Page 64 of Savage Games

I could confess right now, let it all spill out, lay my cards on the table and hope he doesn’t turn us in.But I don’t.I can’t.Not when Maddie is the one who’ll suffer the most.

The truth sits heavy on my tongue.The race to her cabin in the pouring rain.Finding her huddled in the corner, Rowan's body sprawled on the floor between them, the knife still clutched in her trembling hand.

"He wouldn't stop," she'd whispered, over and over."He said he'd kill me this time."

I didn't hesitate.I helped her clean up.Neither of us went for help.I told her what to say when Brad inevitably came looking for his brother.I became her accomplice that night, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Dean doesn’t push.Doesn’t demand.Just inclines his head slightly, sensing I’ve got a battle raging inside me.“I’m here, if you want to talk.”

The words feel like a lifeline I’m not so sure I deserve.Could I have saved Rowan and gotten my sister out?Probably.

I nod stiffly, muttering a thank you, and then I take my chance, lifting my chin and drawing on my last reserves to at least look like I have my shit together.Head held high, I leave the office and walk calmly down the long corridor, past the dining hall, and toward the exit.

I scan the crowd for Wyatt, needing his strength now more than ever.But he's nowhere to be seen.A knot of anxiety tightens in my chest.Where is he?The bond between us feels strained, weak in a way that makes my wolf whine with distress.

I catch a glimpse of Brad across the room, deep in conversation with Ryan.The smile on his face sends ice through my veins.It's the satisfied look of a predator who knows his prey is cornered.

And I hate that it’s me he thinks he has trapped.

That this could be my last morning of freedom punches me in the gut, and I blink against the tears that threaten to come.We knew this could happen.I knew exactly what the risks were the minute I set foot inside Maddie’s cabin that terrible evening and took charge of the situation.

And I’d do it again.It’s just that now, I have to face the consequences of that decision.

I don’t stop moving until I’m out of the packhouse, the chilly morning stealing the air from my lungs.I bend over, bracing my hands against my knees, my breath coming fast again, now that Dean’s influence has worn off.

She’s here.

Brad is going to lose it.It doesn’t matter how she ended up here, he’ll see it as the ultimate act of defiance.Another attempt by me to circumvent his authority and steal the only leverage he has over me.

I need to find Maddie so we can get our stories straight before he gets to her, before he scares her into going back.

Or before she ends up dead.

24

Wyatt

Ihold his stare, my pulse pounding.My wolf is fighting to be let out, clawing at the edges of my skin, my instincts screaming to end him.

I force my voice to stay even.“Whatever you think you’re planning with Naomi, it ends now.”The urge to stake my claim is strong, but there’s more going on than I know.

Brad chuckles, shaking his head.“You really think you have a say in that?”

I don’t answer.

His smirk turns cruel.“Let me make this simple for you, rogue.You might even be her mate.”He spits the word like it’s a slur.“But you don’t belong here.A no-rank mutt with nothing to offer her?”

I stiffen.That’s not what Naomi thinks, I know that, but his words sting, hitting close to the bone.Years of hearing the same thing, over and over, chips away at your confidence.

"You have no idea what she needs," I growl.The words rumble from deep in my chest, vibrating in the air between us."You've never actually seen her, not the real Naomi.You just see what you can use."

Brad's eyes narrow, but that practiced smile never wavers."And you think you know her after what… a few days of playing challenge buddies?I've watched her for months.I know exactly who she is and what drives her."

“She might enjoy her bit of fun…” he sucks in a long inhale, and I want to rip his face off rather than let him breathe in Naomi’s scent, even if it is mingled with my own.“But she has other priorities.I mean, you’re not marked yet.Why do you think that is?”

He doesn’t know for certain; I remind myself.He might be fishing for information, but he doesn’t know for sure that she’s mine.If I confirm as much, she becomes a target for anyone who wants to get at me.

“She’s just using you to get through.She knows you’re so desperate to believe she’ll go through with the mating, that you’ll do anything for her, including let her win.”

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