Page 45 of Escaping Wildfire
“So, you’re just giving up…”
Their voices got softer, and I attempted to get closer, but I somehow ended up knocking my foot into the rail making the sound echo throughout the stairwell. Fuck!
“Someone’s here.” The female said.
“Wait here, I’ll go see.”
I tried to leave before getting caught, but I was two steps too late. “Gema? How long have you been here?” I turned back around and looked at him sheepishly. “Long enough.”
“Fuck.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You heard everything.”
I nodded. “How long have you known about her?”
“She turned 18 about six months ago, and we found out right on her birthday.”
“Why aren’t you together then?” I asked even though I could easily assume the answer had something to do with Alpha Marek.
“We shouldn’t talk here.”
I just nodded as he confirmed, without actually saying the words, that this had something to do with his father.
“Follow me.” He walked back down the stairs, and as we turned the corner, I saw her, his mate.
“Nora?” Nora! His mate is Nora. Suddenly, everything from these last few weeks made sense. Nora was Larkin’s mate, and she’d had to watch and help as I took over the life she should have had. I felt sick as I realized the full depravity of Alpha Marek. He had to know they were mates, but he forced her to help me, serve me even, to move me in with her mate. All those times I thought she was scared…the ring…the dress…she wasn’t scared, she was just trying to keep it together as she watched another woman take her mate.
“Come on, in here,” Larkin had led us back to our apartment. “This is the safest place to talk. If anyone asks, Nora’s just here helping you get ready.”
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on now?”
“My father doesn’t want Nora as my mate. He says she’s weak, and that I need a stronger mate. He went to a couple of packs looking for an alpha female of the right age. He saw you at the last pack he went to and found you worthy to be my mate, so here we are.”
“But why are you allowing this? You talked about running away, why haven’t you?”
“Because he’s threatened to kill Nora if I don’t comply. He’s already hurt her once, and I won’t risk that again.”
“That bastard.” I never thought I would hate someone, but at that moment, I certainly hated Alpha Marek.
“You’ll keep this to yourself, right?” Nora spoke up nervously.
“Of course…your secret’s safe with me…but I do want to ask for something in return.”
“Like what?” They looked at me nervously.
“Help me get in touch with my brother.”
Larkin took a deep breath before responding. “My dad checks the phone records, even mine and Rory’s cell phones…I don’t think–”
“I have a phone.” I cut him off. “Just get me a charger, please…If you think your love is worth fighting for, then help me get out of here, and I promise, I’ll help you get Nora out as well.
For a moment, they looked at each other, communicating without words. Larkin then turned back to me and nodded. “We’ll help you.”
And with that, step two of my plan to get out of here took form.
20 Phone Call
GEMA
“Let me see the phone you have.” Larkin gestured with his hand for me to bring him my phone. For a minute, I got nervous that he was lying and would just take the phone as soon as I handed it over, but then I realized I had nothing to lose. I couldn’t use the phone uncharged, so I had to trust him. Either way, I had already told him about the phone, so they just had to search the room and it could be easily found and taken.