Page 211 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

She took a single deep breath and began. “Kyle used to date my mom.”

“Are youserious?” I asked. It sounded like the worst possible life I could imagine.

Sydney shrugged once with her left shoulder. “Mom was always a sucker for dominant men. My real dad wasn’t much better, honestly. She and Kyle got together about three years ago. It wasn’t a huge deal for me. I was away at college, getting a degree in computer science. The real problems started about eighteen months ago. You’ve heard about this special drug he has, right?”

Of course I had. Kyle loved bragging about what his crazy scientist friend had cooked up. He even showed me a clip of him using it on someone. It made me shudder to think about it. All I could do was nod.

“Well, Mom and I are human. Kyle,obviously, is a shifter. He wanted Mom to be like him. He injected her with one of the first versions of that drug.”

“Holy shit,” I muttered.

“Yeah. Didn’t even tell her what it was. I was home over summer when it happened. Saw the whole thing happen.” She stopped, lower lip trembling. “She turned into a wolf right in front of me. Kyle got angry when she couldn’t change back. His men had to grab Mom and hold her down. He locked me up because I was a witness. His people—that asshole scientist of his and his men—tried to get her back. They did all sorts of experiments on her, but nothing worked. I could hear her howling and yelping in pain, but I couldn’t get out of my room. Eventually, the experiments wore her body out. She died. My momma died, Ashton.”

I wondered how broken I would feel if the same thing happened to my mother. I couldn’t even fathom it.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

Sydney brushed away the single tear that had slipped out. “So, during those hours I was locked in that bedroom, I had a realization. I was going to die like my mom if I didn’t play things perfectly. Kyle knew I was a witness to tell what he’d done. I also knew I couldn’t run. If I ran, he might go underground and vanish before I could notify the authorities. He has a soft spot for people who love him. He’s got some kind of complex, I think. It’s why he’s desperate for you to call himDad, and for your mother to want him. I knew that I could ingratiate myself to him, draw him close—and take him down if I played on that.

“So, when he finally unlocked that door, I swallowedeveryounce of rage and hate and remorse that wanted to rip out of me.” Sydney looked disgusted with herself but continued, “And I told him that my mother had always been a drag. That the only thing I’d been looking forward to was him being my stepdad, and I was…” She sucked in two little hiccupping gasps, and more tears slid down her cheeks. “Happyshe was gone, and I wanted to work for him. So here I am. I put on this airheaded, sexpot, computer-savant act that he likes, and work right alongside the man who killed my mother.”

“Fuck,” I said, letting the word rush out of me like a sigh. My mom would have had my ass for saying that word, but after a story like that, I couldn’t think of another expletive that worked.

“It was me alone, biding my time in this group of sycophants and murderers until Dallas. I could see in his eyes that he didn’treallylike Kyle. He’d been brought in a long time ago, and back then, he’d been a good little follower. But around the time Kylestarted using the drugs andreallyhurting people he turned, I could see it happen. Kyle was too blinded by his narcissism to realize it. Ash, IthoughtI was a good actor, but Dallas is better. The only reason I knew he was acting was because I felt the same way.”

“Uh, thanks for telling me,” I said dully. It sounded stupid and pointless, but what else could you say to someone who’d opened up a hot and festering mental wound to you?

She wiped her eyes again, and like a switch being flipped, she hid her emotions again. Once more, she was all business. “The reason I came here this afternoon was not to tell you my life story. Dallas and I finished up our plan.”

“Plan?” I asked, perking up. “What plan?”

“All you need to know is you need to be ready. Two nights from now, at midnight, there’s going to be a power outage. Security will go down. When that happens, you need to come find one of us. We’ll try to be nearby, but you’ll need to be careful.”

“Find you?” My head was spinning. “What?”

“It’s time to get you back to your family,” Sydney said. “Get you back to yours andendmine. My so-called stepfather’s time has run out.”

“Why are you helping me?” I asked, then quickly added, “I’m grateful, thank you, but why? Couldn’t you get close to Kyle and kill him, then run?”

“For your second question, he’s a shifter and I’m a human. His reflexes are faster than mine, and he’s stronger. Plus, you have no idea how hard it is to get a gun in this place. He’s always got people nearby, too. No, it wouldn’t work. Not until two nightsfrom now, anyway. As for your first question?” She patted my knee. “It’s what my mom would have wanted. Two days. Be ready.”

With a last smile at me, she left. As the door closed, I realized she and Dallas were the bravest people I’d ever known in my life. Living and working with a psychotic animal like Kyle, doing his bidding, carrying out atrocities to get close enough to him to finally deliver the killing blow? It was pretty badass. Like they were secret agents or something from a movie.

Settling on my bed, I inhaled deeply, then exhaled. Two days. All I had to do was hold Kyle off for two more days. After that, I’d be back home again. Back with Mom and Cole.

No. I frowned at the words and how they sounded in my head. It didn’t sound right.

No. I’d be back with Mom and Dad.

50

COLE

Iawoke to a shooting pain down my neck. Lifting my head, I glanced around, slightly confused by my surroundings. After a few minutes, I remembered that I’d come into my office to do some work the night before. I’d thought giving Avery some time alone might help. At some point during the night, I’d fallen asleep, head resting on my arms like a kid in school.

Groaning, I stood and stretched my arms over my head, rolling my head from side to side. Even a shifter body didn’t enjoy sleeping like that. I also felt bad that I’d spent the entire night here. I’d been upset and disappointed with Avery, but I hadn’t been angry enough not to spend the night with her. Hurrying from the office, I headed to the bedroom.

Inching the door open, I peered inside, afraid to wake Avery, but the bed was unmade and empty.

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