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“Right,” she said. A change between them. It was what she wanted, wasn’t it? They sat in silence for the next few miles, the feel of Theo’s gaze still hot on her skin.
“Do you think Knox will be there?” Theo asked after a while.
“I don’t know. Maybe.” It wasn’t a complete lie. Knox was hiding out in an old nymph house somewhere near the pack, but she didn’t know the exact location. She only hoped his pack was as ignorant as she was.
“I hope he’s fucking useful. Otherwise, this is all a waste of time.” He fidgeted in his seat. Nervous energy radiated off of him.
“I know he hurt you. But things are different now.”
He huffed. “Yeah, things always go so well with my brothers.” He gestured toward the scar running down his face. Rafe had been the one to put it there, but both brothers had done plenty of damage to Theo over the years.
Phoebe pressed her hand to his cheek, and he leaned into her touch. She ran a thumb over the raised skin, and a low growl hummed in Theo’s throat.
“It’s going to be okay,” she murmured.
He pulled away. “We’ll see.”
He was anxious about going back. Of course he was.
She couldn’t really blame Theo for not trusting Knox, but if she was being honest, she blamed all three brothers for what had happened that night. They all had gotten in the ring. They all fought, all lashed out at their own flesh and blood.
“You don’t think Lena is with Knox, do you?” he asked, picking the conversation up again. “He’s not really the kidnapping and hiding-out type.”
“Umm … true, he’s not really the type,” she hedged. Knox wasn’t known for mingling with humans or others outside of his pack. Kidnapping was definitely out of character. A sure sign of his desperation.
She should probably steer the conversation away from Knox, but she would talk about anything that didn’t have to do with trial periods, sex with your best friend, or the dreaded M word. She still didn’t know if she wanted Theo to say it or if she never wanted to hear or think of that word ever again.
All she wanted was the unsettled prickling under her skin to stop.
She wanted the thrumming in her veins to quit it.
She wanted her heart to stop racing every time she looked at him.
She slid her sunglasses over her eyes. She could see Theo this way, but at least he was dimmer.
They drove in silence for a while until some of the tension had left them. It wouldn’t take long to get to the pack lands. There would be no distracting Theo today. It was the fifth day since Lena went missing. Gert promised Knox a week. Phoebe just had to lie for a few more days and this would all be over.
Fee studied his face as he drove. “You and Rafe … you’ve forgiven each other? For everything that happened?”
“I wouldn’t go that far. But … I don’t know, I guess I don’t actually want him to feel like shit.”
“Wow.”
“I know. Real mushy family stuff.”
Fee laughed. Maybe that meant there was hope for the other brother too. Maybe Theo wouldn’t react as badly as she’d assumed.
“Are you nervous about going back?”
Theo’s hands clenched and unclenched around the steering wheel even as he kept his tone light. “Not really.”
“Theo.”
“Phoebe.”
“It’s okay if you’re nervous. It’s been a long time.”
He squirmed in his seat and Phoebe waited for the brush-off, the evasion she was sure would happen.
