Page 86 of Knotting Autumn

The SUV was idling on the side of the road, the doors open and one window broken. Thorne lay in the dirt, blood smeared over his forehead and a bruise blooming over his jaw and throat.

Rushing to my fated mate’s side, I dropped, pine needles stabbing into my knees. Gently, I brushed his hair back, wincing at the way it stuck to the blood coating his skin.

“Hey, it would be really great if you could wake up,” I said, my voice shaking. “I’m not a medical-type person. I’m not great with blood, and you’re scaring me. So I really need you to be okay. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

My thoughts turned to mush, and I doubled over, resting my face on his chest, right over the gash torn in his shirt.

His breathing hitched, and I shot up to see his eyes blink open. Flinching, he closed them again.

“You’re okay. How can I help?” I babbled, wiping away wetness on my cheeks.

Sawyer’s shadow fell across him. His voice was raw. “They took Cole. He’s gone. I can’t feel him. What if he’s dead?” Tears streaked down his face from wild eyes.

“They didn’t kill him. He’s valuable. They’ll keep him safe and healthy, I’m sure of it. It’s going to be okay!” I wasn’t sure if my words were the truth, but it was what Sawyer needed so he didn’t completely break.

Thorne let out a low noise, a cross between a groan and a growl.

“You’re right, they want him alive. But I’ll get him out.” Lines formed around his eyes as he grimaced. “I did it once already.”

“Let’s get you cleaned up, and we can figure things out,” I said.

“I’ve got a first aid kit in the cabin, but we shouldn’t wait that long. We have to go after them now!” Sawyer waved his hand at Thorne’s SUV.

“Rushing won’t help,” Thorne managed to say. “We know where they’re taking him. It’s better to be prepared.”

Gripping his arm, I helped Thorne sit up. After a moment, he pushed to his feet and stumbled to the truck.

The front passenger’s seat was covered in broken glass, so both men climbed into the back, and I took the driver’s seat. No one spoke on our short trip back to the cabin, but pain lanced down our bond with each jostle of the truck. Thorne gritted his teeth, and I forced myself to stop staring at the rearview mirror when it only hurt worse to see his expression.

Finally we reached the cabin and somehow made it inside. Sawyer dragged out the first aid kit, and we got to work.

Chapter 27

Road Trip

Afternoon sunlight poured over Thorne’s tanned skin, his stitches casting a narrow shadow over his forehead. Sawyer shocked me by his first aid ability, closing up the cut on Thorne’s forehead easily once he calmed down.

Now he sat beside me in the back seat of the SUV, so tense he could pass for a marble statue. My hand moved to sit atop his, my fingers curling around his palm.

“It’s going to be okay.”

Thorne’s gaze flicked up to meet mine in the rearview mirror. The grim line of his mouth made my heart ache. This was the last thing he wanted—going back to confront his brother. But it was the only way to get Cole back.

“So what should I expect? I’ve never been to a werewolf pack,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

Sawyer gave me a morose look. “Neither have I.”

Clearing his throat, Thorne slid his hands up until they gripped the wheel at ten and two. “There are about fifty members in my family’s pack. We are one of the bigger ones.”

“I’m getting a commune vibe,” I said. “You all live out in the woods?”

“What’s a commune?” Thorne asked.

Scoffing, Sawyer turned to look out the window.

“Never mind. What’s it like? A small town?” I asked.

My fated mate thought over his words. “I guess. Less shops. Most people work for the pack in some capacity. My family owns a security company that operates remotely. Mostly human employees offsite, but we send in werewolves when needed. It’s all contract work.”