Page 12 of Mated Exile

Fury races through me, cold and hot at the same time. I open my mouth to tell him off, a litany of reasons why Ican'tdo what he says coming easily, but Lance shifts into his white wolf form and is off before I can say them. Finn follows shortly after, grimacing only a little as he leaps off the front porch and joins him.

My best friend is still staring at me, questioning. "You've never told me."

"I have," I tell him, exhaustion settling into my chest, "but it was mostly when you were high as a kite, struggling between this form and the next, and I was the only one around who could calm you down and keep you from killing someone—or yourself."

He looks back at me with a blank expression, all the emotions gone from his face. I know it's only because the shame, self-loathing, and hatred he feels is too overwhelming. Usually in these moments he turns away, pretends it isn't happening, and goes right back to the next phase in his self-destructive cycle. I prepare myself, certain that if we have to, Lance, Finn, and I will find Delilah without him.

This time Kieran doesn't run, though. He shakes himself off, snaps his gaze to me, and says sadly, "I wish I could remember."

"I do too."

"This time I will," he says confidently. "It's not happening again, Roarke. I promise you that I'm going to be better. You deserve a friend you can count on."

Then he shifts into his wolf form and leaps forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Finn and Lance.

I study them for a long moment, heart in my throat.

Then I flow into my wolf form and race ahead of them. They follow quickly at my heels, and I lean my head back, letting loose a ragged howl.

As I lead them, it becomes easy to forget the pain in my gut. Warmth flows through me, and my wolf finally lends me the strength to heal my body.

The other pain, the one in my chest, only deepens.

There are some things I will never have. They'll always be out of reach, untouchable and unattainable.

I will do whatever it takes to find Delilah, keep her safe, and cure this rotten land of the curse that would kill her.

Then, watch her be with another man.

Six

Kieran

Though various aches and pains still spread through my body, and a gnawing hunger grows in my chest, I stick close to Roarke as we catch up with the pack. Various scents come to me through the woods: pine needles, warm spring rain, and old tracks from prey. But I don't catch her scent, and I find its hard not to give in to despair.

A wretched part of me insists that if I hadn't gone out last night, full of hopelessness and pain, this never would've happened. That part of me is right, I'm sure. Delilah wouldn't have tangled with the vamps if it weren't for me. I have to believe that she's out there and still alive, because otherwise, there's no way to make up for my mistakes.

We catch up with Niall quickly, and fan out to hunt through the parts of the woods the pack hasn't already covered. There are only a handful of wolves with him, most grizzled old-timers. The hunt we just went on was hard, and the pack's numbers have dwindled lately. If Finn isn't able to pick up her scent trail, it might take days to catch up with her.

I set my nose to the task as well, burying my muzzle in old leaves and tilting my nose up to each gust of wind. We fan out, setting a steady pace as we sweep between the trees. Our path concentrates mostly on the direction the water went last night, under the assumption that it brought Delilah along with the vamps and dumped her just outside of pack territory.

Light gathers low in the sky as sunrise ends, and the day begins.

Finn sweeps back and forth as quickly as possible. I stay behind him and downwind, trying to catch any scent I can, my heart desperately yearning. Moments flicker before my eyes as I replay the events of last night, wishing a dozen times over I had done something—anything—to prevent this from happening.

One thing is certain: as soon as Delilah is found and safe again, I'll do everything in my power to keep it that way. I can't possibly lose her a third time. It would be too much to bear.

After what feels like nearly an hour, Finn finally catches something. He digs his claws into the ground and yips excitedly, his dark tail twitching. We join him at the scent marker. Picking up a trail of dark chocolate and sharp lavender, I feel my heart race for another reason entirely.

It'sher.Those sparkling forest green eyes with the sliver of brown in one iris. Hair that was once light brown with natural blonde highlights, now turned a dark purple-red that emphasizes her fierce spirit. And a mouth I desperately want to kiss again, if I should ever find myself worthy to do so.

Delilah.

Once we've caught the scent, we race to find more of it. Roarke tilts his head back and howls, letting the rest of the pack know where we are. A distant howl answers; we're far from the other wolves now, but that doesn't matter. There are four of us to find her and get her to safety, and four is enough.

I'll tear the vamps who took her limb from limb. Whatever blood of hers they've spilled, I'll spill buckets more. Nothing will stop me from making them pay for what they've done.

I find a little trail of her in a bit of mud at the foot of a tree: dark chocolate and heady lavender. Finn and Roarke put their muzzles in the scent trail. A moment later Finn takes off, and we follow him as he races through the trees, fast and light on his feet. In the distance, the sun breaks through tree trunks, and I surge forward faster and faster, sensing that she must be at the edge of our territory, or beyond.

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