Page 20 of Betrayed Mate

He did have a point there. Even though we could see well at night in our wolf forms, it was still dark and easier to hide.

My stomach dropped when I realized I had to ask for something else. “Did you, by chance, find me any shoes towear?” They’d gotten me three pairs of jeans and shirts, but I hadn’t seen any footwear.

“Yup.” Gage bent and produced a bag that had been partially hidden by the sheet I’d tossed off earlier. “These.”

They were cheap plastic flip-flops, but they would work perfectly if I needed to shift quickly. I could fling them off without ruining them. “Thanks. Just let me know how much I owe you so I can pay you back when I can.”

“You helping us determine who slaughtered your pack will be payment enough, believe me.” Ryker smiled darkly. “Now let’s go.” He hurried out the door without bothering to see if we followed.

I expected the guys to be right on his heels, but the three of them remained standing while the door closed.

“He’s getting that weird vibe again.” Gage rubbed his forehead.

Kendric nodded. “That’s why I said Ember stays with me.”

A lump formed in my throat as what could only be concern lined their faces. What the hell was going on? “Is there something I need to know?” If they didn’t trust me around Ryker, why had we been left alone in the house?

“He won’t hurt you. You don’t need to worry about that.” Xander grinned weakly.

That grin had dread pooling heavily in my stomach. There was something more, but they weren’t going to share it with me. I wasn’t their pack, after all.

We were wasting time. I slid on the flip-flops and marched out the door after Ryker. I found him unlocking a white Suburban and climbing into the driver’s seat.

Within seconds, I slid into the very back of the vehicle, where I could lie down. Even though I did feel mostly better, I would take advantage of the hour-long nap I could have on my way there.

Gage sat in the passenger seat with Kendric behind him and Xander behind Ryker. As soon as everyone got settled and Ryker began driving, I lay down and closed my eyes, trying to rest.

Instead, my brain kept racing. I relived the attack and Briar’s and my escape. I couldn’t shake the idea that there was something strange about the attack, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Still, each time I remembered Reid lunging at Rosa, bile inched up and burned my throat like I might vomit.

Tears stung my eyes, but I held them back despite the coldness in my chest.

“Man, you’re worrying us.” Gage sighed. “You’ve got that scary look in your eyes you get every time we go searching.”

“It’s not only the four of us in here,” Ryker snapped. “You shouldn’t be speaking out loud.”

“I wouldn’t be if you hadn’t locked your pack link down so we can’t talk to you. I’m doing it the only way possible.”

Then there was silence, which made me realize that they must have started to communicate through their pack link again. He’d rather hear what they had to say than risk me overhearing it, which made me more determined to find out what secrets they were keeping. They all seemed concerned about Ryker, but why? If they were innocent, they would share what they knew and why they hadn’t been there when the royal pack and their own pack had died. Instead, no one knew anything.

I wanted to scream at the unanswered questions in my head. Maybe I shouldn’t have trusted them to help me find Briar, but what other choice did I really have? I didn’t have money, an ID, or a credit card. It would take time to replace some of those items, and I didn’t have the means to locate Briar as easily without them.

A familiar sharp turn rocked the vehicle. One that meant we were close to my pack lands.

I expected Ryker to stop so we could walk the rest of the way, but he kept driving.

Sitting upright, I placed a hand on the back of each seat in front of me. “What are you doing? We should travel the rest on foot.”

“So we have to run miles back to the car if we’re attacked?” Ryker glanced in his rearview mirror. “Not happening. We need the vehicle close in case we need to get away. They’re slaughtering entire packs somehow, so we need a quick escape route.”

I sucked in a breath. He did have a point.

After a few more miles, the pack neighborhood came into view. My heart seemed incapable of beating, thanks to how heavy and cold it became. I struggled enough with the memories. I hadn’t expected the terror of that night to return now that I was back.

“Shit,” Gage shouted. “Cover her eyes, now!”

What was he talking about? I leaned forward so I could see out the front window better…and then my heart seized in my chest.

CHAPTER EIGHT

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