Page 46 of Betrayed Alpha Bride

“I don’t, either,” I answer.

He reaches over and puts his hand on mine, and his touch soothes me. Just the lightest pressure of his fingers trailing across my skin, and my body responds, relaxing immediately as warm rivers of pleasure race through my blood.

I let myself drown in the feeling until I can feel my body responding in other ways and break the contact. I’ve worked hard to stay away from Galen since that night in the woods, especially to never be alone with him like this.

And look where we are. Stuck miles from anywhere, in an RV, with not a single person in sight. I don’t know if I should be excited or terrified.

Why choose? I can do both.

By the time we reach the towns towards the end of Lycan Pass, the sun is sinking slowly behind the horizon, leaving long, dark shadows across the road. The sky brightens with shades of pink and orange, reflecting off the snowy peaks like a prism of rainbows.

If this trip was under different circumstances, I could be having a great time right now.

“Do you have the address?” Galen asks.

I rummage in my bag for a moment to find the photo, then direct him to the right street. Immediately, my expectations plummet. The houses in this area of town are unkempt, with long lawns and boarded-up windows. All of them have peeling paint and piles of trash in the corners of their yards.

“I don’t think we’re going to find anything here,” I mutter.

Galen shakes his head. “All we can do is ask. We didn’t come all this way to give up now. Is this the house?”

“Yeah,” I answer, checking the number. “It’s the right address, anyway.”

Galen parks the RV, and we walk up the narrow concrete pathway, dodging the long weeds and thorns that are swiftly taking over the house and the surrounds. The building has ivy crawling all over it, the green shoots wrapped across the windows as if they are looking for a way in.

“She ain’t there!” a voice yells.

The sound shocks me so much, I actually jump, crashing into Galen. He grabs my shoulders and moves me behind him protectively as we turn towards the voice.

“Excuse me?” Galen asks, taking a few steps across the porch.

“I said, she ain’t there. Ain’t nobody been there for years.”

I follow Galen across the porch, finally seeing a small, hunched-over old woman on the opposite side of the fence.

“Do you know her?” I ask eagerly, in spite of myself.

I never wanted to meet my mother, but now that I’m here, I can’t help hoping that she’s here, too, and can answer all my questions.

Maybe she really does love me. Maybe she always did, but couldn’t come to me.

“Who ya lookin’ for?” the old woman growls.

“Lily,” I answer. “Lily Clarke?”

“Lily Clarke, hey? Not too many people be lookin’ for her.”

“Isn’t this her sister’s house? Faye’s?”

“Yeah, that’s Faye’s house, alright,” the old woman answers.

“Do you know how to get in touch with her?” Galen cuts in, clearly exasperated.

“Faye, maybe. She’ll be around, I’m sure. But Lily? Ain’t no way, no how.”

“Why?” Galen demands. “Where is she?”

The old woman cackles. “Don’t be in such a rush, old boy. She ain’t goin’ nowhere. Lily Clarke’s in old Oakpoint Cemetery.”

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