Five
Bonded Mates
Maya gave her mate an exasperated look. “I told you, I will be fine. I’m just going for some medical supplies.”
“Do you have to go? Can’t you just wait until tomorrow when I can take you?” Cass asked. “I hate to sound so protective, but I—” He sighed deeply and looked all around, anywhere but at her.
Maya stared at him. “You what?”
“I … I just have this bad feeling,” he said, and she gave him a loving smile.
“Cass, you’ve had a ‘bad feeling’ for a month now. No. I can’t wait. We’re out of everything, and this latest group of refugees have some bad wounds that I need to tend to. I’d send someone else, but we’re shorthanded as it is.”
“Then I’ll go with you.” Cass pulled her close and lowered his lips to hers.
Maya melted in to his arms, savoring his rich masculine taste, then pushed away. “No. Stop trying to distract me. I’ve made this trip a hundred times, and Ziri said she has something important to tell you regarding your family.”
Cass ran a hand through his long blond hair. “I know, but—”
Maya smiled and love surged for this male who had stolen her heart and soul. He was so protective, and she loved him for it, but she also knew how long he’d searched for his lost family, and this was the first positive lead he’d had in a very long time. “No buts. If you don’t talk to Ziri tonight, it will be too late. She’s going back undercover tomorrow. I’d hate for you to miss this chance to find them.”
“I do want to find them. I need to, but you … you are my family as well. You and our Young. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.” He pulled her close with a desperation that tore her apart.
When he was only a youth, he’d become separated from his mother and brothers during an Ilyium attack. Then as he tried to get back to them, he’d been wounded. His father found him and fought to protect him but ended up dying in front of him. The enemy then left him for dead. Once healed, Cass swore to continue the search for his mother and two brothers.
“I’ve lived without them for this long, I can survive a little longer, but I can’t lose you.” He shuddered, and she hugged him tighter, completely understanding his need to hang on to what he had.
“Do you honestly think I’d leave you, Skye, and Aries to fend for yourselves?” Maya asked, eyes wide in horror. “Between you, Saber, and Adarias, you’d all spoil them rotten, and they’d become the wildest hooligans around,” Maya teased, letting her love shine in her eyes.
Cass chucked and after another fierce kiss, let her go. “Fine, but hurry home. I’m hard for you already.”
Fire danced in Maya’s eyes and with a big grin, she moved away, knowing if he kissed her again that would be it, and she’d end up in bed with him for the rest of the night instead of doing what needed to be done. “Love you.” She put a swing into her hips as she walked away and at Cass’s groan, she looked back and chuckled.
***
Cass watched his mate walk away and though heat sang through his veins, he was consumed with terror. Maya had been right. For the last month he’d felt something bad was going to happen and had made a fool of himself with how protective he’d been.
Yet just the very thought of something happening to Maya sent panic through him. It was almost paralyzing. He thought about the meeting with Ziri, and debated on whether he should go, or if he should join his mate on her journey for supplies.
He’d been searching for any sign, any clue that his mother or brothers lived, and now, for the first time, he had a lead. He hated losing that lead. But still …
Cass ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. Maya was right, she was always right. For the last month, he’d stuck by her side, driving her crazy with his protectiveness, and yet nothing had happened. Could it all just be his fear of losing her?
Since the moment they’d bonded, he’d felt an intense terror that it wouldn’t last, which was ridiculous. They were bonded. They’d go to the afterlife together, so he’d never lose her. He knew the trauma of losing his family and watching his father die, while the warrior saved him, left some scars, but hadn’t realized how bad it was until he’d mated the female who saved him and made him whole.
Then the feeling grew worse when Maya had Skye, and again when she bore him a son. Yet, as much as he loved his Young, the trepidation didn’t encompass them as strongly. Yes, he agonized over anything happening to them as well, but not to the degree he did with Maya.
Hellfire, I need to get my head screwed on right. This is crazy. He was lucky Maya hadn’t taken a month off and gone to visit her sisters. She sure would have had reason. He was just lucky that she loved his stupid ass.
Just then his four-year-old daughter rushed from their home and flew into his arms. “Pepaw.”
Happiness and love flooded Cass as he held his precious and very precocious little daughter in his arms. “Skye, what are you doing out of bed?” he asked just as the youth charged with watching his children hurried over to him.
“I wanna go with you,” Skye said, a pout on her sweet face.
“I’m so sorry. I should have caught her before she left.” The young female looked guilty and more than a little exasperated.
Cass laughed and held his daughter close, reveling in how lucky he really was. Not only did he have a mate who was the other half of his soul, but they’d been blessed with not one, but two sweet little Young. Tears lit his eyes as he realized that he didn’t need more than this.
Still, Maya was constantly telling him he had to be firmer with Skye, so he drew in a deep breath and then let it out. “Skye, I would love to take you with me, but I’m just going with your mother, and I need you to go back to bed now.”
Skye scowled up at him. “No. Mata said you are going to find your family, then I will have a grandmata and more uncles.”
Cass blinked back the moisture prickling his eyes. “Well … I may not be able to find them this time.”
“Why not?” Skye asked, concern in her light-blue eyes. Then her little hand landed on his cheek.
Cass felt like his heart was going to burst with his love for his sweet little girl. He swallowed deeply. “I will do my best to bring your grandmata and uncles to you.”
“I love you, Pepaw.” Then Skye snuggled into his neck.
“Love you, too, sweetheart,” he whispered and then with the babysitter following him, he carried Skye back to her bed and tucked her in, laying a kiss on her cheek.
Back outside, Cass gave a last glance in the direction Maya had gone. Feeling more torn than ever and praying he made the right choice, he shifted into his dragon, and flew to his meeting with Ziri.
Yet as soon as the striking, short, black-haired female, who was part Hell demon and part dragon, gave him a location of the last sighting of his family, a wave of horror washed over him.