I shifted in alarm and slid right off my perch, hitting a branch below me and then landing in Aiden's strong arms. He held me to his chest, his comforting fresh cut grass smell easing the ache in my chest just a little.
"Put me down." I pushed at his chest, but he didn't let go.
"We're going to help you, Li." Mace said. He turned his own flashlight to the tree and held the branches aside. "You're coming with us."
They were parked close to the house where I'd hidden, Mace's SUV neatly tucked in between driveways.
"Where's Marco?" I whispered, tired of straining.
"We came alone." Mace opened the back door so Aiden could slide in with me.
Once in the vehicle, I twisted out of Aiden's grip and slipped onto the seat. Finn got in on the other side of the vehicle, so I was sandwiched between the two men.
Having them so close to me was overwhelming. I leaned forward, needing some space and not knowing how to ask for it. My breath came in sharp gasps, my head throbbing as I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down. These three men would never try to hurt me, not physically, at least. That didn't seem to help. My entire body was on edge.
Then Finn rubbed my back unexpectedly. I jerked away from him, squeaking in fear and he froze.
When I looked up, all three men were staring at me, frowns on every face.
"Move up here, Finn," Mace ordered.
Finn gave me a sad look and got out of the car to sit in the front.
I immediately moved closer to the door, away from Aiden and his warmth. The cool window against my forehead felt less welcoming, but also safer. And I could technically get out at any moment, though I was currently too messed up to do that. Plus, if they found me, who was to say the Parker Pack wouldn't manage it, too.
Shuddering at the thought, I stared out the window as the streetlights flashed by, marveling at how much faster the SUV was than my own two feet. My bare feet. I'd lost the other shoe when I was climbing the tree. Now I wiggled my bare, scraped toes against the scratchy carpet and tried to remember what it felt like to wear nice shoes. It had been a very long time.
"Liora?" Aiden asked, reaching a hand out toward me. I shied away and he pulled it back. "What happened to you?"
"It doesn't matter," I rasped.
"Get her something to drink," Mace snapped.
"We don't have anything in the car."
A minute later, Mace pulled into a gas station and jerked his head at the convenience store attached. "Aiden, go grab some drinks and some food."
Aiden headed inside and Finn got out of the car to follow him. I was alone in the enclosed space with the man who had made the ultimate decision to get rid of me.
For a long moment, we sat in silence. My body itched to flee the car, to run into the forest and get as far away from all alphas as possible. But I knew he would catch me in seconds.
"I'm sorry, Li." His words weren't what I expected.
"What?"
"I said I'm sorry. We made a mistake. We never should have given you up."
The other guys came back, plastic bags in hand, and piled back into the vehicle. Aiden handed me a bottle of gingerale, my favorite drink back when I'd been theirs.
My hands were too weak to open the bottle and I twisted the cap futilely until Aiden gently took it and opened it for me. He handed back the cold bottle and I held it for a second to let the worst of the gas out before I brought it to my mouth.
The cool, sparkling liquid soothed my scratchy throat. I hadn't realized just how thirsty I was until the gingerale. In seconds, I'd chugged half the bottle, suddenly feeling more alive. The soda sloshed unpleasantly in my stomach, but it was better than dying of thirst.
"Thank you," I said quietly, twisting the cap back on and turning the bottle in my hands.
"Get some rest," Mace told me. "We need to discuss some things when we get home."
I had no idea how far home was, but I didn't care. I wouldn't be there for long anyway, just enough time to recover. If I stayed the ORC would send someone after me, I was certain. There was no way I could go back to the heat dens or Pack Parker.
