Page 141 of Sawyer

Nope, don’t think about it.

“This is a bad news and bad news situation, Sin.” He peeks out of the locker room and jerks his head at me. “Let’s go.”

“Where to?” Wow, these shoes are comfy. Ugly as hell, but comfy. “I hope it’s to our pack.”

He doesn’t answer or look at me, and I don’t like that one bit.

“What are they doing here, Rumor?” As we step into the hall, I grab his shirt, and he swings back to me. “Where’s Sawyer?”

I should have led with that, but I thought she’d be okay with him and Bryn in here. It never occurred to me until now that she wasn’t.

Panic slowly climbs inside of me, and the urge to get to her makes my legs itch.

“They are trying to get gammas to go into a heat cycle.”

“Sawyer.”

He holds up a hand. “She’s okay.”

“I’m not feeling very confident about how you said that.”

“They have the ability to scent match by using some kind of technology.” He looks away, avoiding my gaze.

“All right.” I draw out the words as I try to stuff my fear into a little box.

“Sawyer was scent matched today.” He won’t look at me.

My panic rises. “Tell me,” I bark at him, using all of my power.

“She matched with your father, man.” The words come out of him in a rush because I commanded him to tell me, but I never thought he’d say that. Never, not once.

“What?”

“He’s going to take her home, to your home, and make her a trophy mate.” There’s so much pain in his voice, hurt he tries to hide, but it’s the same anguish spilling through me.

“She’s ours.” My voice cracks.

“I know, and fuck, man, I’m so glad to hear you say that.” There’s strain there, and he still avoids eye contact.

“There’s more, isn’t there?” Don’t answer that, I beg him in my head.

“It’s best if I show you.” He nods to himself as though he’s having some kind of internal conversation. I want to hear that conversation and know what he’s saying to himself. “Let’s go. I’m about to disable the cameras on that floor anyway.”

I follow him in a haze. My entire world just plummeted. “He can’t have her,” I tell Rumor. It’s a promise to all of us. I won’t allow him to take her.

My father hasn’t been a part of my life in far too long. He’s always there, but not in any meaningful way.

He always put the council before me.

He missed everything in my life that meant something to me.

The nanny was there for my first steps, and my first words were spoken during daycare.

He never showed up to a swim meet, never came to a parent-teacher conference, nor did he attend my graduation from the academy. He just didn’t exist, and now he wants to swoop in and steal my girl?

I won’t allow him to. Not again. I know he was behind Thea dying. Thea.

Every time I thought about her in the past, pain shot through my heart and my body felt like pins and needles, but ever since my eyes fell on Sawyer, in person, that pain subsided. Now, the hurt of losing Thea isn’t as painful.

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