Mike rested his hand on Mollie’s shoulder as her rising distress beat against him. “It’s okay.”
When she lifted her head to look at him, tears shimmered in her eyes. Those tears tore at him. She was his mate; he was supposed to make sure she experienced only happiness and security, but she’d known only melancholy and death since coming to this island.
Mike drew her into his arms, and when she lowered her head to the hollow of his throat, he buried his head in her silken hair. Her sweet scent assailed him as he ran his hands over her hair to soothe her. Her hands slid under his arms and dug into his shoulders.
“I’m going to find out what happened to her,” he vowed.
He’d sensed a cracking in her. If he pushed, he might be able to convince her to leave the island, but it would destroy her if she did. She would survive this place if he found a way to take her from here, but she would never be the same, and he’d lose her anyway. He’d rather have her torn from him while she was fighting than watch her rot away until nothing remained of her.
Lifting his head, he met Doug’s gaze over her shoulder. His friend stared back at him before turning away.
* * *
“I hearthem leave the mansion and barn around eight every night,” Doug said when they were settled in the cluster of spruces again. “They howl like wolves on the hunt when they leave, or at least I assume it’s when they leave, as I haven’t been close to either of the buildings near sunset. I don’t have a death wish.”
“So, you don’t know if they all go out to hunt at night?” Mike asked.
“No, I don’t.”
Mike slid Mollie’s hair through his fingers while he contemplated Doug’s words. When they returned, he’d spread the quilt across the small space for her to lay on as she looked exhausted, but she’d nestled against his side instead and rested her head on his chest. She hadn’t said much since they left the mansion and returned to the forest.
“When they go out tomorrow night, we’ll attempt to get into the mansion,” Mike said to Doug. “Tomorrow during the day, we’ll search for Jack and try to get our hands on some more weapons. We’ll both have to feed before going in there.”
Mollie lifted her head and turned to look at him. “I’m going into the mansion too.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am,” she insisted. “You’ll need more than the two of you in there, and Aida doesn’t know you. If you manage to find her, she might be too scared to leave with you.”
“Then I’ll carry her out of there.”
His stubborn refusal grated on her nerves, but she forced herself to remain rational. It didn’t matter what he said; she was going in there. However, she preferred not to fight him every step of the way. “You can’t carry her; you'll need both your hands free to fight anyone who tries to stop you, and you don’t know what she looks like.”
“Does she look like you?”
“Yeah, kind of, but there are differences.” With her heart-shaped face, golden-brown eyes, and smaller, more curvaceous figure, Aida was prettier, but Mollie wasn’t going to share that info with him. She’d lose part of her argument if she told him what Aida looked like. “I’m also not going to let you risk your life for my sister while I sit idly by.”
“If you’re in there, you’ll be a distraction to me,” Mike said.
“Then don’t let me be one.”
Doug twirled his thumbs together as he looked from one spruce to another like they were the most fascinating trees in the world. She felt his discomfort as clearly as Mike’s growing ire.
“That would be impossible,” Mike grated.
“I think,” Doug said, “I’m going to hunt for some dinner.”
“It’s almost sunset and not safe out there,” Mollie protested. “There’s no reason for you to leave.”
“I’ll be fine. I have another location I’ve camped in before; I’ll spend the night there and meet you two here in the morning.”
“Wait—”
“Thank you,” Mike cut off her protest as he clasped Doug’s hand.
“No reason to thank me, I’m happy to be out of here,” Doug replied with a grin.
Mollie scowled at Mike when he chuckled. “It’s not safe out there now,” she insisted.
