Page 63 of Betrayed Mate

“You don’t think we noticed the strange wolf who’s been here since before the meeting or the two who joined him since then?” The Shae alpha arched a brow.

My legs almost gave out. They knew about Xander, Gage, and Kendric.

When Ryker stilled to the point of becoming a statue, I had no doubt what was going on.

“Let my pack members go,” Ryker snarled.

“You come onmylands and commandmeto let go of three men who’ve been spying on my pack?” Bruce cracked his knuckles. “Not a chance in hell. I won’t allow you to do to my pack what you’ve done to all the others. Did you really think we wouldn’t keep a constant watch over our territory, knowing that if anyone found out Briar was alive, it would cause chaos?”

“We’ve already told people that we didn’t kill our pack, Ember’s, or anyone else’s.” Ryker’s hands clenched at his side. “You’re allied with the pack that’s behind it all.”

The Shae alpha tipped his head back. “And who would that be?”

“The Blackwood pack.” I pivoted in front of Ryker as I spoke, tired of him trying to protect me. My sister was here, and Ryker’s pack was in danger. I’d be damned if I remained hidden when there were people who didn’t deserve to be harmed at risk. “I saw them during the attack on my pack, and there was no one else with them.”

Silence descended among us. Then a shifter who had to be in his thirties whispered, “There’s no smell of a lie.”

“I’m aware of that.” Bruce scowled and tilted his head as he examined me. “Then why didn’t you tell me about it at the meeting tonight?”

“Because I didn’t want to risk my sister being harmed, and we wanted to make the Blackwoods and whoever was working with them uncomfortable.” This song and dance needed to end. I wanted my sister safe and sound with me. “And we determined that it was you.”

He shook his head. “I’m not working with the Blackwoods—”

His words were cut off by a bloodcurdling howl.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

My stomach churned. The sound reminded me of the way my pack had howled the night they were killed. Agony rang through the howl before it abruptly cut off.

No.

This couldn’t be happening.

Bruce’s eyes glowed as he clutched his stomach. “We’re under attack, and two of my pack members were just killed!”

My breathing increased, and my heart dropped into my stomach. I’d just gotten close to Briar—I’d be damned if I lost her again. “It’s only going to get worse. You need to get your people out of here.” I ran across the road, not worrying about fighting them. I needed to get to Briar.

However, four male shifters hurried in front of me and blocked my path.

I bared my teeth. “Get the fuck out of my way. I need to reach my sister.”

The salt-and-pepper-haired one snarled. “This could be a setup with your people. You’re not entering our lands anywhere.”

“You think I’d risk my sister to kill you all?” I huffed and clenched my hands. “How would all of you dying benefit me?”

He opened his mouth to respond when Bruce snapped, “More have died. Everyone head back to protect our pack and get them out of here.”

“That’s what they want.” I shoved through the four men. “To lure all of you back in. You need to run and tell your pack members to get out as well.” I looked forward, tugging on Briar’s pack link, needing to reach her. I had visited here only once, as a child, when Dad had brought over several pack members to help the Shaes fix a flooding issue, but I’d stayed in the woods with the men and hadn’t seen much of the territory.

An arm circled my waist, pulling me back.

Anger flared inside me, and I spun around, ready to punch Salt and Pepper in the jaw. When Ryker’s face appeared, I stopped short.

He tugged me toward him, but I pressed my hands against his chest. “What are youdoing?” I croaked, completely befuddled by his actions. His men were out there too, so he should be focused on getting to them just as much as I was on Briar.

“Getting you to the car so you can get the fuck out of here.”

He bent to hoist me over his shoulder, and I kicked him in the chest, causing him to fall on his ass. Guilt weighed on me, but I pushed it away, focusing on what mattered in the moment. “Are you seriously trying to run to safety right now?”

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