“What the hell are you going to do with him?” Erik asks me as I finish tying up the rogue in the back seat and climbing out of the car, shutting the door behind me. I rub my face with my hands as I try to come to grips with what I’m doing myself before having any kind of answer to Erik’s question.
“I don’t know, but I can’t let you kill him,” I say, resting my head on the door as I try to think.
“If we don’t kill him, the royals will just send other hunters after him. He is wanted, and there must be a reason,” Erik warns me.
“We can tell the royals we killed him. They would never know,” I suggest, and Erik just stares at me for a second, and I have no idea what he is thinking.
“I guess there isn’t anything you wouldn’t do for your mate,” he says, clearing his throat. “If we do this, then he needs to be hidden where no royal or royal guards would look. I will tell them I killed him and burnt the body. The royals trust me enough to believe it.”
“Let’s just take him back to the pack and then-“ I start off, but Erik cuts me off.
“-You can’t take him back there, not with the prince having the pack watched and everything that is going on with Harper. You can’t bring danger to them,” Erik says, and I know he is right. There is no way I could bring a potential risk to the pack at the moment.
“Why he is having the pack watched?” I ask, not having a clue about this. I wonder if Nikoli knows the prince is watching the pack? I doubt our alpha would be okay with that.
“Because of Snow. He wants her watched in case of any danger, and Nikoli knows all about it. Not that Nikoli would let anything happen to his sister, anyway,” Erik tells me, rubbing his chin and staring back at the car. “I know somewhere you could take him, and they might help you.”
“Nope,” I shake my head, knowing exactly where he is thinking.
“Gold, do you want to save the drunk or not?” he exclaims. “No one would look for him there, and it will give you time to plan something.”
“They would want me to stay, though. I’d have to join their pack,” I grumble.
“Yeah, but they can’t make you do anything you don’t want. Look, I know the bears, and they aren’t bad guys. I wouldn’t send my sister there if I didn’t think they would keep you safe,” he tells me. I nod, knowing my brother is overprotective enough that he’d never let me near the bears if he didn’t think they were safe. Not that I can’t handle myself anyway.
“I don’t want a mate,” I firmly point out.
“You have four potentials, so it seems like fate is not listening to your commands at the moment, sis,” Erik laughs, leaning over and opening the car door.
“You going to be okay to get back?” I ask him. I'm taking the car, and his is miles away. He nods once, looking up at the sky for a second.
“I think it’s about time me and Snow had a chat about things. Give me a call once you are settled with the pack,” he says, looking nervous as he meets my eyes. He should be.
“I’m glad you are going back to her,” I say, placing my hand on his shoulder. “Not only does Snow need her mate, but Arisa needs her dad.”
“I will try. It’s just every time I see her or Arisa, it reminds me of…” he drifts off, and I know enough to not make him tell me more. I know who they remind him of anyway, and it must be painful for him to think back to that time.
“Tell her how you feel, and what you are thinking. She won’t judge you or hate you for it like I know you think she will. Snow has waited years for you to talk to her,” I suggest, and he pulls me into a brief hug, before letting me go as I get into the car.
“Good luck with the rogue. The file about his past is in the glove compartment,” Erik tells me.
“Did you read it?” I ask, and he nods, his eyes drifting to my rogue. “And?”
“If it was that bad, do you think I’d let you drive off alone with him? Read it yourself and see,” he says as he turns around and walks across the car lot, disappearing into the shadows. I slam my door closed and turn the engine on, reversing the car out of the lot and drive us down the street. I glance in the wing mirror and run my eyes over my rogue's black hair and overgrown beard that covers his face. Even drunk and looking a mess, he smells like the forest and is still ridiculously good looking. God dammit I’m screwed.