For the Bleeding Hearts

20.) MAKO

My stomach twinged as I watched Anna run into the crowded night, her cloak billowing behind her. My heart sank at the thought of her getting caught. Hopefully, she would run and hide in the safest place she could find. I turn to find Derek's hands on Aron.

Aron pushes Derek off him and holds him against the lantern pole. The flickering lantern, illuminated us practically leaving the rest of the space cast in shadows. Aron pressed his grip on Derek's neck, I stalked closer now that I didn't have to directly protect Anna.

As much as I wanted to chase after my mate and ensure that she was safe, I needed to back up Aron and figure out where the rest of the threats were, so we could protect her. Killian isn't stupid enough to just send Derek. We knew that others were lurking in the shadows.

"He said he had a feeling that you had something to do with that girl," Derek wheezed.

Aron let up as Derek struggled. "The deal is off. Run back to Killian and go tell to fuck himself." He pushed Derek against the pole once more for good measure and he scanned where I stood. He met my gaze and I saw alarm flash in his eyes when he didn't spot Anna with me.

"It's fine, we just have to find her. I told her to go." He glared at me with a crazed look but just shook his head. We stepped to join the crowd and quickly track down our mate when we heard an obnoxious laugh behind us.

I sighed and turned back to Derek. "What?"

Derek shook and hung his head, "It's funny, that you think we're going to let her get away. The payoff for her is good. I see why you wanted to see her. But today she's our job. Killian was actually going to hand over the 2000 silver in exchange for her. We'll take her off your hands, you get the money."

Aron fisted his hands and turned back looking manic. He was over to Derek in a second squeezing his throat. "Don't you ever talk about her like that. And she's mine," he growled. Derek's eyes grew wide in fear as he tried to gasp for air with his oxygen supply cut off.

I took steps towards them when I realized Aron was going to kill him. Not that I didn't want the fucker to die. Nobody talks about our mate like that. But I knew better. If Aron killed Derek right now it would declare a war we would not be ready for, especially with someone precious that we now had to protect. I planted a hand on Aron's shoulder. His head whipped toward me a rage blazing alive in his eyes.

I glare at Derek turning purple, "Leave it. It's not worth it right now."

Aron lets out an aggravated noise and throws Derek to the floor, who sputters and coughs. "Take that as a warning."

Aron turned on his heel and we left the secluded area to join the crowd to where Anna had run away before. "Where do you think she ran to?" He bit out as we pushed our way through the crowd.

"Maybe she went to run back to the house?" He nodded in response. He looked around and I didn't spot her through the many scents of people covering the open space of the docks. "We should split up."

I scan the crowd once more before I spot three guards pushing their way through the crowd into what looks like our direction. "Fuck," I curse out. "Time to go, man." Swinging around to head in the opposite direction, I spot more guards stalking towards us.

"Fuck," Aron echos me. I glare at the guards as they approach. Figuring that the odds were not in our favor at the moment, me and Aron don't run. It would only get us into more shit. I just hoped that Anna was doing okay.

Ryūjin help me.  I paste a smile on my face; however, it is anything but friendly. The guard stalks closer to us, it seems like their leader is the one in the front with the dark hair and black eyes. He is a few inches taller than me and Aron so the situation seems a bit comical.