Page 71 of Alpha Fate
It breaks my heart a little. Or maybe a lot.
I straighten my shoulders, and then I’m outside under a canopy of stars that seem too still, considering what’s going on in my chest. The air bites at my skin with its evening chill as I make my way toward where I hope there will be a gap between patrols – a brief window of opportunity for escape.
There’s no turning back now – I’ve made my choice, and all its consequences will follow me wherever this path leads.
I move quickly and stealthily, my senses on high alert. Something crunches on gravel nearby – my breath catches – but it’s just a coyote skittering away into darkness when its eyes meet mine. Two predators acknowledging each other.
Except now, I’m on the run.
I cling close to buildings until reaching the point where wildness starts taking over from civilization – where grass grows uncut and trees huddle together.
This is it – the boundary line to the unknown, between what was safe and what is dangerous, between what was home and what will be exile until I can work things out. Or they’re shattered beyond repair.
“You can do this, Savannah!” I bolster myself as I step over that line without fanfare or witness except for the moon – and vanish into the darkness beyond Steel Lakes’ watchful gaze.
???
Gage
I barrel through the hallway, my heart full as I head toward my woman…my future. The urge to share the news with Savannah grips me like a vice. We’re going to be a family.
The thought sends a surge of adrenaline through my veins, but as I round the corner, Sierra’s stricken face halts me in my tracks.
“Sierra.” I hesitate, waiting for her usual hostility. It doesn’t replace the worry that’s darkening her features. In fact, she’s shaking. The joy within me fizzles out, replaced by a sudden dread that grips my chest.
“Sierra, what’s wrong?” My voice is urgent, demanding an answer while bracing for the worst.
She puts a hand to her throat, her breaths coming raggedly. “I need to speak to Jagger. It’s important.” She moves as if to step around me, but I put a hand on her arm.
“Tell me what’s going on, Sierra.” Something inside me is telling me that this is bad. Very bad.
She pauses for a bit, trying to decide what to tell me. “It’s Savannah…she’s gone. Left Steel Lakes.”
Gone? No, that can’t be right. Not after everything we’ve just been through to get her back here. Not when I was so close to making things official with her. I take a step closer, trying to read the truth in Sierra’s eyes.
“How? When?” The questions shoot out of me like bullets.
Sierra shakes her head, lost in her own panic. “I don’t know! I went out for ice cream to cheer her up, and when I came back…she wasn’t there.” Her voice breaks on the last word, and my gut twists.
A whirlwind of emotions tears through me – fear for Savannah’s safety battles with anger at her leaving without a word. But underneath it all lies a betrayal so acute it feels like I’m suffocating.
She didn’t trust me enough to stay.
“Maybe she just stepped out for a bit. Went for a walk or something.” I’m grasping at straws.
Sierra’s already shaking her head. “Her room was cleared out. She took her clothes. And who would she be out walking with…aside from you?” Her eyes narrow, and it occurs to me that she’s known about Savannah and my secret little meetings all along.
“Did she leave a note? Anything that could tell us where she might have gone?” I need to keep Sierra focused if we’re going to find any clues.
Sierra wipes away tears that spill over despite her fierce attempt to hold them back. “Nothing. It’s like she just vanished.”
Vanished… The word echoes ominously in my mind as I storm past Sierra and back to Jagger’s office. I open the door without waiting for an invitation.
Jagger looks up from his desk. “What now, Heller?” His expression shifts from irritation at my intrusion to concern as he takes in Sierra at my side. That has him turning tender…until he takes in her agitated state and my grim face.
“We have a problem,” I announce before he can get another word out.
Jagger rises from his seat, his Alpha demeanor taking over as he assesses the situation with quick precision. “Report.”