He was watching her like a predator watches a chumble baby who’s strayed from its family crumble.
I kept my hands busy with the sorhox, my eyes never leaving the man. Tall, he appeared in his forties, and he showed a controlled stillness that suggested he knew how to handle himself. When Allie walked past me toward the end of the boardwalk, he lifted his phone to his mouth, speaking quickly into it.
Fear and rage roared through me, and it was all I could do not to rush over to him and slam my fist into his face.
Another figure caught my attention across the street near the restaurant. A woman in jeans and a cowboy hat, with the same predatory focus as she tracked Allie’s movement on the boardwalk.
They were here, in our town, watching my mate. I quickly and carefully notified Fernandez.
Tressa growled from beside me, telling me she’d spotted them too.
My pulse slammed in my throat.
Will’s people had taken the bait. The trap was in motion.
Chapter 23
Allie
The pottery barn felt eerily quiet as I unlocked the front door, my hands steady despite the churning in my stomach. I peered up and down the street before slipping inside, though I didn’t see anyone other than tourists who appeared busy with whatever they were doing. I locked the door behind me with a decisive click. The familiar scent of clay and glazes would’ve been comforting on any normal day, but knowing Will’s people were somewhere out there watching turned the space into a stage set for a dangerous play.
While I waited for Hail, I moved among the boxes of broken pottery, assessing the damage. So many beautiful pieces destroyed. Weeks of work shattered in a galaxy of colored shards. I knelt beside one box my new family and the tourists who’d helped clean had placed near the left wall. Picking up a chunk of what had been a beautiful blue vase with delicate silver accents that Hail had made for the spring collection, I sighed.
The back door creaked open, and I stood, spinning, my heart thumping faster than it should until Hail appeared in the doorway, Tressa slipping in ahead of him.
“It’s just us,” he said, securing the door behind him. “But Will’s people are definitely in town. I saw two of them and let Fernandez know. They’re not being too obvious, but tourists don’t stand around watching my mate walk through town.”
“I felt eyes on me the whole way here.” I set the broken vase piece on the workbench.
Hail crossed to me in three long strides and gently cupped my face. His jaw tightened. “It’ll be alright.” He gave me a quick kiss before backing away.
Her paws covered with leather boots to protect them, Tressa circled the room, her nose to the ground, her white fur gleaming in the sunlight. She sniffed at the threshold, her hackles rising before she returned to my side. The wolf was nearly thigh-high on me, her muscled body warm against my leg. Her amber eyes scanned the room, her ears swiveling to catch any sound.
“She smells something she doesn’t like,” I said, rubbing between her ears.
“The ones who broke in the other night, perhaps.” Hail knelt beside her, his voice dropping to a rumble as he spoke. “Keep an eye on our Allie, alright?”
Tressa yipped, her amber eyes fixed on me with solemn devotion.
“Now we wait for them to make a move.” I grabbed a broom from the corner, needing to do something with my hands. “Should I start cleaning this mess, or would that look too normal?”
“Normal is exactly what we want.” Hail moved to help me, lifting a full box onto a workspace. He’d put things back on the shelves. We’d lost nearly three-quarters of our inventory, but it could be replaced with time. “According to the plan, you’re b-b-back to your life, thinking the danger ha-has passed.”
I swept around the edges of the room, gathering broken clay into piles. The broom bristles made a soft scratching sound on the wooden floor, oddly soothing in the tense atmosphere.
Hail continued emptying the box for a moment before turning to lean against the workbench. “I’ll go see what’s left of the kiln, find out if it can be salvaged or if I need to order a new one.”
I nodded, remembering the layout. The kiln shed was small but well-ventilated, connected to the main building by a short hallway. Close enough that he could hear me if I called.
“Remember, my brothers are near and armed, but I’ll leave the connecting door open. One shout, and I’ll be right here.”
“Ready to rip the world apart to protect me?” I teased, though my voice wasn’t steady.
His eyes met mine, gold flecks burning in the dark depths. “Without hesitation.”
The simple certainty in his voice stole my breath. No stuttering. Just absolute truth.
“We’ve got this.” I stepped closer, touching his arm. “The trap is set, and Will doesn’t know what’s coming.”
