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Wild Wicked Mate

Page 101

by Laurie Gilmore

“Yeah, definitely,” Theo said. “Fee, you’ll come right?”

“I’ll come.” She didn’t know exactly where Knox was, but she was officially done trying to stop Theo from finding him. Six days was close enough to a week. The Alpha was on his own. If he was in a cloaked nymph house on pack land, she’d be able to see it.

“Couldn’t you have helped Rafe?” she asked, wondering why the wolf was suddenly eager to track down his Alpha. “When he came looking for Knox before?”

Ryder shrugged. “Knox had only been gone a couple of days. It didn’t seem that strange at the time.”

“And now it does?” Fee was curious how much the pack knew about Knox’s plan.

“He’s not usually gone this long. Especially not alone.” Judging by the worried look on Ryder’s face, she didn’t think he knew much. She wondered why Knox was keeping it to himself? Maybe that was why he needed Lena. Not so much to sway the Highlanders to his plan but to help him convince his own pack that this was a good idea. If Lena could confirm with some kind of vision that Knox was doing the right thing, then his pack would trust him. Or he would at least have more evidence to present to them.

She kept her theories to herself.

It was time to end this little game of hide and seek.

“Okay, boys. Let’s go find him.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

They’d been out for most of the morning, Ryder and Theo as wolves, Rafe in his human form to stay with Ruby, and Fee wandering through the trees, when they stopped in an oak grove near a partially frozen lake.

Ryder was sniffing the air like he sensed something, and Fee was peering up at the trees.

Theo shifted into his human form, happy that Fee had brought along his clothes and boots. It was freezing out here.

“Someone live here?” he asked her as he dressed.

She hesitated.

“Fee?”

He knew that nymphs could see cloaked houses, even ones that weren’t their own. It was possible that Fee was staring at a whole neighborhood.

“Yes,” she cleared her throat. “There’s a house here.”

Ryder’s ears perked up.

“What’s going on?” Ruby asked when she and Rafe caught up.

Phoebe lifted a hand and the old house appeared in the trees. A nymph cabin, complete with chipped, lavender paint and curling vines, sat on the shore of the lake.

Ruby let out a delighted gasp. “A house!”

Ryder growled low in his throat. He never did like those disappearing houses.

“Is someone in there?” Rafe asked.

“I think … maybe?” Fee said, glancing at Theo.

“He’s in there, isn’t he?” Rafe said, already striding toward the house, but Theo’s thoughts were slow, the pieces of the puzzle refusing to come together to make a coherent picture.

“Knox! We know you’re in there!” Rafe yelled.

“What—” He didn’t have time to even form a question before Knox appeared on the sloping porch with Lena by his side.

Ruby lunged forward, but Rafe wrapped an arm around her waist and yanked her back. A strangled sob escaped her as she struggled. Her feet weren’t even on the ground anymore, but she kicked as though she was still running toward her sister.

“I’m okay, Ruby.” Lena’s voice was strong and calm, and Ruby immediately stopped her struggle, going limp with relief in Rafe’s arms. He held her tight to his chest.