Page 35 of Mated in Darkness

What was I supposed to do with that?

My head shot up at the feeling of a familiar wolf. I nearly ran across the field where I had been standing outside of the building Riaz had brought Jason to.

My father Reed stood at the other end of the field, my cousin Parker with him, and I ran towards them, not caring who saw me.

I didn’t have to growl and raise my chin and my fist to be strong.

We were wolves. We were Pack animals.

And my Pack had come.

I threw my arms around my father, holding him close as Reed kissed the top of my head before I turned to Parker. The Voice of the Wolves, my cousin, the wolf that had brought the Redwood Pack and the Starlight Pack together in the first place, held me close.

“How are you here?” I asked, my throat aching.

Parker frowned at me and then gave me his bottle of water. “Drink. Tell us what’s going on.”

“You first. Why are you here?” I asked, even though I did gulp down some of the water.

“We came for Spencer,” my father whispered as he kissed the top of my head. My wolf whimpered, and I leaned into them both, wondering how I could have forgotten that.

Then again, I didn’t know the plan with everybody else. For all I knew they could have sent anybody—even the Alpha at this point.

I hadn’t been thinking. Not since I had seen Jason. And that was the problem. I couldn’t keep up with my thoughts, but here I was, partially mated, and there was no going back from that.

“I smell a human yet not human on you,” my father said, and I blushed as Parker let out a breath.

“That was very subtle, Uncle Reed.”

“There’s nothing subtle about me, and we all know it.”

I wasn’t sure if that was the case, but as I let them hold me, aware others were watching, I didn’t cry. They had seen me cry before, saw the sobs rack my body as I tried to keep up with my emotions. They didn’t need to see anything else.

“We need to meet with the Alpha,” Parker said after a moment. “And then why don’t you tell us what’s going on?”

I nodded, rolled my shoulders back. I was the Tracker of the Redwood Pack. I needed to be stronger than this. And I needed to not confuse my family and terrify them along the way.

“I’ll introduce you to Riaz,” I said to my father, before I looked at Parker. “Though you’ve met him.”

“You seem to have a form of connection,” Parker said, brow raised.

“Not in the way you think.”

My father’s eyes narrowed. “Talk to us.”

“I found my mate.”

My father’s eyes widened as Parker grinned.

“Really? Is it Riaz?”

I snorted. “No, not Riaz. My mate…he is…was, a human.”

“Was?” my father asked, blinking. “Talk to us as we walk.”

“Maybe we should do this with Riaz, because I don’t know what they know at this point. Everything’s moved so quickly.”

“Come on,” Parker said as he gripped my hand. “Let’s go.”

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