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My heart clenched at his words, but I refused to let them break me. I stared him down, ready to fight if necessary. Before I could react, William raised his gun, aiming it right at me.
“William, don’t—!” Kyle shouted. But it was too late.
The gunshot echoed through the room, and I screamed as Kyle lunged forward, taking the bullet meant for me. It hit him in the arm, and he staggered back. Panic surged through me as my brother clutched his bleeding arm.
A fight broke out like a tidal wave of violence, hunters moving toward us with malicious intent. William shouted, “Take the monster, but keep her alive! Kyle is to be left alive, too, foolish boy.”
I wasn’t about to go down without a fight. While Kyle struggled against the hunters, I dodged and evaded their grasps, making my way to Marcos. The boy was tied up with a wolfsbane-soaked rope. My hands burned as I tried to free him, the pain shooting up my arms. Ridge’s voice rang in my head, frantic and demanding to know what was happening.
“I can’t talk right now.”I gritted my teeth through the searing pain in my hands.
“Please, be careful,”he pleaded, but I had little time to acknowledge his concern as I focused on releasing Camila’s brother.
With a final, determined yank, I managed to pull the ropes free just as something smashed into the back of my head. Pain exploded through my skull, and my vision went black.
Chapter 51
Ridge
The wind howled around me, chilling my skin and biting at my nerves. I paced back and forth, my boots crunching on the gravel as I tried to sense anything I could through my connection with Tori. Our fated mate bond was so new that all I could pick up were faint whispers of emotions and barely discernible thoughts. It frustrated me to no end. I wanted to be right beside her as she faced her stepfather.
I paced back and forth, my fists clenched at my sides. How could I have let her go alone? It went against every instinct I had as an alpha, but William’s threat to kill an innocent child had left us with no other choice. Tori was determined to save Camila’s brother, and as much as it pained me, I couldn’t stand in her way.
“Any news?” Dean asked for what like felt the hundredth time, his impatience clearly getting the better of him.
“Nothing,” I said through gritted teeth, trying to keep my own frustration at bay. My connection with Tori was still too new, too weak to be of any real use. All I sensed was her unease, growing stronger with every passing second.
“Man, you’d think she’d at least give us some kind of sign,” Dean muttered, kicking at a small rock on the ground.
“Dean, she’s dealing with the man she grew up believing was her father.” I fought the urge to snap at the vampire. Sometimes, he acted far too damn young for his age. “Her priority is keeping that child safe, not updating us.”
“Fine, fine.” He raised his hands in mock surrender. “I just hate waiting around like this, you know?”
“Believe me, I do know.” I breathed in deep, then slowly let it out a few times, trying to center myself and steady my nerves. “We have to trust her.”
As the minutes ticked by, the knot in my stomach tightened, and my unease began to morph into full-blown panic. What if something happened to her? What if she needed me and I wasn’t there?
“Ridge, you need to relax,” Dean said. “You’re going to drive yourself crazy at this rate.”
“Easy for you to say. Your mate isn’t out there facing God knows what.”
“True, but I’ve been in situations like this before. Trust me, it’s better to stay focused and alert than to let your emotions get the best of you.”
“Focus on what?” I asked bitterly. “We’re just standing here doing nothing.”
“Focus on being ready for whatever comes our way.” Dean’s tone wasn’t that of a petulant child anymore. “Because if something does happen, we need to be prepared to jump into action at a moment’s notice.”
The relentless tension in my muscles and the impatient tapping of Dean’s foot only amplified the oppressive silence. I couldn’t stop worrying about Tori.
“Seriously, Ridge,” Dean blurted out again after what seemed like a lifetime had passed. “What’s happening with Tori? Any updates?”
The thin thread of my patience finally snapped. I turned toward him, baring my teeth as a low growl rumbled through my chest. “I don’t know, Dean. Now be quiet and let me focus.”
He backed away slowly, nodding. Even though he wasn’t a shifter, he understood the message loud and clear.
Trying to regain my composure, I opened and closed my eyes, desperately reaching out through the fragile connection between me and my mate.Come on, Tori, give me something…anything…
A sudden wave of alarm speared down our bond, so intense that it nearly knocked me off my feet. Vaguely, I could sense pain as well, and my heart clenched in fear.“Tori! What’s going on? Are you all right?”
