Page 57 of The Wolf's Pregnant Rejected Mate

Ryder pulled Tess close to him, burying his face into her hair. “I love you, too. I’m so sorry for everything I put you through. I’m sorry that I didn’t understand. I’m sorry that I—”

“Shh.” Tess pressed a finger to his lips. “It’s all right. You’re here. It’s okay. Let’s get you warmed up. I’ll call Christine—”

“No.” Ryder kept his fingers laced through hers as he strode for her closet. “Pack a bag. Only things you need. We have to get out of here.”

“Wh-what?”

Ryder grabbed a backpack and started to shove clothes into it. “We’ll leave. Bluebell Valley has never given either of us anything but grief. We’ll take off. You and me. We’ll raise the baby far away from here, and nobody will ever hurt you again.”

Tess’s gaze trailed over the nasty bruises on his body. “What happened to you?”

“They knew it was a setup,” he mumbled, striding past her to her jewelry. He began cramming handfuls in. “We’ll have to sell some of this. I’m sorry, but we don’t have time to get any money. We have to get out of here now.”

No, this wasn’t right. Tess backed up slowly, her heart in her throat. Ryder would never just take off and abandon the pack. No matter how badly he was hurt, no matter what threats were levied against him. He’d never just leave like this. What was going on? Had the demons found a way to possess him after all?

The thought sent a bolt of panic through her. She forced it down. Finn would be able to see if he was possessed. She had to get him over here somehow.

She took a deep breath. “Ryder, slow down. What happened? What did you learn?”

His spine stiffened, and his hands went still. It lasted only a couple of seconds, but when he started to move again, he moved in a jerky way, as though someone was trying to force him to do something else, and he was fighting against it.

“I didn’t learn anything,” he mumbled. “I told you, they knew what was really happening. That big wolf beat me. I barely escaped. We have to get out of here before they come to the town again.”

“We’re safer in town, though. The demons can’t get at us here,” Tess said slowly. Despite how hard she tried to force it down, a prickling fear crept up her throat. “Have you told Hayden? He needs to know that the demons knew. Maybe they have more spies in the pack than we realized.”

Ryder shook his head. He turned back to her, his eyes wild, the whites showing around his irises. Tess shrank back. She’d never seen him look like that before.

“We can’t wait,” he rasped. “I have to get you out of here.”

He strode forward and grabbed her arm painfully tight. Tess yanked herself away.

“No! We can’t leave without reporting to Hayden.”

Ryder’s expression twisted. He dropped the backpack and grabbed both her arms. “I’m getting you out of here, Tess. I’m not letting you stay another minute!” He yanked her forward and off the ground. She landed hard over his shoulder, just like he had the time he rescued her from the demons in the forest.

But a month of training meant she knew what to do. She threw her weight one way, then the other, and rolled over his shoulder as his grip loosened. She shoved him forward and landed on her feet as he went sprawling. His arms wrapped around his abdomen as he groaned. Tess fought back the surge of panic that she’d hurt him and lunged.

She straddled him, pinning his hands beneath her knees. Using her weight and strength, she pinned him to the floor.

“Tess, you don’t understand,” he hissed, struggling. He was clearly weakened by the beating he had endured. “We have to leave!”

“Elin,” she yelled. “Elin, wake up!”

Moments later, Elin stumbled into her room. “What are you—Ryder!” Her puffy red eyes widened.

“Go get Hayden,” Tess said as she rifled through the backpack, looking for anything she could use to tie Ryder with. “And Finn. I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but he’s not acting like himself.”

“Tess, please,” Ryder begged.

Elin hesitated, watching them with wide eyes.

“Go!” Tess yelled, pulling a belt from the pack. “Now!”

Elin disappeared. Ryder growled and bucked his body, nearly throwing Tess off. She crushed him down, tears pooling in her eyes. She didn’t let them stop her, using the belt to bind Ryder’s hands together. She then used a pair of jeans to tie his legs but stayed straddling him as he struggled.

“You don’t understand,” Ryder whispered. His eyes were wilder than ever. “You don’t understand.”

Tess cupped his face with her hands. “I don’t. But it’s going to be okay. We’re going to figure this out.”

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