Page 20 of Anders (The Sunburst Pack #2)

As they turned to leave, Etta suddenly stopped, her head tilting in that unconscious wolf gesture of listening. Do you hear that?

Anders froze, extending his senses. A faint electronic hum had begun emanating from the book they’d just replaced—a sound too quiet for human ears but perfectly audible to a shifter’s enhanced hearing.

It’s activated, he said tersely. Something triggered it—maybe your proximity, or mine.

Before he could say more, Etta gasped, clutching at the back of her neck. The mark was glowing now, visible even through her hair, pulsing with an ominous red light.

It burns, she whispered, panic edging her voice.

He moved quickly, gathering her into his arms. We need to get out of here. Now.

They hurried up the stairs, Anders supporting Etta as the pain from the mark seemed to intensify.

By the time they reached the main floor, she was trembling, her face pale with effort as she fought against whatever the mark was doing to her.

Just a little further, he encouraged, guiding her toward the back door. The car’s right outside.

But as they reached the door, Etta stiffened, her eyes flashing gold, and hissed, Someone’s coming.

He heard it then—the soft crunch of tires on gravel, the quiet purr of an engine being cut off. Someone had pulled into the alley behind the building.

Side door, Anders decided instantly, changing direction. Stay close.

They moved silently toward the alternative exit, Anders’s mind cycling through tactical options. His wolf snarled, protective instincts in overdrive as he sensed the danger to his mate.

They slipped through the side door just as the beam of a flashlight swept across the back entrance. Anders pulled Etta into the shadow of a nearby dumpster, wrapping his arms around her protectively as they waited.

Two figures approached the newspaper office—both male, moving with the practiced efficiency of trained operatives. Even from this distance, Anders could tell they weren’t shifters—their scents were wrong, tinged with chemicals and something else, something manufactured.

Command says the transmitter activated, one of them said, his voice carrying in the quiet night air. The asset may be compromised.

Extraction? the second man asked.

Negative. Observation only. If asset is compromised, we activate the Epsilon Protocol and withdraw.

Etta tensed in Anders’s arms, and he tightened his hold, silently willing her to remain still. The men entered the building through the back door, disappearing from view.

The Epsilon Protocol? Etta whispered, her voice barely audible even to Anders’s enhanced hearing.

Anders shook his head, frowning. I don’t know, but I don’t like the sound of it. We need to get you as far away from here as possible.

They moved carefully through the shadows, making their way to where Anders had parked his vehicle several blocks away. Every step seemed to pain Etta more, the mark on her neck glowing with increasing intensity.

By the time they reached the car, she was leaning heavily against him, her breath coming in short gasps.

Something is trying to make me shift, she managed as Anders helped her into the passenger seat. Why would they want that?

Anders started the engine, pulling away from the curb with deliberate normalcy to avoid drawing attention.

Are you okay?

It hurts.

Fight it, he said, though he knew how difficult that must be. Focus on staying human until we’re somewhere safe.

Etta nodded, her jaw clenched. Where are we going?

Not back to my place, Anders decided. They might know about our connection by now. We need somewhere they wouldn’t expect.

He drove through town, taking a circuitous route to ensure they weren’t being followed. All the while, he kept a wary eye on Etta, noting how her features seemed to flicker between human and wolf as she fought against the forced partial shift.

As they drove past the town limits, heading into the wilder parts of pack territory, Anders said, There’s a safe house about twenty minutes from here. Malcolm and Larissa don’t even know about it—it’s something I set up on my own, off the books.

Etta managed a small smile despite her pain. Always prepared.

It’s my job to anticipate threats, Anders said with a shrug. And to have contingency plans.

He reached across the center console to take her hand, needing the physical connection. This is more than my job. I need you to know that.

She squeezed his hand weakly. I do know. I feel it too.

The road grew rougher as they left the maintained highways behind, bumping along an old forestry service route that saw little use, moving up to higher land. Anders navigated with practiced ease, years of patrolling this territory making the journey second nature even in the dark.

Finally, they turned onto what appeared to be nothing more than a game trail, the car’s headlights illuminating undergrowth on either side. After about a hundred yards, the trees opened up to reveal a small cabin, weathered but solid, nestled against the base of a rocky outcropping.

Here we are, Anders said, cutting the engine. Safe house Alpha-3.

Etta peered through the windshield. How many of these do you have?

Enough, Anders said with a slight smile. A good guardian always prepares for multiple contingencies.

He helped her from the car, noting with concern how her legs trembled beneath her weight. The mark had stopped glowing so brightly, but her features still flickered occasionally between human and wolf, the partial shift refusing to settle in either direction.

Inside, the cabin was Spartan but comfortable—a main room with a small kitchenette, a separate bedroom, and a basic bathroom. Anders had stocked it with emergency supplies, communications equipment, and enough provisions to last several weeks if necessary.

He helped Etta to the couch, easing her down gently before retrieving a first aid kit from a cabinet and kneeling beside her. Let me look at the mark.

She turned, pulling her hair aside to expose her neck. The mark had changed—what had once been a simple, raised scar was now a complex pattern of interconnected lines, still pulsing faintly, its light red beneath her skin.

Anders examined it carefully, his concern growing with each passing moment. This thing has integrated further into your tissue. Responding to the breakdown of the chemical suppression, maybe?

Can we remove it? Etta asked, her voice small.

Not without understanding it better, Anders said reluctantly.

How can we learn more about it while we’re here?

You can practice shifting—on purpose, because you want to. Not on their schedule.

And then?

Anders gave a small shrug and moved to sit beside her, pulling her carefully into his arms. And then…we see what happens. But we know more than we did yesterday. And tomorrow, we’ll know more than we do today.

I hate just waiting.

As he cupped her face in his hands, Anders was struck again by the fierce protectiveness he felt toward this woman who had suddenly become the center of his world. We should rest. Once we have a better idea what we’re dealing with, I’ll contact Malcolm and Larissa. This is bigger than just us now.

Etta nodded, though he could see the trepidation in her eyes at the thought of bringing others into their confidence. Will they help me? Even knowing what I was sent here to do?

They’ll help you because of what was done to you. Our pack protects its own.

I’m not pack, she pointed out.

Anders’s lips curved in a small smile. You are to me.

She leaned against him, finally relaxing slightly as the mark’s activity seemed to decrease. After a moment of silence, she said, I felt something when those men showed up. Like the mark was trying to make me do something. Report to them, maybe?

Your programming trying to reassert itself, Anders theorized. The chemicals might be breaking down, but the behavioral conditioning could still be intact.

What if I can’t fight it? The fear in her voice tore at his heart. What if I end up betraying you? Betraying your pack?

You won’t. You’re stronger than their programming. Every day you’re reclaiming more of yourself.

He brushed her hair from her face, noticing how her eyes had settled back to their normal blue-green. And you’re not alone in this. I’m with you every step of the way.

She looked up at him, vulnerability and determination warring in her expression. I’m afraid. Not just of what they might do to me, but of what I might be when this is all over. If I’m not who I thought I was for my entire life, then who am I?

You’re Etta. Wolf shifter. Survivor… Mate. The last word slipped out without conscious thought, but he didn’t regret it. The rest, we’ll figure out.

She leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his. Thank you for seeing me. The real me, even when I couldn’t see myself.

He held her close on the small couch, feeling her breathing slowly even out as exhaustion claimed her.

Whatever it took, however long it took, he would free Etta from the people who had used her so callously.

And when he found them—the ones responsible for her pain, for violating her mind and body with their experiments—they would learn exactly why wolf shifters had been feared for centuries.

No one hurts my mate and lives to tell about it .