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“I pushed her on it. Asked her what her plan was before leaving. And she said she would like to go dancing, adamant she’s going to drive us there. Who says that in her circumstances if she hasn’t got another move to make?”
“Why don’t you confront her? Put an end to this mess?”
“Because I don’t trust her. And …” I gulped at the air. “The mate magic engaged,” I breathed. “When I looked at the picture, it almost swallowed me whole.” I looked up at my friend. “She’s my mate, Grace. The way she acts, thinks, speaks, looks, and feels meant something to me even before the mate magic hit. But I don’t trust her. And I can’t risk confronting her and then having her flee into the night to reveal the town’s location to get her payday. I need to see what she’s up to before I can risk any more of me.”
“Donovan,” she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. “She’s your mate.”
“Don’t start,” I growled, and she smiled.
“Sorry. But I can’t… I knew.” She put a fist to her heart. “I knew deep down. I didn’t want to tempt Fate by saying anything.”
“Yeah,” I scoffed. “Trust the mate magic to engage with a woman who will stop at nothing to drag me back to my old enemy. I need to push her into acting out her original plan for coming here. It happens now.”
“You need to be careful,” she replied, worried. “Who knows what she plans to do to take you down? She could have people waiting on our borders to help take you out. She might hurt you, or—”
“I thought you liked her?”
“I do. I like her a lot. But if she’s desperate, and I believe she is, then who knows what could happen? You need to let Kyran know.”
“Kyran has his pack to run. And besides, he can help when the alliance meets here in a few days and help take Gideon down for good. But this, this is about Savannah, her lies, and the way she acts like she gives a shit.”
“Fine.” Grace blew her hair from her face in frustration. “If you need to do something stupid, then I won’t try to stop you. On one condition.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“Like what?”
“Take Kyran with you. He can meet you at the location. Or wait somewhere out of sight.”
“No.”
“Yes. Or I’ll tell him myself, and he will blaze in to destroy your plans. Or worse, I’ll tell Savannah.”
“I didn’t come here to be blackmailed.” I rose from my seat. “Just fix the damn truck.”
“I’ll fix the damn truck, and it will be ready for her tomorrow if you promise to tell Kyran of your plans.”
“When did you get so bossy?”
“I always have been. Ask Kyran.”
“Ha,” I snapped, taking another sip of my drink. “Fine. I’ll tell him. But I’m taking the Coke.”
“Take it. I’ll be calling Kyran in an hour to make sure you’ve told him.”
“And I’m supposed to be the alpha of the pack,” I muttered, strolling out through the open shutters. Her laughter sounded from behind me, happy she’d got her way. But I felt lighter for it.
Savannah is my mate.
Heading home in a daze, I couldn’t quite believe it. But I shouldn’t have been surprised. A connection had formed before the mate magic engaged.
I reached my cabin, and my wolf howled in my head.Claim Savannah! Claim her now!
“Shut up!” I roared at him, entering my home, crashing through the doors to get to the gym in the basement. My wolf growled back. But I’d practiced plenty over the years to drown him out when needed.
Taking a few deep breaths, I stripped off my shirt, clenched my fists, and began pummeling the punch bag, needing the workout, the burn. The bag swung from my strength, and I met it head-on, several blows to the left, right, and back to the left. I didn’t watch myself in the mirror wall I’d installed, keeping my back to it, not wanting to see the truth. My mission was to relieve the frustration that simmered through every vein since Savannah had rolled into town.
Fate had brought her to me. She thrilled me, challenged me, and she’d be strong enough to handle anything I dished out. But she also understood the deeper parts of my nature, parts of me I couldn’t explain before she even learned the truth of what I was.
My fists slapped against the leather, my knuckles feeling the pain of it. I needed to function around her again without shaking her, demanding she told me the truth. I had to see how far she’d go to follow through on taking me to Gideon.
Once I’d beaten the bag enough, I did a few miles on the treadmill before shifting to weights. I continued until my muscles ached, glad when a sense of calm came over me. After my run in the woods, once dusk came, I’d feel even more so, prepared for the showdown.
I needed to know if I could trust my mate. I needed to know what she’d choose when it came to it. And as the pain threatened, I vowed to put the safety of the town before my needs.
Before the needs of my mate.
