Page 50 of The Renegade Mate

“I mean it," I growled. I felt so fucking helpless. I was her mate; I was supposed to protect her. "Elise’s attack, the car crash, and fucking Korrin. Now this. Enough. I have a safe house down south. I can send you there tonight—”

She touched my face with her fingertips. “Ryan, you were right. We’re Alphas. We’re going to take our Pack back. But to do that, we have to work as a team, you and me. You can’t lock me away until this is all over. I have to do this. I have to fight for our family, our Pack. Yes, I’m going to get hurt, but I’ll heal. Shutting me out of this fight is not something I will be able to get over, though.”

“Jase, help me secure these fuckers,” Mason growled, roughly picking up an unconscious man by his arm and dragging him across the floor, his head bumping along the ground in regular thumps.

Jase did as he was asked and went to grab another man.

I used a torn piece of cloth to bandage Mai’s shoulder. I needed to stop the bleeding. I could feel her watching me, her gaze steady and unwavering.

“I didn’t feel it through our bond. Just a sense of unease, small flashes that you were scared,” I said, keeping my eyes on what I was doing. My wolf was fucking raging right now, wanting to kill all these fuckers here, but I didn’t understand why I hadn’t had a clear warning that my mate was in danger.

Mai tilted her head to one side. “The bond is still new. It’s growing as we grow. We both have a lot to learn about the bond, as well as being Alphas.”

It was taking all my effort just to keep my anger under control.

Once I wrapped the cloth tightly and told her to put pressure on it, I got Jase to sit down while I helped Mason with the rest of the group.

It had been close this time. Nowhere was safe anymore. We were being hunted, and next time, maybe we wouldn’t be so lucky. Rage filled me. No one attacked my mate, my Pack.

“Ryan,” Mai’s voice cut through my thoughts. “We have to move. It’s not safe here.”

“I need to find out what they know first.” I nodded to Brock’s enforcers, now all tied up and thrown in a heap on the corner.

I strode toward them, my eyes scanning them, sizing them up. One of them, a burly guy with dark sideburns running down his cheeks, seemed less dazed than the rest.

“Bring him,” I commanded. I knew if I touched any of them, they would not live.

Mason hauled him into the dining room and dumped him into one of the chairs. My wolf wanted to rip his head off. To kill them all for daring to touch my Mai. I agreed with him, but we needed information. I had to think about protecting Mai from further attacks.

The man glowered at us, his eyes a defiant shade of emerald, but I could smell his fear masked behind a facade of bravado.

I kept my voice calm. “It’s Paulo, isn’t it?”

He hesitated, then nodded.

“Jem got you that job at Sunny’s hardware store. Sunny didn’t want a werewolf working in the store, but Jem convinced him that you might look scary but you’d be a good worker. Sunny promoted you to manager last year, if I remember right?”

“Jem’s dead, Ryan. It’s no use being loyal to a dead man.”

“No? How about his sister? How about his Beta? We’re the true Alpha pair. We’re here to take back what is rightfully ours.”

“Rya—”

“Who sent you here?” I interrupted, my voice a low growl. I didn’t want to hear his excuses.

He was silent.

I leaned in, my face mere inches from his. “You’ll find it’s in your best interests to tell me. Brock may be unhappy with you, but you’re the one who just attacked my mate. Your one chance of getting out of here still breathing is to tell me what I want to know.”

I don’t know what Paulo saw in my eyes, but he started talking.

“I saw Sofia leaving here this morning. I was driving past on my way to the compound. Haven’t seen her since Jem … well … you know. Figured it was worth mentioning in the morning briefing.”

“And?” I leaned closer, my voice tinged with barely suppressed fury.

“There’s a new wolf. Tristan. He’s working with Brock. He was there.” Paulo swallowed hard.

“Ah, Tristan,” I sneered. “You sold out your own Pack members for a traitor from the Bridgetown Pack.”

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