Chapter 15

If what Zain said was true, her old clan would be brought into the Alliance, and hopefully, they got sorted out. She was never going back, but she wanted a better life for the young girls born there. Oaklyn watched him come out of the house, lock the door, and then run down the driveway. He was taking huge steps, lifting his knees high. He looked ridiculous doing it. She shook her head. At least he wasn’t dull.

Zain opened the door, leaned down, and looked in. He flipped the seat forward and set his bag in the back and then got in. “I didn’t want to shuffle through the snow and have my legs freeze again.”

She watched him kick his boots together before he pulled them in and closed the door. “Did you succeed?”

“Mostly.” He shrugged. He patted the dash lightly. “Off we go.”

Rolling her eyes, she put the car into gear and pulled away. “Do you think anyone saw us?”

“Neighborhood seems pretty quiet. I don’t think anyone noticed. The wind will blow over our tracks in the driveway.” He shifted around in the seat. “Does this go back any further?”

“Oh. Yes. I have it all the way forward for when I nap in the backseat.”

He looked over his shoulder into the back. “That must be cozy.” He smiled at her.

“It is.” She gripped the steering wheel tight. Her wolf was dancing around, and she didn’t understand what was going on with her. Huffing out a breath, she tried to internally relay that driving on the snowy road was difficult enough. She needed to settle down. “Which road do we take?” She honestly didn’t pause long enough on the map to memorize the start of the trip.

“Crap. Let me grab the map.” He turned and leaned between the seats to get his pack.

Her wolf went completely still. She was alert and anxious at the same time. It was going to be a long trip if her animal was all spun up and acting weird the whole time. Oaklyn took a deep breath and then scowled at the windshield. There was no way. Fate was not this nasty. She hit the brake pedal, causing the car to slide toward the snowbank. “Get out of the car. Now.”

Zain jolted, grabbed the door handle, and shoved. He tumbled from the car. He looked behind them and then in front of them. “What? Did you see something? Someone?”

Oaklyn slammed the shifter into park. “No. I did not.”

He leaned down and looked in at her. “Then why did I have to suddenly get out of the car?” He started to get back in.

She put her hand out. “No. I’m not having it. I did not go through all that I have, only to end up where I started in this nightmare.”

He pulled his foot back out and leaned on the roof of the car, staring at her. “What are you talking about?”

She glared at him. “Don’t tell me you didn’t know.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it and squatted beside the car. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said it slowly, like she was a dimwit.

“Mates.” She hissed.

He raised his eyebrows and nodded. “And?”

“Don’t sit there and tell me you have no idea. I’m mad as a wet hen right now.”

Zain gave her a crooked smile. “I’m sure that’s—” He shrugged. “Bad. But I still don’t know what is going on.” He held his hands up and stared at her.

“You didn’t know? Your wolf isn’t acting strange?”

He pursed his lips and then waved his hand around in slow motion. “Yes.” He said slowly, stretching the word out. “But considering what we’ve been through this week. I’m not surprised. He likes routines.” He shrugged.

“You are a very exasperating man.” She hissed out a breath between her clenched teeth. “Get in. But don’t be thinking this is it, sir, because it is not, and we are going to discuss this and put this to bed once and for all.”

He got in, closed the door, and then leaned back against it, looking at her. His expression was confusion, pure and simple, and it made her feel a bit better that he had no idea.

“We are mates, you twit.” She shook her head.

One side of his mouth quirked up, and then he frowned and stared at her like she’d just grown an extra ear or something. “Mates?”

Closing her eyes, she blew out a breath, then pulled the shifter, put the car back into drive, and tromped on the gas. The car slid like it was wagging its tail for a minute, and then it straightened out. She gripped the wheel so tight as if she was scared it was going to escape her. “Where do I turn?” She looked at him to see he was still looking at her with that same expression on his face. “The road?”

He blinked and then picked up his run pack he’d dropped on the floor. “Just, uh, just a sec.” He got the map out, unfolded it, and looked at it for a moment. “Take a left in two roads.”

“Thank you.” She kept her eyes on the road.

“Are you sure?” He leaned closer and then moved back quickly. “Just don’t stab me, okay?” He leaned closer again.

She held her breath because she knew with him this close, she was going to get a big whiff of his scent. Reaching down, she cranked the window winder, so it was open a wee bit. Fresh air was needed more than warmth right now. Later, she’d swear when she had to stop the car and shove on the glass to get it to close again.

Zain sat back against the door. “I thought it was the lotion from the bathroom.”

Oaklyn looked over at him. “Your wolf likes lotion?”

“No.” He scoffed and then sighed loudly.

“I do not need a man telling me what to do.” She nodded quickly and then looked back at the road.

He was quiet for a moment. “You don’t know how true mates work, do you?”

She shot him a hard look. “You do?”

“Obviously not from experience, because you know—” He waved a hand around. “It’s a one-time deal. This last year, there has been a lot of mating happening, so I’ve heard a billion stories.” He cleared his throat, turned in his seat, and sat against the back of it. “The prince of the Alliance found his.” He chuckled. “Almost botched it, from what I heard.” He nodded. “Calum found his, and none of us ever thought he would.” He chuckled. “Wait until you meet Amari and Tripp. That is one lethal mating. They’re like a serial killing mated couple.” He chuckled. “It sounds bad, but if you need someone to have your back, you want them.” He pursed his lips together like he was whistling, but no sound came out. “There’s so many of them, and it just hit me. Without the Tomas’, none of them would have found each other.”

“That’s ridiculous.” She scoffed at him and then looked back at the road.

“For real. Rayne—the prince’s mate, was running from Aiden Tomas when she found Devin’s campground. And one of his seconds, Gage, his mate, was brought to his family’s place when she was a kid because her parents were killed. Who do you think killed them? My vote is Tomas senior.” He clapped his hands together. “More joining teams, the teams working together because we’re going to crush Aiden Tomas, and mates are being found on other teams.”

“I think you are crazy.” She said it quietly but was cursing inside her head at the same time. She never would have come across him if Calum Dante hadn’t asked her to find him—because he took off, and she had no doubt it was somehow connected to the Tomas family. “You need to shush about all this mate stuff and tell me why you were running.” She glanced at him to see him looking at her with speculation glowing in his eyes. “And–” She gripped the wheel and turned back to the road. “There will be none of that mating garbage between us. Do you understand?”

He was quiet for a moment. “I get it.” He shifted in his seat and opened the map. “I’m not about to force the issue, trust me. Everyone I’ve ever cared about is dead or scarred because of the Tomas family, so a mate. Not a good idea.”

She scowled at the glass in front of her. “What do you mean? Everyone you cared about is dead or scarred?” Oaklyn wasn’t overly affectionate about her kin, but she was still thankful they were all living and healthy.

He was quiet for a long time, and then she heard him sigh. “I saw something when I was a kid, so I told Shepard. He’s my clan's Alpha—or was when I had a clan, I guess.” He drew in a sharp breath. “He took me somewhere I’d be safe until he dealt with it.” She heard him shift in the seat and looked over to see he was getting his notebook out of his run pack. “But, uh, a few years later, they took my mom, sister, and my best friend and tried to get them to say where I was.” He paused. “I don’t know if my mom ever knew for sure. If Shepard flew her around in circles like he did me, she may not have.” He blew out a breath.

“What happened?” The angst coming off him was crushing.

“They killed them.” He turned his head and looked out the window. “My friend got away but is scarred for life. Then Shepard sent him somewhere safe too.”

“They found you. That’s why you ran.”

“Sort of.” He looked back down at the notebook and started going through the pages. “I don’t want to talk about it right now. I’ll have to explain it all when I see Calum and the prince, who I guess is now the temporary king…”

“What do you mean?” She slowed down so she could navigate the turn without sliding into the ditch or bouncing off a snowbank. She’d done that before. Spinning in circles was frightening and disorienting.

“You don’t know. I wasn’t sure if Calum told you.”

“He told me I needed to find you.” She looked to see him watching her. “What? What don’t I know?”

“With the king missing...”

She hit the brakes, and the car slid, so she let up and slowly braked until they were stopped. Why hadn’t it registered what he was saying before? The king was missing. The man that was going to allow her into the Alliance was gone. What was wrong with her brain? Turning, she glared at him. “They’re going to get him, right?” They had to. How was he supposed to let her be part of the Alliance if he wasn’t here?

He looked out the window. “I have a good idea where he is, but I need to talk to Calum and Devin—” He looked at her, “Shepard’s son.”

“The prince.” She nodded. “Were you going after the king?”

He sucked in a deep breath and then nodded as he exhaled. “Which in hindsight, I now get that doing alone was not the smartest.”

“Ya’ think?” Turning back to the steering wheel, she placed her hands on it and looked at them for a moment.

“What are you thinking?”

She closed her eyes and processed her options for a few seconds before opening them again. “I’m trying to decide if I should send you on your way to Calum at this factory and I go after the king or if we should go get backup and then go.”

“How is it any better if you go alone than if I did?”

She gave him an ‘Are you serious?’ look. “From what I’ve seen so far, Zain, you are not equipped to sneak in somewhere and rescue a person.”

He glowered at her. “And you are? Able to sneak in somewhere and rescue someone?”

“Well, I’ve never rescued someone, but I’m very good at not being seen and getting into places I may not be allowed to be.” She smiled. “I got into your apartment and out, undetected, and I’ve found you twice.”

His expression blanked for a moment. “How did you find me?”

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the crinkled piece of paper and tossed it at him. Turning back to the steering wheel, she started driving again.

“I can’t believe it. So, you’re what, an amateur spy?”

She chuckled. “No, I just don’t accept failure.”

“You know they probably sent someone from the Alliance to my apartment, and they didn’t think of this.”

She scrunched up her face but didn’t look at him. “Are you complimenting me or making fun of me? Because you just did both.”

“What?” He leaned his head back against the seat. “Sorry, just a little out of it. This whole week has been the nightmare I’ve been waiting to have, and now I have mate—who, from what I can tell, would rather drop me into a pit of acid than be my mate.”

“It’s nothing personal, Zain. I just don’t want that whole kismet-hocus-pocus. I have plans, and as I said, failure isn’t an option for me.”

“You think having a connection with someone is failing?”

She looked at him and gave him a half-smile. “Didn’t you just say it wasn’t a good idea?”

He blinked. “Not for the same reasons you don’t.”

Oaklyn turned back to the windshield. “I think we’re just going to have to agree to disagree on some things, Mister Sanders.”

“Whatever you say.” His tone was so forlorn that she had to clench her teeth together to keep from saying something soft and reassuring to him. He’d been through a lot. She got that. Her life hadn’t been sweet-smelling either. She needed to focus on securing some kind of a life for herself. A safe life. There was no way she was going to be drifting around with no home when she was an old woman. Now, while she was young, she needed to do that. After that, well, she’d reexamine what fate had just shoved in her face.