Page 81 of Alphas Never Hide

Theflute-playing faun atRobbie’sside was unequivocallyConny.

Thelast timeI’dseen him, he’d been thirteen.Hishair had been a lot longer and his cheeks a lot softer back then,butIknew this was him.Especiallywith the frantic way his eyes had locked on mine over his flute.He’dkept on playing the damn thing, barely breaking long enough to breathe, asRobbieshoved the bag over my head and secured my hands with zip ties.Untilthat moment,Ihadn’t realized fauns could use their nasty flutes to make magic, but that flute wasn’t making music.Sothat was another lie my herd told me.HowhadInot realized the whole flute connection before now?IbetIwould have rocked playing the flute if they’d given me the chance.

Ornot.

Afterall, it was a fucking flute, and they were the worst.

Butno one had given me the opportunity to learn.Horriblebigoted elitist herd.Theywere a bunch of wet whisky farts, the whole lot of them.

“Bendover,” the guy who was holding me demanded.

“Idon’t even know your name,”Isaid.

Heshoved me forward.

Mystomach hit something.Ittook a second for me to realize the moving thing beneath me was furry.Interesting.Theywere trying to fold me over someone’s back.Thisfelt like an opportunity.Ifmy hands weren’t tied up,Iwould have rubbed them together and cackled.

Okay.Probablynot.Butit felt like the right time to do something like that.

Afew seconds later, the body under me moved.Wewere on our way.Withthe bag over my head,Icouldn’t tell if a handy shrub was close for me to hide behind.So,Ijust had to take a chance.Iwiggled and squirmed untilIstarted slipping.

Assoon asIhit the ground,Irolled, right into someone’s paws.

“Whatare you playing at?”Robbiegrowled.

Damnit.

Iwas back on someone’s back again.

Crapon a broken cracker.I’dacted too fast that time, except it didn’t go any better the next time either.

“Stop,”Robbiecommanded. “Everyone, shift.Andyou, faun, keep playing that damn flute.Youknow what’ll happen if they find us.”

Ididn’t know what would happen, but apparentlyConnydid.Hismagic surged.

Someonetossed me over their shoulder—their very boney, very human shoulder.Ididn’t thinkRobbiewas carrying me.Thatbarnacle licker was too lazy to carry me through the woods.ThenIwas bouncing like a lumpy sack of potatoes.Theguy’s knobby shoulder dug into my stomach with each step, making me both nauseous again, and short of breath too.

“I’mgoing to puke.”Igasped.

Whoeverwas carrying me tightened his grip on my furry legs, as if warning me he wouldn’t take kindly to wearing vomit on his ass.Honestly,Iwasn’t too keen on the idea myself because ifIdid lose it, most of it would get caught in the bag and that was not somethingIneeded in my life right now.Orever.

Andthe guy holding me needed to watch where he was putting his damn hands.Myshift didn’t come with clothes, and he was getting a little too close to the goods.

Noone spoke, but magic flowed around us asConnykept playing his magical fucking flute.

Ineeded a plan.Again.Iwas so tired of constantly needing a plan.Andwhat wasIgoing to do aboutConny?Washe here because he wanted to be?

Hecouldn’t be, could he?Mysweet littleIrishdancing brother couldn’t be in league with someone likeRobbie.

Ineeded to figure that out, but not now.Mypriority had to be getting back to my mate and my pack.

Ha!Wouldn’tthese bull nuggets be surprised whenHaydenshowed up on his white steed—or centaur, as the case may be—and saved me from their evil clutches?

Wait, did that meanIwas a prince in peril in that scenario?Yeah.Thatwasn’t going to work for me.Icould save myself.I’ddone it before.Icould do it again.Or, well,Icould ifIhad a plan.

AndnowIwas back to whereI’dstarted.

Haydenand the others would knowIwas missing by now.Theyhad to be right behind us.Iknew he was there.Icould feel it.Somehow.Mustbe the fancy bond we had.