Dominic stopped dead in his tracks and stared after her as the reality of what he’d done hit him like a ton of bricks. God, he felt like such a dumb-ass. She was afraid of him and of binding her life to his, and now, what did he do? He went ahead and confirmed all of her fears by saying the mating rite without her consent. She’d given him permission to take her body, but not her heart, and it made him feel like a thief.
Dominic stilled as he watched her slip through the bars of the fence. Tension settled in his shoulders.
“Son of a bitch,” he breathed. “Where the hell is that woman going now?”
Tatiana clearly wanted to be alone, and giving her space to run in the fields was one thing, but going into the wooded area—well, that was another. She may want to get away, but that was too damn bad. There was no way he would allow her to wander around the outskirts of the property without him.
However, every coherent thought was ripped from his head as he watched her stretch her arms out wide and erupt into her clan form. He knew she’d be breathtaking in the shape of her wolf, but nothing could have prepared him for the elegant beauty of his spirited mate. Her brown and white coat fluttered with the summer breeze as she trotted through the tall grasses toward the woods.
Fear gripped his heart as she vanished into the trees.
Dominic burst into a run, and as he tore across the field, his eyes flickered to their clan form. He growled the ancient language, “Verto.”
In a burst of static, Dominic erupted into his tiger and leapt over the fence in one fluid motion. Landing easily on all fours, he followed Tatiana’s familiar energy signature into the woods, and as he hurried up the hill, a dark stream of energy captured his attention.
Dominic froze. Scanning the area, he spotted Tatiana at the crest of the hill, still in her wolf form, lying low and stone-still. Tatiana. He touched her mind with his, shielding his thoughts from anyone else who could be in the area. Don’t move and stay calm.
There’s someone else up here, Dominic. Her frightened voice quivered, and the sound of it nearly did him in. The energy signature seems familiar, but I can’t quite get it.
Dominic moved painstakingly slow, making no sound as he crept through the sun-dappled trees. Movement, about fifty feet to the left, captured his attention. He sharpened his focus and watched as the air in that vicinity pulsed and shimmered, like heat coming off pavement.
Purist! Dominic roared to the collective minds of his friends.
As he exploded into action, an unfamiliar male from the Bear Clan materialized before him and immediately charged Tatiana.
We’re under attack. Eric’s gravelly, focused voice sliced into his consciousness.
We have two more at the main house. William’s voice shot into his mind.
In an instant, Dominic’s worst fears were realized. His mate and the prince were in danger—but the choice was far simpler than he thought it would be because there was no choice.
It was her. It would always be her.
Blinding rage consumed him as he watched the massive beast descend on his mate. Tatiana scrambled backward as Dominic roared and leapt onto the back of the enormous Kodiak bear. He and the bear went tumbling down the hill. In a blur of claws and fur, they slammed into the trunk of a tree, which momentarily dislodged Dominic from the Purist’s side.
Snarling, Dominic leapt to his feet as his opponent reared up on his hind legs and bellowed into the air. Tatiana’s frightened voice tore into his mind. There’s another one.
Run up the mountain, Tatiana. Just keep moving. I promise I’ll get to you.
With every ounce of power he had, Dominic pounced on the Purist and latched powerful jaws around his neck, tackling him to the ground. Pinning him with a stranglehold, he sank his razor-sharp teeth into flesh. The coppery taste of blood bathed the inside of his mouth. Knowing he was delivering a mortal wound, Dominic bit down with all his strength and growled as the neck of his enemy broke.
Dominic! Tatiana’s panicked voice shot into his mind. Up here. Hurry!
Blood dripping from his muzzle, he whipped his head around and glanced up to see Tatiana cornered by a female from the Arctic Wolf Clan. Dominic recognized her immediately as an elder and former Council member. She had backed Tatiana onto a thin ledge of rock, and the only place for her to go was about thirty feet down.
Moravian was right. The woman’s voice slithered into his mind. Your half-breed mates are pathetic.
Just as Dominic whispered the ancient language to visualize himself to Tatiana’s side, he saw the atmosphere between Tatiana and the white wolf ripple. As he vanished in a flicker of static, Courtney materialized in front of Tatiana at the very moment the wolf pounced.
What happened next, happened in a split second.
Dominic materialized on the ledge behind the white wolf in time to see Courtney and the Purist from the Wolf Clan tumble over the edge in a tangle of limbs. Tatiana changed back to her human form, screaming Courtney’s name. Dominic shifted and caught her before she disappeared after them.
“Courtney!” Tatiana’s hysterical cry echoed through the woods as they peered over the edge and saw two motionless bodies on the ground below.
“Hold on to me.” Dominic held her close and whispered the ancient language, “Verto.”
In a blink, he and Tatiana were standing next to the motionless bodies of Courtney and the wolf. He released Tatiana’s shaking form from his embrace and squatted down next to Courtney. Her energy signature was faint but still showed signs of life.
“She’s alive, but she’s in bad shape.” Frustration and guilt tugged at him. Steven. Courtney’s in trouble. Dominic didn’t know where Steven was, but since he didn’t come immediately to his mate’s side, he had to be in the midst of battle.
“This is my fault,” Dominic whispered. “I didn’t get up there in time.”
“Here.” Tatiana grabbed a bandanna from the back pocket of her shorts and held it on the bleeding wound on Courtney’s head. She took Dominic’s hand and placed it over the makeshift bandage. “Keep pressure on it to stop the bleeding. I’m going to see if I can read her injuries the way I do with animals.”
Dominic said nothing but did as she instructed. He watched as she placed both hands on Courtney’s belly, closed her eyes, and focused. Tatiana’s body shuddered, and her eyes flickered behind her lids as though she were dreaming.
Covered in dirt, with blood smudged on her hands, she was still the most spectacular, beautiful creature he’d ever encountered. Her strength and focus in this moment of crisis had him in awe. She put aside their personal differences to deal with the trauma, and that was the most impressive thing of all.
“The baby’s heartbeat is steady and strong,” she murmured softly. Eyes still closed, her hands moved from Courtney’s belly to her arms. She brushed the length of her body, tuning in with flawless intensity. Her brow furrowed. “Courtney’s fading fast, Dominic.”
Tatiana opened her eyes and sat back on her heels as tears streamed down her cheeks. She took Courtney’s hand and kissed it. “Please don’t give up, Courtney.”
The air erupted in static electricity as Steven materialized next to them. His clothing was torn and bloody, evidence of a battle fought and won. His face was wracked with grief, and his bright green eyes went immediately to his mate.
Steven uttered a strangled cry and shoved Dominic out of the way as he knelt at his wife’s side. He brushed blonde hair from her bruised, bloody forehead and whispered to her as Dominic stood up. He stepped back, feeling nothing but helplessness as he watched the scene before him.