“I can give you everything, Kara,” Ludcarab said gently. “I can lay the world at your feet. You will want for nothing. We will rule this world, and you will stand beside me as my queen. I will protect you the way you should have been protected when you were young and vulnerable.” He stepped even closer, his tall form making her tip her head to look up at him. “Our offspring will be powerful, safe, and feared by all.” He released her neck and slid his hand down her hair. Chills ran down Kara’s spine, but she forced herself to be still. “I’ll admit, I had no plan to take a mate. But now, I find the idea very appealing. You are quite lovely. The fire I see in your eyes, the defiance and determination, simply tells me you are strong. You are worthy to be my mate, my queen.” His hand dropped and pressed to her stomach. Kara startled at the touch. “You will be even more beautiful with my child growing inside of you.”

  That was it. That was all Kara could handle. She stepped away from him and took a deep breath. She was about to open her mouth and tell him that she was incapable, but a voice filled her mind. “Don’t,” the Great Luna said firmly. “It is not time.” Kara’s eyes widened, but she quickly schooled her face. She let her shoulders droop and wrapped her arms around herself. She needed to get away from him. Kara needed a minute, or fifty, to pull herself together. “This is a lot,” she said. “And considering you kidnapped me, did something to my bond with my mate, told me that you’re somehow going to make me want all this, and then threw in the whole kid thing, I’ll admit I’m pissed. And that’s putting it lightly. But, young as I may be, I know throwing a tantrum like a child will not solve anything. I would, however, like to have some time to myself so that I’m able to maintain my control and not attempt to rip your manhood from your body.”

  The elf king threw his head back and laughed. When he finally composed himself, he sighed. “Yes, you are a worthy queen.” He held a hand out to her. “Come, I will show you to your room.”

  Kara couldn’t bring herself to willingly touch him, so she simply stared at him. He shrugged his shoulders and began walking. She glanced at the bottle still in his hand and hoped he wouldn’t ask her to drink any of it once they reached the room. Kara was pretty sure she’d spit it in his face if he tried.

  She followed behind him and looked around as they exited the great hall. Ignoring all of the anger and fear she felt, she forced herself to pay attention to her surroundings so she could remember the way to the room, and then hopefully, if given an opportunity, find a way out.

  Ludcarab reached a large, ornate door. It was well over fifteen feet tall, and silver etchings ran along the trim. The elf king laid his palm against the door, and the etchings glowed a soft blue. The door swung open, and he stepped aside, motioning her to enter. Kara walked past him, making sure to put enough space between them that she didn’t touch him.

  The room was huge. The walls were dark blue, like a night sky when the moon was bright. White velvet drapes cascaded to the floor, framing a large, rectangular window that nearly took up the entire wall on the right side of the room. Kara ignored the massive bed covered in blue and white blankets and pillows. Instead, she turned to find a stone fireplace, complete with a crackling fire dancing inside. Two blue chairs, velvet like the drapes, sat in front of the fireplace, looking plush and soft. A longing built inside her to climb into one of them, curl up, and let herself sink into the blackness that currently grew in her mind and heart.

  “I think you will find your accommodations more than adequate.” Ludcarab’s voice jarred her from her thoughts. “The room is warded. You will not be able to throw yourself out of the window, should you decide that would be a more acceptable fate, nor will you be able to get out the door. These are temporary safety measures that will be lifted once you and Tenia have spent some time together.”

  Kara didn’t respond. She just wanted him to leave.

  “I will send up food after you’ve had some time to rest. Forgive me, but I will not be able to join you, as I have things to attend to. But I will check on you as soon as I am able. Kara.” He paused and she assumed he was waiting for her to look at him. She finally did. “I do not want to hurt you.” He chuckled and shook his head. “I will admit I find myself feeling a certain desire for you. It’s been a long time since I’ve wanted anything other than power. When I desire something, I do not fail to acquire it. You need to remember that.” He turned without another word, or mentioning the bottle of liquid that was supposed to make sure she could get pregnant, and strode from the room. The door swung shut without him touching it, and the etchings that also adorned the inside frame lit up briefly and then faded.

  Kara stumbled to one of the chairs. Her legs shook as she collapsed into it, and her head swam with dizziness. She breathed hard, her lungs tightening as the reality of her situation sank in. Damn her and her stubborn will. If she’d just listened to Nick. If she hadn’t demanded to be given privacy to run by herself so she could throw mental tantrums, she wouldn’t be here. Kara would be home with her mate. She’d be wrapped in his arms instead of the velvet chair, and his heat would warm her skin instead of the flames of the fire in her enemy’s castle. “Nick?” Her voice filled her own mind, but there was no bond to send it through.

  The emptiness made her think back to the time before she’d met Peri, back to when she was a waitress and barely getting by. She’d been so lonely, though she’d never admitted it to anyone, not even herself. Kara had accepted that after all she’d endured in the foster homes, she’d rather be lonely than run the risk of being hurt by someone she let herself care for. Then Nick happened. Never in a million years could she have imagined that she would have someone like him in her life. He wasn’t perfect, but he treated her as if she mattered more than anything. Even when they fought, he wasn’t cruel. He didn’t degrade her or make her feel small. His patience with her was worthy of sainthood. Kara had figured out which buttons to push, and her main defense mechanism when her insecurities crept in was to push those buttons. Nick would call her out on it, but never in a disparaging way.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said into the empty room. She pictured him in her mind and repeated the words silently. She’d give anything to be able to talk to him, to tell him what an idiot she’d been. Instead, all she could do was sit in this velvet chair and weep. And that’s exactly what she did. The tears started flowing. She was unable to hold them back any longer. Kara pulled her legs up, wrapped her arms around them, and buried her face in her knees. Her shoulders shook. The emotions she’d managed to keep tightly bound unraveled. Kara bit her lip to keep the sobs in her throat from escaping. How many nights as a teenager had she spent wrapped in her blanket on her bed, crying into her pillow because it was the only time she’d allow herself to crumble under the weight of her circumstances? She’d thought those nights had been rough, but now, they seemed like a walk in the park compared to the desolation that filled her.

  “You are not alone, Kara.” The Great Luna’s voice filled her mind once again. “You must walk in this valley for a time. I will be with you. When the darkness surrounds you, reach for my light. Remember that I have created you for a purpose. I am refining you. Sometimes, my children must be torn down and then built back up.”

  Kara’s shoulders shook harder. The tears soaked her jeans where her face was pressed. “I don’t want to walk in this valley.” Maybe she shouldn’t tell the creator of the supernatural races that she didn’t want to do what the goddess was asking of her, but it was the truth. Kara didn’t lie if she could help it. “I’ve spent my life being torn down over and over again. I don’t think I can take any more. It hurts too much.”

  “On your own, you are not strong enough, but my strength will get you through. I’ve been with you since before you were born, Kara. I’ve known you long before you came into this world. I have loved you and will continue to love you. You will not always understand why you must endure struggles, but all that I do is for your good. You have been created for my glory. Your life is a testimony to my love for my creation. And all that you endure will show those who have turned away that it is by my power, my mercy, and my love that you walked through the fire and emerged on the other side stronger and purified.

  “All that you face will one day be a blessing to another. Through this calamity, abundant blessings will flow. Hope will be restored. Life and light will prevail. Hold tight to my truth, my child. I am holding tight to you.”

  The healer hadn’t thought her heart could break any more, but she’d been wrong. Though there was comfort from the Great Luna—her love filling the empty places inside of her—there was also pain. Kara was scared. She dreaded what was to come. She had no idea exactly how bad the coming calamities would be, but her spirit told her it was going to be the hardest thing she would face thus far in her short life. “I will trust you. I am terrified,” she admitted. “But I feel your love for me. I feel your goodness. Please, don’t let me go. I cannot do this without you.”

  “Nothing can take you from me, Kara. You are mine, and I am yours.”

  Peace flowed through Kara, and though the dismay didn’t leave, she felt herself calming down. The tears slowed until they no longer ran down her cheeks. Her breathing evened out, and her body stopped shaking. Exhaustion seeped into her bones, though she could still feel the goddess’s presence with her. “Sleep, child of mine. I will watch over you.”

  Kara sank further into the soft chair and imagined Nick holding her. Just before sleep took her, she thought she heard his voice. Her eyes snapped open, and she tried again to call out through their bond. Nothing. Perhaps it was just wishful thinking or her imagination. After a few tries, she began to slip off to sleep again. Just to be sure, though, just in case it was really him, and he could somehow hear her, she began to whisper, “I love you, Nick. I love you, Nick. I love you, Nick.” until sleep finally took her.

  Chapter

  Sixteen

  “She’s gone. Without her, I am darkness. Without her, no one will be safe from my wrath. She is my light, the other half of my soul, and now her light is gone. My soul is a jagged mess where hers has been ripped away. I will destroy every supernatural I encounter until she is at my side once again. Hell on earth is coming, and its name is Nickolas.”

  ~ Nick

  * * *

  Nick’s body crashed to the ground as a massive wolf landed on his back, slamming his head against the unforgiving earth. Rocks and dirt dug into his face as his alpha pressed the full weight of his beast onto him. Drayden’s claws dug deep into his back, and Nick smelled the iron scent of blood as it trickled down his sides. Teeth sank into his shoulder as his alpha demanded his submission.

  “They have her,” Nick snarled. “They have my mate, my Kara.” His voice cracked as agony gripped him. The moment Nick realized something was wrong with their bond, he’d run to the front of the mansion and straight into the field where she’d daily been running off her frustration—frustration he had caused in his unwillingness to compromise. Nick had decided what was best for her, and his attitude had driven her away from him. He’d thought she was safe on the compound. He’d foolishly believed that the Order wouldn’t be able to touch her with him near. But when he ran out into the lawn, she wasn’t there. Nick had searched the entire perimeter and then throughout the surrounding forest. There was nothing. No scent, no sign of a struggle, no tracks. Nothing.

  The teeth in his shoulder sank deeper into this flesh, and Drayden shook his head. Nick groaned in pain, but he welcomed the physical affliction. Compared to the turmoil raging inside of him, the physical pain was no more than a paper cut. He struggled against the load that held him down, but it only lasted a couple of minutes because Nick’s wolf took over. “Laying here fighting our alpha will not get her back,” his wolf said. “ Submit so we can get on with the task of finding our mate.”

  Nick knew his wolf was right. It still took the help of his beast to get himself under control. When he finally stopped struggling, Drayden waited a full minute before releasing him. Nick continued to lay there even after he was no longer being forced to the ground.

  Drayden phased back to his human form then said, “I will lock you up while we search for her if you cannot keep yourself under control. The last thing I need is a feral wolf running around while we have healers being kidnapped by the Order.”

  Nick pushed to his feet and frowned. “Have others been taken?”

  “I don’t know,” his alpha snarled. “I’ve been too busy dealing with your irrational ass to call the other alphas and check. Are you in control?”

  Nick knew if he answered incorrectly, Drayden would give him an alpha command, and he’d be forced to comply no matter what he wanted. “I am,” he answered after several heartbeats. “We will hunt, we will find her, and will kill those who took her,” his wolf told him, its voice eerily calm. Nick knew his beast was as close to the man was at losing control. Nick’s wolf became quiet when rage built inside of him. His human half was the complete opposite. Kara had told him it was like Jekyll and Hyde when he and his wolf were both angry.

  “Get inside. Get our hunters ready while I make some phone calls,” Drayden commanded. He turned and headed back to the mansion. “We will start with the most logical place. Though it isn’t likely where they took her, it’s a starting point.”

  “Arizona,” Nick offered.

  “Exactly. But I imagine we will have to make a detour first.”

  As soon as they entered the front door, Nick took off jogging down the hall, heading for the gym where most of their wolves spent their days if they weren’t on guard duty. He pushed the doors so hard they slammed into the wall, and the sound reverberated off of the large room. “Get ready to hunt,” his wolf said. His eyes roamed around, meeting the gazes of each of the wolves present. One by one, their eyes dropped. He might not be their alpha, but he was still more dominant than any present. “My mate has been taken.” Growls and snarls erupted at his declaration. Kara wasn’t just his mate—she was also their pack's healer, precious to all of them. “As soon as Drayden has spoken with the other packs, we’re heading out. Half of you, gear up with weapons, the other half be ready to phase if needed.” The wolves immediately abandoned whatever they’d been doing and headed for the door. As they passed him, each of them bared their necks to him, some offering words of encouragement.

  “We will get her back,” Kevin, a very good hunter, said.

  Nick clenched his jaw and nodded. When the last wolf was gone, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He searched for the bond that had become a part of him, a reminder that he belonged to her and she to him. But like the empty field, there was nothing, a void where she should have been. For a moment, the wolf lost control of the man, and Nick roared. He turned and slammed his fist into the wall. The concrete cracked, and pieces chipped off, falling to the floor.

  “If you’re done destroying our home, Nissa, the high fae is here with several other fae to take our pack to the sprite realm,” Drayden said from behind him.

  He whipped around and glared at his alpha. “Why the hell are we going to the sprite realm?”

  “Because that is where Fane is, and that is where he requested we come.” Nick opened his mouth to respond, but Drayden narrowed his eyes, and his power radiated off of him. “I am your alpha, but he is the alpha.” There was no irritation or jealousy in Drayden’s voice, not that Nick ever thought his alpha would be so petty. He trusted the Great Luna absolutely, and if she appointed a leader over all the packs, then Drayden would accept it and trust her. Nick felt the same way, but at the moment, he wasn’t thinking very rationally.

  “He wants to help,” Nick said.

  “Of course,” Drayden confirmed. “But his mate was injured during the challenges, and she needs the help of the sprites, so that is where they are.”

  Nick felt for the Romanian alpha. With his own fear for his mate, he could empathize. “Is she going to be all right?”

  Drayden looked away and took a deep breath. “That is yet to be seen. We will learn more once we arrive there. Are you ready?”

  Nick nodded and strode after his alpha who was already moving before the question had even left his mouth.

  The foyer of the mansion was packed with their hunters as well as the high fae Nissa and four other fae he didn’t know. Nissa’s eyes met his, and he saw compassion. She gave him a small nod. Nick’s hands clenched at his sides, and the bite of his claws into his palms reminded him he had to keep himself in control. He returned her nod in thanks for her help.

  “Once we arrive,” Nissa said, her eyes on Drayden, “you and your beta will be permitted to meet in the great hall of the sprites with the alphas and allied leaders. The rest will wait with the other packs in a separate room.”

  Drayden nodded. “Acceptable.”

  The fae each held out their arms. Drayden motioned for Nick to step up next to him as he placed a hand on Nissa’s shoulder. Nick laid his hand next to his alpha’s and swallowed the growl that built in his throat. “Patience,” his wolf reminded him.

  From one breath to the next, they flashed and were suddenly standing in the great hall of the sprites. Nick and Drayden released Nissa, and she immediately flashed from the room. Footsteps running across the room made Nick turn quickly, preparing for some sort of attack. Instead of a blow from an enemy, a small body crashed into him, arms wrapping around his neck in a fierce embrace.

  “We will get her back, Nick.” The voice he recognized as Sally’s, the Romanian pack healer. “She’s strong. They’ll regret taking her.”

  Nick patted her back, feeling incredibly awkward as his eyes lifted and found Costin, her mate, a foot away, staring back at him. He wasn’t snarling, but it was very apparent he did not like Sally clinging to Nick. He gently gripped her shoulders and set her back. “Thank you, Sally,” he told her. “You’re right. She is strong. And her abductor will beg for death once I get her back.”