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My phone buzzed with messages from Dakota and I checked in briefly, replying to each check-in message as they came in. Each one sounded more and more worried until I snapped and told him to quit hassling me and let me finish my work. Admittedly, I felt bad about that.
Kade: Deliveries all done. I’m heading home.
Dakota: We need to talk before your route tomorrow.
“I’m taking you off it, it’s too risky,” Dakota was resolute, and I nearly didn’t have the energy to argue. My hands shook. I’d nearly slept through my alarm, and my mind was foggy. “Kade!” Dakota knelt at my feet, his hands reaching for me. I wanted to flinch away as he cupped my face, examining my amber eyes. “You don’t look well. Maybe you should see a healer.”
Gingerly, I pulled away then, the spark of stubbornness giving me strength. “I don’t need a healer. I have a day off tomorrow, so I’m going to do my route and go home, okay?”
“I already said you’re not doing Sweetwater again. It isn’t safe.”
Not prepared to argue with him, I got to my feet and left the office, Dakota trailing behind me, spluttering denials and threats.
Same as the day before, my van was already packed and sorted, a couple of ogres nearby giving me smiles. “Ah! my favorite peeps. You spoil me!”
I looked at Dakota then, trying to keep a smug smile off my face. There was no way he was asking them to take it all off again. “I’ll come to drop my device in on the way back and let you know how it went, okay?” I went for a soothing tone.
“Fine. Text me,” he muttered and went to his office. This time the door did slam and someone squealed.
Behind the wheel of my van, I felt better. As I drove, I ate a piece of candy and sang along to the radio. I wondered if I was getting sick or just feeling overworked. I’d worked six days straight and really needed some time off.
Not wanting to face the drama at the pack compound, I did the rest of the deliveries first. Total pain in the ass because of how everything was arranged in the back, but worth the blood, sweat, and tears to have that breathing room. If I got turned away from the compound, enforcers would follow me until I was a safe distance away from the pack. That would not be in Sweetwater proper delivering goods.
I was an exhausted, sweaty, and trembling mess by the time I reached the compound gates and faced a different enforcer. I couldn’t pick up on his scent as I rolled down the window, but I was guessing an alpha. There was something about how the dark-haired man stood. He also wore shades like the last one, so I got nothing from his eyes. Fantastic.
“Hey, I have a couple of deliveries,” I said, trying to put a cheerful face on, feeling anything but that.
“I.D” His voice was vaguely familiar, but I dismissed it.
Handing it over for inspection, I prayed he’d see the note and just let me through.
If I hadn’t been watching so carefully, I would have missed how he stiffened. He turned and raked his gaze over me again, his nostrils flaring as he drew in more of my scent.
“Out of the van,” he ordered.
Fuck.There was no point in arguing. I unclipped my seatbelt and got out, putting my phone in the back pocket of my baggy jeans.
I stumbled a little as we walked to a golf cart and the enforcer clasped my elbow to help me keep my feet. “Thanks,” I muttered.
We were silent as we rode the distance to the main house. The building loomed large and white in front of us. We parked right out front, the blue door closed and bracketed by more enforcers. “Wait here,” my guard told me as he went to speak to the people at the door, a fierce-looking red-haired female and a vaguely amused-looking blond man. They spoke for a minute, the blond heading inside to do whatever he’d been told by the alpha enforcer.
The alpha returned. “Follow me,” he said, immediately turning his back to me and marching into the house.
Nearly tripping over my own feet, I swallowed down my nausea and followed.
I didn’t pay attention to my surroundings as I trailed the alpha. I just wanted to get whatever questioning done and get out of dodge so I missed the looks of the pack as I was led to a large office space.
The enforcer knocked on the open door to attract the attention of the man at the desk. “Alpha Blake, the delivery driver I was telling you about,” he said.
“Thank you, Deke, come in.” The man’s voice was cool and deep, immediately soothing something in my soul.
Alpha Blake glanced up then, sky-blue eyes meeting my amber ones. I trembled. My knees went weak as I struggled to stay standing. I called on my wolf for help but found it missing and I gulped for air.
The room swirled around me and went black before I hit the floor unconscious.
