Page 70 of The Runaway Mate

I took a small step to the right, eyeing the open doorway. Could I reach it and get it locked before Seth was on me?

“I did some research on you, you know. I should have done it at the start, but I liked the mystery of Mai. Now I know all about your brother and that dickhead who rejected you. Why did you go to them, Mai? After all they’ve done to you?”

“They’re my Pack, Seth. My family. It’s where I feel safe,” I whispered, edging closer to the door. I wasn’t just saying that, either. The Three Rivers was where I belonged. It was just my shitty luck that I finally worked that out in a basement with my scummy ex-boyfriend.

“Bullshit.” Seth’s face twisted in anger. “You’re not thinking straight. It’s your Pack bonds. It draws you back there, clouds your mind. But we’ll take care of that.”

“It’s not the Pack bonds, Seth.” I kept my voice gentle, hoping to get through to him. “It’s us. We were never right for each other.”

He shook his head. “You’ll see the truth as soon as we break the bonds.”

“Seth, that’s not going to happen. I’ll never sever my bond with the Three Rivers.”

“You don’t need to, Mai. I’m going to take care of that for you.”

I’d never heard of anyone being able to forcibly sever the bonds of someone else. That was an Alpha’s power, and Seth was no Alpha. He had to be just saying that to frighten me.

“Then we can put all of this behind us,” he continued. “You and me again, Mai. It was good, wasn’t it? Between us. We can have that again.”

I stared at him, wondering what I ever saw in him.

“I get you’re angry with me. But you’ll see, Mai. It’ll all be good again, I promise. Come on,” he gestured to the open door, “I’ll take you to get cleaned up.”

I weighed up my options. Refuse and stay in the dark, cold basement, or play along and get as much information as I could about where I was and how to get the fuck away from Seth.

I shuffled forward, half expecting an attack, but as I got nearer, he just rested his hand on my lower back. The heat from his touch seeped through my shirt, and my stomach turned upside down. I pushed down the bile rising in the back of my throat and arched forward, not wanting any contact between us as I climbed up the stairs and arrived in a kitchen. It was an old set-up. The countertops were a dark brown, the cabinets a shade lighter, and the floor was gray and black tile. A small table, big enough for four people if they squeezed together, sat in the middle of the room. A cream-colored fridge stood alone near the back wall.

Where the hell were we? I didn’t recognize this at all.

A window with a large wooden frame that was peeling white paint was open to let in the air. I caught the scent of rain and dirt, maple, green ash, and pine trees through the window, but the house itself smelled of Seth and Isaac. I’d always liked Isaac, had enjoyed our training sessions when he’d push me hard and then grin manically when I took him down. He’d always been the voice of reason when Seth’s temper flared. Why was he here? I didn’t think he would go along with Seth hitting me or kidnapping me.

Seth steered me toward the hall and then stopped in front of the bathroom. He gave a small smile before stepping aside and ushering me inside. The room was small and coldly sterile, the chillingly bright overhead light reflecting off the white tiles. A mirror hung above a simple porcelain sink, and an enclosed shower stood in the corner. No windows.

Seth had laid out fresh towels and even placed some travel-sized toiletries on the shelf above the sink.

“Get cleaned up.” Seth leaned forward and untied the rope still binding my hands. I watched the rope fall to the ground and fought the urge to claw his fucking eyes out. I needed to be smart about this. Seth would be expecting an attempt to escape.

I could feel Seth studying me, waiting to see what I would do.

After a moment, he said, “I’ll make us some food.” Then he turned and shut the door.

I hesitated before locking it. The door wouldn’t keep a werewolf out, but by locking it, at least I’d get a warning.

My eyes darted around the room, scanning for anything I could use as a weapon. The pickings were slim—the room was practically bare except for the essentials.

I ran the hot water in the sink and cleaned my face and arms. I felt too vulnerable to take a shower with Seth just outside. Instead, I cleaned up the best I could while keeping an ear out for any sounds of Seth returning.

I dried my face on a scratchy blue towel that Seth had left out, then stared at my reflection. It wasn’t pretty. My left eye was swollen, my lip was cut, and I had a hell of a bruise on my cheekbone.

“You can do this. You’ll survive. You’ll escape. You’ll get back to them,” I murmured to myself, trying to see past the fear and uncertainty mirrored in my eyes.

My fingers dug into the towel as tears formed in my eyes. Nope, I wouldn’t cry. Not here. Not like this. I lowered my head, unable to look at myself anymore, and focused on the towel. Could I wet it, twist it tightly, and use it against Seth? Until I knew where Isaac was and if he was here to help me or Seth, I couldn’t take the chance.

Drawing in a deep breath, I schooled my face into a calm, compliant expression and opened the bathroom door. Seth was there, leaning against the opposite wall. I walked past him, my head held high and my posture suggesting a false sense of calmness.

“You look better,” Seth said, his eyes glinting with satisfaction.

Uh-huh. I gritted my teeth and kept walking.

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