Page 7 of Betrayed Wolf Mate

I panted, wiping my mouth as my thoughts raced. I couldn’t stick around here. Iwouldn’tstick around here. I’d been obedient my entire life, putting the pack before myself at nearly every turn, and this was what I was getting in return? A skimpy wedding dress I didn’t have any say in, and getting married to a demon who’d killed dozens of shifters?

I took a deep, shaking breath and forced myself to calm down. I wasn’t going to let this happen. I was going to take my life into my own hands for once. I wasn’t about to get pawned off to a demon. It was time I did something for myself.

I would have to leave the pack. I couldn’t stay here. But I’d worry about that later. The first thing I would have to do is get the hell out of this room.

Forming a plan, I ran over to the bedroom window. By some miracle, it was unlocked. I guess Akron didn’t think I’d consider running. But it was too high to safely jump.

Not giving myself enough time to think about what I was doing, much less debate if this was a good idea, I jerked the comforter and sheets off the bed and hastily tied them together,pausing periodically to listen for sounds outside the door. It took longer than I thought it would to tie the sheets together tightly enough to make sure they would support my weight. When I was satisfied, I tied one end of the makeshift rope to one of the bed posts, tested its strength, then pushed the window wide open before tossing the rope over the sill.

It ended between the first and second story, close enough that the short jump I’d have to make wouldn’t be an issue. Giving one last look at the closed door, I clambered out the window, grabbing the rope and beginning the descent.

I half-expected to get caught during my escape attempt, but nothing happened. I landed on the ground with a soft thump. Not giving myself time to savor the small victory, I shifted and darted into the woods.

I had no idea where I was going, only that it had to be better than what I was leaving behind. For the first time in my life, I was finally free. I was finally my own person.

Chapter 4 - Sam

“Okay, so why exactly are we all gathering together? And why does it feel like we’re being dragged out of retirement again?” Alek asked.

I had to admit he had a point. All of the Silver Wolves—save Evelyn, who was out on patrol—were sitting in the mansion’s spacious living room, lounging on the various chairs and sofas as we all looked at the only two wolves who were currently standing: Jameson and Rand. Alek had directed his question to them, and based on the look on their faces, the youngest Silver Wolf had been close to the mark, if not dead-on accurate.

“Because we are,” I said, taking a sip from my beer.

“Or, at least we are being strongly encouraged to come out of retirement,” Luke said. He sighed, closing his eyes. “Andi’s going to kill me.”

“Andi? That sweetheart?” Klyte scoffed. “It’s my hide you should be worried about. Jenn’s going to be furious.”

“You don’t have two young kids at home,” Luke retorted.

“Guys, settle down,” Malcolm said. “We don’t even know what’s going on yet. For all you know, you could be wrong.”

“Oh, no, they’re absolutely right,” Rand said. “At least about the recruitment thing. Their mates killing them? I’ll leave that for them to find out themselves.”

“What’s the job?” Oliver asked.

“I’ve got a request from an old friend of mine,” Rand said. “A guy from my old hunting days. He wanted to see if we’d been willing to look into something and take care of it.”

I nodded. Before Rand had been recruited to the Silver Wolves a few years ago, he’d been a hunter, someone who would go out and deal with supernatural monsters, usually in packs of two or three or on their own. It seemed as though he still kept contacts in that world.

“What is it?” Oliver asked.

“Some of my old buddies who are still making the rounds in the hunting world told me that a demon’s set up shop outside of a pack town,” Rand said. “Apparently, he’s slowly been taking over the pack to the point they’re basically his playthings. My friends are too busy hunting down a rogue chimera to go after it, so they figured we might be able to get there first.”

“Which pack?” Jameson asked.

“Full Moon Pack. A group up north.”

My bottle of beer slipped from my hands.

“What the fuck, Sam?” Klyte barked as the liquid slowly spread across the hardwood. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you do something even remotely clumsy before.”

I didn’t answer. I was too fixated on what Rand had just said.

“Full Moon Pack?” I asked, still ignoring the spilled beer.

When Rand nodded, Mark frowned and asked, “Why does that name sound familiar?”

“We were there before,” I said. My mind was racing back in time, thinking about the woman I’d left behind there. “Not for very long. The pack ran us off.”

---