Twice Tempted: Between Two Alphas (Mia and Cameron)
Chapter 68

Chapter Sixty-Eight

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." I give Michail props for trying.

Of all the wolves Cam could've sent along, this one is the least cuddly. The least likely to make chitchat or to try and bolster anyone's spirits. His idea of a pep talk is to beat the shit out of somebody-better to fight than feel sad, he always said.

Maybe he's just taking it easy on me since we're airborne and fighting isn't really an option.

I catch his gaze flitting back to our other passengers. The captives at the back of the plane. The vamps are sedated. Whatever Dr. Lee gave them, they look comatose. The female wolf. She's shackled and her eyes are vacant. Tracks of pale skin show through the blood and dirt on her face. She stares out the window.

"How long is this babysitting gig supposed to last for you, anyway?" I ask.

He shrugs.

"You, uh, want to go and talk to her?"

He shakes his head.

"It's not her fault, you know."

"That's not why I'm avoiding her," he says cryptically.

Okay. None of my business anyway.

I close my eyes and eventually I manage to sleep. The flight itself isn't a long one, and we're due to set down in Sea-Tac in under two hours. He'll deal with our guests. I'll head to Blakely Island. And...deal with whatever comes next.

My daughter's words... haunt me.

The landing is smooth and when I disembark, Michail unexpectedly pulls me into a brief hug and mutters, "Be safe."

Okay, that's unexpected.

And, if I'm being honest, I kind of thought he'd be escorting me door-to-door so to speak.

But when the cabin door opens and the plane steps unfold, it all becomes clear.

I fight the smile on my face.

I take the stairs slowly. When I reach the bottom, I look up and up and then shield my eyes from the sun to see clearly. "He called you, didn't he?"

Eric bends and kisses me on the mouth.

It's a chaste kiss. A quick one.

I can't even say it's sexual. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Find ɴøᴠel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

But it's enough to make me hyper aware of him.

"He knows there's no one stronger, Mia. And when it comes to your safety, it is one of the few things that Cameron and I agree on."

I purse my lips and fall into step beside him. "I was going to call you myself."

He arches a brow.

"Maybe."

"You're on my land now. My team will grab your bags and the other...baggage."

I'm not sure how he plans to deal with the former coven prisoners. I don't ask. I have quite enough on my plate. I feel bad for the woman though. "Hey, uh, I'm not sure if the female is from your pack or not, but she was spelled, Eric. They'd abducted her and were experimenting on her..."

"I know the score, Mia. And we take care of our own."

I grab his arm and stop him. "I'm sorry about Corinne and-"

He cuts me off. "We should get moving."

Michail and the she-wolf exit the plane. I notice it gets rolled into a hangar and those big bay doors close after several of Eric's men enter.

I don't know what Michail's plans are. He holds the woman by the arm and her shackles have been removed. But his grip looks more like he's helping her or holding her up and less like he's gripping her to prevent her escape.

"This way," Eric says.

His hand lands on the small of my back and I feel the charge.

"Sonofabitch," he grumbles. "I thought with that," his hand brushes the mating mark on my neck, "that this connection would've ended."

But it hasn't.

The pull has dimmed, for sure. But there is still a tie between myself and this man.

"Don't think that I don't replay the night you first came to my pack. I should've marked you then."

I smile at him. His tone is wry and more annoyed than genuinely angry or upset.

"Maybe in another life, we get this right," I tell him.

He bumps his shoulder against mine. "Don't count me out of this one yet."

My luggage is loaded and I move to get into the idling Escalade.

"No," he tells me. "That's not our ride."

The SUV pulls forward and I see the bright twilight blue of a McLaren.

"Fancy," I say.

He shrugs. He opens the door so I can get in.

"How about you give me the keys?"

"You want to drive." His mouth curves into a sexy smile. "Of course you do." He tosses me the keys and gets in while I walk around the car.

Cam's pack doesn't keep exotic cars. They have a Maserati and a Porsche but the super high-end Lamborghinis and Ferraris or McLarens...those draw way too much attention in Cowboy Country, Montana. And though they do keep a small fleet of cars at the Healmsworth main offices for pack use, it's generally frowned upon to drive them. Cam's father instilled a theme of equality both within the pack and the corporation so despite the Healmsworths being on the board and the CEOS, they don't make a big show of it.

I always admired that.

But as I shift into gear and peel out, I gotta say... this is more fun.

"You're full of surprises, Mia."

He programs the GPS then leans back and crosses his arms behind his head. "Try not to lose our security detail. I want them with us until we leave the dock."

I nod.

"Are you anticipating trouble?" I ask.

A muscle ticks in his jaw. "We've confirmed that Ashley and her brother Philipe are in the area. They have a contingent of wolves with them and...other beings." "What kind of other beings?"

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