Page 77 of Fallout

As soon as Henley is safe, I have to talk to him about the engagement.

In wolf shifter culture, when a female meets her mate, she leaves her family and pack to join the male in his pack. There are exceptions, but this is just the way things have been done. My mother was fortunate that my father and her were in the same pack. But if he had been a member of another pack, she would’ve had to leave.

I don’t want Henley to give up her father—he’s the only family that she has. Likewise, her father has lost all of his family. She’s all he has. And even though Mr. Stone is part of the pack, he still keeps his distance from everybody. Since he moved here, he’s only been involved in one run with the pack. Even on the full moon, he prefers to be alone.

I’ll just have to make sure he always feels welcome. I know that will make Henley happy.

Henley.

Just thinking her name sends a stabbing pain to my gut.

“We have to find a way to permanently kill that phoenix,” I say, through gritted teeth.

“We will.” Blaine leans forward and puts a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it. “But we have to focus on one thing at a time. Let’s rescue Henley first and then we can think about how to kill the phoenix.”

I nod.

He’s right. I’m just impatient. I can’t stand the thought of rescuing Henley only for her to get kidnapped again right away.

How can we beat a foe who can’t be killed? How can we capture him when he can just teleport out of any trap?

I pause. “Why hasn’t Henley teleported back?”

The car falls silent for quite a few seconds.

Blaine clears his throat. “Maybe she is passed out.”

I shake my head, denying it. “No. I can feel her emotions. She’s not passed out.”

The stabbing feeling of panic settles in my chest, a reminder that she’s scared. I clench my fist, trying not to focus on it. But the closer we get to her, the more her panic grows. It’s almost like she’s scared because she knows we’re coming.

My eyes widen as I turn to face Blaine and Will. “She knows we’re coming and she’s panicking. I think we’re about to walk into a trap.”

Blaine’s jaw goes lax.

Will rubs at the scuff on his cheek. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a trap—we have to rescue her.”

I nod. “Obviously. But we can prepare better since we’re aware.”

“If it’s a trap, it’s likely a trap for you,” Blaine says.

I turn to face him. “What?”

Blaine shrugs. “He seems obsessed with Henley. Since you’re her mate—her fiancé—he probably sees you as competition. He probably wants to get rid of you so he can have her.”

A low growl escapes my throat. “That’s not happening.”

Blaine grins. “I know. We’d never let anything happen to you.”

I give him a curt nod. “The priority is Henley.”

He knows that. We all do. The luna of the pack is the most protected member. Henley may not be luna yet, but that doesn’t mean the pack doesn’t already treat her as such. It’s why there are so many wolves with us tonight. Everybody loves Henley.

She’s going to be all right. I know she will be. We’ll find a way to end that phoenix. And when we do, I will make sure nobody ever messes with my mate again.

Henley

I pace the loft bedroom, trying to calm my racing heart.