Free Her Wild Magic by Karen Benjamin

about keeping her safe, and after last night’s run-in with the dark mages, she was in no hurry for a repeat performance. Besides, if he needed her, she’d sense it as she had last night. Caleb was out doing his thing, but he wasn’t in danger. Good thing, too, because without her morning cup of coffee and food, she wasn’t much help to anyone.
    Intent on putting some food in her grumbling stomach, Max pulled on one of Caleb’s shirts and headed toward the cabin’s tiny kitchen. When she heard a soft cry, as if someone was in pain, she walked over to the cabin’s only window and pulled the curtain back. What she saw caused her heart to leap painfully in her chest.
    A tall man stood a few yards from the cabin door gripping Kayla so tightly by the forearm she hung like a lifeless rag doll at his side. She still wore the hooded jacket and pants from the night before. But her clothes were filthy, and her eyes were filled with pain and disbelief.
    The man holding Kayla kept his head bent as he spoke to her, but Max didn’t need to hear what he was saying to know he taunted her. Auras were an intricate part of her gift, and Max read them the way other people read the newspaper. This man was a dark mage and ten times more powerful than Renault. There was no light in his aura, and it hung about him like a shroud, darkly malevolent, wholly evil. Yet, when he lifted his head to look at her, his face was so hauntingly beautiful Max could barely believe her eyes. It had to be an illusion, but knowing that didn’t lessen the impact.
    “I know you see me, Caleb’s mate,” he called out softly, his dulcet voice a perfect match for his otherworldly beauty. “You fear for your friend, and rightly so. She has fought well for one so young, but her disobedience will only earn her more pain. Remove the protective wards surrounding the cabin, and I promise no further harm will come to her.”
    Max slowly released the curtain and moved toward the door. She didn’t know what she was going to do, but doing nothing wasn’t an option. She opened the door and stood in the entryway, fully aware she held Kayla’s life in her hands.
    “Caleb isn’t here,” she stated flatly. “And whatever you want, she has no part in it.”
    “Ah, but there you are quite mistaken,” the man said softly. “Caleb destroyed what belonged to me. Now I destroy what belongs to him. A pity really. I do not enjoy destroying beautiful things.” He glanced at Kayla. “And she is quite beautiful.”
    Max fought to keep her expression bland, knowing any show of fear would be seen as a weakness to be exploited. And the knowledge that Caleb wasn’t far away helped to steady her nerves. She could sense his presence, moving nearer at an incredible pace, while he used the mate bond between them to blanket her mind with a single command.
    Stay in the cabin. I’m coming .
    Max didn’t make an effort to respond. She did not intend to give the mage what he wanted by leaving the cabin. But she wasn’t going to let him hurt Kayla if she could help it, and that meant keeping his attention focused on her and off Kayla. Problem was, she had never been good at small talk, and dealing with a powerful, pissed off mage hadn’t been part of Life Skills 101.
    “You seem to know who I am, but I don’t remember meeting you,” Max said. “That puts me at a distinct disadvantage.”
    The man’s eyes narrowed. “Come now, do not attempt to play games. You know I am Michael. Caleb would not leave his mate ignorant of his greatest enemy.”
    Max shrugged. “He spoke of a Michael, but he didn’t say anything about your being his greatest enemy. I got the impression you worked for someone. Kind of like a personal assistant.” It was risky to insult the bastard, but she needed to keep his attention focused on her.
    Michael arched a single dark eyebrow at Max, as if amused by the insult. He removed his hand from Kayla’s arm and turned her face toward him, manipulating her