Page 46 of The Runaway Mate

“You don’t understand anything, Ryan.”

My wolf whined inside me. He couldn’t understand why she was so reluctant to tell me. In his mind, Seth was a threat to Mai and to the Pack. She should tell us everything so we could hunt him down and kill him. It was simple. I had to contend with my wolf’s point of view and balance it with my human side. I knew this made her uncomfortable. I knew she wanted to hide Seth from us, to deal with him herself. But that was not how our Pack operated.

We had worked hard over the last four years making it the sort of Pack where we all had each other’s backs. I had to remember that Mai grew up in Oliver’s Pack, though. Jem and Hayley were too busy trying to establish themselves as an alternative Alpha couple to pay much attention to Mai. My brothers and I were too busy trying to keep Oliver’s enforcers off all our backs and keep them from hurting the weaker Pack members to see what was going on. After Mai left, Sofia told me what life had really been like for Mai at school and with Hayley.

Mai left, and Goddess knew what she had to do to survive before she found a base at Cocrane. She had always had to deal with things herself. Why would she think any different this time? My wolf growled. That was our job. We had to show her that there was a different way. That the Pack protected each other, and we were all stronger for it. So far, I’d done a piss-poor job of it.

Chapter thirty-two

Mai

Ithought about what Ryan said. He was an arrogant, possessive asshole, but he was right; if Seth was making his way here, he was a threat to the Pack. How did Seth know where I was? I’d never told him about my past. Just said I was from the east, hadn’t been close to my family or Pack, and had bounced around the human and Shifter conclave cities for the last few years. He’d never pried too deeply.

Seth didn’t like to talk about his history either, so it had been a silent agreement that we left our pasts out of our relationship. Seth was a mid-level enforcer trying to prove himself, with his dad, Korrin, grooming him to take over the Beta spot. Seth had grown up in the shadow of Korrin’s legacy, always measured by the towering expectations that came with his father’s reputation. But I knew Seth was having trouble living up to it, and it would come out in his increasingly volatile temper.

I had left him. What would my leaving have done to his reputation as he saw it? Did Seth think it showed up a weakness on his part, that he wasn’t strong enough to keep a partner? More importantly, was that what Korrin would think? If Seth wanted to prove himself to his dad, to the other enforcers, in his warped mind, would that mean he had to get me back?

I knew I had to share this with Ryan and the Shaw brothers. Seth coming here wasn’t just a threat to me; it posed a danger to the entire Pack. I felt a knot in my stomach. How could I willingly expose my underbelly, revealing scars I’d hoped would fade into oblivion?

“He doesn’t know much about the Three Rivers Pack,” I whispered.

Ryan kept still, perhaps realizing how much this was costing me and not wanting to spook me.

“I never talked about my past.”

“Does he know you’re Jem’s sister?”

I shrugged. “I didn’t tell him. But if he knows I’m here, I’m sure he has done some research into the Pack. He has contacts. I don’t know what he might have found out by now.”

“And the Cocrane Pack?” he asked, curiosity pricking his tone. “How much do you know about them?”

I shook my head, a bitter chuckle escaping my lips. “Not enough, never enough.”

The room seemed to grow smaller with the truth I was pouring out, bit by bit. “Seth’s father, Korrin…” I began, my voice faltering at the mention of his name, “… he’s the Pack Beta. He has always had high expectations for Seth. He’s supposed to follow in his dad’s footsteps.”

The worry in Ryan’s eyes deepened. “So, Seth has been groomed for violence since he was a pup?”

His words punctured the silence, hung in the air between us like an omen. I nodded, my eyes downcast, locked onto the patterns of the wooden floor.

“It’s not just violence,” I murmured. “Seth seeks acceptance and an acknowledgment of his power and dominance.”

“I won’t let him hurt you, Mai.”

I could smell the waves of anger pouring off him.

“No matter what.”

I shook my head and forced myself to look Ryan in the eye. “I won’t let him hurt me, Ryan. And I won’t let him hurt this Pack. No matter what.”

Of course, that was easier said than done. If Seth was coming, there was nothing I could do to stop him. I would have to deal with him if or when it happened. Until then, I had Brock to contend with.

“Move in with me, Mai.”

Not this again.

Ryan held up his hands, gesturing for me to give him a moment to explain.

“Just until the situation with Seth has been resolved. If Seth does make it here, we can draw him there. There are Pack members in and out of Jem and Hayley’s every day. Any one of them could get hurt if Seth showed up. At ours, we can contain the fallout. It’s just me, you, and my brothers. We know what’s coming and can prepare. After that, if you want out, I’ll help you move.”

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