Page 25 of Brutal Alpha’s Sold Mate (Starfire Hollow Alphas #4)

After a frantic search that feels like an eternity, I come across a younger wolf who claims to have seen a figure matching her description heading out of town.

Not carried—just walking fast. Confusion floods me.

Why would she leave me behind? Unless she was threatened or blackmailed. Either way, I’m not letting her go.

I race to the truck and peel out of the parking area. My only clue is that she was spotted on the road leading north. That route eventually connects to River Valley’s territory. My wolf snarls, half convinced someone from there seized the chance to snag her.

The drive is a blur of angry suspicion. By the time I reach the next town over, sweat slicks my brow. I slow the truck, eyeing the sidewalks as I drive. Then I see her familiar silhouette near the entrance to a tidy building. And she’s not alone.

Damien Lucas stands beside her. Alpha of River Valley, wealthy, influential, and the man I’m supposed to have an understanding with. My anger flares. The sight of him with Kai, standing so casually, is like a punch in the gut. My wolf demands I confront them. So I do.

I park the truck haphazardly and leap out. “Kai!” My voice cracks with a mix of fury and relief.

She spins, eyes wide. Damien glances my way, and a few bystanders shuffle away, obviously sensing tension.

I stride up to them with my chest pounding. “What the hell is going on? Were you kidnapped? Did he lure you here?”

Damien lifts an eyebrow. “If I kidnapped her, we wouldn’t be standing out in the open, would we?”

“Shut it,” I snap, focusing on Kai. “Why did you run? I tore the whole town apart looking for you.”

She presses her lips together, and something like guilt flashes across her face. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t let you stop me. It was now or never.”

“Stop you from what?” My voice cracks again.

Damien positions himself half a step forward, like he’s ready to shield her if I lose my temper. “She’s not your prisoner, Theo.”

I glare. “She’s my—” The word mate hovers on my tongue, but I can’t bring myself to say it. She is my mate, in a twisted, forced sense, but more than that, she’s someone I care about. And she left me. “Kai, talk to me,” I plead.

She takes a slow breath. “I asked Damien to help me get to East Hills. He’s an ally. And to clarify… I belong to East Hills.” Her gaze holds firm, though I see her heartbreak behind it. “I’m one of their best warriors, in case you didn’t guess. My brother Quincey is their beta.”

The revelation slams into me. Sure, I knew she was skilled. She even told me at some point that she was important, but I never fully pieced it together. “You’re… what?”

Damien crosses his arms, stepping aside to let her speak for herself. She keeps her focus on me. “I was part of the top fighters, a name people whispered about. That’s who I am. Not just some random rogue you found.”

My mind races. “Then why hide it?”

She flinches. “Would you have treated me the same if I told you from day one that I’m East Hills royalty? Or would you have locked me in a nice cage, hoping to leverage me for some political gain?”

A strangled growl rumbles in my throat. “I’m not that cruel.”

Her face falls a notch. “I never said you were. But I couldn’t risk it. Not after everything that happened with Malcolm and Wiley.”

I look at Damien, seething. “And you’re helping her. I thought we had a truce. That potion is for my cooperation with the slavers. Why meddle with my… my mate?”

He lifts a shoulder. “She asked for safe passage, and I have a longstanding history with her brother. My territory is neutral ground for travelers headed to East Hills. Besides, I’m no fan of kidnapping or forced arrangements, so I would’ve agreed, anyway. The rest is her choice.”

Kai glances at him in gratitude, then back at me. “I ran because I can’t stand by while you risk your life in a war with your brothers. I need to see my pack. I have to let them know I’m alive, and maybe they can help. Help you, if you’d just let them.”

I’m too stunned to respond right away. The swirl of revelations—her true identity, her alliance with River Valley, her plan to possibly bring East Hills into my family feud—makes my head spin.

My wolf bristles, torn between rage that she left me and relief that she isn’t lying unconscious somewhere.

“You should’ve told me,” I whisper. “I might’ve understood.”

She tears her gaze away. “No, you wouldn’t have. You’re too fixated on your own war. I wanted to spare myself from seeing you destroyed, if that’s where you’re heading. Bringing my pack in is the only thing I could think of to save you from yourself.”

Damien clears his throat pointedly. “If you two want to keep yelling, do it somewhere else. The wolves in my territory don’t appreciate brawls in the street.”

I glare at him, then exhale, trying to collect my scattered thoughts. My eyes flick to Kai. “So you’re leaving. For East Hills. For good?”

Her hesitation is minimal. “I don’t know. I just know I can’t watch you march to your death. But if you want to talk, if you want to consider a real alliance with East Hills, we can find a middle ground. Come with me, Damien.”

I blink, taken aback by the invitation. It sounds a little crazy—just me, following her like a puppy, showing up on the doorstep of a pack I’ve never even met.

Yet, a sliver of my heart jumps at the idea of getting to know her better, outside the walls of Black Cauldron.

Maybe I’ll discover things about her that I never would’ve imagined, and maybe she’ll see things about me that surprise her.

“What do you say?” she asks softly, looking hopeful.

I look at her, then Damien, who shrugs, impassive. “It’s not my choice. This is your family’s mess, Theo. Your call.”

I stare at them, weighing the risks. Then, slowly, I nod.

“All right,” I grumble. “Let’s go.”