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“She’s fully healed,” Dason replied, and I could tell by the tense way he held himself he wasn’t ready to have this conversation. We were in our own little bubble, neither of us ready to face the hardships that awaited us on the outside.
“Dason, I need to talk to her. Kota, give me the phone!” I heard Axel in the background, trying to get control of the cell.
“Hold on, I’ll put it on speaker.” Something shuffled on the other end, and then Axel spoke again.
“I’ve been trying to track you guys for hours, but I got nothing.” Axel sounded haunted. “No trace. No sign. I still can’t get a read on either of you. Where the fuck are you?”
“We’re off the grid, and for good reason.” Dason didn’t mince his words, keeping it short, sweet, and vague. I didn’t know where we were either, but it hadn’t been pressing until now. All I cared about was that we were safe. Nothing else, not even this crumbling little house, mattered beyond that.
“We thought—” Chayton audibly swallowed. “When we couldn’t feel her or find a trace of you guys… it’s been almost twenty-four hours.”
“We thought the fucking worst,” Jolon added. I could picture them all huddling close to get an update, and it warmed my literally cold heart.
“We all did. Is everyone there okay? Syler?” Dason finally asked the question that had been burning in my mind this entire time.
“He’s here too and just as worried about Lorn. Don’t worry, we’re all fine, Dase,” Jolon assured him, adopting his nickname. “Nothing Kota wasn’t able to heal for us. We just want to get everyone back together. Being separated from Lorn… it’s fucking torture.”
I sighed in relief. They were okay. I was okay… kind of. Either way, we’d all survived, and that was what was important.
Dason filled them in on what had happened, leaving out the part where I’d been turned.
How were we supposed to tell them that over the phone? That had to be worse than breaking up with someone over voicemail or a text message, or learning someone close to you had died via Facebook. Some information needed to be shared in person, face to face. However, my stomach dropped as I tried to imagine their reaction.
They were all free now, available to walk away from me as if we were mere acquaintances.
My stomach churned.
Would they even want a vampire as a mate? Or was I now some kind of hybrid? A mut? A witch, a shadow touched, and a vampire? It sounded like the beginning of a bad joke.
I rolled over, taking the sheets with me.
Dason stood in front of the window, silhouetted by the orange glow of the sunset that peeked through light blocking curtains. My eyes stung from the evening sunlight—like opening your eyes underwater in a super chlorinated pool—but the view was worth it. Using one hand, he stepped into a pair of sweatpants, jostling the phone on his shoulder as he pulled them over his taut ass and onto his hips.
I was thirsty for him, and that suddenly had new meaning. I almost snorted to myself, but I kept quiet.
“Are you both safe?” Jolon inquired, his voice full of alpha authority.
“We wouldn’t be having this conversation if she wasn’t safe.” Dason tensed briefly, then I watched as his back relaxed one muscle at a time. “How are things there? Can we come home?”
“No,” Kota growled, and for a second, my heart squeezed like it was in a vise, thinking he didn’t want me back, but then he continued, “Those assholes are still all over the place, waiting for her. Since this is technically Efram’s territory, he’s issued a warning for everyone who’s not pack to get the fuck off his land. Some of them have heeded the advice, but there are those willing to chance the wrath of the shifters if it means claiming a mate.”
“They infiltrated the wards around the house,” Chayton informed his alpha. “We secured the cabin itself no more than an hour ago, that’s where we are now, but I wouldn’t feel safe bringing Lorn back here. We need a backup plan.”
“We were hoping to hear from you, Dase. It’s been a fucking nightmare not knowing if you guys were alright,” Jolon inserted. “Kota was just finishing healing us when you called. The guys and I are going to pack some essentials, but I think it’s time we found somewhere else to stay for a while.”
“We can come to you,” Axel offered, and I tensed.
Dason turned, and we locked eyes. “Give me a few hours.”
“A few hours?” Axel challenged, and Chayton shushed him, scolding him for questioning his alpha.
“Pack what you can, and that includes food. Take as much as you can carry. I’ve got a place in mind, but we can’t move until the sun sets.”
“Why the fuck not?” Kota growled.
“What are we, ninjas?” Axel spat at the same time.
Even from a distance, Axel relieved my tension with his humor, though I knew this time he wasn’t trying to be funny. Still, it made me press my lips together to hold back a smile, and that was a feat with the variety of emotions roaring through me.
