Page 11 of Exiled Mate

When I go to lie down in my bed, I take some sleeping pills.

The last thing I want is to dream about Rylan.

Because even though I’m furious, that kiss lingers in my mind.

It’s the type of kiss you never forget.

And I have a bad feeling that I’m going to think about it way, way too much before I figure out what the hell is going on with him.

Chapter 4

Rylan

Isleep in the alley outside of Terra’s apartment.

It’s a risk. There are more than just shifters in Oakwood, and if I reveal myself to the humans, I will never be able to get close to Thorne to tell him about Chet’s betrayal. Because I will be in the silver-and-steel wolf cages that constitute our pack jail.

Or I will be dead.

However, I can’t just walk away from Terra, especially when I clearly caused her a lot of pain by showing up in her world again. It’s not the first time that I’ve hoped people would mistake me for a large black dog, and generally, no one is looking for a wolf in a dumpster.

I’m bigger than any dog and most wolves, but you’d be surprised. People don’t see what they don’t want to see.

When the sun cracks over the edge of the mountains, I’m already up and gone. Terra will be heading for her mom’s today, and I plan to stake out the little farm workshop, just to be sure that whoever Chet had out last night doesn’t return for anything retaliatory.

I let her get a good head start on me. She chooses to walk, which makes following her easier, but I wish that she’d taken the car so that she could escape if she needed…

Wrapped up in my thoughts, I almost don’t notice when she steps out ahead of me on the little path that cuts through the woods and to her mom’s place.

“Stop following me,” Terra says, arms folded. “Seriously. Go home.”

I can’t help the wolfish huff that pops out of my mouth. Go home? Where would I go? There’s a little trailer right at the edge of the pack lands where I’ve been sleeping since I decided to take the information about the fights back to Thorne, but it’s hardly a home.

Terra rolls her eyes. “Fine. I get it. But just stop following me.”

I slink back into the bushes. If I give her enough room, she won’t notice I’m there.

She waits for a long time. I can see her smelling the air, looking for me, and I wonder if she’ll turn into her wolf just to make sure that I’m not around. While our sense of smell is always strong as shifters, I don’t want her to fully change into the wolf because she’ll definitely know that I’m there.

Seemingly satisfied, Terra continues on the path.

I give her an hour, then follow.

The day progresses normally for her. She and her mom make a huge batch of something that smells deliciously floral and makes my heart ache because it reminds me of Terra so much. They chat, laugh, but the interaction between them seems a little strange. Normally, they have a really strong relationship, stronger than most mothers and daughters that I know. For their dynamic to feel so strained today, I think something must have happened between them.

If Terra and her mom aren’t doing well, and Terra is feeling sad about the mating ceremony…

Of course the fact that I showed up is especially difficult for her.

My heart sinks as I realize that, no matter what I do, I seem to hurt Terra.

I can’t worry about that, but… I do.

I wonder how much her mom knows about last night.

On second thought, I wonder if my appearance even had that much of an impact on Terra. It could be that I’m so beneath her notice that she wouldn’t dream of bringing me up to her mom.

Somehow, I think that hurts even worse.

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