Kieran POV
After getting Mae settled into a pair of sweats, I keep in the back of my car, she lays her head on the window and sighs heavily. The ornate wooden box is on her lap. Her petite hands grip the box tightly. Her knuckles are turning white, and her arms begin to shake.
Placing my hand on her knee, she jumps out of fear, but then she seems to remember who she is with. My men stayed behind to clean up the mess and check the beach house for any clues that might have been missed.
I take the sharp left that leads to the highway, and a loud thump comes from the trunk. I press my lips together tightly. I may have forgotten that Tish is in the trunk.
Mae sits up and glances behind her. "What was that?"
"Not important," I lie.
With her eyebrows furrowed, Mae looks at me. Her eyes glow a vibrant color of blue, and she cocks her head to the side. Her hand flies over her mouth, and she stifles a laugh.
"Tish is in the trunk," she chokes on her words.
"How are you doing that?" I ask her.
"I don't know," she shrugs her shoulders. "There was a flash of Tish in my mind."
"Weird," I whisper like it is something spooky.
Mae slaps me on the shoulder and giggles. "You can't leave her back there."
"I can and I will," I growl. "You didn't hear the vile things she was saying on the way here. She tried to seduce me."
A growl rumbles in her chest, and it vibrates the frame of my car. Tish screams from the trunk, and it only serves to make Mae growl longer.
I squeeze her knee in an attempt to calm her down, but she slaps my hand away. "Hey," I whimper as I shake my stinging hand. "What was that for?"
"What did you do?" Mae looks at me accusingly.
"What?" I shout back at her. "Nothing. I turned her down."
"How do I know I can trust you?" She whispers.
"You would have felt it," I can barely get the words out The reminder of the pain I felt yesterday is still fresh in my mind. "When one of the mates betrays the bond, the other one can feel it. It is like a stabbing pain through your heart. It burns, and it feels like it is never going to end."
Mae swallows hard. I glance at her from the corner of my eyes, but she isn't looking at me. Her eyes are fixated on the passing scenery.
"It's not what you think," she whimpers. "I didn't… It wasn't my choice."
Instantly, I pull the car over on the side of the highway. I put the car in park and reach for Mae. Her cheeks are wet with tears, and I am sure she is reliving the worst moment of her life.
"Mae," I pause because I don't know where to begin. "I know you wouldn't betray the bond between us. I do not doubt how you feel about me."
"I was drugged," she begins, but I place my hand over her mouth.
"You don't have to tell me anything," I assure her. "Unless you need to talk about it, of course."
"I am not ready," Mae whispers. "I just want to go home."
"Just to be clear, you don't mean that ratty apartment," I joke.
"I mean the North Pack," she manages a smile.
I put the car into Drive and pull back on the highway. Mae remains quiet for the duration of the trip. Eventually, the sound of her snoring fills the car. Her blonde hair has fallen over her face and is pressed against the window. She looks both ridiculous and adorable at the same time.
I see the exit to the North Pack up ahead, and I begin to slow down when, suddenly, Raven's voice is in my head.
'Kieran,' she sobs. 'You have to come home.'
I press the gas pedal to the floor and swerve onto the off-ramp. 'What is wrong, Little Bird?'
'Oliver isn't going to make it,' she chokes out another sob.
'Fuck,' I growl.
'That's not all,' Raven continues. 'Your Beta planned the attack on Mae and me. Now he is missing.'
I slam my hands against the steering wheel. "FUCK!" I scream.
Mae jumps awake and lets out a little scream. She grabs the door as I weave in and out of traffic erratically.
"What happened?" she mutters as she wakes up.
There are a million things I want to say and explain, but Raven's name is all I manage to mutter.
Mae's eyes turn that wild shade of blue again, and she closes them tightly. Tears slip out from under her lids, and a soft sob leaves her lips. "Oliver."
"Would you stop doing that?" I hiss at her.
Mae wipes the tears from her cheeks. "I can't help it. It just happens. Maybe I can help?"
I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and bite down hard. I know asking Mae to help would put her in harm's way. I would prefer the world not knowing about her powers just yet. Plus, we have her mother to see into the future. Then, it occurs to me that Mae hasn't seen the future. She has only seen what is happening in the present.
"Mae," I begin carefully. "Have you met my Beta?"
"Welsey?" She responds. "Only in passing."
"Can you see him right now?" I ask her.
She looks around her in the car. "No," she responds skeptically.
"I don't mean in the car," I say, smacking my palm on my head. "I meant in your mind."
"Oh," Mae blushes. "Of course, that is what you meant."
"Well, can you?" I egg her on.
"Umm," she hums. "I can try."
I try to watch her and the road at the same time. She closes her eyes tight and grinds her teeth together.
"No, not like that," I try to coach her. "You have to do that crazy thing with your eyes."
"What crazy thing with my eyes," she snaps at me.
"You know, when you make them look all metallic blue and crazy," I say, trying to be helpful.
"No!" She screams back at me. "I don't know. I only started doing this a few hours ago. What exactly do you mean by crazy?"
"Nothing," I groan. "Just try to find Wesley. He planned the attack on you and my sister. Now he is missing. This is important, Mae."
Mae seems to have found a new sense of purpose. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes gently. Her jaw is relaxed this time, and I can tell she is focused. Soon, her eyes fly open, and they are glowing blue.