trust me with something and that hurts. I won’t pretend it doesn’t. But it’s okay. I know where I stand.”
“You don’t, though.”
I brush past him toward the bed. The need for food is no longer there. “You can go, Cam.”
“Whit, how can you not see how much you mean to me?”
I spin and come face-to-face with him. “Prove it by telling me what you’re hiding.” It’s a bold challenge; one I don’t want to take back.
Cam’s gaze drops to the floor as his shoulders hunch forward.
“I thought so,” I say and give him my back so I can climb into bed.
He lets out a breath then walks toward the door, opening and softly closing it behind him. It’s then the tears well in my eyes as I replay in my mind what just happened.
7
Camden
Hurting Whit was the last thing I wanted to do, yet that’s exactly what happened. It’s been two days and I still can’t get what took place out of my head.
“Cam!” a voice whispers harshly in the earpiece.
“I hear you,” I mutter back.
“Get your head in the game or I’m having Thay take you home,” Aries reprimands.
“I got it. I’m here.”
“Good. We go in sixty seconds.”
It’s three in the morning and I’m huddled beside a massive oak tree in the southwest corner of a yard of a house in… I forget what state we’re in. I’m practically sweating through my clothes, though I don’t think it’s from any kind of heat. It’s from sheer irritation at myself that I couldn’t tell Whit exactly what I was keeping from him. It’s the biggest rule in place. We can’t speak of our team or our missions to anyone outside of those in on it.
Thay sidles up next to me as he blends in with our surroundings. Rilee really outdid herself when she made these outfits. We’re like freaking chameleons out here.
With my gun at the ready, loaded with silver bullets, I listen as Aries counts down in my ear. “… four, three, two, one, go.”
Thay and I move forward. We’re both soundless as we go. In the front of the house, Des and Austin are approaching while Echo and Sawyer come in from the other corner of the yard. And on the roof is Sevan, waiting to jump down on anyone who thinks they can get a hold of us and also to cover the front of the house in case more arrive.
The place we are raiding tonight is supposed to be holding four teenage males inside. All fae. Ones who are about to come into their full powers. The male holding them is a politician who thought he could win over some favors for his next campaign and decided to use the fae children as leverage. Being a shifter himself, he knows a lot about the paranormal world. And those close to him do as well. They are the ones who are waiting for their prizes of fae males. It’s sick what these beings do to children.
We have to go in as quietly as possible. Thay uses a tiny burst of magic to disarm the alarm so it won’t go off then uses his magic to unlock the doors. It’s not enough that anyone inside should feel it being used.
The male who lives here isn’t smart and he’s also not home at the moment, but we think the fae teenagers are here. The male is very cocky, though. He didn’t think anyone outside of his trusted few knew what he was up to. But one of those he trusted tipped us off in return for us not seeking him out. He didn’t know this was what he was signing up for when he agreed to back the politician.
Des and Austin take the basement while Thay and I take the first floor and Echo and Sawyer go to the second story.
We scour every corner as we stay together to check the main living area.
“Clear,” I say, for everyone to hear.
“Clear,” Austin says, followed by Echo.
“You’re missing something,” Aries states. He’s our lookout for the mission, hiding somewhere close, but if stuff starts to go sideways, he’ll jump right in.
“I have movement out here,” Sevan cuts in. “Black SUV just pulled up. Garage door is opening. One male inside.” I can hear the whir of the door from my place in the kitchen.
We spread out. Thay ducks into a pantry and I squeeze myself in between the wall and the dryer in the laundry room just off the kitchen. Fate,