The Alpha's Fated Mate (Book 4 of the Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 43

Astrid looked down at her phone again and sighed softly as she reached over and took Liam's hand. They were on a commercial flight to California, as she didn't want Persephone to know who she was dealing with quite yet.

Liam was extremely tense and had been since they'd gotten on the plane. She'd booked them first class so he'd have room, but he hadn't settled since he'd gotten out of his leadership class. She'd calm him, but the moment she let go of him, he was tense again.

"It's the bond, the bond I have with Finn," he'd explained earlier. "He's in pain and he's in a bad place."

Astrid had been surprised that he could feel all of that. "I thought you didn't feel his feelings?"

"I never have before. I only felt it for a split few seconds but it was agonizing." Liam looked away from her. "Astrid, he wants to die."

Astrid took a deep breath. She could feel Liam's own sorrow, and she'd known the moment he'd felt Finn's pain. She'd felt it too, crushing down on her and for a moment, she'd thought it was Liam who felt that way, but after a few seconds, it had let up. She'd reached out several times through the bond to make sure he was okay. He was sad and angry. Very angry but she hadn't felt the anguish from him again.

"What's the plan?" he asked her.

"I don't really have one at this point. My father and Daniel are going to fly in a few hours after us. We need to see what Persephone is planning. The big goal right now is to keep Emily and Finn alive. It doesn't help that we don't know what she's planning." She reached out through the bond again, just wanting to reassure herself.

"Well, we know what her ultimate goal is," he said.

"Yes but how does she plan to achieve that goal?" Astrid asked.

Liam was quiet for a few minutes, thinking. "She will probably use Emily and you to get us to cooperate with her."

"Then you cannot worry about me. I'll be fine. You'll be fine too. Even if I stopped breathing or my heart stops beating, I'm still fine," she reassured him. "You will be too."

Liam nodded. He knew this but still. "What about silver?"

"It won't burn you. But it will slow down how fast your body will heal, if it's in you. Silver cuffs, stuff like that won't affect you. So you may appear dead for a little bit, but you're not."

"Okay." He didn't like that. There was always going to be that what if in the back of his mind.

"Talia, my father's mate, was shot in the head point blank with a silver bullet. It splintered and did all kinds of damage. She was perfectly fine in a few days," Astrid told him.

Liam's mouth dropped open. "Why would someone do that?"

"It happened a long time ago. Complicated but she was attacking someone as her wolf and wouldn't let go of him. They shot her several times and finally in the head." Astrid said.

Liam shook his head in amazement at people. Why would anyone want to hurt her? Why would anyone be stupid enough to shoot the Royal Beta Female? "I take it they're dead?"

"That wasn't all of his crimes. He also shot my father and the Gamma couple, then he kidnapped my father and Cora," Astrid told him.

"You'll have to tell me about that sometime," Liam said quietly.

The plane finally landed and they waited their turn to get off. Finally they were headed through the airport. A man stood off to the side with a sign that said LIAM. He could tell the man was a werewolf. One of Persephone's henchmen.