Star Cursed (Zodiac Wolves #2)(28)

The car fell silent as Kaden considered what I said, but his face was so hard I was sure he would shoot my plan down. I tried to think of some other way we might be able to stop the Leos, but this was the only way. Unless we could get the Moon Witches to help, but Stella had said they had no idea where they were, or how to contact them. For all we knew, they might not even exist anymore.

“Fine," Kaden said, the word so pointed and unexpected it made me jump. "We’ll look for the remaining Cancer members, but when we find them, their pack will have to serve me. That’s the only way I’d be willing to work with a pack that shunned our existence before.”

Alphas, I thought and rolled my eyes. What was it about them feeling like they had to have control over everything? Jordan and Kaden were more alike than either of them would ever admit, both headstrong and a touch arrogant. Sure, Jordan had dipped into the completely mad side of that, but Kaden made me want to shake some sense into him too sometimes.

“I can try to talk to the Pisces pack,” Mira mumbled. Our voices must have risen enough to rouse her from her sleep. "Assuming they haven't all been wiped out by the Leos by now."

I turned around to check on her. She looked a lot better, her eyes regaining some of their normal warmth in them, along with a touch of determination and fear. She was worried for her mate, no doubt, and the rest of her new pack. "I'm sure Jordan hasn't done that," I said.

Kaden gave me a sharp look at that. He probably thought I was defending my mate, but I'd only said it to try to make Mira feel better.

"I hope you're right," Mira said with a sigh.

"I'll send my warriors to escort you to the Pisces pack," Kaden said. "If the Leos are there, holding your mate hostage, they'll deal with them."

"Really?" Mira asked.

"I swear it."

My heart swelled, and just like that, I remembered why he was the man I respected more than anyone else in the world. He didn't even know Mira, had never met her before the other night, and he had no love for the Pisces or Cancer pack—yet he was willing to send his own people to help her rescue her mate anyway.

"Thank you," she said, sniffing as though she was holding back tears. "I'm sure if you do that, the alpha will agree to join you against the Leos."

"Perhaps," Kaden said, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "If not, at least there will be fewer Leos in the world."





When we stopped to make camp for the night in a forest somewhere in southern Montana, Kaden went back to avoiding me. Harper took me and Mira down to a small lake a short hike away, and we reveled in cleaning ourselves for the first time in days. Then Mira and I set up our tent, and she passed out almost immediately. Not me though. I was still restless, and this time Kaden was just gone, probably lurking around while invisible, so I couldn't even corner him and force him to talk to me.

I did, however, find Jack standing guard a short distance away, while the rest of the shifters settled down to sleep. This time, out of sight of Kaden and the rest of the pack, he grabbed me in a tight hug.

"Sorry, I couldn't say anything before, not without Kaden ripping my throat out." He stepped back and gave me one of his charming grins. "It's damn good to have you back. Kaden needs someone who will stand up to him sometimes."

"Stella does that," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but he doesn't always listen to her," Jack said.

I snorted. "He doesn't listen to me either."

"He does. I heard what you guys were talking about in the car. With a few words, you got Kaden to consider doing something he's rejected for years. Allying with the other packs? He would have torn out his own heart first, before he met you anyway."

"I just want to stop him from getting himself and the rest of the pack killed, but it's hard when he's so damn stubborn."

"No shit. After you left..." He leaned in close, his voice lowering as he looked around to make sure no one else was around. Whoever said men didn't like to gossip had obviously never met Jack. "It was bad. I've never seen Kaden so upset, not even when Eileen found her mate. We all told Kaden something wasn't right, that there was no way you'd go with Jordan and leave our pack behind, but he wouldn't listen. He thought you chose Jordan over him. Then Dane saw a vision of what happened, and I was like, I knew it! I knew Ayla would never leave us of her own free will." He punched me lightly in the arm and I couldn't help but smile at his exuberance, and his loyalty. Then his grin fell. "But that didn't make Kaden feel any better. If anything, it only made things worse, because now he knew you'd gone against your will."

I nodded slowly, my chest aching. "Because he thought I would still end up as Jordan's mate, and the next alpha female of the Leo pack."

"Exactly." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I hate to say it, but we all did. I'm glad you proved us wrong."

"Me too," I said. I couldn't blame them for thinking I'd given in to the mate bond since there were so many moments when I almost had. I was sure the only things that saved me were my feelings for Kaden and some instinctual knowledge that mating with Jordan was wrong.

But the Ophiuchus pack still came to rescue me, even fearing I'd turned to the dark side. Even if Kaden had said it was because they'd planned to use me as leverage against Jordan, I didn't believe it. No, Kaden just couldn't stand the thought of me with anyone else. Especially a Leo. And he was willing to burn their entire pack down to get me back.