Page 51 of Spike

I smiled softly, reaching out to gently touch the bandaged mark on his neck, a silent reminder of our bond.

Gray turned to Nitro. "Promise me you'll watch Spike's back?" Gray asked.

Nitro rolled his eyes in response, but I knew my best friend understood Gray was just worried. “Always," Nitro replied.

I gave Gray one last kiss, a pang of longing shot through me, wishing I could stay with him a little while longer. Maybe that was just the mate mark talking.

Newly mated shifters couldn’t stand to be apart from each other.

"Be good while I'm away," I told him.

Gray laughed softly. "I should be the one telling you that," Gray said.

I chuckled, feeling a sense of reassurance wash over me at his words.

"Don't worry, I'll be on my best behavior," I promised.

I finally climbed into the truck. Nitro started the engine and we were off.

"Was I ever that sappy with Tommy?" Nitro's question broke the silence, but there was a hint of wistfulness in his voice.

"Worse," I replied with a chuckle, remembering some of Nitro's more sentimental moments with his own mate.

"Gray's going to be fine, Spike," Nitro reassured me, sensing my unease. "Didn't Julian promise you he'd watch over Gray while we're away?"

"Yeah," I nodded, feeling a measure of relief at the reminder. "But I haven't mentioned that to Gray. He wouldn't like the idea of being babysat."

"The things we do for our mates, huh?" Nitro joked, but there was an underlying seriousness to his words that resonated with me.

As we neared Blue Vale Valley, my inner grizzly stirred restlessly, sensing the impending danger. We were stepping into hostile territory, and neither of us relished the prospect.

Once valued clients, the wolves of Blue Vale Valley were now our...enemies?

Probable enemies, I silently corrected. Unless Nitro and I somehow managed to clear things up with Olaf, but was there still a way to fix this? Or had Jack Roth taken steps to ensure a resolution was close to impossible?

A few hours later, we finally arrived at the Blue Vale Valley compound, and I was surprised when the guards simply waved us through.

It was Amelia, Olaf's third, who waited for us, not Jack. The two werewolves with Amelia checked our gift of guns before nodding to her for confirmation.

She looked relieved, and I wondered if she thought we had some kind of trick up our sleeve. Amelia no longer trusted us, I thought.

“This way,” Amelia said curtly.

As we followed Amelia through the compound, I couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling creeping up my spine. The place seemed unusually quiet, and the tension in the air was palpable.

What was going on? The guards' casual demeanor at the entrance, Amelia's guarded reception, and the absence of Jack Roth—all these signs hinted at something brewing beneath the surface.

“I thought Jack was supposed to meet us,” I pointed out.

Nitro sighed, but Amelia didn’t seem insulted by the question.

"Jack and his crew are having a little luncheon in town," Amelia answered.

Her words only fueled my suspicion. Why would Jack avoid meeting us? And what was he up to now?

Nitro shot me a glance, a silent warning to tread carefully. I nodded subtly in acknowledgment, but my mind was racing with questions.

What was really going on here? Venom sent us here to get answers, I reminded myself. This was our chance.

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