Alpha's Rescue (Shifter Ops 5)

“You did your best,” I said. “You both did.”

Darius’ shoulders soften. “Maybe. I was the one who suggested the town put out a bond. I was young and full of myself. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Now the town’s in debt, and it’s my fault.”

“It’s okay, Darius. You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

“I think I do. You mean something to Teddy.”

It’s my turn to tense. “No, I really don’t.”

“He cares about you.”

“Maybe. But not enough to make things work. He wants me out of his life. When things got complicated, he let me go.”

“Teddy may seem big and tough, but he’s a cinnamon roll. Years ago, he put the family at risk. He doesn’t want to make the same mistake again.”

I riffle through my bag, looking for my chapstick, and come across my broken cell. Matthias has a phone charger coiled in the center console that’s a match to mine, so I pull out my phone and plug it in. “What are you trying to say, Darius?”

“I just want you to understand where Teddy is coming from.”

“Fine. Thanks, I guess. It’s not like I’m going to remember this anyway.”

Darius hesitates, like he wants to say more, but I look out the window. We’re already on the highway. How much time is left before I forget everything? I should be reviewing all my good memories, but I don’t want to arrive at our destination weeping.

Darius keeps glancing in the rear view mirror. Without warning, he cuts his lights and zooms across three lanes of traffic, taking the exit. I fumble for the oh-shit handle, but there isn’t one.

“Darius? What are you doing?”

He downshifts, swerving into a U-turn that has me rocking in the seat.

“I think someone’s following us.”

“What? Where?”

“A black SUV. Back there. We’ll take the back roads.” He checks the rearview mirror compulsively for the next few minutes and finally relaxes. “Lost them.”

My stomach is no longer flipflopping, mostly because I think I left it back on the highway. “Who do you think it is?”

“Some asshole assassin your shithead stepbrother hired.”

“Really?” I crane my neck, but the dark road is clear. I should probably be freaking out, but I seem to have reached my freak out quota for the year. Getting murdered by an assassin couldn’t feel any worse than I do right now. Getting dumped by my Viking. Finding out he wanted to mindwipe me because I screwed up and suggested we bring publicity to Bad Bear.

God, I trusted the guy! I felt safe with him. But I couldn’t have been more endangered.

He tore my heart right in two. And then he sent me off to a vampire.

“How would Bentley even find me?” I ask dully.

Darius scowls at the road ahead of us like it’s harboring killers, and he’s going to shoot them down with his eyeballs. “Cell phone,” he finally barks. “That’s how he’s tracking you.” He rolls down his window, grabs my phone and throws it into the night.

“Hey!” I sit up straight.

“I’ll buy you a new one.”

I settle back in my seat. “It’s okay,” I mutter. “I’m going to be mindwiped, right? I’m probably going to forget everyone I’ve ever known.”

“What?” Darius’ brow furrows. “That’s not how it works. The leech… I mean, the vampire can get down to specific memories. He'll just erase the ones from the past few days.”

“Oh. The word mindwipe sounds so final.”

“Yeah. You’ll forget we’re werebears, but you’ll still remember your life. Matthias told me to take your memories starting at the beginning of the hike. Didn’t he or Teddy explain any of this to you?”

“I’m not speaking to Teddy. Matthias might have, but I was pretty upset and wasn’t listening.”

Darius concentrates on driving for a mile then says quietly, “You love him.”

I grimace and hug my bag tighter. “It doesn’t matter. In a few hours, I won't even remember him.”

“Lana–”

I open my mouth. I just have to say this. “I know Tiffany betrayed him, but I'm not her. I would never do that to him. To any of you. But you don't have to believe me. In a few hours, you’ll all be rid of me.” I turn away from him and say to the window, “I can’t wait.”

“Say it again with a little less anger, and then I'll believe you.”

I whip my head around to look at Darius. He quirks a brow at me, looking so much like Teddy I want to smack him.

“You love him,” he repeats.

“Of course, I love him,” I snap.

Darius shakes his head. “Right.” The next thing I know, he’s slowed Matthias’ sports car and whipped us back around.

I grip the seat, digging my nails into the leather.

“Darius! WTF?” I look for a black SUV or any sort of car, following us, but there’s nothing. The road is empty.

“This is a mistake,” he informs me. “I’m taking you back.”