Page 67 of Fractured Mates
That last sentence is said with a taste of betrayal so strong that I feel it in my own chest. Sophie’s family didn’t only let her leave after refusing to join her first fated mate, they were half the reason she did. I’m sure of that by listening to her speak.
“I’ll find her, but if you come charging in here, I can’t help you,” River says. “I have my orders, and while they include finding and extracting your family, if possible, they also include finding out who Astor has sold wolves to. We’ve been tracking this for months now, and we can’t lose this lead.”
Sophie’s head snaps toward me, and I grimace. I’d forgotten that bit of information.
“What did you just say?” Sophie asks gruffly with her narrowed eyes still on me.
River stays quiet, and I reply since I’m the one she really wants the answer from. “Maciah was already watching Astor from a distance. He found out that Astor is involved in selling wolves to humans. I don’t know much more than that, though.”
“And you didn’t think that was information I should know?” Her clipped words are filled with hurt that weighs down on my shoulders.
“I do,” I say earnestly. “But that part of the job wasn’t at the forefront of my thoughts for the last few days. You and your family were.”
I mean it, Sophie, I say through our bond. I never would have kept this from you once I knew you were something more if I had thought of it before now.
Her eyes close, and she rubs the space between her brows before finally replying. “So, let me get this straight. Astor is a true psychopath who has been betraying his own kind. You’ve had men trying to get close to him, but the only one prior to River who has succeeded ended up switching teams and now he’s dead. So, it’s up to River and us to not only save my…family, but to take down that motherfucker?”
“Essentially,” I reply with a slight smile, hoping she’ll find this part of the plan fun and not daunting.
“And why hasn’t your boss sent an army to put an end to this?” she asks.
This time, River answers first. “Because the situation is complicated. We have an escaped wolf who gave us the lead, but by the time we knew, the place she’d been was cleared out. We’ve spent months trying to find more leads, and Astor is the only one. We need people to interrogate to find the others. Leaving them behind isn’t possible.”
Not only do I see Sophie’s face soften, but I can feel her compassion pulsing through our bond. That doesn’t seem to change her plans, though.
“But you don’t need Astor,” she points out. “You just need some of his men.”
“Ideally, it would be both,” River replies tersely.
Sophie’s lips thin. “Well, we don’t always get what we want.”
As much as I can understand River’s position, my mate is at risk every day that Astor lives. I’m not normally a supporter of outright murder, but in this instance, I think I’ll make an exception.
“We’re not in the business of murdering people, Sophie,” River adds. “If we can take Astor alive and punish him under the laws that have been painstakingly put into place, then we will. We need to do this the right way or we’re no better than them.”
This guy really cares about right and wrong, doesn’t he? Sophie asks through our bond.
For as long as I’ve known him, yes, it’s seemed that way, I reply sincerely. River and I have never been close, but I’ve always felt I could consider him a friend and trust him when we’ve worked together.
And you trust him to find my sister without being swayed by Astor?
Without a moment’s hesitation, I reply with, Absolutely.
“All right, River,” Sophie says. “Considering this new information, I’ll give you one more day. Find my sister, figure out what the hell Astor is up to and where the other captured wolves might be, then find us a way in to end this once and for all. But just one more day. I won’t wait longer than that. Not for your laws or for anyone else.”
“I can respect that,” he replies. “Kyler, do you have enough supplies? Maciah said you had to abandon your post twice.”
“We’re fine,” I reply. “We’re actually right outside the pack in the cabin that I originally shielded.”
“Excellent plan going back to where they already found you once,” he says. “They’d never think to look there again.”
The grin on Sophie’s face is almost insufferable. “I couldn’t agree more.”
“I need to take down the shield in my room before they notice, but I’ll send word as soon as I’m able. You two stay out of sight until then.”
Sophie and I both nod as I reply, “Stay safe, River.”
The call ends, and Sophie throws herself back onto the bed. “What a shitshow.”