“Hunter’s they think. Or more specifically, trappers. She caught her tail in a spring trap and did a lot of damage.”
“When?”
“Overnight. We found her early this morning. She’d ripped the anchor loose and dragged the trap with her all the way to our cabin.”
“Shit.” Adrenaline shot to his fingertips. “Is she okay? What’s Doc say?”
There was a pause where Ryan wanted to jump through the phone and get the answers himself.
“Doc wants to give her a tranquilizer to calm her down and help with the pain. She can’t shift, and we were trying to wait for you. You know how Layna hates the drugs. But it’s been hours and she needs to rest and Magic’s furious because you left your mate and Ryan, god, why did you leave her? Why didn’t you tell me she was yours?” His sister’s voice rose higher and higher until it was nothing more than hysterics.
As if to put emphasis on his sister’s panic, a boom of thunder rocked the truck and a breath later, rain beat against the windshield. Speeding to get to the interstate, he tried to understand what Beth was saying, but none of it made sense.
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re her mate,” she squeaked, and it flashed right to his pounding heart. Truth, truth, truth.
“I’m not…” The words stuck in his throat. He wanted to be Layna’s, he did. But…
“Magic says you have a mark.”
“I don’t…” It wasn’t a mating mark. It was just a slip-up from Mason. “That’s not…”
“Ryan, she did a partial shift to tell us. So you’d come help her heal. Look, you’re already in trouble. Magic’s going to have your ass when you get here. And Renner, god. Don’t sit there and deny it.”
“I’m not… not denying it.” Ryan swallowed, his mind racing to catch up to what the others apparently knew. But if it was true, why had Layna kept it from him? Did a future with him really sound so bad that she’d deny her animal’s claim to get out of it? He felt sick deep in his gut. “I didn’t know.”
“How is that even possible?” Beth’s voice hadn’t tamed an inch.
“It’s not like she told me,” he barked back, but she didn’t even seem to hear him.
“Is it because you didn’t want a shifter? Or… or her? You two are friends. Maybe it could’ve been more. You could’ve at least tried, Ry.”
He clenched his jaw to keep from yelling at his sister. She didn’t know how he’d tried. She was worried for Layna. This wasn’t her fault.
He counted to ten before answering. “Beth, listen to me. I didn’t know I was Layna’s mate. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have left. Not until… not unless she wanted me to. I’m on my way, okay. We’ll straighten this out when I get there.”
Her trembling sigh registered through the earpiece. “Hurry. Okay, brother? Just… hurry.”
Ryan hung up the phone and pulled the old one from his pocket, opening the screen to look at Layna’s face again. Shit, she was hurt. No matter what her reason was for keeping the mating thing from him, she needed him now. And he was going to help her. Fuck his ideas about moving on. How could he ever? Knowing he was the one meant for her. He’d known it all along, felt it in his marrow.
Tossing his phone to the seat next to him, he punched the gas pedal. He’d get home in record time, but it still wouldn’t be soon enough if she was in the kind of pain that required a tranquilizer. And shit, when she came out of it, she was going to be pissed.
“Hang on, baby,” he murmured, switching lanes to pass a big rig. “I’m going to make it better.”
***
A little over two hours later, Ryan found himself facing off with an angry panther.
“This beats all. You wispy little asschunk. Leaving your mate like a fucking… fucking… cat. You fucker. I thought you were better than this. I really did. I didn’t want to believe that mark was what it was.” Magic stood in the parking lot of the lodge like he’d been waiting for Ryan to pull up. His hair was a mess he’d probably raked his hands through too many times. He wanted answers Ryan didn’t have and didn’t have time to figure out.
“Back off, Magic. I don’t have time for this. I need to see her.” He tried to push past, but Magic’s heavy palm on his shoulder stopped him solid. The cat squeezed, digging his fingers into Ryan’s healing claw marks. Hissing at the pain, his vision turned red with rage.
The bastard. They were wasting time when he could be with Layna, easing her pain. Enough was enough.