I looked down at the woman in my arms, her eyes closed, her breaths coming in shallow pants as her magic and life seeped out of her.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
I let my fangs elongate and pulled her neck closer to me.
Marking was how our kind mated one another. It was passionate, private. Emotional. It was an intense and personal moment. And now, everyone would watch. They would see that I would take this choice from her by force. I would take away her will. I didn’t deserve to be alpha; I didn’t deserve to be her mate.
But I couldn’t let her die.
And so, without looking at anyone else, I slowly slid my fangs into her neck and winced as she let out a shocked gasp. Electricity shocked through my fangs, and I knew it was the magic of the dagger. Penelope’s blade was coated in Faith’s dark, necromancy magic.
It was killing my mate, and I couldn’t let that happen. I needed to save her, even if it took part of my soul to do it.
I bit down harder, and my bear roared. A bond between Sage and me finally snapped into place. It was pure life, energy. Magic. It wrapped around my soul, and I could feel it do the same to Sage’s as we became one in every way.
She was my future, my past, my present. She was everything in my life that mattered, that would prove who I could be and the man I would become.
And at that moment, nothing else mattered but her.
She was my power, my salvation.
She was everything.
I could feel her. I could feel everything.
Her eyes shot open, the gold around them echoing mine for just an instant as my bear pushed into her, saving her.
Magic shook around us, lashed at my skin, pulled at my hair as it dug into me. Ash let out a few words, a soft spell, and I witnessed him pulling the dagger slowly out of Sage’s body. She began to convulse, and I pushed more energy through the bond to her.
She had to be okay. She had to stay alive. We were bonded. She was my mate. She was my future.
And she would hate me.
The others began to murmur, putting their hands on the wound to stop the bleeding. I held her and threw my head back, roaring again. Whatever glass was left in the place shattered, but Rowen used her wind magic to stop it from hurting anyone. They all gave me pitying looks, but I ignored it.
“I need to help save her,” Rowen said as she knelt in front of me. “There are spells, Rome… I need to hold her.”
I looked down at Penelope, the one we couldn’t save, and my bear knew I needed to let go. Because my bear and I weren’t in control, and I didn’t want to hurt her. I couldn’t hurt anyone. I handed Sage over to Rowen and staggered back, coming to my feet as my hands shook, my body now covered in blood.
I didn’t say anything. I simply left. I left my mate, my family, everyone.
I needed to leave.
My bear had taken her pain, but I had to go before I saw the regret on her face. The others could stay. They could save her. I needed to go. Because I had done the one thing I’d promised I would never do, the one thing a shifter should never do.
I had taken her as my mate without her permission.
It might’ve been to save her, but I had crossed a line. And I deserved whatever consequences came because of it. I staggered out of the bakery, knowing the others were there, ready to hear something from me, but I couldn’t say anything.
Instead, I threw back my head and roared again. The town shook, and I knew that whatever wards Rowen had in place, had to be working double-time to keep the secrets of our town.
I rolled my shoulders back and then shifted, my bones snapping into place, fur sprouting all over my body. I dropped to all fours, roared again, and then ran into the forest. I needed to breathe. I needed to push out the pain and the energy the bonding had brought.
Sage would be safe for now. I needed her to be. Because there was nothing else I could do. I had a mate.
She would hate me.
But I deserved it.
Chapter Nineteen
Sage
I could hear others around me mumbling words over and over. I couldn’t tell what they were saying, and it hurt too much to focus hard enough to figure it out. There were hands on my body, soft, healing touches, but I wasn’t tuned in to the outside.
I was focusing on what was inside. What clawed at me. Was it claws? Or was it something else? I wasn’t sure. I had never felt this before. It was as if a thread connected me to another. What was this?
I reached out almost internally, trying to understand what was going on, and dug my fingers into its spindly yet sure grip.
It was a thread.
A bond. Something I didn’t understand. What was it? What could it be?
Then I heard a soft growl. And fur slid along my skin.
It was a bear
Rome’s bear.
I knew this bear. He was mine, creeping along the bond, reaching for me. And then it reached out to the power within me. My magic. It pushed towards the bear, and he butted his head against my side. I smiled.
“You’re here,” I murmured. “Or am I here?” It didn’t make sense.
Where was I? I didn’t think I was awake. This had to be all in my head. If this was in my head… Where was Rome?
His bear butted my hand. Again, I smiled. This was definitely his bear. His anchor. He was here. And if there was a bond… That meant we were mated.
It had to be. This was the bond the others and he had spoken of. I could feel it wrapped around my soul as surely as I saw the bear who stared at me now.
Rome and I were mated. When did that happen? When had he marked me? I didn’t know. I should be worried, but I wasn’t because this was Rome.
Was this all a dream? Rome’s bear headbutted me again. I looked towards the bond and blinked.
Who was that? What was happening?
“Sage, I need you to wake up. Sage, wake up.”
I pushed out those thoughts—that voice that wouldn’t go away. I wanted to follow Rome’s bear. I wanted Rome. He would tell me what was going on. He was the one I trusted above all others. He would help me find Aunt Penelope. Pain seared me, and emotion choked me.
Aunt Penelope.
She was dead. No, she couldn’t be dead. Not Aunt Penelope.
It didn’t make any sense to me. How could she be gone? Did I imagine it? I had to be dreaming.
I blinked open my eyes and tried to breathe. Pain seared my side and my chest. My heart. Everything tried to overtake me. Wanted to kill me. It felt like death.
“Sage, keep your eyes open.”
I looked at Rowen and tried to breathe, attempted to call out, anything. But I couldn’t.
“Sage. Keep your eyes open. Focus on me. You’re in pain. I know it hurts, but we will get through this. We need to move you, though. Do you understand? We need to move you.”
I tried to blink, attempted to say something, but no words came out. My throat was dry. Everything hurt. Why couldn’t I do anything? Where was Rome?
“Rome.”
“He’s coming. He’ll be back.”
I must have said the word aloud, though I hadn’t realized it. If Rome wasn’t here, then where had he gone? Because I could still feel his bear. I could feel him. Therefore, he had to be near. He wouldn’t leave me. Rome would never leave me.
“Where. Am. I?” Each word came out in staccato as I tried to breathe. And then I let out a sharp cry, as someone pulled me to their chest.