Page 56 of In Plain Sight

I hadn’t dropped my guard entirely, though. Peyton had persuaded Ruby to continue with their training. Sometimes Shelby even joined them. I was satisfied with the results. I was confident Peyton and Ruby could hold their own against any threat presented to them, and Shelby had nearly caught up, too. I didn’t even have to coach them any longer, as the girls encouraged and trained each other.

I lied to myself that this was my new life, and everything was going to work out just fine. Then one day as I was finishing up work and walking in from the fields, my phone rang. I dusted my hand off on my jeans and looked at the screen. It was a strange number I didn’t recognize.

“Hello?” I asked after swiping to accept.

“Branimir. So good to hear your voice, my beloved.”

I stopped in place, a chill running down my spine. “Alpha,” I said softly, unable to believe he’d call and risk everything. I quickly looked around to ensure no one was in the area.

“Don’t sound so fearful, Branimir, or, I hear you go by Bran now. Smart move, less foreign sounding. My sources are reporting some very concerning things, Bran. I am not pleased.”

“Your sources?” I asked.

My Alpha laughed, causing the hair on my neck to stand up.

“You really didn’t think I would leave such an important task solely on your shoulders, did you? I’ve had people in place there far longer than you. Even before the mating alliances between Collier and Westin I knew the Alphas were close, the young Alphas even closer. This has been planned since the moment we suspected the witch was alive. It’s only a matter of time before her life is ended.”

His pause made me shiver.

“Now, Bran, I’m hearing some very concerning things coming out of Collier. I must admit, I knew you were dedicated, but never dreamed you’d go so far as to mate one of the Alpha’s sisters. That was a bold move, destined to get you in and close to the Westins quickly. But I understand the witch visited and yet she still lives. Can you please explain to me why that is?”

I gulped. How the hell was this information getting back to him? I knew I could no longer trust anyone in Collier outside of my family. My family? I thought for a minute. Ruby was definitely my family, but so were Peyton and Shelby, and Zach and Cora. I gulped again. And Lily and Thomas. I couldn’t think straight beyond that. My wolf was feeling protective of all of them. When had they become family to me?

“I tried Alpha, but I was never actually introduced to the witch. I took advantage of several opportunities from afar, but they just weren’t enough.”

“Yes, yes, so I heard. Even going so far as to poison your own mate. I assume that was you?”

“Yes, sir,” I admitted, trying not to sound like I was talking through gritted teeth. “I underestimated the poison’s effect, I’m afraid, or perhaps baking it caused a change in the poison’s composition. Regardless, it only made the witch sick.”

My Alpha laughed and I could hear him clapping. I had to take several deep breaths to keep from growling a warning back at him.

“Ruthless. Sheer ruthless. I knew you were the right man for the job. I have it on good authority that another opportunity for you is about to arise. Be armed and ready for it this time,” he said. “We’ll talk again soon.”

The line went dead, and I squeezed the phone in anger until the screen cracked beneath my hand. I threw it across the field as I screamed out to the universe in frustration.

I bent over, hands on my knees, taking deep breaths to try and calm myself. I hadn't lost control of my wolf in a very long time, but I was close to doing just that.

My phone started ringing, and shaking all over, I forced myself to walk towards it. A fear mixed with anger consumed me at the sound and I knew it probably would from now on. I looked at the screen and my entire body shook, trying to calm down at the sight of Ruby's picture.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey hon, I'm going to just place an order at the diner tonight and pick it up on my way home from Mom's in a bit. Is there anything in particular you feel like eating tonight?"

I started to relax a little, and smiled at the sound of her voice.

"I'm not all that hungry, so anything is fine," I assured her. "You know what I like."

"Okay. I should be home in about an hour and I have some exciting news to share. See you in a bit."

She hung up before I could question what she meant. I was grateful for a little time to just relax and calm myself down after the phone call I'd received. I stripped out of my clothes and left them in a pile on the ground, right in the middle of the field. Then I shifted quickly and ran.

I needed to feel the wind through my fur and calm my beating heart, or at least have it racing from sheer adrenaline. I needed to block out everything that had happened. I wanted to drown out the voice of my Alpha and all the questions racing through my head.

I did something I had rarely ever done in my life—I gave myself over to the beast.

I wasn't certain how long I'd been running, but my wolf was loyal to our mate, and when we had circled back and returned to the pile of clothes I'd left behind, he sat and waited until I was ready to return to my skin.

When I did, I dressed and picked up my phone. One hour had passed. I shook my head and smiled. It dawned on me that my wolf needed our mate as much as I did. I jogged the rest of the way back, took the stairs two at a time, and walked into an empty house.

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