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“I told her someone would come for us,” the leopard shifter says softly as she stares at my unmoving mate. “She was losing hope, but I knew.”
Her expression is pained as she stares at my mate, the male beside her silently staring out the window. He casts furtive glances toward the woman in my arms but I can’t deal with that right now.
“It seems we may have been just in time,” Godrick replies. “How long have you been here?”
“I was captured just over a year ago. Emmaleigh once said she thought she had been there five years,” she replies before looking at the young man with sadness. “From how the guards talk, I think Thomas was born at one of the compounds but he was brought here last month.”
I can feel the anger rolling off Godrick in waves. I watch as his wolf pushes to get through, the magic of the shift shimmering all around him but Godrick remains in control.
“Fucking hell!” He pounds the steering wheel angrily, his breaths leaving him harshly.
It isn’t hard to guess that he is thinking of not only his own sons but also Raleigh and Sayer. He is going to be harder to control the deeper we get into this Hunter bullshit.
This entire mess will get so much worse before it starts getting better.
Chapter Three
Emmaleigh
Three Days Later
When I wake up I know that I am most definitely not in the Hunters’ compound anymore. The problem is I am also not dead, or at least I hope I’m not. My body aches and my throat is on fire. Isn’t the pain supposed to end once a person dies? Perhaps this is purgatory?
The door to the room opens and my instincts take over. Rolling from the bed I crouch in the corner, keeping my back against the wall. My gaze collides with that of a petite but curvy blonde woman. In her hands a tray of food that smells so delicious my stomach growls loudly.
A soft smile curves the woman’s lips as she places the tray on the center of the bed. Stepping back, she takes a seat in a fuchsia wingback chair next to the window. We study each other carefully, we are not quite sure how to approach or feel about each other.
Fear and trepidation hold me captive in my spot. Is this a ploy by the Hunters? Are they stooping so low as to use other shifters to do their dirty work for them?
“My name is Peyton,” the woman says. “I am the Luna for the Katu pack. My people found you in a cell in the Hunters’ compound and brought you here.”
I stare at her in disbelief, struggling to believe anything she is saying. What are the chances that Rose was right? That we would get rescued the same day I finally gave up living?
“Rose?” I croak out, the word painfully falling from my lips, my dry throat scratching.
“She is also here,” Peyton smiles. “She has made fast friends with some of the other women and is spending time with our pack elder.”
I nod, slowly standing from the crouching position I was holding. I allow myself a moment to take in my surroundings. The room is small but well-furnished, decorated in white with a few accents of fuchsia and royal blue. I can’t remember ever seeing anything this pretty. Even before I was taken from my pack, I never had anything like this. The walls are painted a light purple color and I feel like crying at not having to see white walls anymore.
“You’re safe here,” Peyton says, standing from her seat. “Eat and relax. If you want to shift and go for a run I’m available to join you—if you want—until you know the area a little better. There’s a bathroom across the hall if you feel like grabbing a shower and I’ve put some clothes in the dresser for you.”
I stare at her in disbelief. What kind of place is this? Why are these people being so nice to me? And then it hits me. I have lost all faith in humanity. I fully expect everyone that comes into my orbit to hurt me.
My heart breaks and a tear rolls down my cheek.
Peyton looks at me sadly but doesn’t approach me. “I’ll give you some privacy.”
She closes the door behind her and I take a seat on the bed, staring at the food she brought me. I appreciate the gesture and grab a piece of bacon when my stomach rumbles. I have no idea where I am or who these people are but I need all my strength if I intend to find out.
After finishing half the food Peyton left, I glance out the door to make sure it’s not a trap. Once I’m sure no one is waiting to ambush me, I head across the hall to the bathroom.
Inside, I lock the door behind me, making sure to keep everyone out. The shower is huge, tiled in white with glass walls on either side. Slipping the dirty t-shirt and shorts from my body, I step beneath the spray, allowing the luxurious water to wash away the dirt. Praying that it will take every painful memory with it as it flows down the drain.
But I know that the damage done to me, mentally and physically, will remain with me for years to come. Under the spray I allow myself a private moment of pure weakness. Sliding down the tile wall, I sit on the floor with my arms wrapped around my knees and cry. I weep for the woman I once was, for the life that was ripped away from me, for the friends and family I may never seen again, and most of all, I weep for my wolf. Lost to me forever.
****
Nico
