Mated to the Chaos - Georgette St. Clair Page 0,5

suddenly, coming face to face with Nanshe. To keep from embracing her, he lifted her off him before standing at her side. The touch of her skin was warm silk and sent a shock through his bloodstream.

Mine.

“I told you.”

She was sassier in his head—a more relaxed way of speaking, less formal than when she spoke aloud. For now, though, he wouldn’t comment on it.

Eiravel and Cynes stood before Cynes stepped forward. “When we were trying to escape with Asherah, she helped us stop Skuld long enough to get through the portal. Without her, we may have all died.”

“I came because Skuld is coming. She brings with her horrors unimaginable, and … I needed help. The help wouldn’t come to me.” Nanshe gazed up at Carlo. Standing, she was shorter than his towering seven feet, but she was taller than most of the women in the room.

He wouldn’t admit how sexy that was. Or the way her warrior-like frame made his mouth water. Nanshe was not some willowy waif who’d blow away at the first powerful wind.

Silva snorted. “Why would he have gone there? He hates the Chaos Realm.”

Nanshe shook her head. “I cannot tell you.”

Can’t, or won’t?

“Can’t. There are rules. I know of your hatred of Chaos, Carlo. But is nothing for you to fear.”

He ignored that. Nothing to fear? He knew better than anyone how terrifying the Chaos was. How holding such power would destroy his body. The Fae may travel through it, but they didn’t live in it. And they were the strongest of all magic users.

“It matters not now,” Nanshe said. “Things have now changed. In order for the past I see to not be your future, I needed to be with Carlo.”

The room went silent for about ten seconds before everyone started speaking at once.

“Silence,” Arturo growled. Everyone in the room did as he commanded. “There isn’t any point in repeating this. If this is about what is coming, we call everyone in. I swear, we need to make this a thing with all the shit coming our way.”

Dominic shook his head. “If we do that, I fear it would only make sure we faced stuff all the time.”

Romano snorted. “It doesn’t seem like we have another choice anyway.” He stared pointedly at Nanshe.

“Dominic, call in your Enforcers and Pasquale. I’ll get who I need.” Arturo sighed. “Nanshe, this is against Encantado?”

“Encantado will only be the start.”

“Then also call in Heath and the Renegades. Carlo, reach out to the Moonstone Pack. Kalinda—”

Kalinda groaned. “I’m already working on getting the Trinity here and will contact Torin.”

Silva tensed. “Please, anyone but him.”

“Tough cookie, Tinker Bell. He’s in too. We’ll need the Guardians on watch.”

“Goddess save me, can’t we have just one fucking moment without impossible doom facing any of us?”

As everyone filtered out the door, pulling phones from their pockets as they went, Nanshe remained next to him. Carlo was certain the answer to Silva’s complaint was a resounding “no.”

“We will talk, Carlo. What we are cannot be denied.”

“It will have to be. Knowing you are my mate and tying myself to the Chaos are two very different things,” he growled.

“If you want them to survive, you’ll do what you have to do. You cannot be afraid of who and what you are.”

“I’m a wolf, woman.”

“Are you?”

He couldn’t say another word before his destiny sashayed out of his room. He picked up a lamp and tossed it into the wall, smashing it to bits. Not like he could make his space look any worse.

Fuck!

Chapter Three

The arena was the only place large enough to house nearly thirty people as they met to get more information on the threat coming to Encantado. Not that Carlo wanted to make light of what was coming, but times were much simpler when he could rely on his claws and the sweet sound of whispering bullets to remove threats.

Then again, it was harder to focus on anything other than the situation when that very problem had brought him the most bothersome issue all. Her. Even thinking of her made his wolf go crazy, driving him to claim what belonged to him. Since being changed in the ’50s, Carlo had been one with his wolf. Even while the Chaos scrambled his mind, Carlo’s wolf had fought with him to find a semblance of sanity.

Now, the wolf and man were at odds.

Nanshe wore the same white dress. Watching her move through the lower meeting hall, the fabric curling around her legs like a lover with each