Beaufort Creek Shifters (10 book series)
The Wolf’s Forced Mate Chapter 14

Leah

"Through here," I whispered to Tanner. "Veronica is just up ahead."

"I'm still not sure about this."

Dark clouds roamed the milky skies, blotting out the moon. Milton was up there somewhere in stealth

It was a wonder he never exercised that ability while he was talking too much.

Tanner grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "I don't mean to doubt her, you know."

"We all understand, Tanner. I think it's time to make your choice about it."

"I promised Blake I wouldn't do this."

I sensed his struggle, his confusion, and his anger over the whole ordeal. Truly it must have been a ch Or maybe Blake had given it a second thought. And a third thought. And a fourth and a fifth. Much like That was just how it went with mate bonds, wasn't it?

Light flared up ahead in the tunnel, illuminating the decrepit bricks around us. Veronica made a few g a wall, flipped over the guy's head, and slammed her fist into his neck.

He collapsed like his legs had been yanked out from beneath him.

Veronica shrugged her shoulders, shook out her hair, and sighed. "They're using the same moves as a "Good thing we have you," I said, a little more firmly than intended. I just wanted Tanner to be on boa A small shove on Tanner's back seemed to be encouraging enough. He snatched my hand and held it My heart sank a bit. We still had things to discuss, didn't we? Once this was over-if it was ever over-t Even as my spirit screamed that we were meant to be, my mind swam with skepticism. Just as it was fo His hand rose to the back of my neck. A few strokes put me at ease, relinquishing some of the stress f "No problem, princess."

"So, you're not mad at me?"

His thumb smoothed over the left side of my neck. "Why would I be mad at you, Leah?"

"It just seems like you don't believe me and then you act like you want to be with me at the same time."

"I was always complicated."

I chuckled. "Yeah, that's true."

"We can talk about it later."

The only reason I knew was that I watched him launch into the air like a missile. The guy could totally be quiet when he wanted to be.

e to initially see Blake take Veronica without a second thought. houghts I was giving Tanner right now.

g sounds and then choked, inspiring Tanner and me to race toward her. As soon as we caught up, we saw a guy holding her in a headlock. She kicked against

welcoming her into the pack. I knew how it felt to be ostracized-it wasn't fair to do it to her. "Thanks, girl. Lead the way." reluctant to let me go. And I couldn't blame him.

e would have to go home and talk about whether this was going to work.

er's doubts about Veronica. And again, I found myself at the same impasse. y muscles. "Thank you."

Later. Of course. It wasn't that important right now, was it? Inez was more important than whatever the hell was going on between us. Our souls sang together, yet I denied the fact that it was happening at all. Was I just going crazy? Or was I damaged by what had happened with Edward?

My shoulders slouched forward when Veronica paused. She held up the torch, revealing a fork in the path. Right or left-it was hard to say which way would lead us to my daughter faster.

I sniffed the air. "I think we should go left."

Veronica peered over her shoulder. "I think you're correct."

Surprise infected me. "Oh?"

"Trust works both ways, doesn't it?" She smiled at Tanner. "I think we've come to understand that much."

We slid left, trailing after Veronica like we were on some sort of fucked up ghost tour in an abandoned fortress. Other than the two guys Veronica had singlehandedly knocked out, we hadn't run into anyone else. Even the yard was free of guardians. And if any appeared, then they were certainly a meal fit for a massive dragon at this point.

I tugged on Tanner's hand. "Don't you think it's weird there aren't more people?"

Veronica pitched her voice toward me. "I found that odd myself."

"Are you sure this isn't a trap?"

She sighed wearily. "Everything with Raymond is a trap, Leah. We should assume that when dealing with him."

The torch rose higher. Light splashed on a particularly modern door with a security panel. Finally, something normal in this rundown place. Veronica flipped the panel, revealing a regular keypad.

She handed the torch to me. "I can crack this code. Just keep an eye out for more people."

I nodded as I held the torch for her to see the keypad and turned to Tanner. He was intently watching the dim tunnel behind us. Still no sign of other people. Even the air wasn't polluted with scents as I had imagined. Those giant creatures in the forest had been decrepit and mangy. We would have been able to smell them in here.

Either the place was largely abandoned, poorly secured, or something was masking their scents.

I really hoped it was just largely abandoned.

But that means Inez would be held somewhere else. My heart hammered in my chest. The keypad beeped behind me and Veronica cursed. Please, let me get my daughter and get the hell out. I just want to go home. I just want to be with my mate. My eyebrows shot up.

My mate.

I hadn't ever thought of Tanner in those terms. Back at the campsite, he had called me his mate out loud and nothing had happened except for a quiver inside my chest like my heart was about to give out. It had been an exciting thing to hear, yet it didn't seem to move me in the same way as feeling myself acknowledge him as my mate in my soul.

"Oh my god," I whispered.

I grabbed Tanner's hand.

He dragged his gaze from the darkness and peered into my eyes, giving me that inquisitive brow that drove me wild. "What is it, princess?"

"You're my mate."

The door behind us popped open loudly and Veronica yipped with glee. She chuckled while grabbing my shoulder. "Heartwarming. Cute. Vomit-worthy. I was wondering when you two would finally click."

I laughed as I resisted the tug of her hand. "I have no idea what I'm saying."

I couldn't break eye contact with Tanner if I tried.

Was that it? Was that what told me it was real?

She hummed curiously. "Is it coming from your heart?"

"Yes." The word spilled from my lips before I could even think about it. "I'm just answering without even thinking."

"Then, it's true." She patted my shoulder. "You're mates. You love him."

I blinked rapidly. "I love him."

Tanner looked surprised too, his eyes welling up slightly as he glanced over my shoulder. He nodded. "Come on, princess. Looks like we're at the dungeon like we planned."

"The dungeon." My voice sounded like a dream. We were on a rescue mission and for some reason, I couldn't tear my attention away from Tanner. What was happening to me? "Tan?"

He took my hand and guided me forward. "Yeah, princess?"

Neither of us spoke when we stepped into the room. Chains hung from the tattered brick walls along with plenty of rusted instruments. Many of them seemed like they had been used recently while others appeared very much out of commission. In the center of the floor was a stage of sorts that was illuminated by a patch of light. A sliver of silver-of moonlight-spilled onto a leather strap.

That was a polished strap. That was new.

This place was still being used for something.

Veronica's boots clapped over the cement, a dull sound intermittently broken by items clattering on the ground. My daughter's scent assaulted my nostrils. That alone made me dart forward, searching the nooks and crannies of the area for that familiar little girl. Her scent intensified along the back wall. A row of cages that were no bigger than dog kennels lined the brick. Some of them were stained with darkened patches of red. It didn't take a mad scientist to determine what those were about. "Mommy?"

Inez sounded so unsure and so hopeful at the same time. I cried out as I lunged toward one of the cages in the shadows, dropping to my knees as my eyes adjusted at the same time. My hands searched the cold bars and found warm fingers. "Inez!" I sobbed. "Oh, my sweet girl. Are you okay? Where are you?" I reached into the cage and found a warm head. "There you are! Gods, are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Footsteps echoed behind me. A tiny hand fell on my shoulder. I jumped back, startled by the feeling of someone tiny touching me.

"Mommy, I'm right here," my daughter whispered. "What are you doing?"

My eyes blurred with shadows. It was just too dark down here even with the moonlight. More footsteps erupted. A torch came into view, casting an orange puddle over me and the cage I was positioned in front of.

Inez was right in front of me on the cement. I wrapped my arms around her, so relieved to have her in my arms again. She shuddered as she buried her face into my chest. More footsteps. Murmurs. Questionable energy swirled in the air. Something was off. Something was wrong.

My back prickled with awareness, that familiar sensation that I'd felt back at the campsite when I knew there were things behind us.

People.

Creatures.

"Mommy," Inez whispered in my ear, "who is that man?"

I shuddered.

Oh gods, I had touched someone in that cage. But who? Was it someone who was also the enemy of the Gilbert Pack?

"Who are you?" Tanner growled. "Why are you being held here?"

The person behind me took a sharp breath. I shuffled away from the cage, feeling sick to my stomach that I had touched a complete stranger. But then again, they were in a cage. For the sake of the gods, I had to be a little compassionate about it. "Th-thirsty..." the man rasped. Or whatever was left of a man. "Water..."

"Mommy, he's so thin," Inez whispered. "He's a bone man."

"He's probably just tired," I reasoned despite the chill that had settled into my bones. "He's probably just-"

Horror struck me when I turned around. The man in the cage was indeed rather thin. As Inez had so aptly pointed out, he was practically a skeleton. Emaciated skin marked areas that once housed toned muscle. Brown eyes stared back at me. A beard guarded his face. Soft hair hung shaggy around his eyes.

He wore nothing but a thin flannel shirt and a pair of jeans. The way he extended his hand made me retreat even though I knew the ring he wore on his finger.

Because it was the same ring I had slid over that finger three years ago.

I shook my head. "Oh gods, you didn't leave us." Bile rose in my throat as I clutched Inez tighter. "Edward, you didn't leave at all. You were taken from us." "Leah," Edward spoke through parched lips. "Please...water."