Page 42 of Alpha's Hated Mate

“Oh, Aydan. You didn’t.”

“I did,” I say to her. “So this bullshit attitude you’ve got against her stops right here, right now. Got it?”

Her blanched face looks like it’s turning a light shade of green. She straightens herself up and says, “Got it.”

“Good. Let’s meet up at the edge of the wood at sundown. All right?”

Nadia nods, looking cautiously at Saffron. “Yes, my Alpha.”

And with that, we go our separate ways. On the way back to the dorm, Saffron chuckles. “That was better than strawberry cheesecake.”

I hate to agree with her, but I know how Nadia can be. It was nice to remind her of her place.

Chapter Eighteen—Saffron

The woods have always looked creepy as hell to me, even in the daytime. There’s something about the way the tall branches twist up in odd directions and block out the sun that just seems ominous.

Aydan and I are standing at the head of the main trail as the sky turns orange behind the forest’s dark silhouette. I’m trying not to think about the time I was dragged into these woods, especially now that Aydan is with me. That time, a rogue Scarlet used me to hurt my friends. I pray this time will be different.

“Nervous?” he says as he stands next to me.

“Yes,” I admit it freely. No point in lying about it. “You?”

He nods. “We’ll be all right, though. We’ll look out for one another.”

“You and I will, anyway.”

He sighs. “Saffron, Nadia has our backs as well.”

“Nadia has your back. Not mine.”

“Yours, too,” he says, taking my hand and squeezing it. “Whether she likes it or not, you’re her Luna now.”

That should make me feel better. It doesn’t. Maybe because I know that not everybody follows the orders they’re given.

“Sorry!” Nadia runs up to us. She’s dressed in a black turtleneck and form-fitting black pants, her golden hair tied back in a ponytail. She looks more like she’s about to walk the runway instead of going on a stealth mission.

“I had a little trouble finding the right shirt,” she says. “All my black clothes are uniforms, and I don’t want to get any of them dirty.”

I’m trying very hard not to roll my eyes.

“It’s fine, so long as you’re here,” Aydan says. “Let’s head in. I’ll run point—”

“Don’t you think Saffron should be the one doing that?” asks Nadia. “Scarlets are stealthy, right?”

I don’t know if that’s a dig at me or not, especially since that happens to be true. Just the same, Aydan nods and says, “Right. Saffron, you don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not.”

We step out of what little daylight remains and into the cover of the heavy trees around us. Crouching down and listening to the movement of the forest, I get my bearings fast. There’s no breeze, so it’ll be tougher picking up a scent, but it’s not impossible. I lead us off the path, my nose to the air as I sort through the scents of the woods around us. It’s faint, but I can pick up the scent of the other Scarlets. I have to find the direction.

After a few moments, Aydan says, “Any luck?”

It’s so faint . . . almost like they’re miles and miles away. “I think so,” I respond. “It smells like they’re really far away, but that can’t be. These woods aren’t that big.”

I pick up the direction where it’s the strongest, and I start moving that way—east. We creep through the darkness, and to both Aydan and Nadia’s credit, they know to match my footstepsto avoid making any noise. With every step, I feel more and more confident.

“Saffron. Hold on.”

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