Chapter 22
I stayed with Cassie until Josh told me he and Jenny were taking Leah home. I left Cassie and hurried through the pack house to leave the house. I let Lynx take over as I got outside and let him shift, shredding my clothes. I wanted to make sure Leah was safe. Lynx ran as fast as he could but stopped at the forest line. I came closer and looked through Lynx’s eyes, watching as Josh pulled up outside the house. Lynx stayed still but made no one could see us. 1 Josh came to a stop, and everyone climbed out of the car. I didn’t have to see her let me know she was there; her scent wafted toward us. Lynx whined. “Stay,” I murmured. “We can’t show ourselves, not yet.” Lynx stayed quiet, but I knew he was as anxious as I was. Leah walked toward the house but stopped. She turned around and scanned her surroundings. It took everything for Lynx and me not to pounce and claim her. “Mate,” Lynx mumbled as he kept his eyes on her. I said nothing but watched. I watched as Josh scanned around, and his eyes landed on us. I felt a mind link come through and opened it, knowing it was him. “She’s safe,” he said. “You didn’t need to be here.” I growled. “How about I tell you that when it comes to your mate?” I gritted out. Josh said nothing for a few moments but sighed. “Good point,” he said. “Don’t come out; you may scare her.” Josh closed the mind link and walked toward Leah, who was still staring toward the forest. I watched as Josh and Leah went inside, and Josh closed the door, only to look directly at me and give me a nod. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until I let it go. Lynx moved closer, and we listened out. We didn’t want to move but listened to what was being said. I heard the rules that Josh told Leah. Some were for her protection until she learned about our kind. I knew I had to inform the pack members that a human was now on the territory. While Leah was in the hospital, there was no need, of course, for an alarm, and everyone never randomly walked around in their wolf’s form unless there was a rogue attack or they were going for a run. I sighed as I stared. “We should be with mate,” Lynx muttered, “Not them.” I felt the same, but we had to wait until they did something that would upset Leah. I felt a mind link open, and it was Zain. “I heard she is home,” he said. “Did everything go okay?” “Yeah,” I said. “I’m still sitting outside the house.” “Please tell me that Lynx is not in his wolf form. She may have heart failure if she sees him,” he muttered. I groaned. “I’m not that stupid,” I murmured as Lynx moved back slightly till we were back out of sight. “Lynx is in his wolf form, but we are sitting back.” There was silence until he spoke. “I’m coming to you,” he said. “I have to talk, and I know I should do it face to face. Stay there.” Zain closed the mind link, leaving me staring at Leah’s house. I knew she was now up in her bedroom. I was willing for her to come to the window. I wanted one look to know she was okay. After a few seconds, Leah appears in the window. My heart beat fast. I watched as she hugged herself and looked out, but her eyes were glued to where I was. Only she had a wolf; she would have known I was here. I watched her for a few more seconds before she turned around. I listened in, and it only broke my heart as I heard her cry. “Mate,” Lynx whined. I would beat that everything was hitting her all at once, and there was nothing I could do to help, not even comfort her, which is what mates are supposed to do. Suddenly, there was a snap of a branch, but I didn’t bother looking around as I knew it was Zain. I moved back slightly, making sure I was nowhere near Leah’s house. Lynx gave me control and pushed me forward, making me shift back. I stood there as Zain came from around the tree wearing sports shorts. “You okay?” he asked, handing me a pair of shorts. “I saw the shredded clothes outside and thought I would bring some shorts just in case.” I nodded as I placed on the shorts. “That has to be the hardest thing to hear,” he muttered, making me look at him. I said nothing. Zain’s face hardened as he looked toward Leah’s house. “So what did you need to tell me face to face?” I asked, making Zain look over at me. “Paul is out of the cells,” he said, making me frown. “I didn’t authorize that,” I said with a growl. “I know that,” Zain grunted. “I was there and even told the guards to tell me if anyone releases him, and they mind-linked me a few moments ago before I contacted you.” I stared at him as anger rippled through me. “Who?” I asked. “Who went against my word?” “The old gamma,” he said, his eyes on me. “It seems that the old man has connections.” Lynx moved closer, not liking what was said. “Someone going against our authority,” he growls. I clench my fists together, trying to rein in my anger. If I lose it, pack members close by may feel it. I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths as Lynx paces back and fore. An image of Leah came to mind, which settled me slightly, but not enough. I opened my eyes and looked at Zain, who gave me a knowing look. “You’re not the only one angry,” he muttered. “I believe we may have some issues, and if the old gamma is involved, we know why?” I looked ahead. Oh, I know why. They would make a huge issue of something that happened when my father died. My father wasn’t the only one who died that night; a close friend of Zain and mine did too, Zeke. The old gamma blamed the rogues and us for Zeke’s death, as he was alone. I sent Zeke to help my father as he was surrounded while I was trying to get to them, but by the time I did, it was too late. I tore apart the wolves that killed them, but when it came to it, that wasn’t even enough. Zeke’s father blamed me for his death, telling anyone who would listen that I sent him to his death. “Carson,” Zain called out, making me pull back from my thoughts and to him. “It’s not your fault. You would have gotten there, so would I, but there were too many rogues to fight,” he said. I said nothing. I knew I wasn’t to blame. Zeke knew his job as a gamma would cost him; it was just a shame that his father didn’t see it like that. “Where are they now?” I asked. Zain stared at me and looked ahead. “They went to Paul’s house,” he said, looking back at me. “I heard Jenny dropped the boys off at Clarissa, her friend.” I nodded; at least the boys won’t be involved in anything. “What should we do?” he asked. I looked at him and sighed. “I will need you to watch them and report back to me,” I said. “Have a guard help you, someone we trust who wouldn’t go telling them anything.” Zain nodded. “I will use one of the new guys,” he said. “I wouldn’t put it past them to get some old generations involved.” I hated that thought. I was being undermined by an old gamma who would follow the old rules. When I took over, I made new ones, and some were very vocal about not liking what I wanted to do to improve our pack for the better. “I don’t need this,” I muttered under my breath. Lynx was beyond pissed. We only wanted to be with our mate, and we couldn’t even do that. “I know,” Zain said, stepping closer. “Let me watch Paul and Harold, and you can concentrate on Leah. You still need to get to know her.” I looked at Zain, who placed his hand on my shoulder. “Come on,” he said. “If anyone sees us, they will call us pervs or something, looking into a house late at night.” I grunted. “Don’t be smart,” I murmured, letting the corners of my mouth itch up in amusement. Zain grinned. “I am smart,” he said with a smile. I looked at the house again, but Leah’s light was off. I sighed as we talked back. “I need to announce Leah being here,” I said as we walked back. “You should,” Zain said, making me look at him. “But avoid telling them she’s your mate for now, not until she knows about us and who you are to her.” “Okay,” I said. “We sort that part out tonight unless you have somewhere else you have to be.” Zain shook his head. “I have nowhere else to be,” he said with a grin. “Only making sure you don’t make an ass out of yourself before seeing Leah again.” I groaned. Lynx chuckled. “Wise ass,” he said as he returned to the back of my mind to settle down as I walked with Zain. I needed a distraction, and Zain knew it as he changed the subject to something else.