Page 7 of Alphas Never Hide

Wasn’tthat just typical of my luck?I’descaped one psychopath only to be found by another.

Iwasn’t about to provoke the man who let me use his phone by asking questions like “are you a pathological liar” or “can you feel remorse” to confirm my suspicions.Nope.Ididn’t need to raise his ire by asking questions like that.Besides, only one in every thousand psychopaths gave in to the temptation to become a serial killer.Yeah, okay, that number was somethingImade up.Ihad no idea, but it made me feel better to believe very few psychopaths killed people.

Inthe meantime,Iwould play his game becauseIneeded help, and this was my best shot.Iresisted the overwhelming urge to sign in to my socials and my emails to check ifIhad any messages.Ididn’t want any of my information on his phone, althoughIdoubted he’d know how to find it or use it.So, instead,Itapped the phone number for the police station.Itrang and rang and…

Comeon, come on, come on.Answeralready.

Whywas this taking so long?Ineeded to get away from this guy before he changed his mind about being nice to me.Ialso didn’t want to stick around in these woods much longer.Thoseother shitty wolves shouldn’t have discoveredIwas missing yet, but what if they had?Honestly, escaping from them had been the only thing to go my way in ages.Iwasn’t about to trust my good luck to stick around.Notjust yet.Itcould still turn on me any second now.

Someoneanswered my call.Finally.

“Whereare you,Hayden?”Whereverthis guy was, it was loud. “Buddysaid you had something going on, butIdon’t believe it.Getyour ass down here.Jeremyis talking about hockey and so far, no one’s let him know we play shinny on the lake every winter.Thequestions the guys are asking are hilarious.Hehasn’t figured out they are pulling his leg yet.”

Ipulled the phone away to check the number.Yep.Thiswas the numberSupenethad listed for the police department.So…? “Isthis theWillowLakePoliceDepartment?”

Along pause followed my question.Theambient sound on his end cut off abruptly. “Whoare you and where isHayden?”

Inthe background,Icould hear people whispering about an alpha.

“I’mfine,Van,” the wolfI’dkicked—apparently his name wasHayden—called out. “Butwe need help.”

“What’shappened?”Vandemanded.Eventhrough the phone, his question resonated with thinly contained anger. “PutHaydenon the line.”

Damnit.IfIgave over the phone,I’dlose my advantage.SoIignored his request. “Ineed the police.ShouldIcall 911?”

“Letme talk toHayden.Areyou holding him hostage?”

“Seriously?”Isnorted.LikeIcould hold a big guy like him hostage.Whata laugh.Icouldn’t even knock him out with my hoof, forMagic’ssake.

“Seriously,” the man said sharply.

“Fine.”Ireluctantly gave the phone to the wolf.Iscowled at him to make sure he knew he needed to behave.Itwitched my foot in his direction, just a little reminder that if he didn’t help me, he’d get another kick.I’daim for his nuts this time.Haydenleaned away from me and stared at my foot the same way my mother had once stared at a rattlesnake we’d stumbled across in the grass.

“I’mfine,Van,”Haydensaid.

Icouldn’t hear what the other guy said.

“YouknowI’mnot lying.Iwas running the perimeter whenIscented blood.Ifollowed it to this…Idon’t know what he is.”

Icrossed my arms over my chest. “Seriously?I’ma faun or satyr.Iprefer faun, which is theRomanname for my kind, but theGreekis fine.Andwhat do you mean you don’t know whatIam?Faunsare everywhere.We’rein mythology,TheChroniclesofNarnia,CarnivalRow,TheMightyHercules…”Itrailed off when he looked at me likeIwas speaking in tongues.

“Hesays he’s a faun,”Haydensaid.

Vanmust have said something, becauseHaydennodded.Iwished my hearing was better but whatever.I’dlearned to live with my shortcomings. “Yeah.Ididn’t know they existed either.”

Istomped my hoof on the ground and regretted it.Painshot up from my injured ankle and ping-ponged throughevery nerve in my body.Ireached for the tree again to keep myself upright.

Sonof a goat herder.Thathurt.

“Ineed you to come get us.”

Anothermumble from the other side of the conversation hadHaydenlooking around. “Uh.We’rewest of town.Notas far asRobbie’sold pack lands, but out that way.”

Iwiggled my fingers at him again. “Giveme the phone.”

“Holdon,Van,Ryleywants me to give him the phone.”Haydenstretched out his arm, holding the phone out.Iscooped it from his hand.

Iclicked through his few basic apps untilIfound a map app.Iput a pin in our location before talking into the phone again. “CanIsend a text to you at this number, or doIneed to use another?”