AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I have to go. My alarm is going off. I can’t be late.”
“Be careful.” I grasped his arm tightly.
His eyes softened, and an unreadable expression filled his face. “You too.”
And just like that, he was gone. I wrapped my arms around myself as I slowly came back to the car.
I shifted so I was leaning fully against the door and let my eyes slide shut again. Foreboding washed over me, and a lump formed in my throat.
What if Alpha Dane did suspect Sawyer? He could be in danger, and he was about to be behind enemy lines by himself.
Twelve
Sloane
Time had never moved so slowly, even though I’d been drifting in and out of consciousness. The four-hour car ride felt like it was four days.
It didn’t help that no one was talking. Ian and Brandon were sleeping in the back. Mark was focused on the road, but I could tell by the way he kept gripping the wheel and then flexing his hand that he was on edge.
I shifted in my seat and groaned. My neck was stiff, and it ached when I turned it to the right. I squinted at the dash clock.
Mark looked at me and then at the back seat. “You’re awake.”
I massaged my neck. Once I shifted, I could get the kink out. “Yeah.”
Outside, it was impossible to tell where we were. Most of the drive was wooded, and the street we were on was lined with trees and had no lights or crossroads for me to reference.
Mark must have sensed my thoughts. “We should be there in about twenty minutes.”
I wiped my hands on my pants and stared out the window. A bout of nausea rolled through me, followed by a sense of light-headedness. I blinked my eyes rapidly and drew in a deep breath.
Mark glanced over at me again. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I answered a little too quickly, making my voice sound clipped.
He exhaled loudly and gripped the wheel again. “It’s okay if you aren’t. I’m sorry about before. I didn’t mean for it to come across like I didn’t think you should go.”
I glanced at him.
He let go of the wheel with one hand and raked it through his hair. “I don’t want to lose another sibling, Sloane. I don’t want to see Mom and Dad go through that again. After you left, it got bad.”
I put a hand on my chest, and my mouth popped open. “What do you mean?”
His jaw worked. “You could feel the tension in the house. Mom and Dad are solid, but us kids mean everything to them. They were terrified for you. I think they were afraid we’d get you back like we did Darrin.”
I gulped as bile rose up my throat. I’d never get the image of my brother’s severed head out of my mind. His mouth and face were contorted in a scream, and his wide eyes were filmed over and stared vacantly, forever frozen in horror.
Mark cleared his throat. “Dad was planning to come rescue you with the other alphas. You coming back and giving us the layout just sped up the process. He regretted handing you over to Alpha Dane from the very beginning. It ate him up inside. Mom, too.”
I put a hand over my racing heart. “There is a part of me that wishes I’d never gone.” My chest tightened. “But it saved lives and bought time.”
And I’d met my mates. I’d never be sorry for that.
“What you did was incredibly brave.” There was admiration in his voice.
It didn’t feel brave. The ordeal had been both terrifying and something else I couldn’t describe.
“Did the other girls go voluntarily?” I asked quietly.
