The Beast And The Blessed

Eighty-One: Killian

Killian's P.O.V.

Natalie was looking down the hallway. Her green eyes, which I adored, had turned light blue. Her skin washed of its usual pink hue, leaving her the color of snow. The blue and purple shade of her lips made me want to pull her into my arms and hold her until she was warm again.

She was fighting. I could see the struggle as her arms tightened around her torso, but our mate bond was empty.

I had woken up with it empty, and none of the guards had seen her leave. She had just disappeared, and the entire castle and city had searched for her for hours. It was early afternoon when I felt a flicker of her presence in our bond.

As it disappeared again, the maid yelling for a healer caught my attention. Several guards immediately alerted me that my mate had appeared in the hallway outside the infirmary.

Only she wasn't entirely there. Her image was solid but would periodically flicker like a poor-quality hologram.

Her ghostly complexion ripped at my heart. I wanted to save her, protect her. But I didn't know how to save someone from something I couldn't see. Was it possible?

"No!" She cried out, throwing her hands up as her figure solidified, sending everyone flying back against the wall. I growled, the drywall crumbling as I pulled myself out of the hole.

Something was attacking my mate, and I couldn't do anything about it. I turned to her mother, my body morphing and shifting as I transformed into my Lycan. "She shares your magic! You save her! Bring her back!”

"If I could, I would have." Her calm statement was met with my fury as I grabbed her arm and spun her around to face me.

back, now!" I ordered firmly but felt desperate. I was ready to beg and plead for my mate to be returned to me so I could hold her in my arms and protect her from the world around us. I would take on every enemy and every threat I could to keep her safe. She would never have to

my grip tightened on her arm until I had no choice but to release her. "If we touch her while she is in the other realm, we could be taken there

horror as breath after breath resulted in a foggy puff of air leaving her lips in the

and out too fast.” Aurora shouted as I walked around her

and forth between solid and transparent. Her breath went from thick to misty clouds, leaving her lungs. As the witch said, it

out, wrapping my arms around her

as she fought me off, trying to put as much distance between us as possible, but I wasn't going

it's okay! Come back to me!" The louder I spoke, the more she fought. "I've got

still, and I held on tighter as she shivered aggressively and began to cry, releasing loud, racking sobs. The

to her, whimpering and shoving her body as close to mine

his head in submission before moving away but staying close enough that he could help

sobbed for a few minutes more as we waited, worried for her mental and physical well-being after what we had just seen of her. I couldn't imagine what she had just gone through. As

normalize, and her body felt warmer

horrified look as silent tears

shower. I had sensed no one near us, and no new or dark magic had been in the air. It was only hers. But someone had been there, so close to her while she was sleeping, vulnerable. She had let her guard down as she slept in my arms, and I had let her down. I had failed to protect

took my mate, and I would torture them every day for the rest of

"What voice?" Charlie asked.

I turned to see which guard she turned to, but they