His Moonsilver Mate (Abby and Kade) novel Chapter 14

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1:05 pm

Chapter 14

Ham

Jasper’s paws pressed harder into the woman beneath us.

Sloane stared up through the darkness, her hood fallen back and her honey-blonde hair spread across the leaves.

For one second, neither of us moved.

Then recognition widened her eyes.

“Jasper?”

Her voice shook.

“What are you doing? Get off me.”

Jasper lowered his head until his teeth hovered inches from her throat.

A growl rolled through his chest.

Sloane froze.

“Liam. Please.”

Abby had been missing for more than a day.

Someone had used Moonhaven clothing to lure her from the clinic.

Someone had known our patrol routes.

And now I had found Sloane slipping through those same woods with her scent hidden.

She knows, Jasper snarled.

Maybe she did.

But I needed answers more than blood.

The sound of wolves running reached us through the trees.

-Seconds later, Knox burst through the brush, followed by Tiernan and one of our patrol warriors.

They stopped when they saw us.

What happened? Kade demanded through the pack link.

Found her heading toward Moonhaven. Hooded. Scent masked.

Knox stared at Sloane.

1:05 pm

She tried to lift her head.

“Kade, tell him to let me up.’

He didn’t move.

The relief that had crossed her face disappeared.

Kade shifted first. The patrol warrior carried spare clothing, and a moment later Kade stood before us in shorts.

“Jasper. Let her up.”

My wolf resisted.

Not yet.

“We need her talking.”

Jasper’s growl deepened.

Then, reluctantly, he surrendered control.

I shifted and pulled on the spare shorts the warrior handed me.

Sloane rolled onto her side, clutching her shoulder.

“You could have killed me.”

“Where were you?”

She looked at me.

“I was looking for Abby.”

I caught her wrist before she could stand.

“At night? Alone? With your scent masked?”

“I knew you wouldn’t let me join the search.”

“You were right.” Kade stepped closer. “Why were you searching without telling anyone?”

Her eyes moved to him. “Because I saw Abby that morning.”

Every muscle in my body tightened.

“At the clinic?” I asked.

“Yes.”

Kade went still.

Sloane looked between us. “I went there to speak to her about what happened the night before.”

“The kiss,” I said.

Pain crossed her face. “Yes.”

“What happened?”

“I told her it couldn’t happen again.”

“And Abby?”

“She told me I should be saying that to Kade.”

Despite everything, that sounded exactly like my sister.

Sloane looked away. “I was angry. I said some things I shouldn’t have. Then I left.”

“What things?”

Her mouth tightened. “I told her she needed to stay away from him.”

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then I asked, “How long before she disappeared?”

“I don’t know exactly. Not long.”

“And you never told us.”

“I didn’t think the argument mattered.”

“You thought enough about it to sneak into the forest alone.”

Her face tightened. “Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I felt guilty.”

“For arguing with her?”

“For being cruel when she was already hurting.”

The answer sounded almost sincere.

Almost.

Sloane pulled against my grip.

This time I released her.

She rubbed her wrist.

“I left angry. Then Abby disappeared. I kept thinking about what I said to her.”

Kade looked at the dark coat.

“That still doesn’t explain why you hid your scent.”

“If the patrols found me, they would send me back.”

“They should have,” I said.

“I know.”

“Then why keep going?”

Sloane hesitated. “I saw someone.”

Everything changed.

Kade’s attention sharpened. “Who?”

“I don’t know.”

“Where?”

“Northwest of here. Near the old ravine trail.”

Tiernan stepped closer. “Describe him.”

“Tall. Hooded. Dark coat.”

“Male?”

“I think so.”

“His scent?” Kade asked.

“Masked.”

Silence fell.

I stepped closer again. “What was he doing?”

“Moving off-trail. Carefully. Like he didn’t want anyone to see him.”

“And you followed him?”

“For a while.”

Atone?

“I thought he might know something about Abby.”

“You should have linked us.”

“If I called wolves into the area and he noticed them coming, he would disappear.”

“He disappeared anyway,” Tiernan said.

Sloane nodded. “I lost him near the ravine.”

“How long ago?” Kade asked.

“Maybe fifteen minutes.”

“Which side?”

“Southern edge. Near the old rock shelf.”

That area had already been searched.

I studied her face. “You expect us to believe you happened to find the one suspicious man in the forest?”

“No.” Her voice cracked. “I expect you to check.”

That was harder to argue with.

Kade opened the pack link.

Ryan. Send two trackers to the southern edge of the northwest ravine. Quietly. No engagement unless necessary.

Understood.

Sloane looked at him. “I was trying to help.”

His expression didn’t soften. “You still disobeyed me.”

I still didn’t trust her.

But she had given us something we could test.

Kade’s gaze moved toward the hood lying in the leaves.

“Where did you get the masking spray?”

“Patrol stores.”

My attention snapped back to her.

1:05 pm

“You had access?”

She looked irritated now.

“I trained with patrol for years; Liam. I know where half the emergency supplies are kept.”

Of course she did.

Sloane had grown up here.

She had trained beside Kade and me.

Run these forests.

Worked with patrols.

She knew Moonhaven’s routes better than most wolves in the pack.

The thought settled badly in my stomach.

Kade seemed to reach the same conclusion.

“Which paths were you searching?”

“The old western service routes below the ridge.”

“Why those?” Tiernan asked.

“Because the search teams had already cleared the obvious ones.”

“And you know the old routes.”

Sloane looked at him.

“Yes.”

Someone had helped the stranger who lured Abby from the clinic.

Someone who knew Moonhaven well enough to get him inside unnoticed.

That proved nothing about Sloane.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Kade spoke carefully. “You’re going back to the packhouse.”

Her eyes widened. “No.”

“This isn’t a discussion.”

“I found a lead.”

V

1:05 pm

You gave us the location.”

“I can show you exactly where lost him.”

“You’re not going alone again.”

“I wasn’t asking to.”