Maximilian smiled at my would-be rescuers. It had all the warmth of the Artic in winter. “You are here just in time for the sentencing.”

Luc’s eyes turned to mine. Vaguely I noted as Sims protested, but there was little we could do except play for time. We would appeal, of course. I would ask for a proper hearing. One in which I could tell my side of the story. This whole thing stank of corruption.

Take care of my mate , said my eyes.

Of course I will , said his. Until you are free .

I had lost the battle, yes. But there was no way I was going to lose the war.

My brother and I didn’t need words to have this conversation.

He saved his mate when she was dying. He knew, as did I, that without our mates, our lives weren’t living.

Our mother had known that when we were children.

She had killed in defence of family before we were old enough to understand.

It had traumatised us and we had both locked away our own Beasts.

But I understood now. Nothing, not even a threat of death would keep me from my little Pixie.

I rose to my feet at a prompt from one of the guards. Moving my gaze from my brother, I turned it to Maximilian. I let him see the violence in my eyes. I would get out of here and I would make sure that Maximilian got the fate he deserved.

I heard my mate’s voice down the bond. Bastien, please let me in. Talk to me. What’s happening?

I shook my head, dispelling the momentary confusion. My mate wasn’t here. She was in the Palace. The conversation I thought I’d been having with her was a product of the serum.

The expression of glee on the Mage’s face told me that I’d spilled the secrets I’d kept close to my soul. I knew what would come next. Maximilian would gloat and then I would be sentenced to death.

We could just kill him now. He deserves it for how he has hurt our mate. How he has made her worry.

I could picture it. It would be easy. The chains would break if I pulled on them with my full strength. The guards would shoot. The bullets would do little more than tickle. Three long steps would get me to the raised bench where the complacent fucker sat.

A jump to the top. One wrench and his head would be off.

My fists tightened in preparation.

Bastien. Please .

My mate’s voice down the bond was distraught. This was real. Not a figment produced by the serum. I could kill Maximilian later. My mate needed me now.

I sent her my reassurance down the tightest beam I could manage. I didn’t want her to feel my own murderous emotions.

It will be alright my heart. I promise you . Wait for me and I will come to you .

What’s happening? She repeated her earlier request.

Please don’t worry. Everything will be okay.