Betrayed Forced Mate (Rosecreek Special Ops Wolves #4)

Page 36



It looks like several tornadoes have come through, ripping apart every aspect of Bigby’s beautiful home. It’s not just like they looked through it—it’s like a lazy demolition team moved through each room.

The cabinets are hanging off the walls, the wood splintered and cracked. There are long, deep gouges in the hardwood. The carpet is shredded and torn up in some places. The water runs in every sink, the floors are sodden and wet, papers and clothes are waterlogged.

Bigby comes around the corner, and when he meets my eyes, he must see the way I feel on my face.

“Olivia—”

“This was because of me,” I breathe, hand to my mouth. “Because I stayed here. Oh Gods, Bigby—what if Kaila was here? What if—”

“I don’t know what they were looking for,” Bigby says, “but they waited until I was gone. Waited until the holiday, assuming our house would be empty,” his eyes land on me. “Or near empty.”

They thought I might stay here while everyone else left, and when they didn’t find me, they decided to leave a little destruction behind.

“How did they even get into Rosecreek?” I ask, turning, my hands in my hair, my voice high from the panic. “How did—”

“It’s not like the entire town is under lock and key,” Bigby says, his voice low as he walks around, turning off the faucets. “It’s a town—they would have just come in while we were all busy, distracted, having a good time. Because they’re fucking assholes.”

“But did—”

“I already checked with Aris. The only place hit was ours.”

“So, it was because of me,” I say, the words coming out choked. “I can’t—”

“Olivia, listen to me,” Bigby says, holding his hands up, “I don’t care. I’m sure Rosa doesn’t care. This is just further proof that you shouldn’t be sleeping on your own at night.”

I close my eyes, trying to breathe.

“I’m leaving,” I say, the words coming out fast, too harsh, “that’s the only solution.”

“Olivia?”

When I turn around, I’m face-to-face with Percy, standing at the door, his eyes wide.

“Shit,” he says, surveying the damage. “Aris sent me over to help, if you need it.”

“We’re going to need a major renovation,” Bigby says, laughing a bit as though this isn’t his childhood home, as though a major renovation will fix this. Will help him and Rosa feel secure in their home again. “Maybe we could spend some time in California?”

When there’s a long pause, I look up and realize Bigby is looking at me, his eyes questioning. He’s suggesting that I come with them to California. While that might solve the problem of the vamps coming for me, here in Rosecreek, it doesn’t make them go away altogether.

“Did you check the shed?” Percy asks, and Bigby starts, shaking his head.

“Shit, no, we’d better—” Bigby pauses, putting his hand on my shoulder. “Stay here. We can talk about this when I come back.”

“Right,” I say, weakly, but the moment he and Percy disappear around the corner, I grab my backpack and slip through the backdoor, running up the hill and disappearing into the tree line.

I’m not going with Bigby and Rosa to California. I can’t figure out why the vamps are so intent on getting their hands on me, but I’m done putting everyone else in the pack at risk. I push through the trees, pulling my hood up over my head and moving as silently as I can, trying to remember the placement of the path through this part of the woods.

Just as I’m about to step onto the path, a blade appears, hovering in front of my neck. I gasp, taking a step back, but someone wraps me in their arms, drawing me against their chest. I recognize him immediately.

Byron.

“Olivia?” he asks, releasing me so I stumble away, hand to my heart, lungs heaving.

“Byron, what the fuck?”

“I thought—”

I follow his gaze through the trees and back to Rosa and Bigby’s house, then refocus on him.


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