Being away from the cabin where she’d been kept should have dispelled the weight from Arlene’s shoulders, but there wasn’t enough distance between her and that hellhole yet. She wanted to get as many miles between her and that place as she could but Roger had other ideas. He called Kaden and asked him to locate a place nearby they could use to get cleaned up without anyone asking questions. His recommendation turned out to be an abandoned hunting cabin a couple of miles away.

Roger’s idea to get cleaned up was logical. No one wanted to stay covered in blood, especially blood that wasn’t theirs. The idea of cleaning some of the grime and gore off her was appealing but the urge to get farther away strengthened within her. The second man had found them before they could even leave the cabin; what would stop more from catching up to them?

“How far are we from Crimson Hollow?” She dropped down onto a folded metal chair.

“A few hours’ drive.” He sat the duffle bag he’d carried in from his truck on the coffee table and shook his head. “After days of being stuck on cement and now with the choice of any seat in this cabin, you sit on the hardest surface.”

“I…I didn’t…” She ran her hands down her thighs over her jeans and winced in pain. “Look at me. I’m a mess. I’m not going to dirty up someone’s home just for some comfort. Someday, someone might come back here. I hated getting into your truck, too, but what choice did I have? You weren’t going to let me ride in the back.”

“Then let’s get you cleaned up.”

“Excuse me?” She stared up at him with wide eyes.

“Yes, both of us. You’ll need my help.” He took hold of the duffle bag again and held his other hand out to her. “You’re injured. Let me help you clean your wounds and from the way you’re holding your side, I’d say you have a broken rib, if not more than one. You’re going to need help binding them.”

“Fine.” She slipped her hand into his and rose from the chair. Every muscle in her body was so stiff she could barely move, so why not accept the help? Shifters were destined for their mate; no substitute would do, so she didn’t have to worry about him wanting anything from her. “It’s not going to mean anything to you anyways.”

“Really, sweets?” He led her toward the back wall where they found a small kitchen.

“I know how it works with you guys…I mean with shifters.”

“I figured that’s what you meant.” He tossed the bag on the counter and turned toward her. “I’m going to lift you up onto the counter, so why don’t you take off your jeans first?”

“Let’s not worry about—”

“Take them off or I’ll do the honors.” He watched her for a long moment, neither of them giving in. “I know you have a deep wound on your thigh and if we don’t take care of it, the infection is going to sink in. Then you’re going to be feeling the pain. So how about we do this the easy way?”

“Fine.” She unzipped them but when she went to lean over and pull the material off, pain shot through her. A hiss escaped from between her teeth and he reached out, taking hold of her arm.

“Let me.” Slowly, he eased the jeans over her butt before stopping. “Place your arms around my neck. I’m going to lift you up onto the counter and then finish taking your jeans off. It will be less painful for you.”

She did as he asked and he cupped her ass before gently lifting her off the ground and sitting her on the cool countertop. “It’s stupid to take my jeans and shoes off when I’m going to have to put them back on. You might have a change of clothes but I didn’t think things through when I left. I threw some money and my ID in my pocket and left.”

“I’ve got you covered.” He peeled away her jeans and unlaced her shoes. “I knew when I found you that we might need supplies, so I picked some things up.” He tugged down the zipper of the bag and began to pull the contents out.

“You think of everything.”

“Not everything but hopefully I have the essential items. I’m sure glad I had the foresight on these.” He pulled out a package of baby wipes, followed by a couple of bottles of water and towels. “No running water means we’re limited to these.” He unscrewed one of the bottles of water.

“It’s more than I’ve had in days.” She still wasn’t sure how long she had been in that basement but she was beginning to believe it might have been longer than she had thought before. “How long…?”

“You left Crimson Hollow eight days ago.”

“Eight…” Her throat tightened, stopping her from speaking.

“Drink.” He held the bottle of water he had opened out to her, which she accepted. “We found out you were gone less than an hour after you left. That’s when I set out to find you. I’ve been following your scent and leads for days. Early yesterday afternoon I found out about the cabin but it was the first solid lead I’ve had in days.”

As he spoke, she polished off the bottle of water. It might not have been cold but it was the first time she’d had more than a few sips of water in days. “You’ve been looking for me all this time?”

“I wasn’t the only one. Brett Oaks was sent out with me the night you left. Jase and some others were going to deal with your parents and the other people in your hometown but…”

“But what?” she pressed when he let the words trail off.

“It was already taken care of.” He pulled out a first aid kit from the bag. “Noah was out here searching for you, too. None of us were going to give up.”

“’Cause Karri wouldn’t let you? I bet she threatened to do it herself if you didn’t stay out here searching for me.” She knew her sister Karri would have felt like she owed it to Arlene not to give up. She’d have searched every inch of the world, turned over every rock, and threatened anyone who got in her way. Karri was strong; she’d have never let herself be taken. Just another way that shows I’m a failure.

Roger’s clenched jaw and the way his gaze seemed to narrow down on her made her go still under his watch. His eyes shifted from their normal dark brown to light amber. “Don’t.”

That single word came out more like a growl, accelerating her heart rate. He could smell the panic rising within her and hear her heartbeat speed up, but the more she thought about gaining control over them, they seemed to elude her. She forced herself to close her eyes and picture herself anywhere but there. Karri trusted him and that was enough for her to allow herself to do the same. With a couple of deep breaths, she could almost see herself standing in the meadow, the window blowing her hair back from her face. Everything was perfect.

“You’ve done nothing wrong. There’s no reason to think like that.”

“Huh?” Startled by his words, she opened her eyes. “Think? You can hear my thoughts?”

“No, sweets. But wouldn’t that be nice?” He chuckled.

“No.”

“Come on, I know you’ve got some dirty little thoughts floating around in that brain of yours. Wouldn’t you like me to know about them so I can make your deepest desires come true?” Saturating a towel with water, he eyed the wound on her thigh. “Do you have any more cuts like that one?”

With a shake of her head, she glanced down at her thigh. The jagged wound was red and to say it was painful wasn’t a strong enough description. The pain had been bearable in the basement but now that she was moving, it felt worse than her broken ribs.

“He did that. Obviously…I just mean…” Images of her being kidnapped flashed before her eyes. Now she could see how useless her struggles had been. He had outweighed and dwarfed her, making her look like a tiny woman compared to him. Her fight ended when he’d driven the knife into her thigh, making it too easy for him to hold the rag to her mouth, forcing her to breathe in the chemicals in it.

“You’re upset and you’ve been through a lot. There’s no need to explain.” He wrung out the rag into the sink and came to stand in front of her. “I’m just going to wipe off the blood so I can see what I’m working with.”

“You can do it if you tell me how you knew what I was thinking about.”

“I’m doing it either way, but I’ll tell you.” He brought the cloth to her leg, starting farther away from it and slowly working his way closer. “Sometimes when your thoughts are stronger I can catch a whiff of them. It’s like a quick breeze but gives me an insight into what you’re thinking.”

Air hissed out from between her teeth as he wiped along the open wound. “Why tell me?”

“Why not?” He set the rag aside and dug through the first aid kit.

“If humans knew, they’d have less reason to trust you. It would be another thing The Saviors could use to get more people on their side. With this skill, they’d find you more dangerous.” Didn’t he realize that what he’d just admitted could bring more trouble down onto his kind if he said it to the wrong person? Her sister was part of their tribe and he was risking her with being so free with the information.

“Sweets, haven’t you figured it out yet?” He placed everything he needed on the counter and turned back to her. “The tip of the blade is lodged in your leg.”

“What?” She wasn’t sure if she was questioning the first or second part, but as he picked up the forceps she realized she was more concerned about her leg than whatever she was missing.

“I’ve got to get it out before I can stitch up the wound.” He reached out and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “Sweets, I’m sorry. This is going to hurt.”

“Why do you call me that?”

“Sweets?” He brushed along the curve of her cheek with a gentle hand. “Because that’s what you are. My sweets. Still confused, aren’t you?”

“About more things than I care to admit.” She put her hands on the counter behind her and leaned back.

“Then let me clear something up for you. Knowing what’s on your mind, I will say my perception wasn’t a general shifter thing. At least not in the way you think. Others don’t have that ability, so there’s no need to concern yourself with it being used against us. I knew because you’re my mate.”

The air stuck in her throat and her jaw dropped. Mate?