Wild Hunt - Kali Argent Page 0,22

the ones who enforce the will of people like the Abraxas coven.”

Tension built in her temples as her eyebrows drew together. “What you described in Trinity Grove didn’t sound bad.”

“Some places are better than others, I’ll give you that. Even in Trinity Grove, humans were seen as commodities, though. They owned humans. Then, of course, there was the little matter of the vampire king sacrificing humans to Ravagers.”

Mackenna jerked back, her eyes going wide. “No.”

“Yes.” He stroked his fingers through her hair as he studied her, his gaze almost pitying. “They don’t react well to human sympathizers, either.”

“But…you’re my mate!” It was the first time she’d actually said the words out loud, and she wished it could have been in a different context. “That’s important. It’s…it…”

“It means nothing,” he stated flatly. “Unions have to be approved now. Mates have about as much protection as a human pet, which is to say, very little.”

“No.” That couldn’t be right. It was the one unwritten rule that all the races agreed on, the one covenant that was never broken. “No, I don’t believe you.”

Even as she said it, she knew in her heart he was telling her the truth. She’d escaped one hell only to be thrust into another.

Overwhelmed with information, frightened by a world she didn’t recognize, Mackenna couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. Burying her face against Cade’s shoulder, she wept for all the lives that had been lost. She cried for all the families that had been destroyed. She cried for those still hurting, for every injustice they faced. She cried for herself, for the naïve girl on the side of the highway, and the broken one she was now.

Through it all, Cade just held her, letting her soak the collar of his shirt as he stroked her back and petted her hair. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t tell her to calm down. He didn’t offer her hollow promises that things would get better, nor did he make meaningless comparisons about how it could be worse.

He sat there until she had no more tears to cry, until exhaustion eventually lulled her into numbness. When her sobs had quieted to occasional sniffles, he pulled the blanket up over her and tucked her head under his chin.

Still, he said nothing.

As the silence stretched on, Mackenna’s pulse steadied, and her breathing slowed as the knot in her chest loosened. Nothing had been solved. Nothing was better. She was just too tired to think about it anymore.

Surrounded by her mate’s warmth and strength, she closed her eyes and prayed for the sweet relief of sleep.

Chapter Seven

Pandemonium.

There was no other word that accurately described the scene unfolding before him. Lynk had fought his share of battles. He’d watched cities burn to the ground. Never had he witnessed anything like what was happening in the camp.

Realistically, they couldn’t have prepared for the entire perimeter of the settlement to be rigged with underground explosives. Yet, he couldn’t help but feel responsible. He should have known. He should have anticipated, if not that exact scenario, something similar. It had just seemed so unlikely, too dangerous, especially with children running around the settlement.

Instead of approaching with caution, they’d charged in blindly, and because of their ignorance, they’d lost two strong fighters.

Two friends.

The first explosion had surprised them all. The loss of Miles had been devastating, but there had been no time to react, let alone grieve. Within seconds, the entire place had been crawling with shifters. Lions darted through the night, their pale coats making them easy to track in the moonlight. But knowing where they were didn’t make them any less deadly.

Outnumbered four to one, they should have retreated. They should have cut their losses and disappeared back into the forest, but that would have meant leaving Abby to her fate. It was a testament to the bonds that had formed between them that no one was willing to save their own ass if it meant leaving one of their own behind.

Those who had been waiting in the forest had rushed forward to join the fray, some with fangs and claws, others with guns and knives. As skills went, his team had the upper hand, but they’d still been quickly overwhelmed by the Ikandes’ sheer numbers.

There was no time for caution, no sense in worrying if their next step might be their last. That was how they’d lost Kellen Fischer. The human had only joined their ranks recently, along with a group of three others who