Jet turns it over, then looks up at me. “Beth’s phone has this crazy-patterned skull design on it.” The one he’s holding has a plain dark purple case. “You think she switched them somehow?”
“Maybe?” It’s not the craziest idea, especially considering what we’ve been through over the last few years. “Or they did.”
“You think Birch is clever enough to set a trap for us?” Jet looks unconvinced.
“They managed to grab our people straight off the fucking road. I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
“What’s going on?” Callum glances between the two of us, then at the phone Jet’s holding.
“Beth’s phone is missing.”
“You tracked it?”
“Was just about to.” I pull out my phone and show them the screen.
“That’s the middle of the fucking forest.” Jet starts pacing again, agitated. “There’s no way it got there on its own.”
“No.” Either Beth managed to hide it, or Birch took it on purpose.
We all stare at the little dot on my screen as it starts to move slowly. “There are three possibilities. Either some random found it and stole it. Beth has it. Or Birch does.”
Callum cocks his head. “Or Beth has it and Birchknows.”
“Fuck’s sake.” Jet fists his hair, frustration rolling off him as he stalks back and forth.
It’s heavy in the air, crawling under my skin, and I want nothing more than to let loose and scream at the fucking unfairness of it all. But one of us needs to remain calm, and as alpha and president, that fucker is me. “So, it’s either a trap or a rescue mission.” I wait for Jet to come to a stop. “But like you said.” I meet his eyes. “It doesn’t fucking matter.”
His lips curl into a feral smile. “Because we’re going either way?”
I grin back, letting a little of the rage out. It feelsgood. “We are.”
The Trenton pack agree to wait with the damaged bikes. They offered to come with us, but this is our fight. I can’t involve them without their alpha’s consent, and she regretfully declined. I don’t like it, but I can’t blame her. The Feral Beasts aren’t someone you want to piss off if you can help it.
“Lynx.” Callum grabs my arm before I can get on my bike. “We should wait for backup. We have no idea how many FBs are waiting for us.”
He’s right.
They’re on their way, but Ican’twait. My skin itches with the need to get to Morgan and the others. It’s all I can do not to shrug Callum off and fucking leave without him. “I just need to see that they’re alive.”
Callum’s grip tightens on my arm. “You swear not to do anything until the others get here?”
That’s a promise I can’t keep, and he knows it. But I won’t lie either. “Proof of life,” I offer instead. “That’s all I need.”
Cal swears under his breath but lets me go.
I lead us out, adrenalin flooding my body, because trap or not, there’s only one way this is ending.
20
MORGAN
“What the fuckis going on here?” Birch roars as he enters the clearing.
The three Feral Beasts freeze.
And so do I.
Mal’s now slumped against the tree, blessedly still unconscious, but while the FBs were otherwise occupied, Flint’s been trying to unpick the ropes around my wrist. It’s awkward as fuck, trying to hide what we’re doing, but he almost had it.
