1
David
Gunner’s lipscurled into a cold smile. “Your mate is stillalive.”
My eyes widened. “You’relying.”
Gunner shook his head. “I’m not. Why don’t you come join my pack and see foryourself?”
Icouldn’t believeit when I heard thosewords.
I almost didn’twanttobelieveit.
Gunner said my mate was alive all this time. At first, my reaction was the same as that of my friends’ – that it was a trap, and that believing Gunner would befoolish.
But then Gunner brought out that piece of cloth that smelled just like my mate – a fresh scent, too. Something like that can’t be faked. I had no choice but tobelievehim.
My heart and mind felt like they were being ripped in two. Every brain cell told me it couldn’t be real, that Gunnerhadfaked it somehow. But once I smelled that achingly familiar scent, my heart knew. My wolf knew. My mate was alive, and he had been allalong.
A horrible, sickening claw gripped my chest. Niko had been alive all this time, and I’d left him there in Scarlet Ridge pack, assuming hewasdead.
Leaving my friends behind was a risk I was willing to take to find out the truth formyself.
I walked behind Gunner now as he led me back to the border. I didn’t want to let him out of my sight. I knew my friends thought I’d abandoned them and followed Gunner like a mindless sheep, but that wasn’t the case. I still didn’t trust him and I never would. But if pretending to be civil to him was what got me closer to my mate, then so be it. I would do anything at thispoint.
“So, David,” Gunner began, not looking over his shoulder as hespoke.
I grunted in response. I had no real desire to speak to him, but I knew I had to play nice for the time being. Anything that would get me closer tomymate.
“I was serious about what I said earlier,” he continued. “You really would make an irreplaceable addition to myalphaarmy.”
Suppressing a growl, I replied, “That would be an interestingopportunity.”
Gunner stopped walking. I winced inwardly, wondering if I had said something to offend him. He turned around to facemenow.
“I’m not stupid, David,” he said. “I know you don’t want tobehere.”
I stiffened. “What gave youthatidea?”
“Just a moment before I produced proof that your mate is alive, you were about to tear me limb from limb.” A cold smile appeared across his face. “I don’t forget such things so easily. The only reason I’m allowing you to walk behind me is because I know you can’t accomplish anything with me dead. My pack would never allow you in. I’m your only lead right now. Youneedme.”
Although I was raging on the inside, I maintained a neutral expression. Nothing he said was false. We both knew that I needed Gunner alive – at least until I found my mate and figured out a way to safely remove him from the pack. I didn’t have to like Gunner, but I sure as hell had to cool it with my hotemotions.
“Is there anything else you wanted to say?” Iasked.
Gunner maintained eye contact with me and crossed his arms. “Killing me won’t be so easy, either. On my own territory, I’ll have guards around me at all times.” He examined the back of his hand. “And if I’m being completely honest, I can’t think of any way you could kill me within my own pack. You’re strong, but outnumbered, you’re nothing. Just keep that in mind before you try anythingstupid.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I just stared at the ground. I was angry - furious, even - but my anger would get me nowhere. It would only make things worse if I let it take over. I couldn’t afford to lash out at Gunner, and I had the feeling that was exactly what he was trying to get me to do. He was testing me, and if I failed now, I would never have another chance offindingNiko.
My hands curled into fists, and I didn’tspeak.
“Good,” Gunner said. “Now that that’s settled, let’scontinue.”
We walked through the dark undergrowth in silence. My nose wrinkled when we passed the border between Indigo Mountain and Scarlet Ridge. The sweet, familiar scent of my pack faded away and was replaced with the bitter stench of Scarlet Ridge territory. It smelled like sour, decomposing plants. Or maybe that was just Gunner’sstink.
Now that we were fully on his territory, I felt exposed and vulnerable. I was completely alone now. I knew for a fact my friends didn’t follow me. My heart clenched with pain as I remembered Tyson’sdeath.
No, not his death. He didn’t just die. He wasmurdered.
