Page 34 of Her Convict Wolf

I close my eyes as the last few months of my life flashes through my memory. The disguises, the lying, the fear. The constant looking over my shoulder.

I’ve got to do this.

But there’s no way I can get Maxim caught up in it.

I’ve got to do it alone.

It kills me to hide anything from him. But if I told him what I was planning to do, he’d stop me.

I promise myself, this is the dead last time.

* * *

The only timehe leaves me alone is when he goes hunting. These days his beast needs a release twice a day, after it was trapped in jail for so long. So, the next morning, I wait until he’s gone out, and I leave. I drive his SUV down to Twin Falls, and I buy an old car with my secret wad of cash.

I leave the SUV at the near end of Main Street, with the key fob in the wheel well. Then I take a moment to call my old contact at the FBI—right before I drive hell-for-leather back to a world I hoped I’d never see again.

11

Maxim

My beast charges back home, going at full-pelt. I’m desperate to see my girl, as always. To awaken her with a kiss. But today, there’s something new in the air that makes my heart beat faster than usual.

As soon as I arrive at the cabin, I see it—my SUV is gone. Adrenaline pours through me as I dash inside, check the bedroom.

“Emory!” I bawl.

But she’s not here.

My beast whines and frets.

Maybe she’s gone to Twin Falls to run an errand?

That doesn’t seem right. We never do anything without telling the other one about it.

I grab my phone, dial her number.

It rings out.

Damn.

I pace around the cabin.

Something’s wrong. I can feel it with every nerve of my body. My beast paces inside me, scrabbling to be let out.

I call five more times.

She doesn’t answer.

Maybe she went shopping and left her phone in the car? That’s the only scenario that doesn’t turn my blood cold.

Someone came and kidnapped her? They took my car, too? So, they would’ve had to have come on foot? That makes no sense at all.

She decided she doesn’t want to be my mate after all?

I choke back that awful, awful thought.

I shouldn’t have left her, ever. Not even to run. I should’ve insisted on taking her with me and carrying her on my back.

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