[It’s true, then.] I sigh, feeling Lucas pull me closer while I focus on linking my friend.
[If that rogue told you we are mates, then yes, it’s true,] Ash confirms, his voice wavering. I sense the sadness and uncertainty inside him. Ash just found his mate, and he’s our prisoner.
[Do you want to come talk to him? I’m sure he’ll tell us the truth with you here,] I question, allowing Ash to decide on his own.
[I...I can’t, Kaylee. I may end up rejecting him.]
I sigh, feeling all eyes on me as I tell Ash it’s okay before closing our link. This revelation has complicated the situation, and I know that interrogating Devon will be much harder now.
“He isn’t coming back, is he?” Devon asks sadly, closing his eyes.
“No,” I confirm. Devon nods, sadness rippling off him.
“You know, I thought I would find my mate once I completed the requirements to dissolve the Blood Pact Ramos forced onto me,” Devon chuckles out, a lone tear slipping down his face. “I didn’t think I would meet them this way.”
Looking at Devon’s hopelessness, I wonder if he had any choice in spying on us. He was sent here by Ramos, a man we all know is cruel and ruthless. Maybe, like all of us, he had no choice in the matter.
“Ramos forced a Blood Pact onto you?” Kurt asks, stepping closer to Devon and giving him a sympathetic smile.
“He did. It was a few weeks ago,” Devon answers, eyes still closed. “He originally sent me to find out who the alpha and beta of Ivory Fangs are. There had never been a female alpha ruling a pack, let alone a female being the main beta.”
No one speaks as Devon takes a shaky breath. He knows there are two options left for him—be tortured and reveal the truth, or reveal the truth now and have a chance not to be rejected by Ash.
“Not only that, but he wanted to know if Lucas and Kaylee had taken refuge in Ivory Fangs after the attack on Shadow Moon.”
“So you told him what he needed to know then?” This time, I ask the question, all the hatred and anger I had for this man gone. Yes, he spied on us, but he’s also a victim of Ramos.
“Yes. I had to give Ramos the right information and not hold anything back, or the Blood Pact would cause me immense pain. After telling him who the alpha and beta were and that you and Lucas were here, the Blood Pact dissolved, and I was set free.”
I scent the air, searching for any type of lie, but come up empty. Devon is telling the truth.
“I was leaving today when Lucas and the redhead here caught me,” Devon continues. “You can check my bag if you’d like—it has a cell phone Ramos gave me.”
Trying not to laugh at the way he calls Marco ‘redhead’ with disdain in his voice, I look to David, who has already walked towards a small table with a backpack on top. After digging through it, David returns to our small group with a cell phone in hand and a smirk on his face.
“Since you’ve told the truth, we won’t execute you. But we’ll keep you locked up until we decide what to do with you,” David states, his eyes still glaring distrustfully at Devon.
“All I ask is that you tell my mate I am sorry. I understand if he wants to reject me,” Devon says quietly, nodding his head respectfully towards David.
[Marco, have a few wolves take him into one of the cells. He’ll be drugged with wolfsbane to keep him from shifting,] Amelia says through the link as she motions for us to leave. Lucas and I are the first to exit the room, him not letting go of me.
[Already on it. I think we need to speak with Ash before deciding what to do,] Marco grumbles.
[I can do that, redhead,] I tease my friend, and he growls at me. David chuckles, pointing out that Devon not knowing his name is a good thing, to which Marco reluctantly agrees.
[I’ll take the phone to our tech whiz and see if they can hack into Ramos’ phone with it. Maybe we can fish out any plans of war before it comes our way,] David says through our link as our group of now six climbs the stairs.
Once inside the stone cottage again, we find Ash leaning against the wall, his eyes red and puffy. He’s obviously been crying. Amelia orders everyone to their own duties, Lucas being dragged off by David as I slowly make my way towards Ash.
“Want to go for a drive?” I ask my friend, and he nods in response. He hands me the keys to my truck, and we leave the stone cottage behind. I know Ash is in pain and needs a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen.
31
Kaylee
Deciding the best place to go is out of the packlands and to the nearest coffee shop, Ash and I drive the back roads out of Ivory Fangs. Since agreeing to the drive, Ash has silently sat beside me, staring aimlessly out the window. My heart aches for my friend, but I know that right now, he needs someone to be patient with him. It’s not every day you find out your soulmate is considered a criminal in your pack.
The pack border comes into view asLike a Prayerby Madonna comes on the radio. I nod to the wolves on duty, telling them we’ll be back within two hours before driving off down the gravel road that had led us to Ivory Fangs over three months ago. The gravel crunching under the tires mixes with the music on the radio until I turn onto the highway, heading toward the nearest town.
