53. Maya

53

Maya

Panic attack. Oh, I was having a full-on panic attack. After ducking out of the conference room, I'd run as fast as I could, which wasn't that fast on two legs, but God, I needed to put as much space as I could between what had just happened and myself.

It wasn't until my lungs were burning that I stopped and realized that I wasn't alone. Juniper stopped next to me and frowned. I was leaning over, ready to hurl on the ground, and she was barely red in the face.

"I'm going to chalk it up to the baby growing because otherwise, you are in terrible shape in human form."

Straightening, I glared at her. "We've been running around this goddamn mountain for weeks, and you're just now noticing?"

"I guess we're usually running from something, so I hadn't noticed. Are we running from something now?"

"No. Maybe." My panic still wasn't subsiding. "I just met Emily and Gemma."

Juniper's eyes filled with pleasure, and she sat next to me. We were close to the territory line, and there were patrols' eyes us, but nobody asked us to move. "I can't believe Emily is alive. I know Rhyson needs time, so I'm not barging in there, but she and I used to be friends. Gemma too, although I didn't see much of her. Oh, shit. Gemma. That's why you're running, isn't it?"

"What?" I wasn't running from the gorgeous raven-haired beauty who was supposed to be Rhyson's mate. "No. She seems great. She'll make a good queen, I guess."

"She'll make a what?" Juniper choked out. "What did you just say?"

"Look, that's not why I ran. That's not what's important. Emily gave me the description of Marrow's killer. Juniper, I know who it is."

Juniper stilled. "Talk."

"I don't know for sure that he's Marrow's killer, but it'd be pretty easy for me to find out. Gemma described a tattoo. He…he…" The dizzy spell came back, and I rested my head between my legs as I tried to gather my thoughts. "I thought it belonged to someone else. He said it was a reminder of who he used to be. I thought he meant someone who he had killed, but I think it's literally a reminder of who he used to be. It's hanging on the wall."

"Maya, you need to breathe," Juniper snapped. "You're not making any sense. What is hanging on whose wall?"

"The tattoo. The skin and the tattoo. It's been preserved and framed." My breathing was more shallow now, and I thought I was going to pass out.

"Hey," Juniper shouted to the guards behind us. "Can you get us some water? Or sugar? Or a healer? She's about to pass out."

One of the guards nodded and took off, and Juniper leaned over. "Maya, you're fucking pregnant. Stop hyperventilating and tell me what the hell you're talking about."

My heart slammed against my chest. I needed to tell her. Someone needed to tell Rhyson because it couldn't be me. I couldn't look at him and tell him the truth. "Gemma saw a tattoo of a yellow snake strangling a wolf on the man who attacked Rhyson's parents and killed them. Only it's not a yellow snake strangling a wolf. It's a golden dragon wrapped around a wolf, becoming one with it. There are wings folded along the wolf's back and a crown hovering above in the air. It's symbolic. The wolf is becoming a dragon, soon to be ruler of all."

Juniper nodded. I must have been making more sense. "Okay. And you know this how?"

"Because it's preserved and hanging on the wall of my father's bedroom. It's his. My father killed Rhyson's parents."

Juniper jumped to her feet. "You didn't tell him?"

"Could you?" I shivered. "Could you tell the father of your child that the man you share blood with is the same man he's hunting?"

"When that guard comes back, you drink that water and go back to your room," Juniper said. Without another word, she whirled around and took off.

Around me, I felt my whole world dropping away. I knew I was born of a killer. Now they did as well, and any happy life I saw for myself was over.

Rhyson had a mate. He had his sister. He had a reason to leave this mountain alive. All he needed was to complete his revenge.

And I would give that to him. I owed him that.

Wiping my cheeks, I left the spot and went back to my room. Packing just the essentials, I snagged the keys to one of the jeeps that brought us here and wrote a quick note for Rhyson. Not everything that I wanted to say, just enough so that he knew I was going to be safe. I was going to be smart.

I'd get my father to confess on tape, and Rhyson could execute him publicly. And my father wouldn't lay a hand on me. Not when he realized that I was carrying Rhyson's child.

It was nearing noon when I slid behind the wheel of the jeep and pulled out. There were a few wolves at the entrance, but they just looked at the plates and waved me on through. My heart slammed into my chest with a fresh rage. I'd never been so committed to a mission before.

I made it seven hours before I ran over something sharp, and the whole vehicle swerved. Gasping, I fought the wheel and hit the brakes before I slammed into the tree. The airbags ripped out, and my pain shot through my head as my vision darkened.

Shit, I'd broken my nose.

Grabbing the handle of the door, I pushed it open, but before I could climb out, hands grabbed me and pulled me out. A sickeningly familiar scent hit me.

No. Oh, no, no, no, no.

"Sweetheart, I have missed you," Champ said with a nasty laugh. "Come on now, out you come."

My vision returned, blurry, and I was helpless as he dragged me out of the jeep. "You're not here," I murmured. "You can't…you can't be here."

"Please," Champ snorted. "Like I haven't been here before. We had a good thing going with Emerson before he decided to serve a different master. Or mistress. Whatever. They're both dead now."

I tripped over something and fell. Pain shot through my leg, and I immediately smelled blood. Looking down in horror, I realized I'd fallen on spikes.

Road spikes.

"You…set a trap?"

"That I did. Come on. Keep going." Not caring that I was injured, he dragged me forward.

"How did you…"

"How did I know? I didn't. Your dad wouldn't even let me go after you. He nearly skinned me alive when you ran, but then he learned what Rhyson was doing, and he about shit himself. Sent me to make sure there was no one on this mountain left to squeal on him. When I found out that pretty little sister of his was alive, I was coming for her. Imagine my surprise when my contact told me that Rhyson was a daddy-to-be, and you were the mother."

Fury filled his voice, and my heart sank. I hadn't counted on Champ. Champ wouldn't give a damn whose baby I was carrying. He just wanted me for himself, and since no one was around to keep an eye on him to make sure that he didn't go too far…

"Champ," I whimpered in a low voice. "Champ, don't do this. Please."

Oh, the phrase he loved to hear so much. He loved it when I begged. Immediately, he stopped, whirled around, and leaned close. "What's that, sweetheart? What are you begging for?"

"For you to die, asshole." Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my knife and buried it into his chest. Snarling, he released me and stumbled back. With the last amount of energy I had, I turned and ran.