“It feels weird to just take her, Callum,” I admit out loud. He runs his fingers through his hair, and I see a flash of the panic I’m feeling reflected in his eyes.
“She’s out cold. We can’t exactly ask her permission.”
He’s right, but I have a bad feeling about it. I may not be sold on having a mate bond with a complete stranger, but abducting her while she’s passed out... Even I know that’s a bad beginning.
“Shit.” That one word sums up the entire situation.
“Yeah, well, let’s just hope she prefers a temporary kidnapping to certain death.” Callum sounds as frustrated as I feel, but when he looks down at her, his tone softens. “We’ll explain. She’ll be fine, man. Hell, maybe she’s the lead we need to track those assholes down. From the looks of that busted RV, she’s used to running.”
When we tracked her to the vehicle using the directional pull in my freaking chest, we found the hunk of metal drenched in her scent. A glass jar full of wildflowers was the only sign anyone lived there at all. I don’t like thinking of her as a leadormy mate, but Callum is right... We’re out of options.
I sigh, sniffing the air again and hoping for better luck. I don’t get it. The stench is still there, stronger now. It’s definitely a predator.
Out of time.
“Okay, let’s go,” I say. We climb into the car without another word and peel out.
Even though we’re leaving one mess behind, I can’t help feeling like we’re driving straight towards another.
LYSANDER
I lick my lips, tasting salt from my sweat and a hint of nicotine. She’s so close. I can still feel the power of her blood from my hiding place. My hands twitch, and I pinch at the denim of my worn jeans to keep my bones from shifting. The bitch got lucky, escaping me again.
I grind my teeth and pull out another cigarette.
There’s no doubt I’ve enjoyed the hunt so far. Watching her taste a freedom she can’t enjoy gives me a rush like nothing else. She’s so weak, so scared. Yeah, watching her run is the only drug I need. Besides my smokes.
We’re waiting on the same thing, she and I—a fate she can’t outrun. She may dread the day I close in and toss her back in a cage where she belongs, but that won’t stop it from happening.
Her fear, my anticipation... That just makes it sweeter.
Still, even though the game’s been fun, it’s time to wrap it up. This latest fuck up complicates things, and I don’t have time for it. I need the money and the power now. Having my weapon fall into someone else’s hands isn’t part of my plan.
I almost ruined it all when those two assholes loaded her up. I recognized the enclave heirs. Shit, anyone would. Spoiled, pampered, and privileged. It’s about time they learned a lessonabout taking what doesn’t belong to them and leaving nothing for the rest of us.
They’ve never felt the throbbing twist of hunger in their bellies, never had to fight for the scraps left behind. They deserve what’s coming to them, but the timing isn’t right.
As the taillights of the fancy SUV disappear into the dark, I follow the smell of blood away from the road. As I suspected, I find my scout torn to shreds. I’m not mad he’s dead. Those pricks just saved me time by killing that pathetic coyote for me. None of this would have happened if the fool had just followed my orders. Serves me right for trusting a dog to do a wolf’s job.
Standing over the corpse, I take another drag of my cigarette to clear my head.
I’ve been locked in on her scent for eight years. There’s nowhere on this planet she could go that I wouldn’t find her. The enclave sniffing around my business makes things complicated, but I like a challenge. I drop the glowing cherry on the scout’s shredded torso. It flickers a few times before the congealed blood snuffs the tiny flame out.
She can enjoy her freedom for now. It won’t be lasting much longer than that spark.
CHAPTER
THREE
GIDEON
It’s late when we pull up to our cabin. I crack my neck, but it doesn’t do a thing to clear my thoughts. My head was on a hinge during the drive, constantly watching the back seat for movement. Besides the times when we hit a few bumps or potholes, her body didn’t move once. I feel a little dumb, because I couldn’t stop myself from checking. I had to be sure she was okay.
I keep telling myself it’s good she hasn’t woken up yet. Explaining why we followed her and brought her home without asking isn’t going to be easy, but the waiting is eating me alive.
Callum turns the car off, and the overhead light flickers to life automatically. He checks the back seat and sighs.
“Do you think anyone followed us?” I ask, giving into the urge and looking back again.
