A masculine voice rebounded off the inside of her skull and then sank into her bones. The tether that had tied her only to her son seemed to suddenly split and reach for the male that was less than two feet in front of her. Tenia gasped as her hand went to her chest. If she could have reached in and ripped out the organ without killing herself in the process, she would have.
“Mate,” the voice rumbled as he pushed from the wall and turned to fully face her.
The look of awe on his handsome face was incongruent with the anger that marred his brow. What the hell did he have to be angry about? Did he have a child being held as a prisoner somewhere in the godforsaken compound?
“Mate,” he said again in her mind, only this time it was softer and with a desperation she understood because it was the same way her voice sounded when she said her son’s name.
Tenia was no youngling. She’d been around for centuries. She might not be ancient like Alston, but she knew wolves, and she knew what the true mate bond was. She’d also heard the rumors that there’d recently been fae that had mated wolves. This is not happening. She groaned as she stood there staring at the Canis lupus who was staring right back at her.
He was big—much bigger than her. He had short dark hair, piercing silver eyes, a strong jaw, and sharp cheekbones. He was very good looking. But she wanted no part of him. The only thing she wanted was this wolf as far from her and her young as possible
“Tenia.” The heavily accented Romanian voice that spoke her name was deep yet gentle. Tenia thought she detected a note of pain somewhere underneath it. But she didn’t care about his pain. The man was an Order member, which meant he was a monster. Tenia had never seen this Canis lupus before, which really wasn’t a surprise. The compound was large, and the Order’s numbers were growing every day. People, including Tenia, came and went at all hours. It was likely this wolf had been sent out by Ludcarab to sway other Canis lupus to the Order’s cause. She didn’t really care. What mattered was why the hell he was guarding Torion’s door and not the usual fae.
“Move,” she snapped as she reached for one of the knives at her hip. She had no problem cutting down anyone who stood between her and her son, regardless of what this male claimed.
The wolf stepped aside immediately, raising his hands as he did so. “Please, Tenia, feel free to drag one of your blades across my throat. I wouldn’t raise so much as a paw to defend myself. I would never, could never, hurt you,” he said. “Or your pup.”
Tenia snorted. “You already have.” She started to push past him, but his large hand wrapped around her upper arm. The touch sent a burn of fire through her bloodstream. She froze, their faces mere inches away. She could detect traces of his woodsy scent, which she couldn’t deny was pleasant, but she ignored it. Tenia had to force herself to speak because her instincts were failing her. They were screaming at her to lean into the strength she felt in his grip, to accept whatever help he would offer. She ignored the traitorous thoughts as she snapped, “You support this … cause.” She waved her free arm as if to take in the whole compound. “That alone makes me want to kill you where you stand.” Despite her words, there was still a pull in Tenia’s chest, a part of her that wanted him near her. Though she refused to admit it to herself, she knew it was the mate bond within her, reaching out to him. She could deny it easily enough. It couldn’t be real. There was no way she could be mated to anyone, much less to a person so vile as to voluntarily join the Order. Yet here he was, not just standing in front of her, but in her mind as well. “Stay the hell out of my head,” she added as she jerked her arm free and pushed the door open. She saw a flash of pain across his handsome face just before the door closed behind her.
She clicked the lock in place, not that it would actually keep anyone out, but it made her feel a little better. Tenia closed her eyes and pictured walls going up in her mind, building a fortress around her thoughts. There was no way she was going to let that wolf know what she and Myanin had been up to. He would, no doubt, run to Alston like a good little pup and betray them in a heartbeat.
“Mother,” Torion’s sweet voice called to her, wrapping her in warmth and making her instantly breathe easier.
The fae opened her eyes and smiled. She knelt down and opened her arms. The boy rushed into them and squeezed her tight. She wanted to wrap him up and run as far and as fast as possible, or flash him to the furthest realm from this place. Tenia would give her last breath if she could just
