Of course, it wasn’t permanent. Everyone there was just passing through, using their time at the hospital to rest and gain strength before starting the next leg of their journey. Some of them would travel to other safe houses, while others would head directly to the haven rumored to be in Washington.
Cade had never seen Olympus, but everyone talked about it like it was some magical Eden. The only permanent settlement in North America where Gemini and humans lived in safety and harmony.
“Hey,” Roux greeted when he entered the kitchen through the double, swinging doors. “How is she?”
“Tired. Traumatized.” His stomach rumbled, and his mouth watered at the scents wafting through the room. “I think she’ll be okay, though.”
“Did you find out anything about where she came from?”
“A Hunter camp. She didn’t give a location, but I’m guessing it’s not far from where we found her.”
Roux nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense. I doubt she could have traveled too far with all those injuries.” Her contemplative expression morphed into pure disgust. “I fucking hate Hunters. They give humans a bad name.”
Cade hated them as well, but the depravity they inflicted on the world had nothing to do with being human. Gemini had proven themselves just as capable of cruelty, a fact he’d experienced firsthand. What he was beginning to understand, however, was that there was still a lot of good in the world, and just like evil, it didn’t discriminate when it came to race or creed.
“Hey, can I ask you something?”
“Yeah, sure.” Roux led him over to a long table set up like a buffet that contained silver dishes filled with pancakes, sausages, and even fresh fruit. “What’s up?”
“Did you feel drawn to Deke before you found out you were his mate?”
“Not right at first, but the way we met was a lot different. I thought he was trying to kill me.”
Cade remembered that night in Trinity Grove well. It had seemed like the worst possible thing that could have happened to them, being captured and held against their will, but honestly, it had probably saved their lives.
“I did trust him a lot faster than I probably should have, and I remember feeling safe with him. Which, as you know, made no sense at the time.” She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“I want to protect her,” Cade admitted. “I mean, I don’t even know her, but even being away from her right now is hard.”
“Maybe it’s different with werewolves. I mean, vampires can hear their mate’s thoughts. Deke said that shifter mates have this kind of glow to them. There’s no one-size-fits-all with this.” Her hand came to rest on his forearm, and she squeezed gently. “What I’m trying to say is that whatever you’re feeling is okay. Have you talked to her about it?”
“Not yet.” He couldn’t avoid it forever, but he needed to wrap his head around it first before they dived into that conversation. “I never thought I’d be someone’s mate. Hell, I don’t even know what that means.”
“Well, first, you’re not just her mate. It’s not a one-way street, Cade. She’s your mate, too.”
Cade blinked. He opened his mouth. Closed it. Shook his head. He didn’t know why that hadn’t occurred to him. It should have. Upon further examination, he realized just how true that statement was. Mackenna was his. He’d felt it from the first moment he’d set eyes on her.
He’d lost so many people, let down everyone he’d ever cared about. Having someone else depend on him was terrifying. This time had to be different. He had to do better, less selfish, more proactive.
This time, he couldn’t fail.
Chapter Five
Night had fallen.
They’d spent the past thirty-six hours scouting the shifter camp in the far western part of the state, learning every movement, every weakness. They still weren’t prepared, but they were out of time. It was now or never.
If they had any hope of rescuing Abby and freeing the other captives, they had to move. Normally, it would be Captain Deke Collins who led the charge, but this time, only one of them knew anything about the white-coated shifters beyond the forest.
Lieutenant Lynk Foster crept through the densely packed trees that surrounded the settlement, his pale coat gleaming in the moonlight. An albino tiger in the middle of rural Colorado would raise quite the commotion under different circumstances, but they were so isolated, there wouldn’t be anyone to see him.
He wasn’t the only one who’d taken to his animal form. A panther moved like a shadow through the forest, his inky coat the perfect camouflage in the darkness. To the east, a puma ghosted over the forest floor, her tail swishing with agitation.
Thea’s sable coat wasn’t as detectable as Lynk’s white fur, but she didn’t exactly blend into the night like Deke, either. Still, all three of them had an advantage over those who couldn’t shift. The vampires and werewolves had scattered amongst the trees, moving almost soundlessly toward their target.
None, however, were more noticeable than the humans. While they tried to move stealthily, their footfalls sounded like thunder to anyone with supernatural hearing. They were also slow, a little clumsy, and every one of them breathed like a wounded rhino.
Yet, strength came in numbers, and right then, they needed as many trained and willing soldiers as they could get. Lynk hoped it wouldn’t come to a fight. In a perfect scenario, they’d find the captives, free them, and be halfway back to the safe house before the shifter clan realized anything was amiss.
He hoped, but he
