Atomic Mage Garrett Carter (online e book reader TXT) 📖

soon mate in tow Cade found the exhaustion from the day-long trip fall away as his excitement overtook it, he couldn't wait to show Mina their new home.

Mina woke up from her slumber as they slowed.

"We are here Mina," he said as he looked down into her sleepy eyes.

"Good I will be glad for actual bedding, the bottom of this boat is not the most comfortable place to sleep," she said groggily as she sat down and observed her surroundings.

"You going to love our new home then," he said with a wide grin on his face.

Beaching the slaver's barge on the pebbled beach he reached out with his power and grasped the two long chests filled with the bandit's goods and held out his hand to help Mina to her feet.

"Thank you my Cade," Mina said with a relieved look at her mate as her stiff body screamed at her.

Placing her hand delicately in his strong grip Mina levered herself to her feet.

He grinned at his new mate as they made their way to their new home.

Arriving at the sealed door he opened it with a pulse of power.

As they walked into the small apartment Cade had cut out of the cliff he couldn't help but let his excitement bubble over.

"Welcome to your new home," he said as he grinned and made a wide flourish.

Mina, with a small smirk in the direction of her mate, made her way around the underground apartment.

After viewing all the rooms she returned to Cade as he placed the bandit chests in the second bedroom alongside the armor and weapons from the slavers he had dealt with just two days ago.

Clearing her throat to get his attention Mina passed her judgment on the house.

"My Cade while this would be a wonderful home with a few more rooms for our family and our kits, it is also a death trap." Mina made the declaration with a wave of her hand.

Curious as to what she meant he took a seat on one of the chests.

"And what pray tell makes this a death trap my Mina." He replied with a raised brow.

"I'm not sure where you come from but right now this jungle is in its dry season, in three months the river will have raised by at least 15 feet at a minimum and close to 30 if the rainy season is particularly bad this year".

"Our new home will be underwater for at least five months, and as pleasant as I'm sure it will be to be stuck underground with nothing to do but create our beautiful kits, my mate, don't think our food and waters stores would be up to the task."

An amused expression grew on Mina's face as she finished. "So what your saying is we need to move, is that correct?" Cade replied.

"Is there anywhere you would suggest?" He asked his mate, who he hoped was well-traveled enough to find them a suitable spot to call home.

"I have traveled around this jungle for the past two years since I left home in search of a mate and haven't found a place suitable for your needs." She replied, her expression softening as she saw her mate's disappointment.

"Most areas would not work for us, with you being human you would be living too close to my people who wouldn't accept you in their territory or like this place, not suitable for long term habitation." Mina finished her statement with a short kiss on Cade's lips to take some of the sting from her words.

"You said most areas?" He asked.

"The other options are either plagued by bandits or controlled by slave camps," Mina replied with a shrug.

"So we either clean out bandit camps or slave camps an area we pick should be simple," Cade stated as he crossed his arms with a smug look on his face.

"If only it was that simple my Cade, the slavers have a massive presence in the Dejot kingdom and the bandits pop up like insects, every time a tribe clears out a nest of them two more pop up." Mina rebutted with palms raised in helplessness.

"Who do you have policing the region, shouldn't they do something at least about the bandits?" Mina barked out a laugh "and loosen the slavers grip on the people here, they have the ear of the high chief and many ways of making those who challenge the way things are now disappear."

Cade didn't like the idea of Mina's people basically being cattle, to be slaughtered and corralled for the use of the slave trade.

"Sounds like we need to pay this king a visit," Cade said as the wrongness of the status quo Mina had mentioned almost drove him into a rage.

"I doubt you could change his mind, my mate."

Pausing to give Cade a speculative look "hmm maybe we can try that." Mina finished with a grin.

"What do you propose my mate?" Cade asked eager to punish anyone who thought they could take his Mina and place her in slavery.

"All in due time my Cade, now come show me where we will be sleeping tonight," Mina said turning and exiting the bedroom come storage room.

He stopped her with a hand wrapped around her slender neck "what about that fight that was promised on the way here," Cade asked with a wry look in his eye.

Faster than he could react Mina reached up and grabbed the thumb of the hand on her neck and twisted it and shifted her body to put him in a wrist lock.

Cades hand didn't move an inch.

Panting