“Papa,” I breathed, trying to hold ontoeverything. What the hell had become of our world?
“Are you safe?” he asked.
“Yes. Are you?” I replied.
He hesitated. “Three wolves were taken inthe night. And there is a small army at the border of the mountain. I’m notsure I will be able to hold them off much longer.”
My stomach dropped. “We’ll come home.We’ll fight!”
He cut me off. “No, you will stay safe.You will get off the phone with me and go out to the rest of the kids and cutoff all of your tattoos. Burn them, cover them with magic I don’t care how youget rid of them. They are doing silver tests on people to see if they arewolves, so you and Jaxon will be safe. If I am taken, you need to go to SanJuan Island. Just outside Washington. It’s a safe haven for werewolves and afriend there owes me a favor. Ask for Shamus.”
“Dad, no! I’m not running away like somecoward!” My voice had risen and now Gavin was standing in the doorway.
“You’re not a coward! You can preserveour race. Take everyone to the island and I’ll meet you there. I promise.”Lie.I could hear it in his voice.
“No, we’re coming to get you. I love you,Dad. We’re in this together.” I hung up just as he started howling.
“What’s going on?” My mate crossed thespace to reach me, but as he neared it was just a reminder that I couldn’t feelour bond.
“The humans have the mountain surrounded.My dad said that we need to cut off our tattoos and run. Jaxon and I are partwitch, so the silver doesn’t affect us, but Mason … you.” I rubbed my templesand felt him step closer to me. Again, he was so close but so far. I couldn’tfeelhim and it was driving me crazy.
“What’s up with you? With us?” I crossedmy arms, unable to take the rejection from my mate any longer.
He sighed and ran a hand through his darkhair before reaching out to touch me. “It’s not rejection. I’m protecting you.”My body quivered at his touch. With all of the darkness around me, I neededsome of his light.
But I frowned at his words. “From what?”I stepped closer to him, pressing my belly up against him and feeling hismuscles tighten against mine.
He looked away from my eyes and down tothe ground. “I—” but his words were cut off by Nahuel’s loud yell.
We both untangled from each other andbolted from the room to see what was wrong. My heart was pounding in my chest.What more could the freaking universe throw at me? Nahuel didn’t scream,nothing fazed him so this was bad before I had even seen it.
It took a moment to locate him. Nahuelwas standing in the open front doorway. As we neared, Mason and Jaxon parted sowe could see what was wrong.
The shaman turned to me then, his eyeslooked hauntingly scary. “The Walker. He wants Anya.”
His words sent a ripple of fear throughme. I could not deal with that maniac shapeshifter right now. I needed to helpmy people.
Gavin growled and lightly pushed Nahuelto the side. As I made a move to step forward, Gavin’s arm came out. “You don’tneed to see this.”
I rolled my eyes at his back and pushedhis arm down, getting a full view of the front door. What I saw was disturbing.It let me know for sure the Skin Walker was a bat shit crazy psychopath andthere was no hope of reasoning with him.
A baby fawn was cut open and spread outacross the doormat. Then in her blood, one word was written. Anya.
“I’m gonna kill that bastard!” I roared.
Gavin pressed his body up against me andstared me down like an alpha would. I met his fierce green eyes and found ithard to keep their hold. My body physically hummed. He was becoming more andmore dominant every day. What was going on with him? “No. That pleasure will bemine.” His voice was barely human.
I dropped my eyes and Gavin stumbledbackward, mumbling an apology. He looked horrified that he had just dominatedme. He gave me one last long look before running back to the room.
“What’s going on withhim?” Avery muttered softly to me.
I stared at the empty hallway that led toour room. “I wish I knew.”
Nahuel looked back at me from the openfront doorway. “Now he knows you are here. You need to run now, little cub, anddon’t stay in one place more than two days.”
Run? Great. My father’s mountain wasabout to be taken by force and now I had the Skin Walker on my trail threateningto carve me open.
“Is now a bad time to have a nervousbreakdown?” I asked the room of people I loved. This was too much pressure, toomuch stress. I felt I would collapse under the weight of this drama.
