Page 37 of Fractured Mates
“Just remember all this information is more than ten years old,” I say first. “Before yesterday, I hadn’t been back there since I…relocated to East Texas.”
I expect him to ask why, but he doesn’t. Maybe he already knows, but I would think he’d mention being aware that I killed my own mate. So I continue. “The pack house has a basement and there’s a window that I’ve snuck through before. It’s on the south side of the building, and that part of the house was never used for anything, but I wouldn’t bet on that being the case now. The farther west into the pack lands you go, the closer you get to government land that doesn’t see a lot of traffic, thanks to the terrain. This would be the best place to sneak in.”
“Why didn’t you go that way before, then?” Kyler asks, his voice curious instead of accusing.
“Because I’m not here for the pack,” I reply honestly. “I’m here to see my parents and sister. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Again, I expect him to question why after all this time, but he merely nods at me to continue.
I hesitate, once more feeling as if I can’t trust him. An undeniable attraction is one thing. Telling him more than he needs to know is something else entirely.
You’re not telling him anything that can hurt people, my wolf reminds me. They already have a man on the inside. This is just showing him that he can trust you.
But do we trust him? I ask, waiting for her reply before continuing to speak to Kyler.
She mulls over her answer, and the words that come next are full of confidence. I think you both have secrets and your own reasons for keeping them. Trust isn’t necessarily what you need to focus on. Do you believe that he’s here with good intentions? Because I do. And for now, that’s enough.
It’s easy to agree with her. Though, I’m not sure if that’s because she’s right or because for the first time in over a decade, I want to have met someone worth believing in.
“Guards rotate the grounds in pairs,” I finally continue, having made my decision, even if I’m not sure why. “There are schedules they stick to. Once you figure those out, you’ll find the other temporary blind spots. That is, if they haven’t upgraded to things like video surveillance or motion detectors.”
Kyler’s hand lifts, but he settles it back onto his thigh. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
I only nod and turn up the radio. I’m no longer in the mood to chat, not even when it’s my turn to ask the questions.
Five and a half songs and another twenty minutes later, we arrive at Bee’s Bar. Interestingly enough, nobody has ever met “Bee.” At least that was the case last time I was in this area. I assume it’s because Bee doesn’t exist, and someone just wanted a name that would make people talk. Job well done, Stranger.
This time, Kyler doesn’t hesitate to reach out and grab my wrist as I turn off the car. “Wait.”
My eyes move from his hand that’s currently branding my skin to his face. “I’d let go if I were you.”
The threat is real. I don’t want to hurt him, but this isn’t the motel room. We’re here to get a spell that will help me find my family without getting caught. I won’t tolerate him distracting me.
One by one, his fingers lift, and he pulls his arm back. I expect there to be a mark where he was touching, but my skin is completely normal.
“I was just going to suggest that we need to stick together,” he says. “We didn’t discuss a plan and I don’t want?—”
“You don’t want me to run away?” I cut in, finishing what I assume he’s thinking but might not actually say.
“That’s not where I was going with that.” He sneers, his eyes darkening just a few shades. “Unless you haven’t told me about a friend you might have inside here, we shouldn’t trust anyone else. Sticking together will keep us from being put in a situation we don’t have time for if you want to get back to the pack today.”
I unbuckle, glancing over at him with a smirk embedded on my face. Getting into a situation just might be the highlight of my day. “I guess we will just see how things go.”
Without waiting for his response, I get out of the car and head toward the bar’s entrance. The place is rundown on the outside. Water and rust stains trickle down the grey-but-probably-should-be-white siding. The windows are covered in a dark film that’s cracked, but you still can’t see through it. Weeds are growing out of every crack in the asphalt while spiders and other bugs have made homes beneath the overhang.
Every reason for someone to want to avoid this place. Unless you’re supernatural.
As soon as my hand touches the handle on the warped door, a soothing energy sweeps through my body, warming me from the inside out.
Without any issue, I pull the door open and step inside. A human would have been filled with dread and unease, encouraging them to turn around and leave.
When the outside world disappears, the true image of Bee’s Bar comes into view. Black marble floors and high ceilings with small lights dangling down, creating an ambient glow. The high-top tables have wooden surfaces and shiny, metal stools around them that match the sleek bar top.
Behind the counter is just one worker with four other patrons sitting on the barstools. Kyler enters behind me, a quiet rumble in his chest that I ignore as I finish my perusal of the place.
The barkeep is a wolf shifter, but not one I recognize. His auburn hair and dark eyes land on me. “Welcome. Sit wherever you’d like.”
As he acknowledges us, the others sitting at the counter turn to see the new arrivals. The closest to us is a vampire with reddish-brown eyes. A good one from what I’ve heard about that particular color. The darker eyes typically mean they don’t live feed but use blood bags.