Page 25 of Exiled Mate

The ugly, consuming way that he says it leaves me no doubt that he’s the enforcer that set Rylan up to fall for his crimes.

I throw my shoulders back. “I brought him to tell the truth.”

“You harbored a fugitive!”

“Is this true, Terra?” the alpha rumbles.

I turn to face Thorne. I know what he’s going to say. I know that we’re risking everything, and I know he’s going to tell us that if I was harboring Rylan, then he’s going to kick my mom and me out of the pack.

I throw back my shoulders. “I wasn’t harboring him. I didn’t know he was alive until recently.”

Thorne studies me.

“But for what it’s worth, I don’t think he’s lying.”

“Why?”

I step closer. I don’t really want to tell this business in front of the whole pack, but I do want to tell Thorne. “Can I speak to you?”

“Alpha,” the enforcer barks. “Why the hell?—”

“She asked the alpha to speak, jackass. Not you.”

My heart squeezes. Ember.

My best friend emerges from the throng that’s gathered. She’s in her scrubs and has her curly hair pulled back into a neat braid that runs halfway down her back. She widens her stance, glaring at the enforcer, and her amber eyes seem to flash.

“Back off,” Ember barks at him.

“Or what, female? You’re going to challenge me?” he sneers.

Oh. This could be bad.

Ember grins. “Yeah. I will.”

“Alpha.” I turn to him, my voice pleading. “A word?”

He nods. “Come in.”

I walk inside Thorne’s office. I’m hoping that everyone will wait for the alpha to be around to brawl, because if he’s not there, I’m not sure that the others will engage in violence.

If they do…

Ember’s secret is going to be made clear to the world. Because she will put a smackdown on that enforcer that’s way more than any wolf, let alone female, should be able to give.

Thorne doesn’t sit at his desk, but he does clear the others out of the room. He nods. “Why do you think he’s telling the truth?”

“He has scars,” I say. “He’s covered in them.”

“And how do you know that?”

I blush. “I’m just saying. He stayed away for two years. He put himself in danger to come back here and tell you. He knows what he’s risking. Why would he stay away for so long and come back unless he’s telling the truth?”

“He’s also about a month shy of his thirtieth birthday.”

“And?”

“Maybe he wanted to come back to see if he still had a chance with his old flame. So he didn’t lose his ability to shift,” Thorne says softly.

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