Arcane Hearts by Faedra Rose

Author:Faedra Rose
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, gay, lgbt, fantasy, short story, shifters, alpha
Publisher: Evernight

Chapter Nine

Jareth

“Have you seen Bane?” I ask, a sickening, cold sensation seeping into my soul as the words leave my lips. “He went for a walk with Veraena, and I haven’t seen him since.”

Mallek shakes his head, brow furrowing. “No, Alpha. I haven’t.”

I swallow the unsettling fear I feel creeping up my throat, hot and sour. “Keep watch over the pride,” I say. “I’m going out to look for them.”

“Where will you start?” asks Mallek, seizing my arm as I turn, concern in his eyes.

“The Butterfly Grove. Veraena loves it there,” I answer. “If she wanted to have a heart-to-heart with my mate, that’s where she’d go.”

“That’s close to The Mirror Lands,” he reminds me. “Earth witch territory.”

“I know.”

“Should I come with you?”

“No. You’re my beta, and the pride trusts you in my absence. Stay. Bane is my mate, and Veraena is my sister. I’ve got this.”

“Jareth!”

The choked sob has us pivoting and ready for combat, every nerve ablaze.

Veraena falls to her knees in the dirt, exhausted, blood pouring from a deep gash on her cheek. “They took him,” she gasps. “Brother—”

I drop to my knees before her, raising her face to inspect the damage. “Breathe,” I instruct, holding her hand to the wound to staunch the bleeding. “In and out.”

She nods her head, taking a moment to catch her breath. “We were ambushed by seven warlocks. They were … ugh! I can’t explain it. It looked like they were drawing out Bane’s magic and taking it for themselves. I tried to stop them. I killed two and wounded another. But then they just vanished, and they took Bane with them. They’ve weakened him, brother, and I have no doubt they mean to kill him. We have to go after them!”

Shards of ice pierce every tender part of me, leaving nothing untouched, nothing unlacerated. I want to scream for the sheer pain and mortal anguish raping my very soul—and breaking my heart—but I can’t. I am alpha. I remain calm when others panic. I remain steadfast and strong when others break. I take action when others are immobilized by fear. I don’t bare my heart or fall apart. I am the rock of my pride. Swallowing my heart back down to where it belongs, I squeeze Veraena’s shoulders reassuringly. “You did well, sister.”

“No. I failed you,” she says, her brows downturned, eyes full of remorse. “Your mate is gone.”

“Not yet,” I say, keeping my tone even. “They will have teleported him elsewhere to finish what they started. Bane told me that warlocks siphon the life from everything around them to gain power. So that’s what they’re going to do to him. They’re going to siphon his centuries of life, strength, and magic—all his knowledge, everything he is. If we don’t stop them, it will be theirs.”

“Not if we can help it,” interrupts Mallek, gesturing to the pride who have gathered around us. “We will not let them kill your Fated mate, Alpha. Tell us what must be done and we will see it done.

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