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“Someone needs to keep watch in case Patricia returns.”

“Oh. You think she’ll come back?”

“With her, you never know,” Santiago replies. “Are you hungry?”

I shake my head. I debate getting up, but Santiago’s stroking is soothing and I end up dozing off again. It feels like my body is finally catching up on rest and I lose track of time.

Rafael comes in to feed me, which turns to sex, which leads to me coming until I black out. More sleep. Blood. Riding Zack until his eyes roll over.

A perfect day, really.

It’s late in the evening when the unease I’ve tried to forget finally grows to the point I can’t ignore it anymore. My danger sense keeps pinging, but there’s nothing here. It’s not until I rise to pace in front of the windows, my gaze constantly getting pulled toward the forest, that I realize it’s not mine.

The thing. There’s something wrong with him. When I try to reach out, he rebuffs my effort. That more than anything convinces me that I’m right.

“Samantha?” Rafael asks when I stiffen. “What is it?”

I shake my head, focusing on Jim. Sharp pain lashes over my ribs, but I know the pain is not mine. Whatever happened, I think it distracted Jim enough that for a moment his concentration breaks and I feel a tug toward him.

For a second, the world turns black.

“Samantha, no!” I hear Rafael’s anguished roar and something shattering. My entire focus is glued to the black tether inside of me. It’s vicious, strong, and it’s calling me. I know without a shred of doubt that the thing is in danger.

And I need to help.

That’s all I can think about and my body takes over, it knows what to do. When I blink and the blackness recedes, I’m outside, running. The forest blurs around me, but I manage to avoid snagging Rafael’s shirt on anything. As long as I don't think too hard, my instincts take care of things.

:Jim! I scream in my mind.

:Mate, no! Go back! He shouts, furious, but I’m having none of it.

“Not your mate,” I pant and keep going.

:Go back now!

“No!”

Damn these men. I feel him trying to pull back and confuse my senses, but it’s not working like before. There’s a part of me that’s affected, but the other parts stay steady. The parts that are linked to Rafael, Santiago, and Zack. He has no control over those pockets.

I don’t have time to mull it over now. He’s in danger. I know that as surely as I know that Santiago and Rafael are speeding after me. I push my body to move faster. I don’t need to lose them from my track, but they can’t catch me.

:Mate, it is not safe for you. Jim tries to plead with me, but his focus is split between me and whatever threat is closing in.

“I don’t get why I care, since you attacked me,” I mutter more to myself and the wave of shock that slams me makes me stumble.

:I saved you!

“I remember things a bit differently. Zack saved me,” I growl.

:The wolf? What did he save you from?

“You!”

There’s a long silence and then he sighs. :Go back, mate. We’ll talk about this later.

“No! We are discussing this right now. What do you mean you saved me?”

:The bitch was stalking you. I jumped in between barely in time.