Secured By My Mate (Night Grove Falls: Midnight Haven #6)

Chapter 1

ONE

Reyes

I’m restless tonight, an anxious itch running along my skin as I stare out at the darkening forest. My wolf paces inside me, his ears twitching at every little sound.

I stand guard on my porch, part of me wishing that there really was a threat out there in the trees.

At least it would give me something to do, some way to burn off this energy.

I should be used to this feeling. Back when I was working for the Secret Service, I felt it all the time.

It’s part of the reason I left. I wanted something new, something different.

I didn’t want to protect rich politicians.

I wanted to help people who needed it, who had no other options. I wanted to make a difference.

Moving to Night Grove Falls was supposed to be my fresh start. I joined the pack here and have been working for the Midnight Haven for a few months now. We help those in need. Need to escape an abusive cult or partner? We’re your guys. Running from danger? We’ll be there.

I love my job, love my pack, and my friends. I’m finally doing what I want—helping people out of scary situations. I’m making a difference.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I let out a long exhale as I answer it. I’m on call tonight, and I’m hoping that they need me. I need a purpose right now.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Reyes. You busy?” Pyrce asks.

“Nope, what’s going on?”

“We have a situation with the cult. There’s been word about a kidnapped girl being held there.”

“Another one?” I growl. “What the hell are they trying to do?”

“I don’t know. We need to figure it out, though. Right now, we need to get to the girl.”

“I’ll be at the cabin in ten,” I tell him.

“Good. See you in a few.”

We hang up, and I grab my keys and head out. I jog to the Midnight Haven headquarters. It’s a cabin a few miles north of Main Street. It’s close to my house, and I walk through the door eight minutes after I get the call.

“Do we have a plan?” I ask the guys as I join them around a desk.

“Working on it,” Abe grunts. He points to a map. “We think it’s one of these houses.”

I frown. “That’s close to the main houses.”

The other times we went to the cult property to rescue someone, they were being held in one of the outlier cabins. It was more private. This is different.

“Yeah, maybe they wised up. Knew we would continue to rescue anyone they held in the cabins,” Pryce says. “It’ll be harder to sneak in and out with so many other people around.”

Let’s go, my wolf growls impatiently.

“We’ll have to split up,” Jameson says. “Search the houses. Let everyone know if you find anything. We stay low and quiet. With any luck, we’ll be in and out without anyone knowing.”

We all nod and get ready to leave. My wolf is tense, almost shaking with unleashed energy.

We’ll get the girl and then go for a run, I promise. We’ll feel better then.

He growls his agreement, but the tension doesn’t leave him.

It’s pitch black out when we leave the Midnight Haven cabin and prowl through the forest toward the cult’s land. They own the property to the north of Night Grove Falls. They moved in almost a year ago and have been nothing but trouble since.

As we get closer, we split up, dispersing between the trees. I pause to survey the houses for any sign of movement or sound, but all is quiet. I look over at Pyrce, and he nods. As one, we move down the short hill toward the first set of houses.

I lose sight of everyone as I weave between shrubs, peeking into the first house’s window. A couple is asleep in bed. I move on to the next.

It’s not until the third house that I find our kidnapped girl. I look through the window and see her tied to the bed with a makeshift blindfold covering her eyes. She’s still as the man watching her shifts in his chair.

I swallow a growl as he looks at her, then back to his phone. When he stands, rolling his shoulders, I move. I round the house and approach the front door. I check the handle, but it’s locked.

So much for going in quietly, I think as I kick the door down.

The guy whirls around, reaching for his gun, but I’m quicker. I lunge for him, knocking him onto the ground. His head ricochets off the wooden chair behind him, knocking him out cold.

I jump to my feet and move quietly toward the woman. I’m about to untie her and tell her she’s safe when I hear heavy footsteps. Sounds like I have company.

“Shit,” I growl.

“Ambush,” Pyrce warns as he appears through the front door.

“I hear that. You ready?”

He smirks. “Of course.”

I grin, and we rush toward the front door. The men are idiots. We’re able to pick them off when they get bottlenecked as they enter.

“Go get the others! I’ll get the girl,” Pyrce instructs as I knock out the last man.

I nod, jumping over the pile of bodies. Abe runs my way, and I point toward our land. He understands immediately and whistles to the others.

Pyrce appears behind me, the woman cradled in his arms. He pushes past, heading back to Night Grove Falls.

That’s when it hits me.

Mate! My wolf howls.

I react before I can think. Grabbing Pyrce’s shoulder, I yank him to a halt and throw him up against the house.

“Reyes!” He stares at me like I’m crazy. “What the fuck, dude?”

I can’t answer. I grab the girl from his arms and cradle her against me.

“Mine,” I snarl.

Understanding dawns in his eyes. “Great. Now go!”

He shoves me in the direction our friends are disappearing into the trees.

I take off, holding my mate securely against me.

My thoughts race as I restrain my wolf and keep up with everyone else. I can’t believe I just found my fated mate. I know I probably scared her when I grabbed her, but I couldn’t help it.

I can’t control myself right now.

We reach our pack’s land, and I slow to a walk, staring down at my fated mate. I look for any signs of injuries, but aside from some rope burn on her wrists, she seems intact.

She’s a curvy little thing, and my mouth waters as my eyes roam over her. I look at her angelic face, and her green eyes lock with mine. Every instinct inside me screams at me to bite and claim her.

Yes! Make her ours! my wolf orders.

I pause beside a tree to clear my head.

“Are you hurt anywhere?” I ask, looking down at her.

She opens her mouth to talk, but her voice is hoarse. Tears spring to her eyes.

I hold her tighter as she squirms, fighting to get out of my arms. “I need to get you to a doctor.”

She shakes her head, pointing back toward the cult. Agonized whimpers spill from her lips as she points to the cult again.

“They can’t hurt you. They’ll never touch you again,” I say, trying to reassure her.

Tears spill onto her cheeks, each one cutting me open.

For the first time ever, I wonder if I just rescued someone who didn’t want to be saved.