15. Dante

15

I'm lying on my back with Amy curled up into my side, her arms wrapped around me in a tight hold that doesn't relax even in sleep. We've been like this for hours. After I fucked her ass she passed out and hasn't so much as moved since. Going into that deep sleep that I recognize from the nights I snuck into her apartment to watch her.

There are no windows in this room, but enough time has passed that morning must be coming fast. I'll need to wake her soon. Let her shower, maybe fuck her one more time before?—

A cold chill rushes over my body. I can't let them take her. I won't.

In the hours that I've been lying here, I've been putting together a plan to keep the Brotherhood from taking my mate and her memories.

We could run… but they'll come after us. And when they catch us, they'll rip her away from me, swipe her memory, and leave her to the confusion that will no doubt follow. It would be far worse than just letting them take her in the first place. Plus, she would forfeit the money she needs.

There are rumors that Jarik, our Alpha of Alpha's, stole his female back after winning her in an auction. And of another couple that also got to keep their female. It gives me hope.

We'll go before our Alpha and explain what she is to us, my cat rumbles.

Except that how can I get an audience with him. I'm no one special. Sure, I'm an alpha but I'm part of a large faction. There are hundreds of us. There is no way the Alpha of Alpha's would see me without scheduling a meeting months from now.

Which is why we need Yesenia. She's one of the Alpha's advisors.

Glancing down, I brush the backs of my fingers across Amy's cheek as I watch her sleep. Her deep, even breaths warm against my shoulder as her eyes dart behind her closed lids. I wonder what she's dreaming of. I've already used my favor that Yesenia owed me to get Amy into the auction. All I can do is hope that she'll help me again.

Carefully, I wriggle out from under my mate's warmth. She moans and her face scrunches up when I've disentangled myself from her, but then she rolls into the warm spot I vacated, and she drops back into her deep sleep.

Grabbing my cell, I head into the bathroom and quietly close the door behind me. My thumb swipes across Yesenia's name as I lower my naked ass onto the toilet lid and wait. It rings, and rings, and rings, and rings…

"Com'on, Yessi," I whisper as it continues to ring.

I'm about to hang up and call her again, so that it doesn't switch over to voice mail, when the line suddenly picks up and a low growl greets my ear.

"D'you have any idea what time it is?" her voice is huskier than usual, with sleep.

"I need your help."

"And this can't wait for business hours?"

"She's, my mate."

Yesenia is quiet on the other end. When the silence continues to stretch, I pull my phone away from my ear to make sure she didn't hang up on me. "Yessi?"

"I heard you," there is the sound of rustling bedding and then a soft click, like she closed a door. "Fucking hell, first Jarik, then Jacob and Kez…This is getting out of hand," she grumbles, and I hear the sound of coffee brewing. "What exactly do you think I can do for you now?"

I open my mouth but then blow out a breath that I hadn't realized I was holding. "I—I don't know. I can't let her go."

She whispers a string of curses and then loudly sips the coffee she just made.

"Jarik will skin me if I call him with this right now. Your best bet is to let her go and then we can approach him about this later?—"

My cat is scratching at my insides and a low snarl slips past my lips at the thought of letting them take her.

"Look, Dante, I get it. I really do, but there are rules for a reason. They are in place to protect these females."

"She's my mate, Yesenia!" I scrub a hand down my face and try to stay calm. I have to remind myself that losing my temper and freaking out isn't going to get me what I need. "She's not just some female. Not just a quick fuck to get my rocks off that I might want to see again. She's. My. Mate!"

"I know," her voice is little more than a whisper. "I honestly can't imagine how this must be for you. But you must abide by the rules for now. Let her go, and then we'll go before Jarik together to make it right."

It's like I'm hit in the center of my chest with a cannon. A ringing starts up in my ears and my lungs stop working. My extremities go numb, and I almost drop my phone.

"But—her memories—" the thought of her not remembering our night has my stomach churning and I slide to my knees, lifting the toilet lid because I think I might actually vomit.

Yesenia's exhale is a thin hiss. "Maybe… maybe don't… God, Jarik is going to kill us both. They will leave a syringe for you to inject her with. That's how Kez got around it. So don't inject her, but you'd better hope your girl is a good actress when they come to take her. If she suddenly wakes up, they'll dose her anyway. Tell her she must pretend to be asleep, no matter what happens, while they take her home."

Asleep… Amy sleeps like the dead! This could work out perfectly!

I lean back on my heels, "Yeah. Yeah okay. I can do that."

"Wait, just like that? Dante, you've never agreed with me so fast in your life. What are you thinking?"

"You're right," I tell her. "I'll meet you here in a few hours, yeah? And we'll get this all straight with Jarik."

"Yeah. Right. Good." There is a long pause, "You're agreeing to this awfully fast. What are you really thinking?"

"Just considering what you said, I swear."

"You'd better be or we'll both be finding ourselves sent to the most miserable faction Jarik can think of," she grumbles. "I'm serious, Dante. Just let them take her and we'll do this the right way."

I hate that I know she's right and the longer I think of it, the more I know this is the only way it's going to work out for both of us. Hopefully my girl's proclivity to deep sleep holds out until they can get her to her place.

I hang up with Yesenia and quietly slip back into our room, where the air is filled with an unfamiliar scent and the bed has been straightened. My clothes are neatly folded at the foot and… Amy is nowhere to be found.

My heart cracks in my chest as I rush to the bed. I race through the room, searching for where she might have hidden. Maybe they came in and startled her. I look under the bed, in the closet, but she's nowhere.

When I scatter the folded clothes, I find a syringe.

It's empty.

No!