The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate novel Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Look What You Made Me Do

What woke her was someone throwing her down onto hard stone.

It tore her out of the dark as her cheek scraped against carved grooves.

Her mind latched onto that single detail.

Throne room. She knew the pattern.

"DON’T TOUCH HER!" Dex’s voice roared through the haze, furious and feral.

More voices followed, all muffled, like they were under water.

She was caught between consciousness and not, drifting in and out. Her body felt heavy, distant, slow to respond. Silver burned into her skin where the cuffs bit deep.

A boot caught her ribs, kicking her flat onto her back.

Her arm flared, pain detonating so violently it stole what little breath she had.

A roar thundered in the distance. Velkaris.

Even through the fog clouding her mind, the connection snapped tight.

He wanted to help her. She felt him and knew he did.

Heat formed around her hands, melting the silver cuffs wrapped around her wrists. The metal hissed, dripping to the floor in molten ribbons.

Her senses were still dulled, ears ringing, but her vision sharpened. The throne room came into focus.

Still laying on the floor, she turned her head toward noises. She saw there were many people cuffed. But Dexmon is what her vision narrowed to.

Silver chains wrapped around his wrists, neck, chest, and legs, searing flesh. His eyes were on her, face full of concern.

Serena wanted to sit up and move to him, but her body wasn’t cooperating.

A sword lifted and came down in one clean swoop. A head rolled across the ground.

Voices shouted.

"WHERE ARE HER CUFFS!"

"THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE!"

"KILL HER. NOW."

A figure moved towards her. She was aware enough to know she should be afraid, but she felt like a spectator, watching herself.

He swing for her.

Serena rolled to her side, the blade missing her by an inch, and she drove her heel into his crotch. Hard.

She tried to move away, but her body was delayed.

The attacker swung his blade again straight for her neck. She watched herself catch it with both hands by some miracle.

He pressed it towards her with his full body weight. Her hands bled and arms shook, pushing against him.

A high-pitched, blood-curdling scream tore through the air. Only when she felt the vibration in her chest did she realize it was her own. The mark on her arm seared hot at that exact moment.

You would think she would be used to that pain by now, but she was not.

The man shrieked as the sword glowed white-hot, the metal searing his palms. He hissed and let it clatter to the stone, lunging instead for her throat.

His fingers clamped down, cutting off her air. Serena clawed at his wrists, but he was a mountain of immovable strength. The world began to dim, the edges of her vision fraying into gray as she slipped toward the void.

Then, a fresh agony jolted her back. Her forearm boiled, the heat so intense it dragged her screaming back to awareness.

The pressure vanished as he let go, his voice rising in a disturbing, rhythmic cadence of agony.

Serena’s throat felt like crushed glass. A desperate, wet wheeze was the only sound she could make until it broke into a fit of jagged, choking coughs. Each gasp was a battle, a slow and painful conquest as air finally forced its way back into her burning lungs.

The roar in her ears faded to a dull hum, her consciousness sharpened. The fact flames licked her skin was impossible to ignore now.

Fire dancing across her knuckles in mesmerizing orange curls.

My hand is on fire. She stared it with mild curiosity, like it was happening to someone else.

Another masked attacker ran into the room, sword drawn.

Still laying flat, she raised her hand. Not guided this time. No, she finally understood how this worked.

A power-shot of flame burst from her palm, hitting the man.

He screamed in agony. She barely heard it.

More masked figures rushed the room, pausing at the sight of her. To them, she was a corpse in the making, dead and burning.

They were mistaken.

Before they could raise their blades, fire found them too.

Hyran: Serena. Channel into Dex.

Dex: Serena, I am here. But I am cuffed and cannot get to you, baby. Try what Hyran said. Channel into me.

Hyran: Serena. Focus.

Hyran: Find that energy inside you and focus on your matebond. It will go on its own.

Hyran: Yes. Channel to King Tiberon now.

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