A Chosen Daughter

Chapter 35*E

His growl simmers in his throat begging to be released as he plays witness to the events unfolding below; those poor women's torture, his pack members injured, afraid and tormented, his mate strutting alone into that settlement, facing this alone while he kneels helpless here.

"I am obligated to give you one chance only, to stop this now! Leave this path and return to Goddess' way of life. Take this chance to change your lives and receive her forgiveness or be prepared to meet her shortly to grovel in person at her feet!" Leah's words carry clearly and easily to his ears, not an ounce of fear or shred of arrogance in her tone, just stated as fact, as if no other outcome was possible. "And I'm obliged to inform you, dear daughter of the Goddess, that if you bend over and present that pretty ass willingly, freely for us, it'll hurt so much less than when we strip and take you forcefully!" Chris' lips pull back into a snarl, somehow he's keeping the growl from ripping free, even as his body trembles with rage. How dare that rouge say such a thing to his mate!

So busy with his internal battle for control he misses Leah's response, his world is too tainted with his rage as it shrinks down to angry thoughts and focused measured breaths. He struggles to regain full control of his senses, but the knowledge that if he doesn't get a handle of himself he will be responsible for endangering his mate further helps significantly. When he is able to focus on the clearing once again it is to see rouges dying on the floor.

Leah is moving so fast, her hits precise and deadly. He stands awestruck as he processes that the rouges don't stand a chance against his Leah; they're too slow and clumsy in comparison. Grudgingly he silently admits she doesn't need him in that clearing nor any of them, worse she was right they would have been in her way - there's no chance any of them would have been able to fight beside her. That said, he'd still rather be beside her rather than, knelt here watching helpless if she should need assistance. Would she be up for training him and their members some of these moves he muses.

Besides him Marie stiffens ever so slightly drawing Chris' attention to her. Seeing the fog in her eyes, he glances back down to his kneeling mate in the clearing, before studying the female in front of him. Her facial expression gave nothing away. Was this normal? Was Leah simply telling her they were minutes from setting out for the checkpoint? Or was it something else, was there something wrong?

Seconds later the fog clears from her eyes, that drift to look in the distance.
"What's wrong?" Chris asks her
"Nothing! I'll be back in a minute" Marie replies
"I'll come with" he tells her watching her with serious eyes
"Not necessary! Besides your extra warriors and med team are nearly here, you will need to organise them. Leah will be gathering the women and setting forth to our destination shortly."

Chris scoffs pointing down into the clearing "My mate and four of my pack members are down there plus other injured females and you" he moves his hand to point at her "Are the only one she is going to contact if there's any problems! So I'll be sticking next to you!" Marie meets his intense stare with her unimpressed one "I'll ask again, what's wrong?" Marie's lips tighten into a thin line.
"Marie?" Arron questions an eyebrow raised
Marie sighs. "There's stragglers! I'm going to deal with them!"
Chris steps closer "how many?"
"Three"
"I'm coming with"
"No!"
Chris quirks a brow at her "I'm sticking by you so I can know straight away if she encounters any problems .... there's stragglers? Let's go deal with them so they can't ambush her while she's got ten injured females to protect!"
"You need to stay here to organise her arrival with said injured!"
"Then you stay too!" He glances away "Peter, Mark, Tony, Ste, Ant, Dave" the six males step forth looking alert and eager, Chris returns his attention to Marie "where they going?"

Sighing in defeat she tells them where they should head, time was too precious to be wasting it arguing besides she didn't have Leah's knack of winning.