Chapter Six
Xander
Skylar moved closer to me and I wanted to wrap my arms around her. I wanted her to feel safe and protected. I could tell that Sam’s comments had bothered her. While I had no interest in Sam and it really was a long time ago, I was happy to see that Skylar cared.
She was my true mate. We were meant to be together and with each passing second that I hadn’t claimed her, my wolf was getting more restless. Despite the urgency of what we were dealing with, my wolf wanted release.
I knew the stone was priority. I was also going to do whatever was necessary to protect Skylar. But my wolf wanted to claim her and officially bind her to us.
Especially knowing she’d formed a bond with a demon. I never imagined I’d have to share my mate, but having her and keeping her happy was more important than letting my alpha take over. Staking my claim to her alone could send her away. And while I didn’t want to share, I only got one mate. Without her, I’d spend the rest of my life pining for her. There was no way in hell I was going to live like that.
I didn’t want to share Skylar, but I’d never force her. Everything had to be her decision. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I made her come to me. Once we completed our bond, she’d feel the pull. She’d be mine.
But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be free to also make her own decisions. After all, she’d been sent for me. As the partner of an alpha, she should be headstrong and independent. A leader. I needed a woman who could keep up with me.
Skylar was that woman.
Blue light filled the stone chamber. I winced against the sudden brightness before my eyes adjusted. The book was emitting a glow that had all the mages surrounding it looking like they were on stage under a spotlight.
“What’s going on?” Skylar moved closer to me, her arm brushing against mine.
“I’m not sure,” I said, keeping my voice low.
“Do you think that means it’s working?” she whispered.
“I hope so,” I admitted.
We were both silent for a moment. Then almost as suddenly as it arrived, the light dissipated. Sam looked up at me, a triumphant grin on her face.
“It worked.” I knew that look. She was very pleased. And knowing Sam, she’d expect praise for this for the rest of her life. Sam was a talented mage, but she had a touch of Siren blood and she lived for admiration.
“Take a look.” She swept her hand toward the book.
Skylar moved forward first, kneeling down in front of the book. I joined her, standing protectively behind her. While I didn’t have the best view of the book from several feet above it, I could tell that the language wasn’t in demonic anymore.
Eyebrows raised, I looked at each of the mages in turn. “Thank you.”
“Don’t get too excited,” Becca said. “The spell won’t keep it translated forever. Y’all should get what you need quickly.”
“How long?” Skylar asked.
Becca shrugged. “Could be a few hours or a few years. It’s not an exact science.”
I noticed Skylar’s shoulders tense. She didn’t seem to appreciate the unknown of mage magic. Growing up, I’d spent a lot of time around mages. Our pack worked with Sam’s coven when we were kids. That was how the two of us had met. Though, I hadn’t seen her since she took the position here with her new coven.
We’d both grown up a lot since the last time we saw each other.
“Now that we’ve helped you, it’s time to spill,” Becca said. “Why exactly did we just translate a book from Demonic?”
“Well, we’ve got a demon problem,” I said.
“Here in our realm? They’re already through?” Becca asked.
“I told you I felt the tear on our last patrol,” Kate said. Or was it Ali? The two younger mages looked almost identical.
“You were right.” Becca looked at me. “What are we dealing with here?”
Skylar looked up at me, her expression clear. I could almost hear her screaming internally. She didn’t want me to say anything about Elias. And I supposed that so far, Elias was on our side. Not that I trusted a demon. He was mated with Skylar, though. And I knew he’d want her safe. If that meant destroying the stone, then our paths aligned.