Our offspring will be strong and resilient.
They’ll have to be.
Our world is not safe.
The nagging sense of premonition creeps along our awareness, slowly growing more prominent.
We cling to each other, shoring up memories of our brief time together.
We’ll need them.
Danger lurks nearby.
Chapter Thirty
Vander
My heart freezes in my chest. Kwame’s dark complexion moves at a rapid pace among the stones as the light of dawn shifts the shadows. A mane of silver hair extends behind him, Britani on his back like a pack.
I don’t wait for another signal. My body bolts into action.
The steep slope forces me to shorten my stride, but before I descend more than a few feet, Seeck’s flaming red hair comes into view. Nova lays pliant in his arms with her head against his shoulder and her legs tucked close to his side. His arms cover most of her body as he cradle carries her across the uneven ground.
As I dart downward, I catch a brief glimpse of Dirk’s massive form before the mountain between us cuts off my view. A tiny bundle clings to his front, Shya’s golden locks streaming over his shoulder like a beacon amidst the shadows.
I don’t know what made them change our itinerary, but their urgency can only mean one thing.
Danger.
My boots collide with stones over and over as I weave through the hazardous terrain. Miles pass by in a tense blur as I push my body to leap from boulder to boulder and balance along narrow passages.
Reaching out with my senses, I hear my teammates' harsh breaths and heavy footfalls.
They run as though the devil scrapes their heels.
I reach into my belt and pull out a blade, just in case whatever dogs them is closer than we know.
My ears pick out sounds of feminine strain, their lifemates tired from clinging on during such a long and arduous trek.
Dirk holds knowledge. I sense it.
Why?
Probably because it pertains to my lifemate.
The sneaky female may be the death of us.
Not if I can help it.
And I can.
I’ve had days to test my new abilities.
I plan to put them to use.
Chapter Thirty-One
Anastasia
The floor shakes under me from the force of someone pounding on the door. In reflex to the sudden noise, my fingernails sink into Jumoke’s shoulders.
His warning snarl sends shivers up my spine as his breath warms the skin of my stomach.
Instead of ducking lower to bring another mouthful of our mixed essences to my lips, he covers me with his body in a move so quick my shoulders pop as my arms are pulled above my head.
A deep, unwelcome voice pierces my addled, sex-drunk brain.
“Jumoke, we have issues. Cockpit, now.”
The ruthless, loving male above me tenses in an unpleasant way. The startling stillness in his tight muscles snaps the fuzzy, satiated feeling away.
Whereas the loud banging startled me, the slightest posture change from Jumoke speaks volumes. Our souls are so entwined I not only sense his emotions through our bond but also decipher his thoughts through his actions.
His snarl does little to hide the profanity he flings into the air.
“On the way,” he responds to the unseen Alpha in a guttural and strained voice.
Lines bracket his eyes as he meets mine, the sense of impending doom flashing to the forefront of our minds as the glow from our mating dims.
The world has knocked on our door, signaling the end of our time in solitude.
I slide my hands across his huge shoulders, lingering on my lifemating mark before continuing up his neck. By the time I frame his face with my palms, I’ve cleared the chaos from my mind and focused on what’s most important.
He is my lifemate. He’ll always be in my heart, giving unlimited love to those I hold dear, including the ones I’ve lost and the child I’ve yet to meet.
I am his lifemate. I will do what must be done to protect what is his.
The storm in his eyes batters our bond.
He’s angry our time has been cut short. His instincts demand he hide me away from the world so he can protect his mate and his offspring.
“Be calm, my Alpha. You’ve fulfilled every promise you’ve given me.” I let my purr weave within my words, letting my adoration for him flow from my soul.
My scalp still stings from his tugging as he pulled me from our nest. The ache between my legs will stay for days. A bone-deep soreness pulses from my injured shoulder and my hips, a pain I relish since he created them—he rutted me on this very floor twice in the last few days, both times mind-blowing.
A slight throbbing in my lower back highlights the new weight in my womb where his child grows, still too new for any other sensations, even though my scent broadcasts my condition.
He’s given me more than what he’s promised.
He gave me the tools to destroy my darkest nightmare.
“I have two more promises. One: I’ll do everything in my power to give you and our offspring a happy future.”
He strokes from my raised elbow all the way to my scarred stomach, his massive palm hot against my sweaty skin.
I dread his next words even as I know he must say them.
“Two: I’m taking those fuckers down.”
Worry settles in the pit of my stomach, but I build a solid cocoon around my heart, sheltering the ones most important to me.
There’s no reason to argue with him. I see his soul.
He won’t rest until we’re out of danger.
He’s incapable of walking away from this life, too skilled to leave the work to someone else, and too aware of how the world works to trust others to shoulder the responsibility. He’s too invested in me, our babe, and the men who’ve given him unending support to back away now.
He’s too Alpha to turn away from the challenge. Too devoted to leave his teammates. Too loving to fail in protecting me and our babe.
If anyone can destroy an institution