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He laughs, through what sounds like tears, and I can’t help but smile.
“I love you too,” he says. Cautiously, he asks, “Is there any way I can speak with Ferris?”
My gut twists with desolation. “I’m sorry,” I say. “Ferris is sick, and he can’t talk. We’re about to leave for wolf territory to get help.”
“Fuck,” River breathes. “Will he be okay?”
I pause, taking a deep breath. “Yes,” I say, because there is no other answer. He has to be okay, and I will do whatever I must to make it so.
“Update me when you can,” River says.
“Okay, bye,” I say as I wipe tears from my cheeks.
“Bye, raindrop. Over and out.”
The line goes back to static, and I stand.
As I walk with Vale’s wolf back to the depot, I whisper into the wind, “He’ll be alright.”
[ 56 ]
FERRIS
Unconscious, I dream.
Six Years Ago, Southern Lake Michigan
The rain falls on my face, mixing with my frustrated tears. I mentally prepare myself for impact, but the cutting teeth of the horde never pierce my skin. Instead, a jarring, loud crack splits the air around me, and the Biter closest to my prone form falls to the ground as its rotted brain drips out of the hole through its head.
More shots sound around me as more of the Biters fall to the ground, finally dead. Strong hands grip under my arms and haul me to my feet. The hands turn me away from the falling corpses until I’m looking into green eyes framed by dark hair, wet and plastered to the man’s forehead. His scent surrounds me in a cloud of boozy spice and alpha pheromones that at first make me want to cower. I finally register that he’s yelling, but he’s not mad. I focus on his voice. “Can you run?”
I laugh, sardonically. “Yeah,” I croak.
“Good, good.” The man breathes with relief, then he grabs my arm, and we run out of the cursed data center.
“Where were you headed?” The man yells over the pounding of our feet.
“Nowhere,” I respond. “I have no home.”
The man is silent for a long moment, then his eyes swing over to me, full of compassionate understanding that I don’t deserve. “My name is River,” he yells.
“Ferris,” I pant back.
“Alright, Ferris.” He smiles rakishly. “I guess that means you’re coming home with me.”
Three Years Ago, Grand Prairie Compound
My body aches with a throbbing need that I have never felt before. The gnawing desire is so intense, it wakes me up from a deep sleep. I roll onto my stomach and press my hips into my thin mattress, hoping the pressure will alleviate some of the nagging need pulsing in my dick.
Finding no relief, I groan into the folded fabric I use as a pillow and roll back over. Then, it hits me.
What the fuck is that scent?
Gods, it smells so good I want to fuck the air. It’s spicy and sweet, with creamy undertones that complement my own tea scent so well that my dick leaks precum through my shorts. I open my mouth and breathe it in. It tastes as good as it smells, all sun-soaked sassafras and melted sweetness.
A voice inside my head snarls, mate, and my entire world narrows down to that scent. My soul reaches out, searching. Fuck, I know what this is, but never in a million years did I expect to experience it.
I’m smelling my scent-match, and I have a sinking, terrifying suspicion that I know exactly who it is. I get up, walk out of my room, and follow my destiny down the hall to Raine’s door.
