Page 110 of Hero of Havoc

Their back slams against a tree as they fall to their demise, and my tiger once more seeks the taste of blood. It’s alluring, thick and rich in the air as I dart toward my target, certain that Meadow is safe behind me.

But the moment I come to a stop, my heart jolts along with it when I see the injured body, unmoving beside the tree.

Because it's not the black-outlined intruder.

It's Ivy.

25

BARON

The night sky gapes at me through the window at the end of the hall. The whitewashed walls stain my soul as tension ruminates, not only within me, but around me too.

“How much longer is this going to take?” Archer grunts, pacing in front of the door before me as Teddy huffs from his spot beside the frame, head dipped and foot braced against the wall behind him.

The anger is palpable between the three of us, each balanced on our own tightrope as we worry over our mate.

“I don't know, but when Hugo has more information, he'll come and tell us,” I explain, but it does nothing to ease the ache inside me.

Archer offers me a withering look, one I know he would prefer to be aiming at my brother right now, but I'm the closest thing to him, which puts me on death row too.

My muscles ache, the tension taking root as I find myself torn between the two most important people in my life: my Firefly and my brother.

One thing led to another, a snowball rolling into an avalanche as disaster tore through our bond.

My brother should not have charged off the way he did earlier; the problem in the forest involved more than just him, but I can’t deny this instinctive need to do something to protect our mate, and I can’t promise that I would have acted any differently. Which makes it impossible to be mad at Ivy for rushing after him. At a slightly slower speed, for sure, but the same intention was there.

We should have worked together as a team from start to finish, but we’re all as bad as each other, acting first and thinking later. What’s more distressing is sensing the anger toward my brother when I know deep in my soul that it wasn't on purpose.

My brother could never, especially not to her.

Yet there she was, crumpled at the base of a tree while his tiger’s eyes saddened as he stared down at her. He couldn't lift his head as we scrambled to get her up off the ground, and by the time I glanced over my shoulder, ready to soothe him, he was gone.

I can only assume shame and guilt have weaseled their claws into him, keeping him away for the time being. I’ve sent him a few messages, but he hasn’t opened them yet. Regardless, we're going to have to track him down sooner or later because this is not what Ivy needs right now.

I can't decide what's better or worse about fearing for Ivy.

Death is disastrous for everyone, even a phoenix, but at least her healing from that comes with rest. It needs very little guidance from doctors, more just a bed for her to lie on. But with an injury like this, painful enough to warrant a trip to the medical center, means that there's further involvement and less control on my end.

I at least have the strength to see the perspective of everybody, but I know with certainty that Archer and Teddy aren't going to be the same.

“This is bullshit, man,” Archer grumbles, hands clenched at his sides. “I just want to see her,” he bites, and I nod in agreement.

“We will. They're just helping her right now.”

“They shouldn't need to be helping her,” he grumbles, earning another huff from Teddy, confirming his agreement, which twists the knot deeper inside of me as my fear transitions to my brother. Because one thing is for certain: he might not have been able to look at us, but I was looking at him, and I saw those familiar orange circles around his eyes, just as I had when Teddy seemed to experience some kind of power enhancement.

I have no doubt he didn’t intend for that enhancement to be used against our fated mate.

Footsteps whisper from down the hall. Footsteps I'm almost certain I know. The rhythm is ingrained into my being, making my heart whoosh as my pulse races in my ears.

The world stills and speeds up all at once.

I tilt my head just in time to find my brother standing at the far end of the hall, the moonlight dancing behind him through the window.

Archer follows my line of sight, a snarl on his lips as his gaze collides with Sax’s.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?” he snaps, anger in every word, and my pulse strums tighter.