Milo.
With his sandy gray hair and the slight limp in his walk, Kasia would never mistake him. He was the one who trained her, and he was also one of the top 10 lethal hunters that the Hunters had. So, for him to be here meant only a few things: he was tracking someone, he was tracking her, or he was here for the Alpha King. None of these options bode well for Kasia.
Milo turned, surprise flashing across his face, when he saw Kasia. Kasia expected his facial expression to turn into a scowl, and they would get into a fight right then and there, but Milo maintained a calm expression. He actually seemed relieved to see her.
"I could ask you the same thing," he said. "It's good to see you, Kasia."
"I'm here with...a friend," she said evasively. "I'm just blowing off some steam."
Milo raised an eyebrow. "A friend, huh? Does this friend happen to be a certain Alpha King?"
Kasia stiffened. How did he know about Ethan?
"That's not really your business," she said sharply.
Milo held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Hey, no judgment. I'm just surprised to see you cavorting with the enemy." His amber eyes glinted with curiosity. "I thought you would have gotten Lana and fled by now."
"Wait, you knew she was here the entire time?!" Kasia exclaimed.
"Before you get upset, I didn't tell you because it wasn't the right time," Milo answered.
"What in the hell does that even mean, Milo? We could've rescued Lana together!" Kasia stated.
"You weren't ready to think for yourself," Milo countered. "If they told you to jump, you jumped. Actually, I was really surprised that you ignored a direct order. They thought they had you pegged, or at least they assumed. You know you've been declared a traitor, to be killed on sight."
"So, they really did do it then," Kasia said, surprised at how she was not too upset about this revelation.
"Let's just say you made a lot of people angry by defying orders. You know how they are with their rules," Milo continued.
"Are you here to hunt me down, then?" Kasia asked. Milo looked hurt by Kasia's question.
Before Milo could respond, Ethan appeared at Kasia's side. "Hello, Milo," he said pleasantly. "Fancy seeing you here."
Kasia whirled to face Ethan, shock and anger warring within her. "You two know each other?" she demanded.
Ethan met her gaze calmly. "We've crossed paths once or twice."
Kasia looked back and forth between them, bewildered. Just what exactly was going on here?
Milo cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, I should get going. You two enjoyed the rest of your date. He gave Kasia a meaningful look. "Be careful, Kasia. The hounds are searching."
With that cryptic warning, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Kasia rounded on Ethan. "How do you know Milo? And don't you dare lie to me."
Ethan wanted to strangle Milo. The night was going so well before he showed up. Ethan sighed and said, "Lana wasn't the only double agent. Milo has been working as my informant for some time now."
Kasia reeled, trying to process this bombshell of a revelation. Her head was spinning with questions, but before she could voice them, Ethan took her gently by the arm.
"Come on, there's one more ride we need to go on," Ethan said. "It's one of my favorites."
Ethan led Kasia toward the towering Rocketship ride. As they strapped and locked into their seats, Kasia's mind was still spinning with questions about Milo and Ethan's connection.
The ride jolted into motion, rising swiftly into the air. Kasia gripped the safety bars, knuckles white. She had never liked heights. 'Why didn't I just say no?' she thought.
The Rocketship hurtled towards the ground with sickening speed, Kasia's heart pounding in her chest. She knew something was wrong when she felt her over-the-shoulder restraint click out of its first safety lock. As the rollercoaster violently jerked, Kasia was thrown forward against the metal restraints and then slammed back into her seat. Fear gripped her as she realized she was not secure.
"Ethan!" she screamed, frantically trying to reach for him. "My seat, it's-"
"Stay calm." Ethan's voice cut through the chaos. "Tighten your belt and hold the bars to your body."
Before Kasia could do what he instructed, the ride flipped upside down, and Kasia was thrown against the restraint once more, this time breaking free. Out of control and falling towards the ground, Kasia couldn't hold back her terrified screams.
Then suddenly, Ethan's strong hand grabbed onto her wrist, yanking her towards him and stopping her fall just in time. "I got you!" he yelled over the roaring wind.
But their relief was short-lived as Ethan's own restraint came undone, nearly sending him flying out of the seat with Kasia. With every ounce of strength in his body, he dug his claws into the seat and held on for dear life while also pulling Kasia close to his body. She clung onto him tightly, her whole body trembling. Her screams turned into sobs of relief and fear.
"Hold on to me," Ethan commanded, keeping a firm grip as the ride continued its stomach-dropping turns. Ethan opened a telepathic link to his warriors to get there quickly. Both of their seats malfunctioning couldn't be a coincidence.
Finally, it slowed to a stop. Kasia still clung to him, still sobbing. Ethan stroked the back of her head and said, "We're okay." Kasia finally relinquished her hold on him. Ethan cupped her chin, brushing the tears off her face. "You're okay," he said, and Kasia nodded. Ethan helped Kasia exit on shaky legs and led her to a bench for her to sit on.
Fury blazed in his eyes as he stormed over to the attendants. They nearly got him and his mate killed. Ethan wanted to rip the attendants apart, but they seemed equally confused and frightened about the situation.
"Explain yourselves, now!" Ethan snarled. His warriors arrived a moment later to investigate, ready to investigate and take action against whoever was responsible for risking their Alpha's life.
Kasia's heart pounded; she could hear it in her ears. That was too close. Arms enveloped her, and Kasia focused on Ethan's breathing to calm herself.
"Let's get out of here," Ethan said gently. Kasia nodded and allowed Ethan to lead her back to his car. When they got in, Kasia said softly, "Thank you for catching me."
Ethan gave her a small smile. "Of course. You'd have done the same for me." His eyes were warm.
"Why do you believe that? Knowing who I am, what I"
"You have a good heart, Kasia," Ethan said, interrupting her. Kasia ducked her head, her cheeks flushing. She wasn't so sure about that but said nothing as Ethan held her hand as they pulled off.