“Abigail White,” Timber said. “She's powerful.”
“What do you know about her?” Sage asked.
“Some, some,” Timber said. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re mates.”
Sage's head spun. Canyon being her mate made sense, but could it be true? Oh, how she wanted it to be true, and at the same time, shedidn’twant it to be true. The complexities ofvod-foxenrelations stretched out before her, making her speak without considering the entire situation. “Wait, wait, we’re forgetting you're avod. I'm half-foxen, half-human. We don’t belong together.”
“Half-angel actually,” Timber said. “Only a quarter-foxenand a quarter-human.”
Sage staggered at the thought. She refused to believe she was only a quarter-foxen. She shook her head defiantly.She was half-foxen, half-human.
“You don't believe,” Canyon said.
She clenched her fists and raised her chin. “I don't.”
“Perfect.” Canyon lowered his voice and moved closer to her, “Want to go somewhere we can be alone?”
Sage smiled and nodded.
Canyon looked at Timber. “She's not a One True Mate. I'm going to escort her home. Cover for me?”
Timber laughed, then held up his hand. “Sit the fuck down, hero. Sheisa One True Mate, and you're not goinganywhere without me.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket, pointing the screen at them, then he gestured out the window at the road past the yard. “We might want to get out of here, though. Trevor's called me a dozen times and there's sirens close by. They're looking for us.”
Sage freaked out, squeezing Canyon’s hand and looking out the windows up the driveway. Morevodwere going to show up?!
“Unless you'll go in with us?” Timber said.
Sage shook her head, fear filling her belly. She couldn’t go to thepolice station. There would beso many vod.
“Where should we go then? Our place?” Timber said.
“No,” Sage squeaked. “Someplace… neutral.”
“Chicago?”
Sage shook her head again, overwhelmed. She couldn’t go to Chicago, but more than that, it was hard for her to believe how they were treating her. Canyon and Timber were willing to defy their boss for her. They were asking for her input and respecting her wishes. Most of herown familydidn’t even do that.
Canyon shook his head. “Sage can't leave Serenity.” He looked to her for confirmation. “Right? You’re Tethered?”
Sage looked at him, dumbfounded, nodding her head slightly. She didn’t know what to admit to and she didn’t realize thevodeven knew what a Tetherwas.
“Right, right.” Timber said, scratching his chin. “Where can we go in town?”
He snapped his fingers. “I know the perfect place.”
***
Sage stared out the window of Canyon’s truck. She was in the back where the windows were tinted so she couldn’t be seen, and she liked that. Canyon drove and Timber sat in the passenger seat. Sage felt safe, but confused. They’d left House A, driving through the yard to a farm road, then taken back roads and pastures into Serenity, then they’d gone to Big Bad Burgers, a fast-food restaurant on the south edge of town that she’d never been to before. Timber had gone in for takeout, and now the bags of food were on the floor near Sage, smelling delicious. Next to Sage, strapped in with the seatbelt, was the robot—a wolf’s head silhouette spinning lazily on the screen.
Now they were heading toward downtown Serenity with Timber giving directions. Sage didn’t care where they were going, as long as there were novodand nofoxenthere.
“What’re we going to do if we're spotted? Timber asked.
“That's up to Sage,” Canyon said.
Timber looked at him, incredulously. “You'd run?”
“Hell yeah, who's gonna catch me? Mac?”
