Page 35 of Rejected Wolf Mate

I gaped at her, trying to wrap my head around what she was saying. I heard the words, but I couldn’t process them. Something about them just didn’t compute.

“I’ve been lying to you,” she said. “I didn’t come here to ask for help. I came here to get information on you and the others. Or at least, that’s what I thought, until I found out what was really going on.” She looked at me, her face pale, her eyes wide, almost doe-eyed.

“What?” The words didn’t make sense. They all swirled in my head, pointing to one impossible answer. One that I couldn’t believe.

I took a step back from her, mouth opening as realization slammed into me.

“You’re working for the Gray Wolf,” I said. “You’ve been working for him the entire time.”

“His name is Ansel,” she said. She turned and grabbed my arms as she looked up at me. “He asked me to spy on you, and I said yes because I was still pissed off at you. But then he wanted me to kill you. They’re coming tomorrow night—”

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me this before?” I demanded, rage beginning to build and boil. “Were you planning on killing me and suddenly having a change of heart?”

“No. No, Rand.” She shook her head. “I was just supposed to get information. I didn’t know anything about the next part of his plan until a couple of nights ago—”

“You’ve known for a couple of days, and you’re only now telling me?” I spat.

“I never wanted to kill you,” she said, her voice plaintive. “You don’t understand. He was trying to make me choose. I didn’t know what to do.”

“What do you mean ‘choose?’” I asked.

“He took Thea.”

The words barely registered. All that mattered were the cold facts right in front of me. Anything else was drowned out.

“You betrayed me,” I snarled.

“I know, and I fucked up,” she said. “Hate me all you want, but do it later. Please. I’ve told you the truth and basically condemned Thea to death because of it. I need your help, or she’s going to die.”

“If you really want to help, you’ll come in quietly,” I growled. “We’ll figure out what to do with you after we take care of the threat that you brought to our doorstep.”

She backed up, shaking her head. “I can’t,” she said. “That’s going to be too late. They’ll know what I’ve done, and they’ll kill Thea. Please, Rand. You can’t—”

“I can’t what?” I snapped. “Betray my pack? Run off just because you said so? For all I know, this is all another trick. What’s the plan? Lure me into the woods so I can help your sister, then stab me in the back?”

“No, of course not. Rand, I’m telling the truth.”

“Do you have any proof?” I demanded.

“My word isn’t enough? I wouldn’t lie about something like this, Rand.”

“I can’t believe a word you say anymore,” I snarled. “You’ve been lying to me ever since you came here.”

She groaned, running her fingers through her hair as she looked around. “What can I do to make you believe me?”

“I’ve already told you,” I said. “Come with me to Jameson. Tell the others what you’ve told me. We’ll put you somewhere secure, then figure out what to do after we’ve taken care of the Gray Wolf and the rest of his cronies.”

She took a step back, shaking her head, a spark of defiance in her eyes. “I keep telling you, it’ll be too late for Thea.”

“We’re not playing that game,” I snarled. “Right now, the only thing I believe coming out of your mouth is that you were working for the Gray Wolf. Everything besides that doesn’t matter.”

I pushed out the door, knowing she would follow me as I stalked down the steps.

“Rand, please,” she begged behind me.

I didn’t answer, instead marching toward a cabinet.

“Fucking talk to me!” she cried. “Yell at me. Snap at me. Something. But just help me get Thea. That’s all I care about right now.”

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