Ahm slid the phone back into his boot and glanced around, walking further into the woods. He hated the fact that he had left his belongings behind. In his bedroom, there was a key that would remove the bracelet, but Ahm knew it would be impossible to get inside. He could hear the men of his tribe shouting to find him.
It hurt his heart to see them turn on him for simply having a shifter as a mate. That was the very reason his race was dying out. He felt as though a knife blade had sliced through his chest at their betrayal. Did he mean nothing to his tribe that they could turn their backs on him so easily?
Foolish prejudice.
That prejudice was going to kill his entire race.
Slipping into the darkness, Ahm made sure he was well hidden until Christian sent his men to fetch him.
He hated this hiding shit.
But once the bracelet was removed, Ahm was going to kill Nara. He may never be able to return to his homelands again, but he wasn’t going to let her get away with what she had done. His hatred of her went deeper than just her desire to become wealthy.
The creation of their discord originated over two hundred years ago and had been brewing and building since.
* * * *
“Lakeland residence,” Pa said as he answered the phone. He paused for a moment and then a grin spread across his face. “What can I do for you, Prince?”
Bryce glanced up from where he was sitting at the kitchen table, a coffee mug tucked firmly in his hands. His pa had made him sit here and drink hot tea. He wasn’t sure what that was supposed to do, but he really didn’t want to be here right now.
Bryce didn’t want to be anywhere.
The pain inside his chest felt like an open wound and he wanted to fall into the chasm it was creating. Nothing was ever going to be right again. Bryce knew he would move on, live his life, but he also knew it would never feel complete with Ahm’s rejection.
Bryce glanced up when his pa stiffened.
“How long ago did he call you?” The man’s tone was quiet, edgy.
Bryce was focusing on the conversation now. He knew that tone. His pa only used it when something was wrong. Bryce prayed nothing was wrong. He couldn’t handle any more bad news right now.
“I’ll have my mate take us there.” Pa hung up and turned toward Bryce, his light-grey eyes piercing.
Bryce gripped the mug tightly. “What?”
“It seems your mate is being hunted down by his own people. They found out he is destined to be mated to a male shifter and they want blood.”
His gut tightened and his heart clenched, but Bryce didn’t move. “He’s not my mate, Pa. He rejected me, remember?” And by the way, thank you very much for reminding me of the bastard.
Pa leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his massive chest. He eyed Bryce for a long second, making him feel like he was five years old again and about to be scolded for something stupid he had done. “He also told Christian that if he didn’t make it out, to tell you he wasn’t refusing you. He was only going back to settle his affairs.”
Bryce should be happy as hell to hear those words, but he wasn’t. Ahm had hidden who he was to Bryce for years. He had also shimmered away without a word.
For all Bryce knew, the man was just saying that so someone would come rescue his sorry ass. “Sucks to be him.” He took a sip of his tea, moved away from the table, and set the mug in the sink. “Hope he has medical, or at the very least, life insurance.”
Striding to the kitchen door, Bryce steeled his nerves. He wasn’t going to allow his emotions to get the better of him. Ahm had done this to himself. He had proven to Bryce that he didn’t want a mate.
At least not a shifter mate.
Fuck the blue-turned-white asshole.
“I never thought I would see the day when one of my boys turned as cold as the arctic winds.”
Bryce spun on his heel, feeling the pain and rejection well up inside of him. He stabbed a finger in the air toward his pa. “It wasn’t your mate who hid his scent so I wouldn’t know who he was. It wasn’t Luke who shimmered away without a word after you asked him to make a choice. It isn’t your heart being shredded from the inside out! Fuck him!”
Bryce was shaking he was so mad. He normally didn’t speak to his pa that way. He had the utmost respect for the man. But when it came to Ahm, he wasn’t going to listen to anyone defending the bastard.
“Suit yourself. Your bothers and I are going to get him out of there.” Pa walked past him, his face stern. Bryce wanted to demand his family stay out of this, that they leave the man to his own fate, but he knew he would be wasting his breath.
Bryce wanted to scream.
“Just don’t bring him here!” he shouted up the stairs where his pa had disappeared.