Page 64 of Season of the Wolf

“Nick! Truck … now!”

With Richie yelling at the back of my head, I trudged toward Dallas when he stepped out, his eyes scanning the lot when he noticed Evie no longer stood with me.

I promised I’d deliver her message and would make good on it, despite the nagging burn in my chest when Richie pulled rank. He was urging me to submit, but fighting it had become so easy, training myself to quench the burn.

I continued ahead meeting Dallas at the bed of the truck where six brutes—all strangers to me—hopped out one-by-one. Concern marked their expressions as they, too, scanned for Evie.

“She doesn’t want anyone to follow her,” I announced, putting my life on the line judging by the death-stares the strangers and Dallas leveled my way.

I put my hands up in surrender, adding, “Don’t shoot the messenger.”

Dallas braced both hands on his waist, releasing a frustrated sigh as his face reddened.

“I swear that girl can never just … follow directions,” he seethed, which made it clear this wasn’t new behavior for Evie.

“She also wanted me to tell you that Liam can’t come looking for her.”

I hadn’t said so at the time, but I knew she meant to protect him.

“Where’d she go?”

At the question, I nearly let her destination slip, but knew what would happen if I did. Dallas would ignore Evie’s wishes and chase after her. If he did, he’d never make it home to deter Liam.

I said the only thing I knew to say.

“Not sure, but I’m going after her.”

I hadn’t noticed Richie standing behind me until he spoke up.

“Over my dead body,” he growled. “Get in the truck. I’m taking you home.”

The burn returned and I extinguished it yet again. There was no missing the deep rumble in my brother’s throat.

“I’ll go,” I reiterated, looking Dallas square in his eyes.

He had no reason to trust me. He knew everything there was to know about me, including the fact that I could hear Evie’s heart, knew the reason why. But under these circumstances, I was his best bet.

With a deep sigh full of regret, he nodded, grabbing my bicep when I turned to walk away. The threatening action set Richie on edge and I felt his wolf stepping forward.

“You bring her back,” Dallas warned through clenched teeth, practically daring me to make a false move.

She was loved. I got it. So, instead of taking offense to his tone, the gesture, I simply nodded. “I won’t let you down.”

As risky as it was to answer with such certainty, I did it anyway, praying I hadn’t just made a promise I didn’t have the power to keep.

***

It wouldn’t have surprised me if Dallas had ordered the six from the truck to escort me. But whatdidcatch me off guard was that he didn’t have to. As soon as I mentioned going after Evie, they volunteered. I was positive they knew what potential danger lie ahead, but none seemed to care.

I knew as much because … here they were.

They still hadn’t shared much info about themselves, like … who they were, or why they willingly followed me, but one thing was clear; they had to have cared about Evie.

Enough to risk their lives.

As we made our way through town, they spoke, but only to one another. I heard traces of French, but another language that muddled it a bit. However, they merged both into their dialogue seamlessly. I would’ve liked to have known what they said, mostly so I knew I wasn’t in danger traveling with them, but I just had to extend my trust to them by association. If they knew and cared about Evie, they couldn’t have been all that bad.

Despite their size and varying degrees of dark expressions.

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