Semua Bab MATES: REMNANTS OF A BETRAYED BOND : Bab 301 - Bab 310

RAINA’S POVThe evening sky burned orange over the wrecking town. The air was thick with the scent of gunpowder and fresh blood, as boots thundered and orders barked.“The operation is on,” I mumbled.Crack-crack-crack. Pistols echoed down the asphalt driveway that split the grassy yard. Rounds pierced their targets while stray shots shattered the glass windows of the tall, vacant buildings nearby, ripping into whatever else stood in the way.My heart hammered as we crouched behind a toppled bronze statue, scouting the massive Archive compound for a way through the spreading brawl.“I see Paris. I see France. I see Blayne’s underpants,” Azara joked, making my head shoot up to take a glimpse.I spotted Blayne across the yard by the front door. He had a wolf in each hand as he kicked a third away. My stomach clenched at the very man that I was avoiding.From beside us, Benji picked up his rifle from his chest. He leveled it in the Gamma’s direction. He aimed, shooting flawlessly and hit

RAINA’S POV“One last time, “ I warned. My finger curled against the trigger shoe, twitching for the pull. “Hand over the stone.”“Ba-ha-ha.” Turco threw back his head with contemptuous laughter, shoulders bouncing in wicked mockery. “You see, the thing is, my employer is interested in this stone. I was actually on my way out, but then…” He snapped his left fingers. “...I forgot the missing component, and…” He opened his hands wide, grinning. “...here we are.”How could he remain so calm, knowing the number of Elites searching for him? Acting like he wasn’t in danger. Even though he sent the guys to the terrain while he lurked behind to get to me, the little diversion he had pulled wasn’t enough to keep Blayne away.Still, an awry sensation in my gut hinted there was a looming threat inching closer, making my hammering heart refuse to ease.“Who do you work for?” Venus probed, shifting her stance, the barrel of her gun trembling.“I don’t know.” Turco’s brows dropped, and he clucked h

VALEN’S POVPerching Raina’s ass down on the long double vanity’s cold, marble-white counter, I spread her thighs wide and claimed the space between them. I slammed my palms on either side of her hips to trap her where I wanted and leaned in.“Tell me, my Luna, what do you have to say for yourself?” I asked low and furious, staring at her intently.Raina’s eyes betrayed her. The guilt drove them to dart everywhere, snagging on mine for a heartbeat before fleeing to anything else.“We got Turco and the stone.” Raina's face lit up as she held up the plagioclase stone, smiling proudly.If laser beams could have shot out of my eyes and blasted the damn stone, I would have done it. I felt sick and enraged all at once, desperate for an outlet for all of this emotion.She tilted her head, and her lips twitched into that infuriatingly playful smile. “If any more of Turco’s men are in the pack, they’ll be like headless chickens without a leader. Blayne will root them out soon. Knowing that, I’

RAINA’S POVMoonlight streamed through the open curtains, like the touch of its soft light had nudged me awake.Actually, what woke me was that dream again. The gut-wrenching scream of seeing deadly, razor-edge claws stabbed into Selene, and the raw tang of blood that raked my nostrils. It felt more vivid and real than anything else, feeling like a wound was left in my chest.I blinked my swollen eyes and brushed sleep from them. Why did the plagioclase stone still haunt me? Why won’t it give me more than these nightmares and tormenting whispers?Moon goddess, what does your death have to do with me? Why make your pain my own?I shifted away from Valen, wanting to get out of bed."Stay, Bluebella," Valen grumbled beneath me as he wrapped his arms tighter around my waist. His eyes were shut, and he was half asleep, latching onto me like his favorite teddy bear. “It's too early to be thinking that hard.”"How can you possibly know that I'm thinking too hard?" I whined, pushing his chest

VALEN’S POVThe air-conditioned air hit me and Devin as we barged into the IT Hub, naked, sweaty, and blood-coated.The faint smell of new wires and burned coffee wafted through the coolness, but Raina’s scent dominantly drifted up my nostrils. Zeus perked up in my head, his tail wagging anxiously because he’d get to see her.As I slowly entered the space and scanned it, I couldn’t miss the tension in the room. Everyone was preoccupied, hard at work over something.On the far side of the room, Penn and Azara stood hunched over a long metal table. The five broken Ugandan stone tablets, which they pieced together, were splayed before them. Tomes. Notebooks. Scattered scrolls. Sketches. The plagioclase stone was positioned among them, and I was utterly displeased.I was certain the uneasiness stemmed from the cryptic stones. So that’s what this was about. I didn’t want Raina near them. She knew that. They all knew that, yet my mate couldn’t have stayed with her Mom for one day. Penn was