“Um… I think I’ll stick with the wheelchair.”
“Suit yourself,” Linc shrugged. “Just let me know if you change your mind.”
“Do we know why the alpha wants to see me?” I asked, fiddling with the fringe on the edge of the pastel plaid blanket.
“It’s a surprise,” Copeland whispered in my ear before standing and pushing the wheelchair down the hallway.
A sleek, cobalt blue SUV was waiting at the curb in front of the hospital. The moment we stepped outside, the driver hopped out and hurried around to open the side doors of the vehicle.
“Your ride awaits, milady.” The sweet, older gentleman gave me a wink, and his bushy mustache turned up in a smile.
“How nice!” I beamed back at him. “Thank you, kind sir.”
He tipped an imaginary cap and waited until we’d all slid into the back seat before shutting the door and making his way back around to the driver’s seat.
“Do you know where we’re going?” I asked, resting my head on Fletcher’s shoulder and lacing my fingers through Copeland’s.
“You’ll see.” Copeland gave my hand a squeeze. “Be patient, little rabbit.”
We’d driven for about an hour when things began to look familiar.
Surely we aren’t going there…
I kept the thought to myself, unable to believe what my eyes were telling me. But as the miles passed, it became clear that we were headed back to the last place on earth I ever wanted to visit. Blackberry Burrows.
“Tell him to stop,” I squeaked, hardly able to speak through the tightness in my throat. My pulse pounded in my ears. “Please!”
Fletcher turned, catching my chin and forcing me to meet his gaze. “Breathe, Charlee. You’re safe. No one is going to touch you.”
“You can’t be serious!” I half-shrieked, half-sobbed. “My last visit there didn’t exactly earn me any friends.”
“I think you’re going to find you have a lot more friends than you realize once we get there,” Fletcher tried to reassure me.
“And I think you’ve lost your mind.” I hadn’t meant to say it, but I couldn’t help it.
Had he forgotten what I’d done to obtain the information about the toxin? It had involved threats, a knife, and a whole roll of duct tape. There wasn’t a chance in Hades the burrow or the council was going to welcome me back with open arms.
“The alpha is already there with some of the pack. And they’re waiting on you.” Linc’s calm tone quieted my rising panic. “We don’t want to ruin the surprise, but let’s just say the council is no longer calling the shots.”
“Oh.” Not sure what else to say, I slumped back against the car seat and remained quiet.
What could’ve gone down in the past week to make my mates feel so confident it was safe for me to return to the burrow?
“Right on time,” the driver declared, rolling through the open gates of Blackberry Burrow.
Sitting up tall, I peered out the windshield, and my jaw dropped.
At least half of the pack was filling the courtyard in front of us. Alpha Cillian, Cyrus, Rig, and Monroe stood in front of them. Monroe radiated pure excitement as she bounced on the balls of her feet.
But the biggest shock of all, and what had me gripping the edge of the seat, was seeing the entire council on their knees on the sidewalk. Their wrists and ankles were shackled, and achain linked the men together. Pack security stood behind them, guarding them closely.
The SUV rolled to a stop, and Copeland reached for the door handle. “I’ll get your wheelchair. Hold on just a moment.”
“No.” I grabbed his sleeve. “I don’t want it. Please.”
His brows drew together, and it was clear he was about to disagree, but something in my expression stopped him.
“I promise you can smother me all you want once we leave and I’ll love every minute of it! But after everything they put me through, I want to stand tall and look down on them.” It was spiteful and a little mean. But let’s be real, they deserved it and more.
