Page 7 of Betrayed Mate (Rejected Fate Trilogy #1)

CHAPTER SEVEN

I froze as Ryker straightened beside my bed. My head screamed that he was going to hurt me—after all, if my fated mate could turn his back on me, why wouldn’t someone like him ?

My hand clenched, ready to throw a punch, but something he was holding caught my eye.

A purple shirt that was clearly a woman’s cut.

I let out a gasp before I could stop myself.

He winced. “I didn’t mean to wake you.” He placed the shirt on the small table in front of me. “I just wanted to make sure your heartbeat was steady and leave out an outfit so, when you woke, you could change and get comfortable.” He reached back into the bag and brought out a pack of panties.

“It’s fine.” I sat up quickly. Even though I’d never worn any of the items before, a man touching my underwear seemed very intimate. I didn’t want to consider which one of them had picked them out, even though I had a sneaking suspicion. Nope… I would not be going there. Still, his thoughtfulness didn’t fit what I knew about him. I didn’t like him acting out of character; it made me unsure where I stood with him. “I can go through the bag, though I appreciate your help.”

He shrugged, dropping the clothes on the floor. “Fine with me. I just didn’t want you to fall and cause your healing to take longer.”

Okay, that reasoning made way more sense to me and did fit what I expected from him. “Don’t worry. You’re not the only one ready to get going.” I moved my body, waiting for the world to spin around me. Everything stayed firmly in place, and I could feel an extra jolt pulsing through my blood. I wasn’t cold any longer, and I almost felt normal. “How long have I been out?”

“Twenty-four hours.” Ryker rocked back on his heels. “We were beginning to worry about you, but after everything you’ve gone through, you probably need another day’s rest before you’re up to leaving. Let me make you a sandwich before you go back to sleep.”

My stomach gurgled. I couldn’t afford to let my emotions get the best of me. I hadn’t been eating correctly since Reid had dumped me, and that last part was the least of my concerns. Right now, my goal was locating Briar and then ensuring that I took everything from Reid. Though I refused to become a murderer, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t find my sister and let him believe he’d won. Another thing I’d need to figure out once my sister was safely back with me.

“Eating sounds good, but I think I’m better.” I tossed off the thin white sheet I’d slept under and placed my feet on the cool floor. The fact that I was commando in another man’s shirt made me want to cross my arms, but that would only make the situation worse by causing the shirt to ride up higher.

He narrowed his eyes before moving around the table to the refrigerator. He pulled out some roast beef and cheese before snagging a plate and bread. “No wolf shifter could heal that quickly. I understand wanting to rush to get answers, trust me, but if you leave before you're ready, you’ll only slow us down.”

I gritted my teeth. I didn’t appreciate him talking to me like that. He wasn’t my alpha, nor did I need his permission to do anything. “And if we take too long, the trail will be cold. I need to go back and see what’s left of my pack. Maybe there are clues to where Briar is, or maybe she’s even waiting for me there.” She’d know I’d come back searching for her and answers. “What if my sister is there and in danger because of it? Reid could be watching the area.” Saying the words made my chest tighten. I knew what I’d seen, and Reid had rejected me, but our packs had always been allies. Him attacking us made no sense, but I couldn’t deny what I’d witnessed.

Ryker put pieces of bread together, snagged another bottled Coke, and walked over. “I can go without you and—”

“The hell you will.” I didn’t trust anyone else to find my sister and keep her safe. We had only each other in this world now. We didn’t know who our true allies were, and I doubted Ryker and his merry group of bandits were on our side. With what had gone down with his own pack and the royals, I had so many questions about their intent. “And I’m telling you—I might not be back to my full strength, but I am strong enough to go.” Even if I needed to fight, I believed I could handle it now. “I wouldn’t risk it otherwise.” That was the truth. Even if Briar was there and had escaped notice, me coming in unable to fight if needed could be a death sentence for us both.

He handed the items to me, and I took a swig of the Coke before eating. I’d prefer water, but I understood why he was giving me soda—the sugar, calories, and caffeine.

He crossed his arms and watched me eat. I didn’t like being inspected, but I also knew what he was doing—trying to prove that I wasn’t fit to leave.

The sandwich was dry since he hadn’t used any condiments, but I still ate it, staring him in the eye the entire time. I wouldn’t cower to him or anyone, not anymore…especially not Reid. I shouldn’t have run that night like a weakling. I should’ve done something when he rejected me, but I had no clue what. Everything had caught me off guard, and had I known the true consequences of tucking my tail and leaving, I would’ve handled it differently.

The past was the past, and I couldn’t change it. But damn, I sure wished I could. The coldness from where the pack links had been made me want to shudder. Instead, I took another swig of Coke, knowing any sign of me being off balance would have Ryker riding my ass again.

Once I drained the liquid, I stood and pulled down the shirt to midthigh. I handed him the empty plate and bottle, and he arched both eyebrows. My fingers accidentally brushed his, and my stomach fluttered.

Great. Indigestion. Another problem I need right now.

He smirked as I dropped my hands, and this time, my heart skipped a beat. Hopefully, that wasn’t a sign of a stroke because I could not be feeling any sort of sensations when it came to him .

“Anything else you need me to take off your hands?” he teased and scanned the shirt that had been loaned to me.

My face burned, but I refused to give him more of a reaction than that. “Give me a minute, and I’ll have something else I need off my hands.” I took the purple shirt he’d laid out and grabbed the Walmart bag before stalking toward the bathroom.

A tingling on my neck told me he was watching me the entire way, so I made sure to not miss a step. I forced myself not to slam the door shut either, not wanting him to know he was getting to me. Then I quickly dressed in the clothes they’d gotten me. Luckily, they’d bought me a bra and panties that were sealed.

The front door opened just as I rejoined Ryker. He’d already washed the dish and put it back in its place.

The other three men turned their attention to me.

“Are you sure she’s well enough to go with us?” Xander’s brow furrowed. “She was—”

“ She is right here and fine.” He was talking about me as if I weren’t even in the room. I shook my body and straightened once more. “See?”

“All I saw was a pretty girl looking like the rhythm caught up to her poorly.” Gage grimaced. “It’s a damn good thing you’re hot enough to pull off crazy.”

Kendric hung his head while Xander just glared at Gage.

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that compliment slash insult, so I pretended he hadn’t said a word. “My point is if I’d done that yesterday, I’d have fallen over. The room didn’t even spin an inch. I’m fine. I wouldn’t do anything stupid.”

“We should give you at least another few hours—” Xander started.

“If she says she’s fine, then that’s it.” Ryker shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. “I’m not going to waste more time arguing, and honestly, the sooner we get there, the better. Remember how quickly the scents faded?” He tilted his head forward, completing the thought with his action alone.

It didn’t take a brain surgeon to guess that he was referencing the night of the attack they’d escaped from.

“Fine, but she stays near me.” Kendric puffed out his chest as if he expected Ryker to argue with him.

“Works for me.” Ryker removed a set of keys from his pocket. “Let’s get moving. We can be there in an hour and a half, right before lunch. Hopefully, if they’re watching, we’ll spook them into action in broad daylight so no one can easily hide in the shadows.”

He did have a point there. Even though we could see well at night in our wolf forms, it was still dark and easier to hide.

My stomach dropped when I realized I had to ask for something else. “Did you, by chance, find me any shoes to wear?” They’d gotten me three pairs of jeans and shirts, but I hadn’t seen any footwear.

“Yup.” Gage bent and produced a bag that had been partially hidden by the sheet I’d tossed off earlier. “These.”

They were cheap plastic flip-flops, but they would work perfectly if I needed to shift quickly. I could fling them off without ruining them. “Thanks. Just let me know how much I owe you so I can pay you back when I can.”

“You helping us determine who slaughtered your pack will be payment enough, believe me.” Ryker smiled darkly. “Now let’s go.” He hurried out the door without bothering to see if we followed.

I expected the guys to be right on his heels, but the three of them remained standing while the door closed.

“He’s getting that weird vibe again.” Gage rubbed his forehead.

Kendric nodded. “That’s why I said Ember stays with me.”

A lump formed in my throat as what could only be concern lined their faces. What the hell was going on? “Is there something I need to know?” If they didn’t trust me around Ryker, why had we been left alone in the house?

“He won’t hurt you. You don’t need to worry about that.” Xander grinned weakly.

That grin had dread pooling heavily in my stomach. There was something more, but they weren’t going to share it with me. I wasn’t their pack, after all.

We were wasting time. I slid on the flip-flops and marched out the door after Ryker. I found him unlocking a white Suburban and climbing into the driver’s seat.

Within seconds, I slid into the very back of the vehicle, where I could lie down. Even though I did feel mostly better, I would take advantage of the hour-long nap I could have on my way there.

Gage sat in the passenger seat with Kendric behind him and Xander behind Ryker. As soon as everyone got settled and Ryker began driving, I lay down and closed my eyes, trying to rest.

Instead, my brain kept racing. I relived the attack and Briar’s and my escape. I couldn’t shake the idea that there was something strange about the attack, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Still, each time I remembered Reid lunging at Rosa, bile inched up and burned my throat like I might vomit.

Tears stung my eyes, but I held them back despite the coldness in my chest.

“Man, you’re worrying us.” Gage sighed. “You’ve got that scary look in your eyes you get every time we go searching.”

“It’s not only the four of us in here,” Ryker snapped. “You shouldn’t be speaking out loud.”

“I wouldn’t be if you hadn’t locked your pack link down so we can’t talk to you. I’m doing it the only way possible.”

Then there was silence, which made me realize that they must have started to communicate through their pack link again. He’d rather hear what they had to say than risk me overhearing it, which made me more determined to find out what secrets they were keeping. They all seemed concerned about Ryker, but why? If they were innocent, they would share what they knew and why they hadn’t been there when the royal pack and their own pack had died. Instead, no one knew anything.

I wanted to scream at the unanswered questions in my head. Maybe I shouldn’t have trusted them to help me find Briar, but what other choice did I really have? I didn’t have money, an ID, or a credit card. It would take time to replace some of those items, and I didn’t have the means to locate Briar as easily without them.

A familiar sharp turn rocked the vehicle. One that meant we were close to my pack lands.

I expected Ryker to stop so we could walk the rest of the way, but he kept driving.

Sitting upright, I placed a hand on the back of each seat in front of me. “What are you doing? We should travel the rest on foot.”

“So we have to run miles back to the car if we’re attacked?” Ryker glanced in his rearview mirror. “Not happening. We need the vehicle close in case we need to get away. They’re slaughtering entire packs somehow, so we need a quick escape route.”

I sucked in a breath. He did have a point.

After a few more miles, the pack neighborhood came into view. My heart seemed incapable of beating, thanks to how heavy and cold it became. I struggled enough with the memories. I hadn’t expected the terror of that night to return now that I was back.

“Shit,” Gage shouted. “Cover her eyes, now!”

What was he talking about? I leaned forward so I could see out the front window better…and then my heart seized in my chest.