Page 5 of Their Mate

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “My employers don’t hire fools. They know you’re fast. Efficient. And,” she eyed me knowingly, her voice softening just slightly, “that you have experience with this sort of extraction.”

I flinched involuntarily, pushing back memories of my time in Glasgow when I had to steal supplies from under the noses of military thugs, and when I had to sneak terrified civilians past checkpoints in the dead of night. Those days had scarred more than my body. They’d left an invisible mark on my soul.

“So,” I said, forcing a casual tone. “Where do you want me to drop him off? Belfast? Edinburgh?”

She stepped closer, lowering her voice even further, almost a whisper. “No. You’ll bring him all the way back to London.”

I froze, my heart skipping a beat. “London? You’ve got to be joking.”

Her gaze held mine, unflinching. “I never joke about business.”

“London’s suicide,” I hissed, leaning closer, adrenaline surging through my veins. “The Regency patrols are tighter than ever, and you want me to smuggle a shifter right into the lion’s den?”

She lifted a cool eyebrow. “Scared, Buchanan?”

A grin tugged at my lips. “Been scared all my life. Hasn’t killed me yet.”

She studied me silently for a long, loaded moment, the drizzle pattering softly all around us. “Good,” she finally murmured. “Then we understand each other.”

I sighed, raking a hand through my damp hair. “This isn’t a quick in-and-out job. It’s high-risk. The Regency won’t take kindly to someone bringing a shifter back inside their precious borders.”

She smiled softly, a hint of admiration behind her cool eyes. “Then it’s fortunate they hired someone good enough to not get caught, isn’t it?”

I eyed the bag again. It was enough money to survive for months. Enough to keep running, away from the past, away from every demon that clawed at me in the dark. But what would I be running toward?

My gaze narrowed, suspicion sparking. “Why all this risk, then? What’s he worth to your employers?”

Her answer was quiet, simple, and unmistakably genuine: “More than you know.”

I stared at her, measuring every word. There was the kind of deep and personal pain hidden in her eyes I knew too well.

“All right,” I said finally, reaching out to take the canvas bag from her. “Tell your mysterious employers they’ve got themselves a deal.”

She released it, giving me a brief nod. “Logan Yorke. Alive. Unharmed. Delivered to England discreetly. The money will be doubled upon your success.”

My chest tightened slightly at her words. “Then that’s what they’ll get.”

She turned to leave, shadows swallowing her again, but paused at the alley’s edge. “Be careful, Jamie Buchanan,” she called quietly over her shoulder. “There’s more at stake here than just money.”

I watched her vanish into the gloom, her words lingering heavily in the air.

“There’s always more,” I muttered softly, tucking the bag securely under my jacket. “That’s what makes it fun.”

CHAPTER 3

One year ago…

Declan O’Shea

Smoke drifted lazily up from our small fire, mixing with the cool scent of damp earth and pine that filled the air around us. I leaned back against the fallen log, watching the flames flicker, amber and gold, casting dancing shadows across our little campsite.

Behind me, the gentle laughter of Aidan and Kait filled the small clearing, a sound that always made my chest feel warm and full. They were sitting close, their heads bowed together as they shared some quiet, teasing secret. Aidan’s deep, rumbling chuckle was a comforting sound, his eyes bright as Kait whispered something to him, her dark curls brushing lightly against his shoulder.

To my right, Lila smiled warmly at me, her blue eyes catching firelight as she placed a steaming mug of tea in my hands.

“Drink,” she said softly. “You look half-asleep already.”

“I was just resting my eyes,” I joked, taking a sip. The heat seeped into me, pushing back the lingering chill of the evening.