Free Adrian (The Dark Shadows Book 4) by Ariel Marie Page B

Adrian assured, kneeling on the floor in front of her. His heart ached. He hated this helpless feeling of not being able to fix this problem for his young mate.
    “If what Jaxon said was true, then I would be a danger to you and your family.”
    “She’s right.” Nicu’s voice was low. “What better way to infiltrate and destroy us? They just happened to luck up taking her energy. There was no way they could have known in the past, that one day she would be the mate of a Dark Shadow warrior.”
    “I won’t hurt you,” she said, shaking her head. He could plainly see the panic building up in her eyes. His heart began to pound in his chest; he felt absolutely helpless. They had just completed their mating bond, and should still be privately celebrating, spending time getting to know one another.
    “Of course you won’t,” Adrian murmured, his hands pushing her dark hair out of her eyes.
    “I can’t stay here,” she insisted, scrambling to get up from the couch, but he blocked her.
    “You’re not leaving here,” Adrian snapped, fighting to remain calm. “We can find a way to fix this.”
    “But Nicu is right,” Angel said, when he finally allowed her to get off the couch. “You don’t know when they will activate me.”
    “I’ll take that chance,” Adrian concluded, grabbing her arm.
    “But I won’t.” The king’s voice boomed as he walked into the room with the queen right behind him.
    “What?” Adrian gasped, unable to believe his ears.
    “It’s far too dangerous,” his father continued. “Are you sure she’s really your mate?” His dark eyes locked on Angel. Unconsciously, Adrian stepped in front of Angel as the king came to stand in front of them.
    “Of course she is,” Adrian snapped, anger building up in his chest. He was flabbergasted that his father would not believe or trust in him to know his mate. “We’ve completed the bond.”
    “Until the threat of the rogue army attacking is gone, son, she needs to go,” the king stated without remorse, his dark eyes unwavering from Adrian’s. Gasps could be heard from around the room.
    “Mom, you yourself said that she was an innocent,” Adrian pleaded with the queen. He knew that his mother had to have seen the good in Angel.
    “She is an innocent, son,” the queen nodded, standing next to his father. Her eyes filled with sorrow. “But that was before learning that the necromancers can control her. Just think of what could happen if she turned on you.”
    “We would be forced to kill her,” Nicu growled, interrupting their mother. “We will not risk any harm to our brother.”
    Angel’s quick intake of breath, and the feel of her tiny hands gathering his shirt into her fist had him seeing red. How could his family turn on his mate so quickly?
    “Stop!” Angel yelled. Her eyes were wide as she stepped from behind him, holding her hands up. “No one is killing anyone. I’ll go, okay?” She looked around the room.
    “If you would let me finish what I came to say,” the king snapped, his eyes flashing crimson. “Calm down, Adrian. No one is going to harm your mate. We would never let anyone or anything harm her.” The king shot a chilling glance at Nicu.
    “But you said—
    “I said she needs to leave here. You all never let me finish,” the king said, looking around the room at his children and wife. “Adrian, we are happy that you have your mate. You children know that I have been fighting for you to have the right to mate with whom fate has decided to be your other half.
    “When Nadira first found Cooper, your mother and I were ecstatic that one of our children had finally made the eternal commitment to someone. A fated mate was all we ever wished for our children, but never knew it would really happen.”
    “Then Toma mated with Anika,” the queen continued, taking the hand of his father. “I have to say, we did not see that one coming.”
    A few chuckles could be heard around the room. No one saw that