Page 43 of The Alpha's Runaway Mate
My gut twists. “Son of a bitch.”
“He’s calm now,” Xander adds. “But I don’t think he’s himself. You need to come see him before he wakes up swinging.”
I drag a hand over my face, trying to think through the mess. Declan, alive, corrupted, back on our doorstep.
But Jessica’s still out there.
I glance toward the door, jaw tight. My bear growls low, restless. Half of me wants to run straight to Xander’s. The other half wants to track that blue dot until I find her.
“She took off,” I mutter. “We argued. She’s pissed.”
Kolt studies me. “She’ll be fine. She’s smart. You’ve got pack business now.”
“I don’t like not knowing where she is.”
Xander nods. “I get it. But Declan’s a time bomb. We need you there before he wakes up and forgets which side he’s on.”
They’re right. I know they’re right. Doesn’t make it any easier.
I grab my jacket from the chair. “Keep a link on the perimeter. If anything comes near this place, I want to know.”
Kolt nods. “Got it.”
I pause at the door, caught between Alpha and mate, duty and instinct. “I’ll deal with Declan,” I say finally. “Then I’ll find her.”
Kolt gives a short nod. “Then let’s move.”
Xander grabs his keys and jerks his chin toward the door. “My truck’s out front. I’ll drive.”
We head out together into the rain, the cold air slapping against my skin. The storm’s coming down hard now, the kind that feels personal, sharp, relentless, full of warning.
Kolt climbs into the passenger seat while I take the back. The truck growls to life, headlights cutting through the sheets of rain as Xander pulls onto the slick mountain road.
For a while, no one says a word. The wipers drag back and forth, the steady rhythm doing nothing to quiet the chaos in my head.
“Your head’s not here,” Kolt says finally, glancing at me through the rearview mirror.
“She’s out there alone,” I answer. My voice comes out rougher than I mean it to.
“She can handle herself,” Xander says, eyes on the road.
“Maybe,” I mutter. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
While they argue over potholes and visibility, I send the thought out across the bond, clean, focused, carrying authority that leaves no room for argument.
Grayson. Ezra. Mason.
Jessica left the cabin. Keep eyes on the perimeter and watch for her truck. If anything feels off, link me immediately.
The response ripples back through the connection almost instantly.
Got it, Alpha,Mason replies, his voice low and steady.
We’ve got her,Grayson adds.
Ezra’s tone carries a note of humor under the tension.You sure you don’t want me to drag her back?
Just keep her safe,I send back.No contact unless you have to.
