Page 73 of The Runaway Mate

“You have proof of this?” Korrin’s voice was hard.

“Why don’t you help me find Mai, and you can ask her yourself?”

Korrin waved his hand. “So, you have nothing. Your word against my son’s. We don’t know you. Go back home, Ryan Shaw, and mourn the loss of the female you rejected.”

I didn’t show my fury, but Korrin must have sensed it.

“Yes, we’ve done our homework on you and your Three Rivers. You should go home before you don’t have a home to go to anymore.”

“I’m not leaving without Mai. You’re right. I might not have a home anymore. I have nothing to lose. I’ll go through your entire Pack until I find her. In fact, tell me to go home one more time. I’ve got a lot of anger to work off.”

Korrin slammed his hand onto the table in front of him. I tensed, ready for him to come at me, but Kara shook her head.

“Seth has been troubled for a while now,” Kara’s voice was measured and calm, “and we do not condone his violence toward Mai. She is a valued member of this Pack—”

“Was,” I interrupted. “She is a member of the Three Rivers Pack and my mate.”

“Lies. She’s been with my son for months.”

“Her scent is all over me. I know you can smell it.”

I felt Ajak studying me and shifted slightly to face him.

“What do you want from us?” Ajak finally asked.

“I want your help,” I replied. “I need to know where Seth is.”

Korrin scoffed, “Even if I knew this information, I would not help you kill my son.”

Ajak held up a hand, silencing Korrin. “We do not know Seth’s whereabouts—he left Pack lands a week ago, and we have no knowledge of where he might be heading,” Ajak said firmly and evenly. “I’m sorry we could not be of more help.” His tone made it clear he was dismissing me.

My wolf growled. Something told us that Ajak spoke the truth.

Fuck. They didn’t know any more than I did.

I stared at them, storing their faces and scents in my brain. If anything happened to Mai, I was coming back here and would exact my revenge. Then I turned and walked out.

A hushed whisper reached my ears as I left the house, a soft, tentative voice calling my name. “Mr. Shaw?”

I turned to see a young girl, barely fourteen, with curly red hair tied back in a messy ponytail and a smidgen of freckles across her pale face. Her wide eyes flitted nervously around, as if she was worried someone would see us together.

“Can I speak with you? Kara said it was okay.” Her voice was barely above a murmur.

“Of course,” I said, softening my tone. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Anna,” she said, drawing in a deep breath. “Isaac is my brother.”

Isaac. I searched through my memory of the file Derek had sent me when we’d first learned Seth was the one who had beaten up Mai.

“Isaac is Seth’s friend?” I asked.

“He’s Seth’s best friend.” She glanced around again, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “They’ve always been inseparable. If Seth is involved in something… Isaac would be right there with him.”

“Anna,” I leaned in closer, “do you know where they might be?”

She hesitated for a moment, looking torn. Finally, she nodded, a determined glint in her eye.

“We have an old hunting lodge. It used to be my uncle’s. It’s deep in the forest, west of the Pack lands. If they’re hiding… that’s probably where Isaac would go.”

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