Page 4 of The Runaway Mate

Derek shook his head. “No, I don’t feel anything. You think something’s wrong? Well, more wrong than usual?”

I nodded. “I can’t shake this feeling. It’s a warning; something dangerous is coming. It’s pulling me, getting more urgent.”

Derek’s expression turned serious as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Alright, let’s assume something is wrong. What’s our move?”

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. “I don’t know.” I could hear the frustration in my voice. “I can’t pinpoint where it’s coming from. Is it Hayley? The Bridgetown Pack? Something new?” I resisted the urge to stand up and start pacing. I knew it would make Derek worried.

Derek looked at me for a moment, and I knew he was weighing up what I’d just said. He was always the thoughtful one of us four Shaw brothers. It was why he’d been so good in military intelligence.

“I’ll double the patrols. As for the Bridgetown Pack… We need to gather more intel on what they’re up to.”

I nodded in agreement. “We can’t let them build up an army without knowing their intentions.”

Derek nodded, standing up from the table. “I’ll call in the asset and see what they’ve got. In the meantime, listen to your Pack bonds; see if you can narrow it down. If you get anything, let me know.”

I watched my brother leave the room, feeling a slight sense of relief knowing we were taking action. But the unease was still there, gnawing at me. I tried to focus on the Pack bonds, reaching out with my mind to feel for any broken currents.

That’s when I felt it. A sudden jolt of pain, like a knife to the gut, followed by a need so urgent that it took my breath away. My wolf was howling inside of me, demanding release. He wanted out. He needed something that was vital to his very essence. He hadn’t been this agitated since Mai left.

Wait, what if—

“Ryan!”

I turned to see Jem in the doorway. He looked tired, more so than usual, but there was a fierce light in his eyes.

“Have you found her?” Jem barked at me.

I frowned, confused. “Who?”

“Mai! She’s back.”

And just like that, the bottom dropped out of my world.

Chapter four

Mai

Ijerked awake to someone banging on my door. For a moment, I was back in Cocrane, Seth drawing his foot back to kick me in my ribs again. I took short, shallow breaths, the panic coursing through me.

Safe, I was safe here.

I looked around at my old apartment, the familiar scents settling me. Seth had never been here, so there was nothing to remind me of him. My eyes focused on a dent in the wall, made when Jem tried to do a 360 jump on his skateboard off the couch and instead rammed into the wall.

The door slammed open. I tried to get up, but my knee buckled, and I collapsed onto the floor.

Fuck!

Sofia marched into the room and stood over me. “I always thought you’d come groveling back and apologize for the way you just upped and skedaddled out of my life, but this is taking it a bit far, Mai.”

I glared up at her. “You’re hilarious. Now help me the fuck up, would you?”

As she bent down to pull me up, I noticed Jase coming into the apartment with a box full of food. He switched the box to one hand, then shut the door.

“How did you get in, anyway?” I asked Sofia.

“Dude, you think you’re the only one who knows that lock jigging trick on the door? I’m pretty sure Jem has refused to get it fixed all these years, just in case you came back.”

I groaned in pain as Sofia tried to place me as gently as possible down on the couch.

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