Page 40 of Betrayed Wolf Mate

I sat down on the couch, letting the knowledge wash over me as I tried to come to grips with what I’d just heard. All around me, I could hear conversations starting up, but they didn’t seem to matter at the moment. I was trapped in my own head.

“It could be a bluff,” Rand said. “Demons aren’t exactly known for being truthful. What if this is just a ploy to get us to back off?”

“And saying they have Stella?” Evelyn asked. “They would’ve had to know she’d left for something like that to work out. And odds are, the only way they would know she’d left would be if they’d found her and kidnapped her. No, they definitely have her.”

“But we can’t take them at their word, either,” Rand argued. “They might say they’re going to back off, but have no intention of doing it. If they’re trying to make us back down or lower our defenses to swoop in, we’re leaving ourselves as sitting ducks in order tomaybeprotect this one woman. We can’t trust them.”

“So you’re saying arm up?” Jameson asked. “Even if that means risking war if they’re being honest?”

“I’m saying I would rather us be prepared.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said. Everyone fell silent as heads spun to look at me. “It doesn’t matter if they’re bluffing or not, because I’m going after her.”

No one said anything at first. Heads turned from me to Jameson, who was still staring at me speculatively. I met his gaze, unwilling to back down.

“Sam,” Jameson began, “I know you want to help her, but—”

“But nothing.” I stood, still keeping my eyes on my alpha. “I’m not letting her marry a fucking demon.”

“You’re willing to risk the entire pack?” Jameson asked. There wasn’t any aggression or threat in the words; it was a genuine question. He wanted to know how serious I was. “You know what Akron’s like, and you’re willing to let him carry out what I see as a very real threat that he will almost certainly act on?”

“He can’t act on it if I kill him,” I said.

“Sam,” Jameson said. The infuriatingly calm tone grated on my ears. “This is a huge risk. There’s a chance Stella’s going to get caught in the crossfire—”

“And the other option is a demon forcing her to marry him,” I spat. “I’m not letting her sit around for that to happen, either.”

“You’re also risking your pack,” Jameson pointed out, not unkindly.

“And you wouldn’t do the same thing for Georgia?” I asked, eyebrows raised.

“I would in a heartbeat,” Jameson said. “And you know that. It’s why I’m not shutting this down immediately. But I wouldn’t be doing my job as your alpha or your friend if I didn’t make sure you were fully aware of everything your decision might cause.” His eyes stared me down. “As your alpha, though, Iamordering you to think about it.”

I gritted my teeth. This was stupid. I was wasting time. I needed to get to Stellanow. Inside, my wolf was snarling and pacing, flexing his claws as he itched to get going, to find thedemon who had kidnapped Stella and tear him to oblivion. But I forced myself to think about it. Because if the note had been in good faith, then I would be risking the entire pack if I interfered.

On paper, the choice was obvious. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. The noble, selfless decision would be to let Stella go and protect the pack. But I’d done that once before.

Last time, I hadn’t fought for her but lost her, and I’d regretted it every day since. Now she’d come back into my life. I couldn’t make the same mistake twice. I wasn’t going to just leave her to her fate, even if it put others at risk.

My entire life, I’d been putting other people and the military before what I really wanted. I hadn’t fought for what I wanted. But I couldn’t do it, not this time. I was going to be selfish. I was going to fight for her.

Because I loved her. I’d always loved her. I couldn’t let history repeat itself.

I looked Jameson straight in the eye. “I’m going,” I said. “And I’m going now. If you don’t like it, then we can talk about it after I get back.”

Jameson nodded, as if that was what he’d expected to hear the entire time. “If that’s your decision, then I’ll shore up defenses here,” he said. “But I’m not going to be able to give you any backup in case they come here after.”

“That’s all right,” I said, already heading toward the door. “I know the demon’s name now. I’m not going to lose to him again.”

I couldn’t. Because losing would mean Stella’s death, and mine, and my entire pack’s. There was too much on the line for me to fail.

The instant I was outside, I shifted, trusting my wolf to track Stella wherever she was. We would find her or die trying.

Chapter 19 - Stella

For the first bit, all I could do was panic. My mind was spinning as my heart raced.

Brixton was in trouble. Sam was in trouble. And I was the only person who knew. Everyone else probably assumed the danger was over now that I had left. Just like I had.

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