Cuffed By My Mate (Twisted Oak Pack: First Responders #2)

Chapter 5

FIVE

Vera

Oh my god. He knows.

That’s all I can think as Crew drops me off at the station and heads off to help Tucker with a call.

I force myself to smile and wave as he pulls out of the parking lot, acting like nothing is wrong. But the second his truck disappears down the road, I spin around and rush into the station, my heart hammering against my ribs. My steps are quick, my breath coming in shallow pants as I head straight for my desk.

I collapse into my chair and let out a big breath, my hands gripping the edge of the desk like it might be able to ground me.

What am I going to do?

I press my lips together, my mind racing with the same question over and over again, my stomach knotting itself tighter the more I think about it.

Crew brought up the Red Fog Pack at lunch. He talked about them with disgust, with anger, with hatred .

And he has no idea that his mate—the woman he just claimed, the woman he just promised to spend his life with—comes from that very pack.

The pack he wants nothing to do with. The pack that has probably caused problems for Twisted Oak before.

The pack I ran from.

My fingers tremble as I run them through my hair, trying to calm myself down. I just found my fated mate, and now I’m going to lose him.

Because there’s no way Crew will forgive me for this.

I saw the disdain on his face when he talked about Red Fog, the way his hands clenched into fists, the way his jaw tightened. He hates them. Probably for good reason.

And I hate them too. Probably more than he does.

I hate my father. I hate my brother. I hate everything about the twisted, dark, broken pack they rule over.

But what will Crew do when he finds out I’m from there? What will he do when he learns the truth?

That I was sent here to spy on his pack?

That my father and brother expect me to infiltrate Twisted Oak to gather information for them?

My stomach churns.

I never intended to go through with it. I was just trying to escape. Red Fog was a prison, and coming here was my chance at freedom. I took the first out I could find, even if it meant letting them believe I was still under their thumb.

But now, now , it’s all going to come crashing down.

I had the chance to tell Crew the truth last night. Or at lunch today.

But I chickened out. Again.

I should tell him now. Before it’s too late. Before he finds out on his own and assumes the worst.

I know that’s the right thing to do. I know that waiting will only make it worse.

But I’m terrified .

What if he rejects me?

What if he throws me out of Twisted Oak and tells me to go back to Red Fog?

I can already feel myself putting down roots here, already feel the connection with this pack, with this home . I don’t want to lose it. I don’t think I could survive losing my mate and the life I was just beginning to build.

My bear whines inside of me, picking up on my anxiousness and starting to get worried herself. I try to comfort her, but it’s hard when I’m still panicking.

We won’t lose him, I tell her.

We can’t lose him, she says, and I swallow hard.

I squeeze my eyes shut, taking a deep breath, forcing the panic down.

I have to figure this out.

And I have to figure it out fast .

The door to the station opens, and I startle in my seat, spinning around, my heart still racing. My bear is on high alert inside of me, and we both watch eagerly as someone walks into the station.

A woman steps inside, blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, her hazel eyes warm and friendly.

“Hey! You must be Vera. Tucker told me about you,” she says, walking over with a smile.

I force myself to breathe, to calm down . She doesn’t know anything.

“Hey,” I say, offering a small wave.

“I’m Nori. Tucker’s mate.”

I freeze.

Nori.

My blood runs cold, and my bear growls inside of me.

This is her .

Creepy Jim’s niece. The girl who was supposed to be delivered to Red Fog. The girl my father wanted to bring into our pack. The girl who never made it there.

The girl I was supposed to be reporting back on.

My hands clench into fists, and I struggle to keep my expression neutral as my bear starts to pace inside of me.

I can’t let her know.

I can’t let anyone know.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I manage to say, forcing a smile.

“You too!” Nori grins, plopping down in the seat next to my desk like we’ve been friends for years. “How are you liking Twisted Oak?”

“It’s really nice,” I say honestly. “Everyone has been really welcoming.”

I can feel her energy—bright, warm, and so opposite of the kind of people I was raised around.

I can’t help but feel relieved that she never made it to Red Fog.

They would have destroyed her.

“Yeah, you’ll love it here,” she says, leaning back in her chair. “Everyone loves Crew, and I know they’re going to love you too.”

I blink, caught off guard by the sincerity in her voice.

I don’t know what to say.

I’m not used to people liking me.

To people wanting to know me.

“I hope so,” I say softly.

Nori beams. “We’re going to be good friends ,” she announces, like it’s already been decided.

I laugh, caught up in her confidence. “I’d like that.”

“We will be,” she says with certainty.

A friend .

The thought is crazy to me. I never had friends in Red Fog. Everyone was too afraid of my father and brother to talk to me. Or I was too afraid to let them close, worried they’d report back on me. But here, with Nori, I feel something I never felt in Red Fog.

Safe.

My bear nods in agreement, and I let out a big breath of relief. Nori’s phone goes off, and she glances at the screen.

“Crap, I have to get going,” she says, standing up quickly. “Let’s do lunch soon, yeah? Sometime this week?”

I nod. “Definitely. I’ll be here.”

“Great! I’ll reach out soon.”

“Sounds good.”

She gives me a little wave. “See you later!”

I watch her rush out, my heart still racing. The second the door closes behind her, my smile fades and my good mood crashes, because I just lied to my new friend.

It feels awful.

I hate keeping things from people. I hate lying . And now I’ve done it twice—to Crew, and to Nori.

You know what you have to do, my bear says, and I nod.

That settles it. I’m telling Crew when he gets back. I don’t care how scared I am. I don’t care how much I risk losing. He deserves to know the truth.

And I just hope…

I pray …

That he takes the news well.