His eyes burned with hatred. I had a feeling it had nothing to do with Savannah and everything to do with the fact that he was a human who hated Darklings. I could smell a Ryan Harker supporter from a fucking mile away. But what was he doing in Sol?
I decided to keep my mouth shut as they led me out of the cells, taking me to the front of the jail, where a lady at the front desk prompted me to sign myself out before handing me my belongings. I didn’t have much except a fewpieces of jewelry I’d been wearing when I was arrested and my cellphone and wallet.
I stepped out of the main entrance, a security guard opening them up for me and allowing sunlight to pour into the lobby. I shielded my eyes from the light, letting the burn tingle through my whole body after hours and hours in a cold, dark cell.
A car was parked on the street, just at the base of the jailhouse stairs. Thane leaned against it, his arm draped over the open door. He wore a pair of sunglasses, a black shirt that hugged the hard lines of his torso, and a pair of black pants and boots that made him look like an action hero up to no good. My entire body deflated at the sight of the warlock, and I let out the world’s biggest sigh of relief.
“Hey, little wolf," he said softly as I approached him. "Are you okay?"
"Define okay," I sighed as I fell into his embrace. His arms enveloped me in a bear hug, squishing my face into his hard chest. I breathed in the scent of fresh herbs and something spicy. Something uniquely Thane, and savored it. “Get me out of this hellhole, Thane,” I muttered into his chest.
His chest rumbled with a low laugh as he stroked my curls softly. "Your wish is my command, babe. We're going to take you somewhere safe until we can figure out what the fuck actually happened. War has a cabin we can use as a temporary safehouse. I don’t feel comfortable bringing you back to the consulate until Estelle is found.”
"A cabin?" I asked skeptically.
Pulling back, Thane placed a hand on my lower back, ushering me into the passenger seat of the car. "It's more luxurious than it sounds. My brother doesn’t do anything halfway." He leaned over as I grumbled under my breath, buckling me in. “It’s a long drive, so get comfy.”
He shut the door before I could say anything, slipping into the driver’s seat and gunning it until we were swerving in and out of busy city traffic. I looked around the unfamiliar interior. “Whose car is this?” It wasn’t Thane’s sexy sports car, that was for sure.
He tapped on the steering wheel with his ring-clad fingers, his fingernails painted glossy black. “I borrowed it from a friend of mine. My car has tracking software installed by the military, and I don’t want to be followed.”
“When you say youborrowedit from a friend, it sounds an awful lot like‘I stole it from some poor schmuck off the street five minutes before I picked you up.’”
Cutting his eyes my way, he grinned devilishly. “Oh, baby girl, you already know me too well.”
I fell silent after that, exhaustion enveloping me in a tight cocoon. Thane made a swirling motion with his hand, bright-blue magic crackling at his fingertips. Music started to play. A soft, smooth jazz that somehow had me settling comfortably into my seat and humming along with it.
Thane didn’t push me to talk about anything, and I was grateful for that. All I wanted to do was get somewhere safe, call Serenity, hear her tell me she was okay and somewhere safe, and then take the longest nap in the history of the world. He did have a cold bottle of water waiting for me in the cup holder, which I drank greedily, realizing how parched I’d been. Then he passed me a bar of chocolate. I could have jumped his bones right then and there for it.
The drive out of the city was a much easier task than leaving Noc. There were still checkpoints that we had to pass through, but nobody asked to see any ID. We drove through winding foothills with golden and green grasses filled with grazing cattle and fields of crops. After about an hour, the landscape turned mountainous and green, withlittle patches of snow dotting the ground, getting thicker the higher we went. I wondered where the hell War and Gareth were. Were they meeting us here later?
But then again, did they even have any real obligation to come here with me in the first place? Gareth wasn't my mate; he was a reluctant bodyguard who had just gone through one of the most traumatic experiences a shifter could go through. And War? Well, I knew War felt something for me, but that didn’t mean he was ready to abandon his duties back at the consulate just to babysit me.
Unease swirled in my gut. What was I walking into with Gareth? Did he think I killed her? Did he hate me for it? There was no love between him and Savannah, but I knew how strong the physical tie to your fated mate could be. They slept together in the past, even if the bond was never actually sealed. I hated the jealousy that bubbled up at the thought of her being with him. Even picturing it made me want to throw up.
A gentle hand on my thigh broke my train of thought. I looked up, meeting Thane’s electric gaze. “I don’t know what it means, but...” He paused, running his other hand through his pale-silver hair, before blowing out a long breath. “I can feel the thoughts swirling around in your head. You’re upset about something.”
I froze, my whole body tensing up as I blinked rapidly, trying to process. “Can you read my mind?” I asked in horror.
He laughed, squeezing my thigh gently. “No, notreadit. It’s more like a feeling. It feels like my magic is sending echoes of something through my body, but the sensations aren’t mine. It sounds insane, but...” It did sound fucking insane. It sounded made-up. It sounded mind-bogglingly untrue. But it's not unheard of.
I pivoted to face him. “Thane, are we mates?”
The car jerked as his foot slid off the pedal. Thane pulled his hand from my thigh and righted the car again as we rounded a sharp mountain bend. “Ah, sorry bout that, love.” His voice was uneasy. Shaken. Glancing at me, he sighed again as if trying to stall in order to find the right words.
I saved him the trouble. “If I’m way off base here, just tell me. But you’re talking to someone who used to be obsessed with Darkling lore. I know witches and warlocks have mates, just like us shifters. You have soul bonds—someone your magic connects to. I’ve read about it before, but I don’t think I ever considered what it would feel like in real life, yet I’m starting to think...” I was rambling now, tapping my finger against my thigh. “I’m crazy, right? You know what, sorry I even asked, let’s pretend?—”
“Yes,” he clipped, and my frantic rambling stopped. His fingers flexed on the wheel, his knuckles turning white as he clenched the muscles in his jaw. The silence hung heavily between us for a moment. “I’ve been wracking my brain for ways to just bloody tell you, but I guess I don’t have to now.”
“Wait, you’re serious?” I asked breathlessly, my heart starting to flutter.
His eyes flitted toward me. “Would it be so bad?” He sounded nervous. That wasn’t like Thane at all. Not the cocky, larger-than-life playboy Thane.
“I…I, uh…” The words didn't want to come out. Would it be so bad? Was I opposed to this little revelation? It wasn’t like I necessarily had a choice in the matter. But this wasThanehere. One of three men who made me feel safe for once. A man who sent fire racing through my veins and who had me salivating for just a small taste of him. This was aman whose magic called to me on a bone-deep level. Soul-deep, even.
“We’re here,” he said before I could gather my thoughts. He nodded his head for me to look.
We pulled off onto a dirt driveway that was hard to spot from the main road. At the end of it, an isolated, wooden cottage sat nestled amongst tall pines. It was a wooden cabin, but the lower half looked like it was made of stacked stone, with a wraparound porch and a staircase that led up to the front door. It was only one level, unlike the packhouse. I had to admit, for a cabin in the woods, it was quaint and cute.
