Page 37 of Lost Mate

“But who would query it because then the humans would have to admit the existence of shifters,” Dylan pointed out. “You didn’t.”

“Well no, for obvious reasons.”

“I was undercover. I was expendable.” The twist of Dylan’s lips was painful to watch.

“Our operatives are never expendable,” Niles insisted. “But it’s harder to find an undercover operative without blowing the cover of others in the field. You knew this.”

You’re not expendable to me, Ross said across their link. He didn’t know what else to say to soothe the pain coming from his mate.

I know. Dylan’s sigh was long and painful. And he’s right. As an undercover agent I would know the risks. It doesn’t make it any easier to hear.

“I hate the long pauses,” Niles muttered. “I know you’re talking to each other.”

“Mate business,” Ross said brusquely. “Just wait until it’s your turn.”

“Never gonna happen,” Niles insisted. “So what are you going to do now?”

“As I said, we’re going to Milo to see if he can trace the SUV and then we’re going on a road trip.”

Dylan nodded. “It’s not just what happened to me. What about all the other shifters? Their families need to know what happened to them. They need to return their spirits to the ancestors.”

“Is there a ceremony?” Ross asked.

“Uh…” Dylan stared at him, then tapped his forehead. “Yes, I think so.”

“You should talk to the other wolves before we leave. This is something we need to know.”

“How are you going to finance the trip?” Niles asked.

Ross fixed him with a fierce scowl. “The Cavalry is paying for it. I’m Cavalry. Dylan was one of us too.”

Niles raised an eyebrow. “You resigned, remember?”

“You didn’t accept my resignation, remember? We’re going to find all the shifters in that vehicle, dead or alive.”

“You must be careful,” Niles said, his expression serious. “If the hunters find you, the Cavalry might not be able to extract you.”

“I know.”

“Do you? This isn’t security duty, Ross. This is going into the lion’s den.”

Ross glowered at him. “Since I set foot on Sapphire Ranch, I’ve been part of the pack. I’ve been shot at, protected shifters, been hit and T-boned by a car and left for dead. I’ve been part of a damned good protection detail. I’m not an undercover agent, but Dylan is, and I think he’ll remember his training.”

Dylan nodded. “We’ll do what we have to do because of who we are…even if one of us doesn’t remember a thing about it.”

Niles’s broad smile took Ross by surprise. He also didn’t trust it for a second.

“I told Eli you’d say this.”

“You did, did you?” Ross asked sourly.

Niles nodded. “You’ll have a Cavalry team ready to evac you and any shifters you find.”

“You have this all planned.”

“It’s my job,” Niles pointed out. “You’re not stepping a foot away from the ranch without my permission.”

Ross grunted. He could argue but why the hell would he do that? He felt safer with the weight of the Cavalry behind him. From Dylan’s troubled expression, he didn’t feel the same.

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