Chapter 262
Third Person & Audrey
Third Person
Betty stood in front of the mirror, tugging at the oversized, ill–fitting clothes she had chosen for the day: a large men’s t–shirt, a pair of baggy sweatpants, a ratty beanie. They covered her figure perfectly, making her appear like a slightly tall and lanky
preteen.
With her hair hanging around her face, her eyes ringed with dark eyeshadow, and her skin powdered to look more pale and sickly, she barely resembled herself anymore. She looked like a tired, scared twelve–year–old. It was believable enough.
Or at least, she hoped it was believable.
“You look… passable.”
The sound of an increasingly familiar voice caused Betty to turn, her face instantly heating as she met Peter’s gaze. He was leaning against the doorframe behind her, his hands tucked into his pockets and his long legs crossed at the ankles.
Betty took a deep breath as she stared down at herself. “You’re sure they’ll fall for it?” she asked.
Peter hesitated for a moment before nodding. “I don’t think anyone is going to look closely enough for it to matter. But it works.”
Surprisingly, that was a relief. Betty wanted their plan to work today. She wanted to help however she could, even if it meant putting herself in danger for her friends. After spending a lifetime being ostracized for being half human, she felt obligated to help others who were treated the same.
In an attempt to lift her own spirits, Betty mused, “I guess there are perks to being flat–chested.”
Peter was silent. When she looked up at him, his jaw was set hard, and he was staring at the floor in front of his feet. But she could see the slight blush to his cheeks. He often looked that way when he looked at her.
Betty was no idiot. She knew what she was to Peter. What he was to her.
Mates.
She never thought she’d be lucky enough to have one, being half–human and all. And sometimes, she still didn’t believe that he was her mate. Especially not someone as handsome and charming and funny as Peter.
But she could feel the occasional tug at the inside of her mind, his tentative prods at their mate bond. As far as she knew, he didn’t know that she was aware of it.
She was just waiting for him to work up the courage to tell her. Until then, she would play stupid, if only because she thought it was sort of cute and funny to see him so flustered around her.
With a sigh, Betty turned back to face the mirror and adjusted her clothes one last time. “You’re coming today?” she asked.
Peter nodded, taking a step toward her. “I’ll be in the truck with Audrey and Edwin.”
She didn’t let it show, but that was a relief. She hoped that his face was the first face she saw when she came out of… wherever they were going.
“Are you sure about this?” he suddenly asked.
Betty looked up, meeting his gaze in the mirror. The intensity in his eyes made her breath catch a little, and she swallowed hard before responding, “I’m never sure about much of anything, if I’m being honest.”
Peter didn’t reply. Instead, he sighed, glancing away for a moment before his eyes found hers again. “I just-“His words caught in his throat, and for a second, he seemed to struggle, as if there was more he had to say but couldn’t bring himself to say it. Betty held her breath, wondering if he’d finally confess.
But then: “Good luck today.”
Betty felt her heart sink a little as she watched Peter’s tall frame turn and stride toward the door.
“That’s it?” she suddenly blurted out, whirling to face him. “Good luck?”
1/3
Chapter 262
Peter froze, his shoulders stiffening. He was silent, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. Betty’s heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the back of his head. She couldn’t take it
anymore.
“Kiss me,” she whispered through their mate bond. It wasn’t a request. It was a command.
And Peter answered. Without a word, he turned and took three long, quick strides toward her. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.
Deeply.
www
Audrey
I shuddered as I lowered the binoculars, handing them off to Edwin. He watched from the driver’s seat of the inconspicuous black car we were sitting in, parked a little ways down the back alley of the orphanage.
Sure enough, the uniformed men strode out of the orphanage with a handcuffed Betty in tow. She kept her head hung, her shoulders slumped, her hair in her face. Sophia–temporarily released from prison to do our bidding–walked out behind them, watching and counting a pile of cash as they loaded Betty into the van.
They had fallen for it.
My stomach churned as I watched the men lock my friend in the van. Reluctantly, I met Peter’s icy gaze in the rearview mirror. He was pissed. Royally. In fact, I wasn’t sure if he had even been this angry when Edwin had arrived at the cabin with
“You girls need to stop offering yourselves up as bait,” he growled before leaning back in his seat.
Beside me, Edwin continued watching the exchange, his expression calm. I could feel his tension radiating through the bond, but he was cool and collected today. Our plan was foolproof.
“She’ll be alright,” he murmured to his brother, his gaze never leaving the van as it started just grunted in response and folded his arms across his chest.
pull away from the curb. Peter
As soon as the van merged onto the street, Edwin and I exchanged a quick nod before Edwin put the car in drive. The others- Charles, Tina, Gavin, Avis, and a few Crescent and Silverbite warriors–were already waiting in a car of their own, idling further down the road. They’d be following us at a distance, just in case we needed backup.
We’d told Gavin, Avis, and Tina that they didn’t need to come. That
They had just laughed in our faces.
СО
The silence in the car was suffocating as we drove. My mind buzzed with what–ifs, the possibilities running through my head faster than I could even comprehend them.
the
What if something went wrong? What if the driver figured out we were following him? What if Betty got hurt?
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