Page 90 of Alphas Never Hide

Mymuscles tensed as the truck got within kissing distance.Ipounced.Mypaws slammed into the hood, caving it in with a satisfying crunch, beforeIlanded on the top of the cab with another crunch.Windowsshattered.Someonescreamed.Thetruck lurched to the side, nearly throwing me off.Ileaped to the camper shell next.Thistime, though,Idug my claws into the fiberglass.Therear door was up and shuddering against the wind.

“I’mcoming,Ry.I’vealmost got you,”Ishouted.

Iripped and pulled at the camper shell until it cracked and buckled under my determination.Thetruck rocked wildly down the road.Robbie, the bastard, was trying to dislodge me, butIwasn’t going anywhere without my mate.Assoon as the hole was big enough,Ipoked my head inside.

Itwas empty.

Wherewas my mate?

Ispun around, ready to break into the cab and demand answers fromRobbie, except the toppled tree was right in front of us.Thedriver hit the brakes.Iwent flying.

Thiswas going to hurt.

ThenIwas scooped out of the air.

“I’vegot you,Alpha,”Ogdensaid.Heflipped around with dizzying speed.BeforeIknew it, he was lowering me to the ground right beside the passenger door of the truck.

“FindRyley,”Ishouted after him.

“Onit,Alpha,”Simonsaid.Hesounded anxious and a little tremulous, whichIexpected, butI’dnever heard the cat shifter speak so loudly.Andthe fact that he hadn’t shifted into his house cat form and scurried off to hide in the trees was shocking.Findingyour fated mate did strange things to people.

Ishifted quickly asImarched over toRobbie’sdoor.Iwrenched it open.Robbieleaned away, soIreached in and grabbed him.Hewasn’t wearing a seatbelt.Didthe guy think he was invincible?Iyanked him out and threw him to the ground.Hiscohorts scampered out of the truck on the opposite side.

“Whereis my mate?”Iroared at him.

“Whatare you talking about?”Hesquinted at me likeIwasn’t making any sense, then his gaze caught on the lock of green hair at my temple.Iexpected him to outline conditions for my mate’s release, gloat about how easy it’d been to take him from me, or demean my mating altogether.Hedidn’t do any of those things.Infact, he shookhis head likeIwas confusing him.Didhe not know what that green mark in my hair meant?

“Don’tlie to me,Robbie.Whatdid you do with my mate?Donot mess with me right now.”

“Don’tbe so uncivilized, brother,”Robbiesaid with a scowl as he pushed himself up.Hebrushed the bits of rock and dust from his jeans as he straightened. “You’dthink you were the one forced to live in the woods all summer.Oh, that’s right, you like living rough.Stillliving in that trailer, isn’t that right?”

Ifisted hisT-shirt and swung him around.Hisback slammed against the truck, making it rock.Robbierolled his eyes at me, like he used to when he was younger.Fora moment, memories of us growing up together tumbled over me: watching over him during his first run with the pack, teaching him how to jump into the lake from the tire swingDadhad hung up, letting him crawl into my bed when he’d had a nightmare.Butthis man, he was no longer my family.He’dbecome my nightmare.Wemight share blood, but he’d severed any familial links the moment he hurt—killed—our parents.

“Iwill not ask you again,”Ibit out. “Whathave you done with my mate?”

“I.Do.Not.Know.What.You.Are.Talking.About,” he shouted, pausing between each word to draw out the sentence.

Iyanked him away from the truck, then slammed him against it again.

Hegrunted, but he still didn’t seem to appreciate the position he was in.Hegrinned at me. “Temper, temper, brother.”

“Hewas in your truck.Whereis he now?”

Heglanced at the camper shell, then back at me.Hisgaze popped up to my mating mark again.Iwanted to shout at him to avert his eyes, that he didn’t deserve to look at it.ThenIsaw the moment he realized whatIwas talking about.

“Mypet?He’syour mate?”Helaughed, slapping his leg in obvious mirth.

“Whoare you calling a pet, you shit-filled diaper?”

Thatquestion was the most beautiful thingI’dever heard.Iwhipped around, letting go ofRobbie.

“Ryley…”Ilet out his name on a shaky breath asIhauled him into my arms. “Whenyou weren’t in the back of the truck,Iwas so scared.”

Hepressed his face into my neck. “I’mokay.”

Thetremulous way he spoke had me pulling back to look at him.Hisglasses hung lopsided on his face, and one lens was shattered.Littlebits of grass and twigs littered his dark hair.Hisclothing was dusty, but with no obvious damage.Hemust have spent most of his time in his faun form.

“Areyou sure you’re okay?”