Page 32 of Hansen

Evan understood that he’d be a liability if he went.He couldn’t fight, and he had no idea how he’d react if he was forced to enter a lab again.That didn’t mean he was willing to stay at the bakery and stare at the wall while his mate was in danger.

“As long as that something isn’t putting yourself in danger, I think we can compromise.”

Evan wouldn’t have taken no for an answer, but he was glad he wouldn’t have to fight Matthew.He quickly took his apron off and threw it onto the counter, only to stop moving when he remembered that Orion didn’t know that something was wrong.“We have to tell Orion.Davey is in that lab, too.”

Matthew grimaced.“Olga and Moore are going to kick my ass when they find out about this.”

“Do I look like I care?”Evan snapped.He liked Matthew, but if he had to choose between him and Hansen, he wouldn’t hesitate.He needed to know that Hansen was okay, and the only way to do that was to stick with Matthew.

He glared at the man and hoped that Matthew wouldn’t take the opportunity to leave while he talked to Orion.Even if he did, Evan would find him.He knew where Matthew was going.

Evan burst into the back room, making Orion jump.He was working at one of the long tables and turned to frown at Evan.There was a spot of flour on his cheek, and his hands were dirty, but when he saw Evan’s expression, he grabbed a towel.“What happened?”

“The raid went sideways.”

“Davey?”

Evan shook his head.“I don’t know anything else, but Matthew is here, and he’s supposed to go to Moore’s house in case they need to pick him up to help with the fight.I’m going with him.”

“I’m coming, too,” Orion said, already reaching for the oven.

He and Evan quickly worked together to turn off everything that needed to be turned off.Orion didn’t need to come back to a burned-out bakery.

It only took a handful of minutes, but Evan was relieved to see that Matthew was still waiting for them when they walked through the door to the front of the shop.He was on his phone, typing something, but he quickly put it away when he heard them.

“Come on.I don’t want to waste time.”

Evan wasn’t offended.He didn’t want to waste time, either.

They didn’t run through the streets of the village so they wouldn’t alarm anyone, but it was a close thing.Evan wanted to scream at the people going about their day as if nothing was happening.How could they not be worried about the people who’d saved them?

He swallowed and told himself to stop being a dick.These people didn’t know what was happening.They probably had no idea that the mutants were out on a raid.They’d been freed, and they deserved to live their lives without fear, which was what they were doing.

The door of Moore’s house flew open as soon as they reached it.Moore’s mate, Jolyn, waved at them to come in.“Rikar’s already here,” he said as he led them through the house.

Evan had heard about Moore’s mate, but he’d never met him before.He looked like he couldn’t hurt a fly, but his expression was fierce, as if he was ready to find his mate and kick ass to save him.Evan felt the same, even though he and Hansen weren’t bonded yet.

They would be.After today, there was no way Evan would allow Hansen anywhere without him if they weren’t bonded.He needed to know if Hansen was in trouble.He needed to be able to feel that something was happening to his mate.If it hadn’t been for Matthew, he would still be at the bakery, working as if everything was fine.

They walked out the back door in the kitchen.Evan had no idea where they were going or what was happening, but he didn’t care because Matthew seemed to be on board with it.

As Jolyn had said, Rikar was already there.He was pacing the space between the backyard and the forest.He looked up when he heard them, nodded at Matthew, then cocked his head as he watched Evan.

“You can’t go with Matthew,” he warned.

“I can do whatever I want,” Evan snapped.He wouldn’t let anyone keep him from his mate.

Orion grabbed Evan’s shoulder and squeezed.“Calm down.”

“How can I calm down?Hansen is in trouble, and I can’t do anything to help him.What am I supposed to do?Get back to work?Stare at the sky and pray?”

“You need to breathe.Come on, Evan.Hansen wouldn’t want you to freak out, especially when you don’t know what’s going on.”

“I’m freaking outbecauseI don’t know what’s going on.If I knew what Hansen was doing, I wouldn’t be.”

“I don’t know either,” Rikar explained.“I got a call from Moore, so I know something’s happened, but he didn’t give me details.Matthew?”

“Olga called me.She said to be ready to get picked up, just in case.”

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