Losing Her Mate (Book 2 of The Red Dawn Trilogy )

Chapter TWENTY-NINE

Authors Note: Hello readers. Just a heads up this chapter has not been edited at all. I didn't even read it over to at least try to find and fix the glaring errors. I will probably get to it in a couple of days. It's been a long time since I updated and I just wanted to get this chapter out. So you've been warned ;-)

James POV

I WINCE IN PAIN feeling a slight headache beginning to take root. The volume in the auditorium has grown to a head splitting level as the last few people file in. Everyone's talking with their neighbor voicing their confusion and anxiety for the reason of this emergency mandatory meeting.

Mostly everyone is in attendance excluding the children and a few dozen guards who are out guarding our territory.

I stand rigidly in front of the stage wishing for this to be done already. My entire body is tense my muscles refuse to loosen. They flex and bulge unrestrained streching my Henley and outlining my fit physique more than usual. I receive a few lustful stares from some females in the front row but I ignore them.

No matter what I do I can't seem to relax even slightly. I've tried meditating, deep breathing exercises, intense training, but nothing has worked.

The unease and animosity permentimg through the auditorium isn't exactly helping either. My wolf paces at the edge of my subconscious waiting and watchful. Old fears of inadequcy have started to creep in on me and with it fear that we will become the victim again, that someone will try to take away our new found strength and peace and we will become less than nothing once more.

Memories of my rape flash in my head and my breathing becomes short, my throat clogging in remembered terror. I resist the urge to claw at my neck to pry off the invisible hands of William Caldwell. I mentally shake my head and force back his image. I shove it into a chained locked box in a deep guarded cavity of my mind.

No, my wolf will never let that happen. I won't let that happen. I've tasted my true potential and I will never allow us to be defeated again.

Unfortunately, my wolf isn't taken any chances, with so many questions still lingering everyone is the enemy in his eyes. At any moment, at any perceived threat I fear I may lose control over him and inadvertently hurt someone. I send reassuring sentiments to him equvilent to a calm petting and for the moment it seems to placate him.

I gaze around the room, from my vantage point I can see Jared at the rear monitoring the crowd. We catch eyes and he gives me a single nod of acknowledgement which I return. Earlier we decided it would be a good idea to keep seperate to better monitor the crowd in case we have to subdue any volatile or disruptive members, which giving the information we're about to share is highly likely. In any event one of us should be no more than a few feet away and can handle them swiftly.

I release a sigh.The meeting should be starting any minute now we're just waiting for Amber and Dallas to arrive.

My eyes travel across the first few rows of chairs seeking out Renee. This is the 10th time I've done so in the last five minutes. I find her immediately and proceed on performing my usual check of her comfort.

Over the pass couple of weeks our bond has grown steadily stronger the more time we spend together and I have grown very protective of her but as of the last couple of days since the breech I've become borderline obsessed with her safety.

Something about Renee calls out to that base instinct that's resides in all males to protect our woman. I believe it's because she's is disabled and so fragile physically, mentally, and spiritually it causes this diligence, this intense obsession, to the point where it physically hurts me to see her afraid or in danger.