She could be in danger. If Cierra tried to touch her again . . . I’d eradicate her entire family in front of her. Her bloodline would be no more. As it stood, I would make her death agonizing.
I didn’t stop pulling at the chain even after my hands were raw and bleeding.
7
Islinked through the edge of the forest, heading toward the lights of the gas station a bit farther down the road. I’d been running in my wolf form until I was outside of the pack land, not shifting until I absolutely had to.
Hopefully, Verity would be there once I arrived because I was not looking forward to flouncing out of the forest naked. I hugged my boobs, widening my stride.
The rumble of an engine echoed from down the road. Swatting foliage out of my face, I squinted toward the vehicle. Was that her?
I stepped out of the trees and inched closer to the side of the road. If this wasn’t her, it was going to be embarrassing.
As I shivered, the car slowed and stopped.
She wound the window down, her eyebrows raised. I didn’t bother waiting and ran to the passenger side, sliding into the warm cab of the old Kia.
“So when you said it was an emergency . . . did you mean like a walk-of-shame sort?” she drawled, reaching behind my seat. She pulled a large hoodie out and tossed it onto my lap. Withoutwasting any time, I slid it on. Fortunately, it was long enough to cover my ass.
“Something like that,” I muttered.
Verity clicked her tongue.
“You and Tate always had so many secrets,” she grumbled. It was something she was always pointing out, but we couldn’t tell her we were shifters; she’d think we were psychotic. “Are you guys in the mafia or a cartel?”
I huffed, rolling my eyes.
“Worse,” I muttered the exaggeration. I wouldn’t be able to tell her anyway. The existence of shifters couldn’t be discovered. It’d just give rise to a wave of vigilante groups. Her eyes widened and she swung her head back to the front and put the car in drive.
“I won’t ask then,” she said, shaking her head. “I’d like to live my life the whole way through, thank you very much.”
I snorted.
We fell into a comfortable silence, only the sound of the engine filling the car. She cleared her throat, and I knew she was revving herself up to ask me something I wouldn’t be able to give her the full answer to.
“Is this about that hottie who had his hands all over you at the Gala?”
My mouth thinned, and she peeked at me from the side. “And that’s a yes.” She sounded almost sad. “Lucian Wilder is bad news, girly.”
Stiffening, I whipped my head toward her.
“You know him.”
“Ha! I knowofhim. Honestly, girl, I was surprised you were with them. The Wilder family is on a different stratosphere; they look down their noses at us.”
My lip trembled, and I dropped my eyes. Lucian never asked for someone like me. He wanted someone poised and perfect,like Cierra. I held on to my resolve and shrugged. It was what it was. Neither of us were any less because of our backgrounds. What made Cierra awful was trying to kill me over a fucking guy.
Little did she know, if she’d come at me the right way, I would have just stepped aside. I hated drama with a fucking passion.
“Sorry,” she whispered and squeezed my shoulder.
“I’msorry for calling you to come get me. I just don’t have anyone . . .” I clamped my lips shut.
“After the accident with your dad?”
I swung my eyes toward her. I kept the reason for my incarceration to myself while I was behind bars.
“You looked me up?”
