The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate novel Chapter 124

Chapter 124: Dex Ate Floor Twice In One Chapter

Both Serena and Gav screamed.

Her fabricated sword clattered to the stone floor. Gav hurled the fire poker on pure instinct, arm cocking and releasing before his brain caught up.

Dex sidestepped at Alpha speed and the poker sailed past his head, embedding itself in a wooden bookshelf with a thunk that would have been funny under any other circumstances.

He blinked, staring at the poker quivering in the shelf.

"That was meant for an invisible guy," Gav said.

Dex pulled the poker from the shelf. "Tell me that wasn’t your best shot."

Then his gaze swept to Serena’s tear-streaked cheeks and trembling hands. He closed the distance and pulled her into his arms.

"It’s okay, baby. I’m here." His voice was low and fierce and shaking at the edges, and his arms locked around her like he could hold the world back if he just held her tight enough.

Serena wanted to melt into him. Every part of her wanted to collapse against his chest and let him carry this.

She could feel his heartbeat against her cheek and his tangle of emotions through their matebond. He was terrified for her. Furious that something had made her afraid. And underneath all of it, that guilt again. That relentless, grinding guilt that he couldn’t fix this.

She had one second of safety in his arms.

"SERENA!"

Gav’s yell split the air.

The High Emperor was behind Dex. And in his hand, or what passed for a hand, another fire poker ripped from the far wall, pulled through the air like a javelin, aimed directly at the space between Dex’s shoulder blades.

Serena shoved Dex.

Every ounce of protective fury and strength she had went into her palms, and Dex flew off his feet and hit the floor five paces away, sliding across the stone with a grunt of shock.

The poker came for her instead. But she was ready.

She caught it. Bare-handed, in a blur of motion, wrapping her fingers around the iron shaft an inch before it hit her chest.

She pushed gold magic into Dex and Gav both, wrapping them in light. Then she poured Velkaris’s flame into the poker until the iron glowed white-hot in her grip.

The High Emperor’s smile faltered, and he faded.

A door slammed three floors above. All the lamps extinguished, and the only light left was Serena’s golden magic and the moon through the windows.

For a few heartbeats nothing happened.

Then Gav saw them. Two brass candlesticks were floating beside Serena’s left ear, almost as if he’d been waiting for Gav to notice.

"Next to you, Serena."

Too late.

The candlesticks crashed together before the words were out. The sound was enormous and didn’t stop. Strike after strike after strike, clanging into each other inches from her head, relentless and percussive.

The sound startled Serena and she jumped, a high-pitched yelp escaping her before she could stop it.

Her ears were ringing, her heart was hammering, and every instinct she had was telling her to run. Instead, she turned her head to look at the High Emperor dead in the eyes.

"Jumpy," he said. The amusement in his voice was unbearable.

"Was that supposed to impress me?"

"Yes," he said. "And it did."

Serena kicked the High Emperor in the balls. Or that’s what should’ve happened, but her boot went through air.

Dex blinked. From where he stood, Serena had just kicked at nothing and was talking to empty air. His mate was either fighting something invisible or had lost her mind, and he wasn’t sure which option concerned him more.

He glanced at Gav, only to see Gav looking at whatever Serena was, like he could see it too.

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