Page 45 of Broken Pregnant Mate
No. This isn’t how things are supposed to go. Him disappearing, leaving without us being able to resolve things. And if he doesn’t beat Blacklock?
I can’t let him go.
Not again. This time, I’m not going to lie down, let him disappear into the night and leave everything fuzzy between us. Last time, I watched him disappear into the aloe fields, and my life went completely off track.
This time, I’m taking fate into my own hands. He’s not the only one who gets to make big moves.
I’m making my way through the apartment, a bag in my hand, stuffing things in. I realize, laughing a bit to myself—maybe even a little maniacally—that I’ve packed the jams without thinking, slipping one of them in my pocket, like I might need a jam snack on the road.
Everything’s ready to go, except I can’t find thedamncar keys. I look everywhere, biting my tongue to keep from screaming in frustration.
Maybe he took them with him. Or maybe he left them in the car?
I’m outside the car, peering through the window, when a voice makes me jump.
“If you want to break in,” Ash says, appearing beside me, “you’re going to need a hanger.”
I stare at her, lips slightly parted. “What?”
She crosses her arms, leans against the car, and glances inside. “Everyone in Beth’s group got called together—except me, of course—for a sudden and secret meeting at the pack hall. Makes me think today is the day Aidan takes on Blacklock, and given the weird tension between the two of you, I’m guessing you have something to say about that?”
I blink at her, letting out a little puff of surprised air.
“Are you sure you’re not psychic?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at her. “Because that was…weird.”
She shrugs. “Not psychic. Just grew up with the same training Dorian did. Now, do you want me to help you hot-wire this car, or not?”
***
I clutch the door handle as Ash navigates the bumpy road leading toward Grayhide territory. The trees die out, but cacti grow thicker here, the air cooling as we get closer to the eastern side. I can’t shake the feeling that each mile is taking me closer to a past I’m not ready to face.
I’ve spent the last hour telling Ash everything—including the fact that Aidan and I have been faking our mating bond, that he didn’t want to lose credibility with the others.
“Stupid,” Ash says, throwing me a look. “No offense, but Aidan should know that he’s in with us now. The guy is like…a puppy. Always there at your feet, just trying to be helpful. My brother trusts him with hiskids. I’m not sure how Aidan could think we’re still wary of him. Besides, you know how Veva reads people. She wouldn’t let him around her kid, either, if he came back even looking slightly shady.”
I shrug with one shoulder, watching as the cacti get thicker and thicker. “Maybe it’s like…growing up in the home, nobody trusted you. Assumed you were bad. Maybe he’s still trying to grow out of that.”
“What about you?” Ash asks, glancing over at me. “Is that how you feel, too?”
I’m about to respond and say,no, it’s different because I reallyambad,then I realize that response would likely just mean that, yes, I do feel that way about myself.
“Sometimes,” I finally say. “But…being around you guys has started to change me, I think. I feel like—like I can ask for what I want.”
Ash nods, glances at me again, and says, “Well, we’re almost to the border. Still sure about this?”
“I need to find Aidan before he goes in there,” I say, knowing I sound more confident than I feel. “I can’t keep doing this thing where we don’t talk to one another, and I can’t let him die without him knowing exactly how I feel about him. Other mate, or no.”
“I’m still calling bullshit on that,” Ash says, shaking her head. “I think he lied to you about that, Emaline. Anyone with two eyes can see that the two of you are perfect together. He was a dumb kid, and I bet that was the only lie he could come up with to keep you from following him back then.”
“I wish I had followed him,” I say, voice quiet.
“Well,” she grips the wheel. “You’re following him now, and that’s what counts.”
We ride along in silence for ten more minutes, then Ash tenses.
“Heads up,” Ash says suddenly, slowing the car. “There’s something up there. I probably should have asked you this before, but you know how to fight, right?”
I give her a wide-eyed look, and she swears under her breath as we approach a bend in the road, shaded by massive, tree-sized cacti, their arms reaching out over the gravel and creating a tunnel of green. It would be beautiful if I weren’t so terrified.
