Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
S adie stood holding a cup of lukewarm coffee. The man who introduced himself as Lance was talking. She watched his mouth move but had no clue what he was saying. Sadie just nodded every once in a while, pretending to drink the coffee. She hated coffee but didn’t want to be rude. Her eyes kept going to where Eric, Cole, and Kile stood. Their eyes shifted to her, and then they would look away to start talking again—a clear indication that they were talking about her.
Her mind was whirling with what Char had said, but the guilt had her stomach churning. What had she been thinking when she agreed to have an eighteen-year-old help them? She had been so concerned for Lily that she hadn’t been thinking. Dammit.
Realizing Lance had stopped talking, she glanced up at him. He was staring at her. Shit. “I’m sorry. What?”
“Would you like to sit down?” He asked after a few minutes of silence.
“No, thank you.” She replied, knowing she was, in fact, being rude but wasn’t in the mood to socialize. “Excuse me,” Sadie said, stepping around him, barely able to give him a small smile. Her eyes locked with Kile, who stood watching her as she approached. She wanted to know what they were discussing, especially if it had to do with her.
His intense stare made her heart skip beats. Her hand shook, sloshing the coffee on her fingers. Her mind kept replaying their short time in the woods. Had she really acted that way? Embarrassed, she dropped her gaze from him. Her breath hitched, causing her to clear her throat as she stopped next to the three men.
“I’d appreciate being included when I’m the subject of conversation,” she said, silently cursing as her voice trembled.
“What do you know about this pack?” Eric asked with a frown.
“Not as much as Char or Lily.” She replied honestly. “I know they go by the Shadow Pack, which I’m surprised Colton didn’t repeat over and over again while you were beating his ass.” This she directed toward Kile.
“Never heard of them. Must not be that badass of a pack.” Cole said with a shrug. “You know how many members?”
“That’s a question for Char. I do know it’s more than what you have that I’ve seen.” Sadie frowned, looking away from Kile’s half grin, which made him look even more handsome. “My main concern was to get Lily away from them. Char snuck me in because Lily didn’t trust anyone, not even Char. I wish I could tell you more, but I was in and out. I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for,” Kile spoke, his grin gone. “You shouldn’t have done that on your own.”
“I had no one else. I never liked Colton from the first time I met him.” Sadie frowned, looking at them all. “And he sure didn’t like me. I tried to talk to Lily, but the ass had her convinced that they were mates. I woke up one morning, and she was gone, leaving only a note.”
Sadie’s body shuddered at the memory. The fear she felt for her sister when finding her gone would never leave her. She knew the three men were waiting for her to continue, but she had to take a minute. The nightmare they had been living and were still living was raw and real.
“Even though I grew up with a shifter family, this is not my world. I didn’t know what to do or where to turn. I wanted to go to the police but knew I wouldn’t be believed. Secrecy was our life, and I was terrified to go to anyone. Char showed up a few weeks later. You know the rest other than what she can tell you about her pack.” Sadie glanced at the closed door where Char lay. “It’s my fault she is hurt. I should have never involved her.”
“She came to you,” Kile said, gaining her full attention.
“She did,” Sadie replied with self-disgust. “I should have known better than to involve her further, but I always promised to keep Lily safe. I failed and, in turn, put another life in danger.”
“None of this is your fault.” Kile stepped closer to her, putting his hand gently on her shoulder. “You are not alone now. And your leaving will not solve anything. As soon as you feel Lily is safe and Char is okay, that is your plan, isn’t it?” He cocked his eyebrow at her.
That was exactly her plan, she thought, almost choking on the large lump in her throat. At least it was until tonight, but now she was back to leaving, knowing it was the right thing to do. “If there is a bounty on me, my being here is putting everyone in danger,” Sadie said as the door opened and Gemma walked out.
“She’s going to be okay,” Gemma informed them, looking tired and stressed. “Phil removed the arrow with very little damage. He wants her to stay here for a few days so he can keep an eye on it.”
“She needs to shift so she will heal faster,” Kile said with a worried frown. “Antibiotics won’t work on her.”
“Can I see her?” Sadie asked, looking toward the door where Char was.
“She wants to see both of you,” Gemma told Kile and Sadie. “Phil isn’t too happy about it, but go on, and we’ll wait for you.”
Kile put his hand on the small of her back. His hand felt huge, making her feel feminine. It was a strange but pleasant feeling. It was a safe feeling, something she hadn’t felt for a long time, and it was nice.
“How are you feeling?” Sadie headed for Char, who was still lying on her stomach, her head propped on a pillow. Her eyes opened and closed sleepily as she stared first at her and then at Kile.
“A little sore, but better,” Char said before her gaze went to Kile. “Trust him, Sadie.”
“What?” Sadie asked, though she heard her clearly. The statement took her by surprise.
“I know you and Lily have trust issues, which is understandable, especially after dealing with my brothers, but trust him,” Char explained, then moaned when she moved. “Okay, that hurt a little.”
“You need to shift, Char,” Kile told her with a frown. “We can talk after.”
“No,” Char said, her eyes narrowing. “None of you know who you are dealing with. My brother, Sebastian, will shun me, which he has already done. He doesn’t care what happens to me now. Colton will take Lily and make her his mate, he will treat her like shit, but she will have a life within the pack. But you, Sadie—.” Char said, then stopped talking. She stared at her with concern written all over her face.
“Me what?” Sadie frowned, stepping closer to Kile without realizing she was doing it until she felt his heat against her body.
Her eyes shot to Kile’s before snapping back to Sadie. “You are a human who broke into his camp and took something from the alpha’s brother.”
“Lily belongs to no one.” Sadie sneered hatred for Colton coloring her words. “She is a person, not some material thing.”
“She is a shifter,” Char whispered, giving her a sorrowful glance. “In some wolf packs, women are exactly that...material things to be owned.”
Sadie thought about that for a minute, confused, thinking of their father's love for their mother. He had never mistreated her, though he did wear the pants in the family, so to speak. And seeing Eric with Gemma for this short time, she only saw his love and respect for her. Looking back at Char, Sadie wondered if she was that ignorant in their ways. Obviously, she was because she was close to giving her all to Kile.
“If there is a bounty on me, why was Colton dead set on Lily and not me? Why didn’t the other men with him take me for the bounty money or whatever?” She asked, still trying to wrap her head around it all.
“Because I wasn’t going to let that happen.” Kile’s deep voice filled the room, making her glance up at him in surprise.
“Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.” Char moaned again as she moved to a more comfortable position.
“Simple enough for me.” Kile hissed, and Sadie could feel the tension coming off him in waves, which was very strange. Ignoring that sensation, she focused on Char.
“Char, you need to rest,” Sadie ordered worriedly.
“No,” Char growled, then sighed. “The bounty is for information. No one is to touch you unless Sebastian orders it. Those men with Colton must not have had orders, or Kile is right; they didn’t take you because he stopped them.”
“No one was taking her or Lily anywhere.” Kile snarled. This time, it was him who stepped closer to her, and strangely, Sadie welcomed it because she had a feeling she was not going to like what else Char had to say.
“I didn’t know Colton had pictures of Lily and...you,” Char said as a tear slipped from her eye. “When I snuck you in, I only made things worse, and I’m sorry. I had no idea that this would happen.”
“For what to happen?” Sadie said with a snort. “That I showed up your brother by sneaking into his territory and rescued my sister right under his nose? Now, he wants to make an example out of me. I pretty much figured that would happen.” It was true, but she hadn’t expected a massive bounty on her head. That was a shock. Her worry had never been about herself really, but for Lily.
“Sebastian was livid when he found out that a human woman had penetrated our camp and taken something belonging to his brother,” Char repeated, then looked at Kile before glancing away. “But he wasn’t angry at you, but at the guards on duty. They were punished severely. He was intrigued by your courage, and then he saw your picture.”
“Shit.” Kile cursed loudly, making Sadie jump.
“Okay...then why the bounty?” Sadie asked, trying to follow along but definitely not getting the point. “I’m sorry, but I just don’t understand.”
“Sebastian wants to make you his own,” Char said, shocking Sadie speechless.
“Over my dead fucking body.” She barely heard Kile’s snarled promise and wondered if she had heard him at all. Obviously, she was hearing things. There was no way Char could have said what she had just said.
“For his own?” Sadie asked, her body tense, waiting for an answer. When Char just stared at her with such sadness, Sadie’s stomach rose to her throat. “Like as in his mate?”
"No, he already has a mate. His whore. I'm sorry. I never should have helped you," Char whispered as a tear slipped down her cheek. "I've only made things worse. I never had a sister, and Lily felt like one, even in such a short time. Then I met you and saw how much you cared for her. I thought if I helped you save Lily, maybe I could be a part of that... be like a sister too. But now, I'll never have that. Sebastian won't stop until you are his. I'm so sorry, Sadie."
Char’s body began to shake as she shifted into her wolf form. Sadie stood frozen, watching, her mind whirling with what Char had just said. Once she had completely shifted, Sadie walked up to her and knelt so they were eye to eye. Reaching up, she touched the soft fur.
“There is nothing for you to be sorry for, Char,” Sadie said, then tried to reassure her with a smile. “Lily and I always wanted a little sister. Don’t worry about your brother. I will handle that. Just get better. That’s what’s important.”
Sadie stood, her body shaking, as she tried to keep the fear she felt hidden from Char. Kile took her trembling hand, leading her out the door, and then shut it behind them. Turning her to face him, her eyes rose to meet his.
“He will never touch you,” Kile said with such conviction that she wanted to believe him. Yet, putting her trust in a stranger and knowing her presence could harm others had her looking away from him.
For the first time, she wanted so badly to put her trust in someone, but fear had her pulling away from that fantasy. No, the consequences were too real for her, and the possible repercussions of her being anywhere near innocent people had her remaining silent. Would her nightmare ever end?
“We have a problem.” Eric walked over with Gemma following. “Phil found this attached to the arrowhead.”
Sadie leaned closer, looking at the small object with a tiny blue flashing light. “What is that?”
“A tracking device,” Eric answered but continued looking at Kile. “I’ll get everyone together. We may need Lance’s men, so I’m going to involve him also.”
Sadie could only stare at the device, realizing that her nightmare had only just begun.