Page 55 of The Alpha's Mates

He moved forward and crouched behind me, putting a hand on my shoulder. “We need to let her rest, Little One. Let her mates care for her for the night and we’ll check in on her in the morning.”

I was hesitant to leave her side, but my alphas were insistent, so I followed them from the hut.

Soren led me to our hut and ushered me inside. "Atlas, keep her safe. We'll go hunt for dinner."

"I'm sure Jessu has food," Calder argued. "We could just-"

"We're not taking any more of his stores. He has a village to feed," Soren told him, putting an end to his argument.

"Come here, Little Warrior."

Glancing over my shoulder, I found Atlas reclining on the bed, his huge shoulders resting on the headboard. He'd already removed his shoes, but thankfully left the rest of his clothes on. I was too emotional about what was happening to Emma to even think about sex. Toeing off my boots, I climbed onto the bed and let him drag me into his arms. I reclined against his huge body, enjoying the way his scent wrapped around me. I didn't speak as Soren and Calder left the hut. What was there to say?

"Stop it."

I looked up at Atlas in confusion. "Stop what?"

"Blaming yourself."

How had he known that was what I was doing? Then I remembered the bond. That was going to take some getting used to. Of course I was blaming myself. "She wouldn't have been in that damn cave if it wasn't for me."

Atlas's chuckle was deep and vibrated through my entire body. A flash of anger overtook me, but before I could lash out at him, he spoke. "Remember what Celinda said?"

Narrowing my eyes on the wall next to us, I searched back over my memories. "No."

"It's fate, Reese."

I shifted away from him so I could look him in the eyes. "Well, fate doesn't get to just mess with our lives."

He scratched his beard. "I sort of think that's all fate does, actually."

Sighing, I shook my head, my shoulders slumping. "If she dies..." I swallowed, blinking back the tears that welled up inside. "I can't lose her, too."

Atlas's arms tightened around me as he pulled me close. "You're not going to lose her."

"You don't know that," I argued, my voice cracking.

"She was meant for this, Reese. She's here for a reason. Whatever is coming her way, she can handle it."

"How are you so calm?" I snapped at him.

His chuckle rumbled through me again. "It's in my nature."

That was true enough. I had yet to see him lose his temper.

"We'll find Lyas, and then figure out a way to help Emma."

Biting my lip, I considered my options. "What if we help Emma first?"

"Then nothing will matter," he told me. "Celinda said you have to save Lyas during the lunar eclipse. That's less than two weeks away and it's going to take us nearly that long to get back to your old home."

Grief, anger, and worry were a maelstrom inside of me. How was I supposed to do this? We had little to no information.

“It’s time you let her mates protect her.” The look I shot him had daggers at the end of it, but he continued softly, knowing this was hard for me to process. “You got her this far. You did your job and protected your pack, delivered them to us. Now it’s our turn. We protect you, and her mates will protect her. They’ll see her through whatever’s next,” he promised.

I stared for a full minute before I relented. “I know. I know. I just…Emma is my pack, my sister, I can’t just stop protecting her.”

"You protect her by finding Lyas. We have the time and location now," Atlas replied.