If Swift heard someone say she needed to let go of the past one more time, she would scream. How was she supposed to move past the memories when every time she closed her eyes, she could see the ground covered in blood? Screams from her family and friends echoed in her ears. Everyone she knew had been slaughtered. Why? Because a human fell in love with a fox shifter who couldn’t return that love. They weren’t mates and because of that, he’d sought his revenge on the group of animals that reminded him of her.

Sinking down on the chair, she squeezed the bridge of her nose. What was she going to do? She’d thought leaving Crimson Hollow would be the right choice but as she sat in her hotel room, fear rose within her, worse than ever. She couldn’t handle it any longer, but she refused to go back to the tribe with her tail between her legs.

The cell phone she laid on the table vibrated and Sin’s name displayed again. This was the fifth call and it wasn’t noon yet but Swift wasn’t ready to answer. What was she going to tell her cousin? That wasn’t the only reason why she didn’t answer. If she did, Sin would try to talk her into returning and her will was broken enough that she’d let it happen. The tribe was her family; maybe not biologically, but they’d accepted Sin and Swift when their leash—their group of foxes—was slaughtered.

“Now I’m on the verge of losing them too. I’ll be alone again!” Tears pricked her eyes as she fought to keep her emotions at bay.

Leaning back in the hard high back chair, she focused on the pale yellow walls of the hotel room and tried to breathe despite the lump in her chest. She needed to find a way to move past what happened. Not just for a few hours at a time, like she had been able to do since she left. She needed to be able to put the past behind her for good. Otherwise, she’d lose her family, her tribe, and she didn’t want that to happen. They had become everything to her—until her past was tossed back in her face with the slaughter of more foxes and the arrival of Zoe. Now, nothing was the same.

A pounding on the door had her jumping off the chair. They’ve found me. Only, she wasn’t worried it would be someone from her tribe. No, she wasn’t afraid of them, but of a dead man. How was that even logical? Rationality didn’t matter when it came to her terror. It was all in her head and that made it worse. How did one convince themselves that everything was fine?

“Swift?” Another knock echoed through the room. “Open up. It’s Noah. Jase sent me.”

“Noah…” His name came out whisper soft, so she wasn’t sure he could hear her.

“Yes. Now open up.”

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced herself to walk to the door. Each step seemed to take more effort like she was moving in quicksand. No doubt it was Noah; she knew his voice and his scent.

Scent. That was what her fox kept trying to tell her, but the fog that had settled over her brain stopped her from comprehending. Noah wasn’t alone, she realized. “Who’s with you?”

“Brett.”

She stood on the other side of the door, trying to make sense of the scent, but her fox was barking within her, distracting her. What was going on?

“He’s from the tribe. We’re drawing attention and that’s the last thing we want right now. Now open up, Swift. You’re safe, I promise.” Noah lowered his voice as he said the last part, as if he didn’t want to be heard by someone.

Trust. She had to remember, Noah was a friend. He wouldn’t hurt her or bring anyone else to her doorstep that would. Her fox circled within her, excitement spilling off her animal and urging her forward. Quickly, she pulled back the latch and unlocked the door, before opening it enough to look out and ensure it was Noah.

As the two men came into view, it wasn’t Noah that she noticed, but the other man—Brett. His lean body was pale, while his vibrant, emerald-green eyes had so much life in them, they seemed to sparkle at her. His dark brown hair was spiked back on top and the sides cut shorter, tempting her to reach out and draw her fingers through it to see the different shades of brown. The caramel highlights seemed to catch the glistening rays of sunlight the most, but the tawny brown ones drew her attention. Women would spend hours in the salon highlighting their hair and still not get those hues he naturally possessed.

“Can we come in?” Noah asked as she continued to block the doorway, staring at Brett.

“Um…” She took a step back but her gaze remained on him. “Yeah.”

As they entered, the scent of his beast drifted toward her, exciting her fox further. A bear. There were plenty of bears among their tribe that she wasn’t surprised by his animal. She was, however, surprised by the fact that this was her mate standing before her. Mating hadn’t crossed her mind much since she’d come of age. She’d never sought one out or even hoped for one. How was she supposed to be a good mate if she couldn’t even keep her life under control?

Noah inhaled deeply and his eyes grew wide before taking a step back from between them. “Swift—”

She cut him off before he could say whatever he had come to say. “Why did you bring him?”

“Jase’s orders.” Noah watched her carefully.

“We’ve come to bring you home.” Brett’s deep voice caressed over her skin like teasing fingers, stroking her and bringing the fire to raging levels.

“I don’t have a home any longer.” She stepped back until the back of her legs brushed along the bed and she sank down onto it. “I wasn’t welcomed in Crimson Hollow any longer and now I have nowhere else to go. This is my life now.”

“Jase never asked you to leave,” Noah reminded her.

“No, but he would have. I lost my home and the only family I have, but I don’t even blame him. He would have done what was best for the tribe.” She slammed her hand down on the bed, anger pouring through her. “If only I could have got my head together…”

“Your family wants you home.” Noah stepped farther into the room. “Sin wanted to come after you herself, but Garret and Jase wouldn’t allow that. The threats to our kind have increased recently. Humans are no longer only hunting us for sport but a group is putting bounties on our heads. Each week a new species is chosen as the target.”

“I don’t understand. Why does that change anything?”

“You’re in danger out here.” Brett leaned against the dresser, his arms crossed over his chest as he was careful not to knock over the television that sat on the surface. “The longer you stay out here, away from the tribe, the more danger you’re in. None of the other members are close enough to be able to aid you in an emergency.”

“You can’t stay locked in your room all the time. Your beast wants to be let out so it can roam. It won’t be long before someone figures out you’re a shifter. You’ll be in danger. You need to come home,” Noah added.

The men shared a look before Brett stepped away from the dresser and came to squat before her. “Jase sent me with Noah for a reason.”

“You mean because you’re my mate?” Saying it aloud made her chest tighten. Again, she reminded herself she couldn’t deal with a mate and everything that union meant when she found herself in this predicament. “Jase knows who will mate with whom as long as he’s met both of them and he loves to throw them together in an unexpected situation. Like he did with Sin and Garret.”

“I didn’t understand why Sin and Garret stopped by my place right before we left. It seemed out of place for them to show up to tell me how they’d met but when you opened the door, the pieces fell into place. Jase knew we’re to be mates and their story was to show me that if we allowed this to happen naturally, things would work out.”

“You don’t want me. Trust me, I’ve been through some awful shit and I’m messed up. That’s why I can’t go back to Crimson Hollow.” She dragged her hand through her hair, tugging the ruby red strands away from her face. “I think both of you should leave now.”

“Not a chance.” Noah shook his head. “You two have some things to discuss. I’m going to make a run for some food. Anything special you want, Swift?”

“You’re leaving?” She stared up at him, her eyes wide, and her heart beating a little too fast with fear.

“Yeah, but Brett will be here. He’s not going to hurt you.” Noah strolled toward the door. Grabbing hold of the door handle, he turned to face her. “Trust us and we can get you home again.”

He opened the door but before he could step out, she hollered to him. “There’s a delicious Mexican restaurant on the corner. Tell them it’s for Swift. They know my order. I’ve been there every day since I arrived.”

“A creature of habit.” He shook his head and closed the door behind him.

Left alone with Brett, she sensed tension rising within the room, knotting the muscles in her shoulders. Her stomach rolled. What could the two of them have to talk about? He had to be able to tell she wasn’t interested in mating or anything else, for that matter. Her mental stability was hanging on by a thread. She didn’t need this.