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Damn. I look around wildly. Other than jumping in the lake, there’s nowhere for us to escape.
One of the few negatives of living here is that I see him more often—always from afar. I’ve been pleasantly surprised that he hasn’t sought me out. Until now, apparently.
When he’s a few feet away from us, he stops and quirks his brow sardonically, tipping an invisible hat. I grimace, a shiver running down my spine.
“Hetty the beta,” he greets me softly, his eyes landing curiously on Cleo. “Who’s your friend?”
Cleo stares at him, wide-eyed and fearful. She’s scared of all Rill’s alphas. While most of them are fine, I understand her trepidation with this one.
“Can we help you with something?” I ask firmly, grasping Cleo’s hand and pulling her close.
He shrugs. “Not particularly.”
“Okay… We were just going then.” I push Cleo forward, and she trips in the deep sand.
“What’s the rush?” Cass asks, his twangy voice teasing as he reaches out and grabs hold of my arm.
Why is he always grabbing me? I try to pull away, but he holds me tighter. “We’re leaving. Let go of me, you … ass.”
“What in the…” He tilts his head, smiling. “You gotta mouth on you, don’t cha?”
“Among other things,” I hiss, yanking hard. Cleo squeaks and whimpers—the first noises she’s made since he’s arrived.
Finally, he releases me, holding his hands in the air. “Okay, okay, I just thought you might want to know your alpha is here.”
I freeze. “What?”
“That one you used to work for? The king of Goldenrod or whatever the fuck he is?”
My heart sinks to my stomach. “Noah’s here?”
“Yep,” he says, his lips popping at the end of the word. “And he’s askin’ for you.”
29
Things Only I Know
Noah
Wyatt and I run for two hours straight.
We don’t talk or stop for water. I think, though. A lot.
Distantly, I wonder if I should appreciate this more—mountains that grow larger the closer I get to them, strange animals I see peeking out at us from behind trees and bushes, and even the rocks and streams.
I was raised to fear the world outside of Goldenrod, after all. To be released—set free on the other side of the fence—was the greatest punishment of all. Not to mention, what we’ve learned recently about the intentions of the people lurking out here.
But I barely process any of it, let alone the fact that I’ve left Goldenrod for the first time in my life.
Instead, my mind is singularly focused on reaching Hetty as quickly as possible. But the more I have to think about that, the louder the voice in my head becomes…
Why are you doing this?
What do you hope to gain?
Maybe Wyatt’s right and I’m fascinated with her. But why?
I don’t know, I realize. But over the past few months, something’s changed between us. It’s not only … the touching but some sort of vibe shift. I can’t explain it, and I can’t control it.
