8. Rylan

Irun to the little trailer that I've been staying in, just outside of the pack lands. It's far enough that I meet the letter of Thorne's decree, if not the spirit.

He wants me far, far away from here. But I can't do that. Not right now. Not when I was so close to having Terra…

And lost her. Again.

Shifting, I walk inside the old silver structure. It shakes with my weight like it has every time, but so far, it hasn't fallen apart.

Today might be the day, considering how everything is falling apart.

I can't believe that went so badly with Thorne.

Well. Yes, you can believe it.

He didn't believe me the first time. It shouldn't really be that different now, I guess.

It's the hope, though, that's killing me this time.

The betrayal of not having my alpha believe me? Bad.

The feeling that I could have had a future with Terra, and now it's just been taken away? Pure misery.

I pace, the little trailer, shaking with every movement. What the fuck am I going to do now?

I should leave. No matter what, that's the solution. If I stay, then the alpha and his enforcers are going to kill me.

If I go… Terra, and the rest of the pack, will be at risk.

Why do I care about the rest of the pack?

Somehow, I do.

I'm still pacing the trailer when I have a strange feeling. Ice skates down my spine, and I head out, ready to fight any fucker who's followed me out here.

Instead, a familiar smell, lavender and roses, caresses my nose. I know that scent.

I peer into the darkness. "Terra?"

She slinks out of the forest. Even as a wolf, she's stunning. Cinnamon fur and dark brown mix all over her body, and her coat is so shiny and sleek, it practically glistens in the darkness.

Her green eyes blink at me, and magic rolls over her. Terra stands.

"Come inside," I say quickly.

She walks in, and I take one last peek around to see if Chet or any of his gremlins are here. Finding no one, I shut the door.

"Terra," I start. "How did you even find?—"

She cuts me off with a kiss.

I wasn't expecting this. The kiss consumes me, and instinctively, I pull her close, wrapping my arms around her warm body as I tug her closer. My hands are moving down her naked back to her ass when I remember where we are. And that we shouldn't be kissing. At all.

I break the kiss. "Terra. What are you doing here?"

"I came to find you," she murmurs.

I pull back, keeping her at arm's length. She shivers, and I go to grab one of the sweatshirts that I've been living in for a while. I push it over her head, watching as it falls to her knees. She looks so good in my clothes.

I tear my eyes away from her. "How did you find me?"

"I know where you go, Rylan."

I raise an eyebrow.

She sighs. "I smelled you and just followed the scent."

That's kind of impressive. "Have you always been able to do that?"

"I'd never tried," she says.

I love this woman so much it hurts.

"You can't be here," I whisper to her. I tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear, and she leans into my hand.

"Where else would I be?"

"Terra, if the alpha finds out you're here?—"

"I'm not on pack lands. I'm not harboring a fugitive," she says quietly.

The fact that she's willing to do this makes my chest ache. "You and your mom. We can't risk Thorne's ire."

"So let's go somewhere he can't bother us," she says. Her eyes search mine.

I shake my head slowly. "Terra, we can't. I don't know… where would we even go?"

The smile that curls across her lips is so sexy, but she shakes her head.

"I don't care where we go. We can be our own pack and petition the Supernatural Bureau for refugee status or something. We can join another pack. We can settle down and just try to keep our heads low in the human world. I don't care, Rylan. I just want you," she whispers.

I shut my eyes. "Terra…"

"I just want you, Ry. Please. Forever."

"I want you, too."

It's the truth. I know it's safer for me to run. I know it would keep her safe, but her words from when we first reunited flash into my mind.

I want to be brave for Terra. And the brave thing to do isn't to run. It's to stand and fight.

"It's not going to be easy, love," I whisper.

"I know, Rylan. I love you, and I don't want it to be easy."

"You deserve easy, babe."

"I deserve you," she insists.

And fuck if that doesn't hurt more than any fight I've walked out of in the last two years.

"You don't. Hell, I don't deserve you. You're better than me, Terra."

"Don't care," she says. "I love you. It's always been you, Ry. It will always be you." Her voice is thick.

I wrap her in my arms, sweeping her into a huge hug. She squeaks with surprise, and I hold her close.

"I love you," I whisper into her hair.

Terra's little cry is heartbreaking, but in a way that feels more like fixing than it does anything else.

We stay there for a minute, then she pulls back. "I talked to Thorne. After you left."

My heart thumps. "What did he say?"

"He needs evidence, Ry. He needs evidence to see that Chet is the one who fucked it up. He thinks that since he and Chet have the same background, he knows what Chet would do, but he has no idea. He only sees himself in that… he doesn't see the truth."

My eyes widen. "Evidence?"

"Yeah. Something we can prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt."

There's only one way to do this. "We have to catch him," I whisper.

Terra's smile widens. "I was thinking the same thing."

"But the only way to do that…"

"I know, Rylan." She grimaces. "I know. The only way to catch him is to go back to the fights."

"And collect evidence, which isn't going to go well there."

"What do you mean?"

I sigh. "They're not legal fighting rings, Terra. It's not like we can waltz in there and just record Chet placing a bet."

"So we need Thorne there."

I shake my head. "There's no way that he'll just walk in there. He's a respected alpha."

"An alpha who would risk a lot to protect a member of his pack, right?"

My eyes widen. "Terra, no."

"What?"

"You can't put yourself in that position. The mages, the people in there… they'd destroy you."

She smiles again. "Oh, definitely. But there's someone who is stronger than they are. Someone they'll never see coming."

"Who?"

Terra smirks. "I think it's time you met my best friend, Ember."

"Is she… You know what, never mind," I say.

"We'll figure it out. I have a plan, though, love," she whispers.

I shake my head. "You're too wonderful, you know that?"

"I think you could probably show me how wonderful you think I am," she says with a smile. She tugs on my hand and places it on her bare thigh.

Slowly, I slide my fingers up, moving them toward her center.

Terra's breath hitches. Her hands twine through my hair, and she leans in for a kiss. Against my lips, she pauses. I feel like I swallow the words.

"I just found you, Ry. I don't want to lose you again."

I nip her lips, tugging the sweatshirt up. "I swear, I'll never leave you again, Terra."

It's a promise. It's something that anchors me to her, and to the future.

But I mean every syllable.

Terra's it for me.

I was an idiot to leave her the first time. This time?

I'm going to be brave enough to stay.