The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate novel Chapter 123

Chapter 123: Not The Kind Of Penetration He Wanted

A book launched off the shelf behind them. Spine-first, like someone had grabbed it and hurled it across the library with intent.

It hit the stone floor fifteen feet away with a crack that echoed.

Gav’s head snapped towards the sound. The shimmer was hovering over the book.

He looked at Serena. She was staring at the shimmer, her body rigid, her hands flat on the table.

Gav: Don’t acknowledge it. I think he wants that.

He pushed the mindlink to her fast and quiet, like sliding a note across the table.

Serena’s eyes flicked to him. Her expression said, very clearly, that is not helpful.

The heat signature appeared next to her, inches away. The air beside her left shoulder warped and compressed, and Gav watched the distortion sharpen into something that was almost a silhouette.

Serena screamed.

Gav lunged across the table, grabbed her arm, and yanked her away from it. He pulled her behind him, putting his body between her and the dissolving shape, which was already thinning into nothing.

Serena’s breathing was ragged. She gripped the back of his shirt, and he could feel her hand shaking through the fabric.

"He hears my mindlinks. And... I think my..." Her voice trailed off.

But Gav understood. He hears her thoughts.

An invisible emperor who could hear her thoughts. And he was getting stronger.

"Right then, main part of the library," Gav said.

Serena didn’t argue.

They left the restricted section, moving to a table near the center of the library, which should have been better.

Gav glanced over his shoulder once. "If he followed us into this well-lit section, I’m going to take it personally."

Serena spread ten books out on the table and sat down.

Gav dropped into the chair across from her. He’d done more speed reading in the past thirty minutes than he’d ever admit to a living soul. If Hale found out, he’d never let him live it down. Hale, who once asked if books had sequels like "like puppet shows."

"It’s not dreamwalking," Serena said, tapping a passage. "That’s what Dex and I do. But I think it’s adjacent."

"Where is Hyran when you need him," Gav muttered, flipping a page.

Serena looked up at that.

"I’m having a difficult time remembering what I’m dreaming." Her brow creased, and she pressed her fingers to her temple like she was trying to physically push through the fog. "But I think Hyran was in my dream. Do you know where he is?"

The color drained from Gav’s face.

"No," he answered. "Something about crown business. But that’s all Tiberon mentioned."

The lie sat in his mouth like ash. He swallowed it and kept reading.

Another minute went by. The lamplight above them flickered.

Then every lamp on the east wall went out at once.

Darkness swallowed half the library.

Gav stared into the black. "Atmospheric. Very dramatic. Ten out of ten."

He reached across the table, grabbing the wrought iron candelabra from the center, shook the candles loose and hefted it like a bat. Not exactly a war weapon, but in a dark library against an invisible guy, he was working with what he had.

"Stay behind me," Gav said.

The heat signature appeared in front of him.

Gav swung.

The candelabra cut through empty air, the momentum nearly spinning him sideways.

"Oh, come on." He steadied himself, rolling his eyes. "That is just unfair."

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