Avenger(57)

“Where’s Beau?” Her voice was quiet and hesitant, like she feared the answer.

I pulled back, taking her face between my hands. I didn’t know what to say, because I didn’t know anything about Beau. It was obvious he wasn’t here and neither was Travis or any elders.

She took my silence as an answer and tears began to leak out of her eyes. I swiped them away, hating seeing her in so much pain. She buried herself into my arms and sobbed. Her tears soaked my bare skin and I brushed my fingers through her matted hair. “We’re going to find him,” I assured her. “I promise.”

“Don’t promise me that,” she said weakly. The fairy dust had brought her back from the brink of death, but having silver sent directly into her veins was going to take some recovery time. “Don’t promise me something you might not be able to keep.”

I closed my eyes, her words like a punch to my gut. She was right though. Beau was with Travis, and chances were we’d never meet our son, because whatever Travis had planned couldn’t be good.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” I whispered, pressing kisses to the top of her head. She had no idea just how sorry I was for everything. Sophie might have always been going to be a shifter, but meeting me brought a lot of bad into her life. None of this would’ve happened if she’d never met me. I didn’t deserve her love, because all I did was destroy her life. That didn’t mean I was walking away though. I’d fight for this girl, for our love and for our lives, till my dying breath. Because that’s what you did when you loved someone unconditionally. You didn’t walk away because of the bad, you stood up and you fought.

I held her for as long as I could, breathing in her scent, but eventually, I knew we were going to have to leave.

“Can you shift?” I asked her, forcing her to meet my gaze.

She sniffled and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can. I’m too tired.”

I grimaced. If she could shift it would speed up the healing process, but after everything she’d been through I wasn’t going to push her.

I turned to Bentley, who had yet to leave my side. I didn’t know what I’d do without that guy. He was more than my best friend—he was like a brother to me. “We’re not too far from my mom’s house. Go back there and get clothes for us,” I pointed to me and Sophie, “and pick us up in Bryce’s Jeep. It should be able to make it out here.”

The house was located deep in the woods and the terrain was rough, making it nearly impossible to reach by car, but we had no choice.

He nodded and disappeared. I knew he’d hurry, but waiting was going to suck. All I wanted to do was get Sophie home and take care of her.

“Bryce!” I called for my brother. I needed his help and there was no way I was leaving Sophie here by herself. Now that I had her, I wasn’t leaving her side. She was going to get so sick of me, but I didn’t care.

“You called,” Bryce’s voice sounded at the bottom of the steps. “What do you need?”

“Travis isn’t here, neither is…neither is Beau.” Saying that made me want to throw up, but I had to be strong for Sophie. “I need you and the others to see if you can track him. Leave some behind to look around here for anything mysterious, like a tunnel or something. I wouldn’t put anything past Travis.”

“You got it, captain!” Bryce yelled up the steps and then the door slammed closed behind him.

“I’m so sorry,” Sophie whispered. I turned to look at her and found her lower lip to be trembling. Tears glimmered in her eyes.

“Sorry?” I brushed her hair off her forehead with my fingers. “Baby, what do you have to be sorry about?”

“I couldn’t fight back,” she croaked. “He-he did something to Chris. Is she okay?” Color heated her cheeks as she began to panic.

“Shh,” I hushed her. “Christian is fine. In fact, I’m surprised she hasn’t busted in here to check on you. She’s felt so guilty about what happened.”

“Guilty?” Her brows furrowed in confusion. “But he hurt her. She couldn’t do anything.”

“No, she couldn’t, and neither could you. Don’t waste time worrying about things that were out of your control. Nothing was anybody’s fault but Travis’.”

She gasped, her eyes widening. “Caeden, he said—”

I put a finger to her lips, hushing her. I was desperate to know what she wanted to say, but I knew she needed to stay calm right now. “It’s not important at the moment, she-wolf. You can tell me later.”