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I’m so relieved that I don’t even bother wondering how he knew what I was thinking.
“I followed their trail to the outskirts of the sanctuary,” he continues. “I can’t guarantee anything, but if I know Edirn and Casey, they’ll get everyone out safely. Your people are in good hands, Cedara.”
Thank you, thank you, thank you, God!
He must see the spark in my eye because he goes on, “And the men who took them,” his lips quirk up, “met a pretty bad end.”
I’d wag my tail if I didn’t already feel like a lapdog, lying here like some sort of pet. Despite this, when I exhale another deep breath, I instinctively drop my chin back down on his thigh.
They got away safely.
At least I have that weight off my shoulders. Knowing that they might be okay. My family is brave, strong, resourceful. They’re going to make it. I know they are. I make a soft sound low in my throat, wishing I could say something.
“Shhhh…” Barrett soothes gently, going back to stroking my head. I gaze up at him, taking in the strong lines of his face. “I’m going to find a way, beautiful. I promise.”
I want to believe him; I really do. Right now, as the sound of search parties builds around us, I can only pray that he does.
Chapter 9
Barrett
The helicopters began circling an hour ago. Lights were strobing until the day dawned, and now they’ve been replaced by the whirring of rotors and the shouts of patrol units trudging through the woods.
My back has gone stiff, but I’m not going to move. She hasn’t budged since we settled into this position, and I know now that she’s sleeping. I don’t want her to wake. If she hears what’s going on outside, she’s going to freak out.
I don’t want her to be afraid like that. I’ll do anything to save her from the fear. I’ll do anything to get her out of here. And I won’t leave without her.
Why the fuck not?
I could walk out right now and pass the hunters without being questioned. She’s just a strange wolf I encountered in a forest while I was supposed to be on a mission. Which I fucked up royally, thanks to this insane obsession I’ve developed since I got here.
I heave out a sigh, cursing my own stupidity.
Her fur is silky beneath my fingertips. The rhythmic stroking motion is soothing me as much as her, I think. I roll my head from side to side, grimacing at the popping sound my neck makes.
My phone buzzes.
Cautiously shifting to pull it from my jeans pocket, I see a message pop up. It’s Jagger, of course.
What do I tell him?
My thumb moves over the keypad as I type out a message…then delete it. I type out another and delete that, too. Because what do I say right now? That I’m stuck in a cave, surrounded by gunmen, with a she-wolf sleeping on my lap?
I stare down at her, tracing her sleek lines with my eyes. Her coat is beautiful, streaked with gold and platinum that almost glows in the dawn light. It’s the same color as her hair in human form, which had tumbled in waves down her back. The same hair…chocolate eyes flecked with the same amber…
I still remember the shock of seeing her out there. The odd pull that had led me down the path where I met her. Seeing her face for the first time; it had sucked the air from my lungs. The determined line of her jaw, the sweet pout of her lips. And always those eyes.
I was transfixed.
I wanted to gather her up against me and never let her go. Promise her that I’d look after her forever.
And that’s just nuts.
Yet, something moves within me, a strange sensation that clenches in my chest, a fist gripping my heart. My fingertips have moved to my throat again in a gesture that’s turning into a habit.
She bit me.
My fingers trace the wound that’s now healed, yet it’s left a distinct scar on my skin. A perfectly shaped bite mark. It tingles when I touch it, and once more, there’s that feeling in my chest.
