I frowned, knowing she was right.
“They could be in the heat of battle as we speak. If I were you, I’d get somewhere safe and make sure that baby survives long enough to cry for the first time.”
“And abandon my mates? That’s not going to happen,” I said with a certain firmness to my voice that signaled that there wasn’t room for argument.
The female shifter held up her hands. “I can’t force you to do anything. Al
l I am saying is that, if it were me, that’s what I would do for the sake of my baby.” Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears. “And what I should have done…”
I rested my hand on her shoulder. “I never got your name.”
“Fiona.”
“Fiona,” I repeated. “That’s a very pretty name.”
She blushed slightly. “Thank you. Gerald thought it was stupid…”
“Your mate?”
She nodded. “The leader. He was always putting me down and making me do things I didn’t want to do.”
“Well, that’s all behind you now. You never have to think about that man again. You’re a free woman and the world is yours for the taking.”
To my surprise, she pulled me in for a hug. “Thank you,” was all that she said, before she burst into tears.
I wanted to give her a moment to gather herself but we really didn’t have that sort of luxury at our disposal. With every second that ticked by, I was afraid that they would find us. “Come on, we have to go — we have to find my mates. And maybe it’s crazy of me to put my unborn child at risk but I can’t even stomach the thought of losing my partners. So, if they need me, then I’m going to be there, no matter the cost.”
“Alright, then I’ll be right there beside you…” she trailed off. “I never got your name either.”
“Jane.”
“Jane,” she confirmed.
“You don’t have to do that, Fiona. You’re free to leave. This isn’t your battle.”
“If it means taking down Gerald then it’s definitely my fight.” Her hands were balled into fists by her side.
“Alright, then let’s do this.”
***
My training on tracking had been brief, neglected for other skills like hand-to-hand combat and marathon running. Now, however, I was really regretting my ignorance. “I can’t smell a damned thing,” I said. “It’s like they’ve disappeared off the face of the planet.”
“Have you tried connecting with them?”
“No answer.”
“Hmm.” Fiona was trying to help me look for clues but it was like finding a needle in a haystack.
“What if they’re…”
“They’re not,” she said without a single ounce of hesitation. “If they were dead, you would know it.”
“How?”
“It would feel like someone had just carved out your heart with a dull blade.”
“You sound like you speak from experience.”