Page 33 of Haven
“Are you really only eighteen?” Eric tossed her a look of respect.
“Surviving ages you,” Char said, cutting the rope and then eyeing Kile. “You sure you’re up to this? That was a hard hit you took.”
“Just show us the way,” Kile replied, taking the sweats off he had just put on, then handed them to her. Shifters were not shy about being naked. It was just part of the shift. “And watch your ass. Once we are there, stay back and let us handle it. You don’t need to mess up your injury any more than it already is.”
“I’m a fast healer,” Char said as she bent to tie Cole’s pants to his wolf. She stood hurrying through the wolves, doing the same. Then she turned to Kile with a frown. “Are you going to shift?”
“I’m going to kill your brother,” He informed her, watching her closely.
“Good, because if you don’t, I will.” Char shrugged and then searched his gaze. “And honestly, as much hell as both of them put me through, I don’t want to live with that on my conscience. I’m not made the same as them.”
“No, you’re not.” Kile agreed, then began to shift but stopped. “Thank you, Char.”
She nodded and waited for him to shift. She tied his sweats and leaned to look his wolf in the eyes. “Go get your woman, Kile.” She whispered and stood to shift. “She’s one of the good ones.”
Kile watched as Char shifted through his wolf’s eyes. He knew she was in pain, but damn, she fought through the shift. Walking past him, her wolf looked him in the eyes and then took off. Kile followed, letting his wolf have free reign.
“I’m coming, Sadie.” Kile’s thoughts mixed with his wolf’s as they followed Char toward the unknown...for now.
CHAPTER 19
Sadie’s heart pounded as the truck jerked to a stop. Fear twisted her stomach into knots as the doors opened, and rough hands pulled her out. She stumbled forward, trying to catch her footing on the uneven ground, her mind panicking. She couldn’t stop thinking about Kile and how he had hit the back of the truck, then tumbled to the ground, rolling over and over until he disappeared. Dread filled her at the memory. What if he was hurt?
She was led toward a fire burning in the middle of a dark clearing, the flames casting long shadows across the trees. A tall man stood there, his back turned to her as she was forced closer. He was broad-shouldered and well-built, with long black hair falling down his back. He reminded her of Colton, Lily's former mate. She knew instantly that this was Colton’s brother.
Why had she gone searching for Lily alone? She should have waited for Kile or someone else. She’d been foolish, and now she was paying the price. Her fear mixed with regret as she was pushed closer to the fire, the heat licking at her skin.
The man finally turned to face her, and she couldn’t suppress a gasp. He had sharp, angular features that were eerily familiar. His strong jaw, piercing eyes, and the cruel twist of his lips sent chills down her spine. He looked so much like Colton that it made her sick. But his presence was darker, more dangerous.
“Well, well,” he said with a voice dripping with malice, his eyes roaming over her with a predatory gleam. “So this is the human who stole something from my camp right under our noses.”
Sadie swallowed hard, her fear rising as she stood frozen before him. She just prayed that Kile was still out there, coming for her. Because if he wasn’t, she had no idea how she would survive this.
Colton emerged from the shadows, his eyes blazing with fury. His fists were clenched at his sides, and the tension radiating from him was palpable. “Where’s Lily?” he demanded, his voice sharp with anger.
The man standing by the fire shifted his gaze away from Sadie and sneered at Colton. The air between them crackled with hostility.
“Lily is your problem, not mine,” the man replied coldly, his voice dripping with contempt. “I have no interest in her. I’m far more intrigued by this brave little human.” His eyes slid back to Sadie, a twisted smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.
Sadie’s heart raced as she stood frozen between the two men. Colton’s presence had only made things worse. She could feel the tension rising.
“She’s weak. A human,” a tall woman with sharp features and a scowl, sneered as she strode forward. She stopped right in front of Sadie, her eyes filled with disgust. “I could kill her with one strike. She is nothing.”
Sebastian chuckled darkly, though his voice had no humor. “Jealousy doesn’t suit you, mate.”
The woman snarled in response, her face twisted in rage. “Bitch,” she spat in Sadie’s face before raising her hand and backhanding her with brutal force. The blow sent Sadie crashing to the ground, her vision swimming with bright spots. Pain flared across her cheek, and for a moment, she could do nothing but lie there, stunned. Cruel laughter echoed around her.
But through the haze of pain, something stirred in her. She had learned something valuable from living among shifters. Bravery was respected, even when faked. And right now, it was all she had left.
Gritting her teeth, Sadie pushed herself to her feet, her legs wobbling beneath her. Her vision was still blurry, but she refused to show weakness. She squared her shoulders, lifting her chin just enough to make it clear she wasn’t backing down, even though her entire body screamed at her to run.
The woman glared at her in disbelief, and for a moment, the mocking laughter around her died down as the group watched her struggle to stand. Sadie forced herself to lock eyes with the woman who had hit her.
A tense silence hung in the air as she stood there, waiting for the next move, praying Kile was close enough to come to her rescue before her act of bravery crumbled under the weight of reality.
Colton pushed past the woman, grabbing Sadie’s arm. “Where is Lily?”
“Fuck you,” Sadie spat, tasting blood in her mouth.