"We're coming," Kellan said and they followed me out. Kellan asked for the address and he put it into his GPS before pulling off in his big black truck.
The building was worse than the apartment. Water still dripped from the ceiling. The hardwood floors we'd just installed were warped beyond repair. Drywall was destroyed. Electrical work ruined.
And on the wall of what was supposed to be the main classroom, spray-painted in the same red as the apartment was another sign.
YOU CAN'T HIDE. WE WON'T STOP UNTIL WE FIND YOU.
Danny stood in the center of the destruction, looking shell-shocked.
"I'm so sorry," he said when he saw me. He gestured to the mess. "I've already called the insurance company. They'll cover most of it." He swallowed. "What is this about? Who's looking for you?"
"I don't know," I said.
Truthfully, I didn’t know who they were. It was a guess that it was the same kidnappers from before. They knew I'd been found. And they were coming to finish what they'd started.
Rowan's phone rang. He stepped away to answer it, his expression darkening with every word. When he hung up, his eyes met mine.
"That was Taylor. Our general manager at Obsidian." His voice was tight with controlled anger. "Someone robbed our delivery truck this morning. Held the driver at gunpoint."
"Is he okay?" I asked.
"Shaken but unharmed. They didn't take anything from the shipment." He paused. "They asked him where Kellan and I live."
The room tilted.
"They know," I whispered. "They know I'm with you."
"They know we have you," Kellan corrected. "But they don't know where. Our home address isn't on any public records. The driver doesn't know it. They're fishing."
"But they destroyed my apartment. My learning center. They're sending a message."
"Yes."
"What do they want?"
"You," Rowan said bluntly. "They want you back." He stopped. "Or they want you dead so no one else can have you."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
"I need to leave," I said. "I need to go somewhere they can't find me."
"No." Kellan's voice was firm. "You're not running. Not from this."
"If I stay, I'm putting you in danger. I'm putting Kira in danger. Everyone I care about?—"
"Is already in danger," Rowan interrupted. "The moment we confirmed who you are the clock started ticking. Running won't change that."
"Then what do I do?"
"You let us protect you," Kellan said. "You trust us to keep you safe while we figure out who's behind this and how to stop them."
"I don't—I can't—" I took a deep breath to try to center myself. "Everyone I've ever trusted has either died or lied to me."
"We're not them," Rowan said quietly. "We're not the woman who raised you, as kind as she was. We're not the Alpha who killed her. We're not the people who took you." He moved closer. "We're your mates. And now that we've found you, we're not letting you go."
"Even if I want to go?"
"Even then. Because your safety matters more than your freedom. I'm sorry if that's not what you want to hear, but it's the truth."
