Unnatural Instinct: Blood Run

27.

Your mother screams your name again.

Your eyes widen. It's your mother and Annie both, mounted behind the same two women who you first encountered.

'Mama!' you scream back.

It's your instinct to run to her, but several women still have their weapons trained on your mate. Climbing to a crouch, you growl at them. Your mate sits up behind you and they tighten their grip on their weapons.

Your growl turns to a snarl. When they don't lower their weapons, you bare your teeth more and growl deep within your throat. Even to your own ears it sounds frightening. The women don't react, except to turn their aim on you.

The horses arrive. Your mother and Annie dismount. They both rush over, ashen-faced. Unlike the guards bearing down on you, they wear dresses that swirl around their legs. Their hair is neatly tied up. Annie was probably in the middle of teaching her class when they pulled her away. They look ... clean. You think of yourself and imagine how you must look to their eyes.

'Wait!' the woman holding the shotgun commands, throwing out her hand to stop them. 'She's dangerous.'

'What ...?' Your mother freezes, eyes widening at what she sees. At the sight of your mate, her face flushes red. You don't understand the first few words she speaks, but you certainly understand the last two: '... kill him!'

You snarl at her. She steps back, gripping her throat in shock. 'What ... what's wrong with her?'

'Nothing,' you say. 'Changed.'

You look at Annie, who's standing beside your mother, pale and quiet. Her lips are pressed tightly together. Her forehead is heavily furrowed. She's not only stunned but appalled. Annie's smart. Smarter than you. Her blue eyes meet yours, and she slowly shakes her head.

'No home,' you say, then pound your chest. 'Love.' You point at your mate. 'Love. Mate. Love. Leave.'

'Speak sense!' your mother cries desperately. The lines around her mouth deepen. She's clutching at her dress now, thin blue veins popping out along her fingers. Her grey eyes shine with tears.

You blink rapidly as tears swell in your own eyes. There are so many things you want to say but how to get it across? 'Love you,' you say, then nod at your mate. 'Love him. Leave.'

Your mother shakes her head slowly as she begins to understand. 'No,' she whispers.

'Love you. Leave,' you repeat. You look at Annie. 'Love you. Leave.'

'No,' your mother says, shaking her head faster. 'No. No. NO!'

She lashes out to take your arm. You jump back. Everything happens so quickly. One moment your mate is sitting behind you, the next he's throwing you behind him as he stands to his fullest height, roaring at your mother. The guards shout and prepare to shoot.

'No!' you scream. 'No hurt!' You try to get around him but he wrestles you back.

'Don't shoot!' shouts another voice.

Wrapping your arms around his waist, you bury your head into his back. He understands your message: Calm. Be calm. He stops roaring but he's panting with rage, the big muscles in the backs of his shoulders bunching and unbunching at every breath.

'Don't shoot,' Annie repeats. ' ... won't hurt us.'

'Annie!' your mother exclaims in astonishment.

You peer out from behind his back. Your eyes meet your best friend's. She knows. She understands. You can see she's not happy. You can see her shock and confusion. But she understands.

'Love you,' you repeat.

Annie's bottom lip trembles. 'Love you, too.'

'No!' your mother screams, clutching at her hair. 'Shoot him! Shoot him! Save her!'

'Mama,' you say quietly but firmly.

She looks at you, tears pouring down her cheeks. The red in her face is gone. She's pale now, almost white. Her hands are shaking.

'Love you,' you say. Your throat aches and the tears suddenly gush out of your eyes. 'Love you very much.'

You tug at your mate's waist, directing him to back away.

'Don't shoot,' the woman with the shotgun says. 'But don't lose your aim.'

'Let them go,' Annie agrees.

You continue to pull against your mate. Slowly, he backs away. You can hear your mother sobbing.

Finally, when you've gained enough ground from the women, he turns and takes your arm. The sad look's gone but his forehead is deeply furrowed and his mouth is downturned in his beard. You don't have time to think what it might mean before you're racing back to the trees together.

You're crying, the tears turning cool upon your cheeks against the wind in your face as you run hard. He's still gripping your arm and you wish he would let you go and race ahead. He needs to protect himself first. You can almost feel the guns pointing at your backs. They'll be more forgiving of you than of him.

But he doesn't release you and they don't shoot.

You both reach the safety of the forest in one piece. You want to slow the pace but he keeps tugging you along. The tears don't stop flowing. It was a hard thing—saying goodbye to your mother. And Annie ...

You hope they can forgive you.

'Enough!' you finally cry, wrenching your arm out of his grasp. You stumble to a halt, bending over your knees as you gasp for breath.

He watches you, shifting on his feet. A thick sheen of sweat makes him shine, even within the darkness of the trees. When you've caught your breath, you straighten. It's so quiet now after all the screaming and shooting and commotion.

You go to take his hand but he steps away, shaking his head with a grunt.

You frown, remembering the sadness in his face when you were caught by the women. Stepping towards him, you try to seize him again but he pushes away your hand with a growl. Turning away, he snarls, snaps and grunts.

He's angry at you for going back without him. It's his job to protect you. It's his job to make sure you're safe. But it's more than that—you scared him. He thought you left him. He thought you left him to go back with them.

Never, you snarl.

He rakes his hands through his hair. His eyes are pink. He's close to tears! Your heart clenches. You reach out to grab him again. When he tries to pull away for the third time, you leap at him, seizing him around the waist and burying your face into his chest, whining your apology. You explain your reason: that you were only trying to protect him, just like he tries to protect you.

At first, he's stiff and silent in your embrace, then he presses his warm hands against your back. You kiss the middle of his chest, then turn your face to lap at his right nipple. He whines. You echo him. Grabbing your head, he makes you look up at him.

The sadness is gone. His eyes are warm again.