Divided Loyalties-epub Read Online Free PDF Page B

comfortable enough to allow Brenna and Bryce to stay at a small cabin she’d purchased under an alias last year. That way Shield wouldn’t find out they were wolves.
    Her niece and nephew were strong and very smart. They understood the dangers of both the human and the shifter worlds.
    “My best guess is maybe five or ten minutes, depending on where they were when they sent the last text. They are excellent trackers,” she said as she looked out the door, which was still wide open, worried for the kids.
    “Christa?”
    She turned her head to meet his gaze and studied him for a moment. The memory of the raid entered her mind. The man who was with them had said, “He’s not here.”
    “Yesterday, you were looking for someone. Who?”
    Hayden’s features remained devoid of emotions. “Vance. He works for the rogue Onyx Pack.”
    She blinked. Vance was trying to point the fingers at Ashwood. Bring the humans into the war between shifters. Suddenly everything was starting to make a little more sense, especially the changes in Shield’s policy to go to breach the wards and protections of the shifter territories without solid evidence that the shifters were rogue and a threat to humans.
    She cast him a hard stare. Unlike Vance, Hayden had compassion. She sensed it in the same way she could tell Vance was not a good guy. Even though Hayden was a take-charge, pure alpha male on the outside, she’d bet he had a soft side that only his family got to see.
    That didn’t mean she could trust him. Did it?
    One thing was for sure. She definitely couldn’t trust Vance. The man…shifter was evil. She felt it like a sticky residue over her skin when she was near him.
    “What is Vance’s animal?”
    Hayden tilted his head. “Leopard. Why?”
    She shrugged and sat up on the sofa. “Just curious.”
    Suddenly, Hayden held up a hand to silence her then turned his head as if listening to something, or someone. Before she could ask what the hell he heard, he was out the front door. Christa followed, which made him whirl around to her, his wolf in his eyes. “Go back inside.”
    She stood her ground and glared at him. “I don’t think so. I’ve been hunting rogues half my life. Besides, whatever you heard could be my niece and nephew.”
    A tic formed in his temples as he narrowed his eyes at her. This man was not used to being told no. Well, he’d have to get used to it because she wasn’t used to following orders.
    She held his gaze, unblinking, until he leaned in and growled, “You are a stubborn female.”
    “And you’re an ass.” She smiled.
    He turned from her to face the edge of the trees that hid the den from view. She waited beside him, not knowing how far the twins, or whoever was out there, were from them.
    “I’d feel better if I was armed,” she muttered, not really meaning for Hayden to hear her. Of course he did, thanks to his damn wolf hearing.
    “I wouldn’t.”
    Ass .
    A moment later two figures stepped into view. Relief flooded her senses. They were Brenna and Bryce and behind them was a large black wolf. She looked over at Hayden then back at the twins. Bryce looked pissed and appeared a little disheveled. His hair stood on end, his T-shirt was ripped at the bottom, and his bottom lip was swollen.
    She stepped forward, only to have Hayden grab her biceps to stop her. Peering up at him, she jerked her arm out of his grasp and continued toward the twins. Hayden moved behind her. She heard his heavy footfalls and a low growl. She smiled.
    Brenna was the first to reach her and pull her into a tight hug. “Chris, are you okay? We were scared something had happened when you didn’t answer the text. Why didn’t you answer?”
    Christa laughed and hugged her niece back and held out a hand for Bryce, who instantly moved closer to her. “It doesn’t matter now. You’re here, and we’re together.”
    She would see to it that they were never separated again.
    “Bryce fought with the other wolf,”