I watch him, I can feel
my own gums tighten in response.“Who are you?”
I don’t miss the worry in the officer’s voice when he answers with, “The name is Mike
Sanford.”
“Okay, Sanford, you say you’re not involved, why then, were you in a PTF hideout with a
caged wolf?”
“Call off your dogs first.” he says, his nervous glance going back and forth between Stone
and Logan.“Then I’ll tell you everything.”
My father’s laugh is humorless as he pins him with a glare.“I don’t think you’re in any
position to be making demands.”
“Listen—”
“No, you listen.You spared my daughter’s life,which is the only reason you’re still alive,
but if I find out you’re part of the team hunting for sport, those two,” he says, stopping to nod
toward the deadly shifters baring their fangs, “are going to make sure you disappear.”
“I’m not part of the team. I’m not a part of any team.” He looks at me before adding, “Not
anymore.”
I step up to him and tilt my chin until our eyes meet.“What do you mean, not anymore?”
“I know you’re not a monster, Pride. You opened my eyes to that.” He stops to rake shaky
hands through his short hair.“Which is why I assembled a new team after our encounter at the
Canadian border. But when headquarters found out, they made a visit to our branch. I tried to
explain to them that not all wolves are bloodthirsty animals and that perhaps we needed to
change tactics.”
“And?”
“And they determined that I was growing soft. They disassembled my team and kicked me
offthe force.”
A shiver turns my blood to ice and when I exhale, my breath fogs in front of my face.
“You’re working alone then?”
“I’m working alone, but it’s not what you think.”
“Tell me what I think.”
“Let me just tell you what I know.” He pauses, but when I say nothing he continues.“I went
there to stop them from killing that girl. You were the last person I expected to find in the safe
house.”
“I never expected to find you there either.”
He looks confused for a moment then asks, “How did you find out about the hideout,
anyway?”
I think about Nova and the uglybullet wound that didn’t kill her. I realize it had all been for
show. That the officers had let her live so she could deliver me to them. I keep this to myself.
Sanforddoesn’t need to know, not yet, maybe not ever, of Nova’s deception.
“Why did they want me?” I ask, speaking over the loud hum of the cars flying by on the
freeway.
His brow furrows, and his laugh is rough, almost maniacal, as it serrates the night and curls
around me.“Think about it, Pride. You’re the one who got away. And no one ever gets away.”
“So they wanted to hunt me then? For sport?”
“Yes.”
“And they forced Nova to lead me to them?”
“She wasn’t forced,” Stone says, his angry voice raking down my spine like a jagged-edged
knife.
My gaze jerks to his and Ican tell he’s in fight mode. “What are you talking about?”
“She wanted you out of the way.”
As I consider that possibility, my glance goes to Logan, and I watch his chest rise and fall
while he fists his hands at his sides until his knuckles whiten.
I stare at him for a moment and when the pieces fall into place my vision goes a little fuzzy
around the edges. It takes effort to speak when I say,“You were supposed to be her mate.”
“It wasn’t like that between us,” he answers through clenched teeth.
“Maybe someone should have told that to her.” Rage erupts inside me when I think about
the senselessness of all this. None of this should have happened and now Nova is out there all
alone, and we have no idea if she’s dead or alive.
I think about the caged girl, and jerk my thumb toward the SUV.“Who is she?”
He shakes his head.“I don’t know.”
“Why would they hunt someone so young?”
“A wolf is a wolf in their eyes. Age doesn’t matter, and the young ones are usually faster.”
“Do you have any
my own gums tighten in response.“Who are you?”
I don’t miss the worry in the officer’s voice when he answers with, “The name is Mike
Sanford.”
“Okay, Sanford, you say you’re not involved, why then, were you in a PTF hideout with a
caged wolf?”
“Call off your dogs first.” he says, his nervous glance going back and forth between Stone
and Logan.“Then I’ll tell you everything.”
My father’s laugh is humorless as he pins him with a glare.“I don’t think you’re in any
position to be making demands.”
“Listen—”
“No, you listen.You spared my daughter’s life,which is the only reason you’re still alive,
but if I find out you’re part of the team hunting for sport, those two,” he says, stopping to nod
toward the deadly shifters baring their fangs, “are going to make sure you disappear.”
“I’m not part of the team. I’m not a part of any team.” He looks at me before adding, “Not
anymore.”
I step up to him and tilt my chin until our eyes meet.“What do you mean, not anymore?”
“I know you’re not a monster, Pride. You opened my eyes to that.” He stops to rake shaky
hands through his short hair.“Which is why I assembled a new team after our encounter at the
Canadian border. But when headquarters found out, they made a visit to our branch. I tried to
explain to them that not all wolves are bloodthirsty animals and that perhaps we needed to
change tactics.”
“And?”
“And they determined that I was growing soft. They disassembled my team and kicked me
offthe force.”
A shiver turns my blood to ice and when I exhale, my breath fogs in front of my face.
“You’re working alone then?”
“I’m working alone, but it’s not what you think.”
“Tell me what I think.”
“Let me just tell you what I know.” He pauses, but when I say nothing he continues.“I went
there to stop them from killing that girl. You were the last person I expected to find in the safe
house.”
“I never expected to find you there either.”
He looks confused for a moment then asks, “How did you find out about the hideout,
anyway?”
I think about Nova and the uglybullet wound that didn’t kill her. I realize it had all been for
show. That the officers had let her live so she could deliver me to them. I keep this to myself.
Sanforddoesn’t need to know, not yet, maybe not ever, of Nova’s deception.
“Why did they want me?” I ask, speaking over the loud hum of the cars flying by on the
freeway.
His brow furrows, and his laugh is rough, almost maniacal, as it serrates the night and curls
around me.“Think about it, Pride. You’re the one who got away. And no one ever gets away.”
“So they wanted to hunt me then? For sport?”
“Yes.”
“And they forced Nova to lead me to them?”
“She wasn’t forced,” Stone says, his angry voice raking down my spine like a jagged-edged
knife.
My gaze jerks to his and Ican tell he’s in fight mode. “What are you talking about?”
“She wanted you out of the way.”
As I consider that possibility, my glance goes to Logan, and I watch his chest rise and fall
while he fists his hands at his sides until his knuckles whiten.
I stare at him for a moment and when the pieces fall into place my vision goes a little fuzzy
around the edges. It takes effort to speak when I say,“You were supposed to be her mate.”
“It wasn’t like that between us,” he answers through clenched teeth.
“Maybe someone should have told that to her.” Rage erupts inside me when I think about
the senselessness of all this. None of this should have happened and now Nova is out there all
alone, and we have no idea if she’s dead or alive.
I think about the caged girl, and jerk my thumb toward the SUV.“Who is she?”
He shakes his head.“I don’t know.”
“Why would they hunt someone so young?”
“A wolf is a wolf in their eyes. Age doesn’t matter, and the young ones are usually faster.”
“Do you have any
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