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craving that had nothing to do with the desire for a mate. No, he wanted her dead.
She closed her eyes against the rage and let the darkness claim her.
* * * *
Laura came to with a jolt, her body jerking upright, her gaze scanning around her. Logan was
there, along with his mate, Clara. Gabriel and Daniel were both there, too, but the one man she
searched for was gone. She slung her legs over the side of the bed.
Where is he? she croaked, bringing a hand up to rub her throat. It hurt to speak, to breathe. No,
it burned.
Whoa, take it easy, Logan said as he came to her side and poured a glass of water from a
pitcher she hadn t even noticed. Drink this. Your throat must hurt.
She nodded, taking the glass and slowly sipping the cool liquid. She couldn t contain the
grimace that pulled at her lips and hated the way her bother reacted to it. Anger. It seemed she was
making everyone angry lately.
What happened? Where s Finn? Laura asked.
He threatened to rip your throat out, Daniel said. Thankfully, the rest of us weren t willing to
let that happen.
What do you mean? she rasped.
I mean, what the fuck were you thinking just standing there? The man threatened you. He almost
choked you to death, Daniel roared.
She shook her head but stopped almost immediately as a wave of pain went through her neck.
He wouldn t really hurt me, she muttered, eyes closed as she cradled her head. She had to believe
that. He was her mate. He might be angry, but he wouldn t actually kill her.
No one else seemed convinced of that, Gabriel said.
She lifted her head again. What happened? I saw& She paused to clear her throat. I saw his
brother and several others grabbing him. Tah and Reno and Zane, I think.
He was enraged, not acting like himself at all, Daniel said.
They took him somewhere to calm down, Logan added. He ll be fine.
I should go to him, she suggested, and everyone shook their heads.
You need to sit and give your head a few minutes to clear, Gabriel countered, his tone hard,
almost daring her to challenge him. Despite the fact no one mentioning it, she knew they d been told
everything she and Finn had said to one another.
She cleared her throat again, wincing and taking another delicate sip. She was avoiding
discussing it, and she knew it.
I m sorry, she whispered. I should have told you.
You think? Daniel shouted.
I think it s past time you told us exactly what the hell is going on? Gabriel demanded quietly.
You re mated to Finn? You didn t think we needed to know that? And what did he mean when he
said you d left him to die? You met your mate and left him?
Apparently, I m a little too much like you, she snapped then flinched as she saw him absorb
her jab. Guilt ripped through her immediately. That had been a low blow, especially for her.
Gabriel, I didn t mean that. I m sorry.
You re right. I did leave my mate. I left her so I could go save you from your latest death-wish
spree. Tell me. Is this why? Were you hoping to die so your mate couldn t find you? Did what almost
happened to you cause that much damage?
No! She shook her head vigorously. No, she said again more quietly, taking a deep breath
and releasing it. I moved past that a long time ago.
Logan reached for her hand and gripped it. I m so sorry, Laura. I should have been there for
you. No excuses. I should have kept searching for a way to find you.
It was on the tip of her tongue to agree, but she bit it off. Hostility wasn t the answer. Besides, it
didn t matter. At the moment, nothing did but her mate. It s okay, she said. Where did they take
Finn?
I think it s best if you stayed away from him for a bit, Logan said.
I m his mate, Laura challenged.
This is one time I think it s safe to say having his mate with him isn t a good idea, Clara
stated. In fact, it seems like you re the last person who should be around him.
Laura shook her head. That couldn t be true.
I want to know how you met him, Gabriel interjected, drawing her attention to him. When did
you have a chance to meet Finn?
It had to be when he left Colorado, Logan said. He took the transponder that had been inside
Reno s mate, Amia. Diane removed it. Finn took it and left, hoping to draw anyone tracing it away
from us.
That s when he was captured by a hunting party? Daniel asked.
Yes, Clara answered.
Laura closed her eyes and saw Finn again, as he d looked the day she d found him. Had she
missed something? She d swear she hadn t. He d been dying. She d kissed him just before she felt
him slipping away from her.
What I want to know is why Finn threatened to rip your throat out? Clara pondered aloud.
He wouldn t have hurt me, she told them again, though her raw throat would say otherwise.
The looks they gave her said they thought the same thing.
Maybe if any of us had realized he was your mate, we could have arranged for a safe first
meeting between the two of you, Gabriel admonished. As it was, all we heard was a threat. All we
saw was him holding you against a wall, keeping us away from you, choking the life from you.
It makes no sense, Clara argued. If you re really his mate, the last thing he should want is for
you to die. It makes me wonder what the hunters did to him while they had him. Finn was in really
bad shape when Murphy and Zane brought him back to Colorado.
Laura? Logan called her name.
I thought he was dead, she whispered. I thought I d lost him.
That explains your death wish lately, Gabriel said. Why didn t you tell me?
I& She broke off and shook her head. I didn t want to accept it. Telling you would have
made it hard to pretend it was just a dream.
For good reason it seems, Clara observed. Maybe, your animal picked up on what you
couldn t?
I need to see him, Laura said again. The images from before overrode the more recent ones.
Blue eyes, red hair and a strong jaw line covered in a beard were hidden by memories of a face
bruised and broken, one awash in so much blood his features had been nearly obliterated. All but his
vivid-blue eyes.
Let s go check in with Tah, Logan said. He ll have a better idea of how Finn is doing.
There s a lot going on that you don t know about.
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