Page 71 of Savage Games

"Nobody has seen Wyatt?"Panic flutters in my chest.

"Not since early this morning," Lynn confirms, and there's a hint of concern in her voice."Callum has people looking for him.After what happened with Ryan and his friends, Dean wants to make sure there aren't any...incidents."

The implication is clear: after the fight in the woods, there are wolves who might seek revenge.The pain between my shoulder blades intensifies, and a chill runs through me.What if something happened to him?

Where is he?My stomach churns with guilt and worry.What if Brad's cronies came back this morning?What if he's had enough, and he left?

And I got up and trotted off this morning without kissing him goodbye.His own mate.

"No.But even if he makes it here in time to compete, running isn't the answer, either."She leans forward, her gaze intense."I've watched you, Naomi.In the trials.With the other competitors.You're strong.Stronger than most here, including many of the males.But you're afraid to show it."

The accusation hits uncomfortably close to home.I've been holding back, careful not to draw too much attention.A strategy that now seems laughably pointless.Brad knows I can win if Wyatt’s out of the picture.That's why he's here, after all.To steal the pack out from under me if I do.

"I…" I start to deny it, but the words die in my throat.

She's right.I've been holding back, suppressing my wolf's true strength for years.First, because my father warned me that alphas would see her as a threat, then because it became a habit, and finally, because drawing attention was the last thing I wanted around Brad.

But what has all that caution gotten me?A sister trapped in an abusive situation, a mate who thinks I'm ashamed of him, and a manipulative alpha who believes he owns me.

"These bullies," Lynn continues, her voice hardening slightly."They thrive on fear.On scaring people into silence.On the certainty that their victims will be too afraid to stand up for themselves."

"It's not that simple," I repeat, but with less conviction.

"What did you do?"Lynn asks suddenly, her directness catching me off guard."What's Brad holding over you and your sister?"

I freeze, my pulse skyrocketing."I don't know what you..."

"Stop."Lynn's voice is gentle but firm."I'm not asking for details or asking you to confess.I'm asking you to acknowledge it to yourself.Face what you've done.”

The question hangs between us, weighted with unspoken possibilities.The secret Maddie and I have guarded so carefully, the reason we've lived in fear for months.I could tell Lynn everything, about finding Maddie that night with Rowan's body, about the knife, about how we made it look like an accident.But the words stick in my throat.

"I protected someone I love," I say finally."That's all I can say."

“Whatever it is, if you let go of the fear of being caught, I doubt it's as bad as you think," Lynn says kindly, but her being so good to me just makes me feel worse.

"You don't know that."My voice comes out sharper than intended."Maybe I'm not as nice as you think I am."

Lynn's expression softens, surprising me."Someone who protects the people she loves, whatever the cost?Someone who's carried a burden alone for too long?"She reaches across the table, her hand covering mine briefly."You're not alone anymore, Naomi.Not if you don't want to be.You have Wyatt, and us, if you want help."

The simple touch, the first genuine comfort I've received in what feels like forever, nearly undoes me.I blink rapidly, fighting back unexpected tears.

"I can't..."I begin, but stop, unsure what I'm even trying to say.

Lynn withdraws her hand, but her gaze remains steady on mine."You can.You already are, because you've made it this far."

The thought of Wyatt being gone sends a fresh wave of anxiety through me.That pull, that sense of wrongness I've been feeling all morning intensifies suddenly, making me gasp.Is it because he's moved so far away, having had enough of waiting around for me to choose him?

My chest aches at the thought of him moving on, thinking I don't care about him.

Lynn's eyebrows lift."What is it?"

I shake my head, pressing a hand to my heart, where the mate bond pulses, weak but insistent.

"I don't know.Just...a bad feeling.A really bad feeling."

My hand moves to my chest, where the mate bond pulses, but it's different now, weaker, erratic, like a radio signal fading in and out.

"I feel off," I whisper, my voice catching.

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