“What about the group who picked you up from the cabin?”
My heart stopped. He was talking about Gino. And Levi.
For a long moment, I didn’t answer. Didn’t even realize I was holding my breath.
“Mason,” Daniel said again, sharper this time. Still, no words came.
“You know,” he continued mildly, “the others have been wondering why Kai gets his own room.” Ice flooded my chest. “They think it’s unfair.”
Panic hit me instantly. “Don’t,” I said quickly. “We had a deal.”
“We did,” Daniel agreed easily. “Now tell me about the others. Especially the one who went back to the old logging roads with you.”
Did that mean someone had been watching me and Levi even back at the cabin? The thought made my stomach twist.
I raked a hand through my hair. Every instinct screamed at me to give him what he wants. To end all of this right now.
All I had to do was tell him about Levi. How easy it would be to get close to him. How Levi already trusted me, probably more than he should. How he liked me.
I could use that.
The thought sat heavy in my chest, like something sour.
If I told Daniel everything, maybe they’d let Kai go. Maybe we could disappear somewhere and never hear Daniel’s voice again.
But when I opened my mouth, nothing came out.
My throat constricted like someone had wrapped it in rope. The words I should say, the ones that could save my brother, refused to form.
The silence stretched. Daniel was waiting.
Finally, desperation clawed at me. I hissed the words through clenched teeth, “I don’t know anything, alright? They don’t let me out of the house. They don’t trust me.”
“Y-you need to give me something,” I pushed. “Anything to help me gain their trust.”
The line went quiet. For a heartbeat, I thought maybe he’d leave Levi out of it.
Then Daniel’s voice came again. “Alright. We might have something.” My stomach sank.
“There’s an old service road off Highway 12,” he continued. “You’ll find the turnoff marked by a rusted logging gate. Two days from now. Around dusk. There will be a shifter there, in a cage. Consider it an opportunity.”
The line went dead.
I stood frozen for a moment, staring at the blank screen.
Then, slowly, I slipped the phone back into my pocket.
My legs felt leaden as I walked back toward the porch. Every step dragged. I dreaded facing Nico or Tony, worried they’d ask about the call, or worse, that they’d overheard something.
But when I climbed the steps, the porch was empty. Muffled voices drifted from inside the house. Nico and Tony must have gone in.
I sank into a chair and buried my face in my hands.
I didn’t like the way Daniel had sounded.
There had been something underneath his words, something he wasn’t saying. There was always something he wasn’t saying.
I hated that I’d had to give him information about Nico and Tony. Hated that he already knew about Levi. And, worst of all, hated that my mouth had stayed shut when I should’ve spoken.
