Star Cursed (Zodiac Wolves #2)(29)

Now I just had to get him to admit it.





Chapter Thirteen





In the morning, Kaden had a meeting in the forest with some of the other pack members, including Jack, Harper, and Dane, but I wasn't invited. I kept trying to get close and overheard them talking about the best routes to get to Alaska, but then another shifter would always shoo me away. I huffed and went back to help clean up the campsite, even though I felt I should have been involved in the discussion too. What would I have to do to get Kaden to trust me already?

We drove away not long after the sun rose, and I found myself dozing off since there wasn't much else to do. When the car came to a stop, I looked over at Kaden, who was in the driver’s seat. “Where are we?"

“Spokane." He motioned to the Walmart in front of where he’d parked. “Do you need anything?"

Shit, what didn't I need? I had literally nothing but the clothes on my back. I raised an eyebrow. "Are you buying?"

"Obviously. Unless you packed a wallet in that Leo dress we found you in."

"I'm pretty sure your eyes combed over every inch of my skin, and you know I didn't."

Mira and Jack both snickered in the back seat until Kaden shot them a sharp look. I got out of the car before he could come back with another response.

Inside the store, Mira grinned at me. "When was the last time we went shopping?"

"Seems like a decade ago," I said. Even when we had gone shopping, Dad never let me have any money to buy things. Mira had usually taken pity on me and gotten me something though.

"I'm sorry you had to leave everything behind when we fled the Leos," I said. Mira also had nothing but the clothes she'd escaped in, although at least she'd been dressed more sensibly and was wearing shoes too.

Mira shrugged. "It's okay. I didn't bring anything to their village that I would miss, in case something like that happened."

We both picked out some tank tops and shorts, since the mid-August heat was scorching outside, but also grabbed some jeans and a long-sleeve shirt, plus a jacket, just to cover all the bases. Both the Pisces and Cancer packs lived on the coast, where it tended to be cooler, especially at night. A bra and a pack of underwear were next—the last time I'd had any on was back with the Leos—along with some walking shoes, plus a little travel bag of toiletries, and we were set.

On the way to the checkout, I spotted a stand of burner phones, and plopped one in the basket too, then grabbed some snacks, drinks, and even some lip gloss, because fuck it, I deserved it. I'd been through a lot lately. Kaden could buy me some fruity pink lip gloss.

When I joined Kaden in the checkout line, he glanced down at my basket and narrowed his eyes. At first, I thought he was judging my lip gloss, but then he asked, "A phone? Need to call your precious Leo mate?"

I nudged him out of the way so I could put my things on the conveyor belt. "Don't be ridiculous. I want to be able to keep in touch with Mira this time. I wasn't allowed a phone before, but I'm getting one now, and I don't care what you say about it."

Kaden's jaw clenched like he might try to stop me, but then he just threw his own snacks and drinks on the belt after my things. Mira joined us too and added her stuff, thanking Kaden for his generosity as he paid for it all, and then we hit the bathrooms to change and clean up a bit.

"Come," Kaden said when we met him just outside the store. "We're going to speak with the others before we split up."

"Split up?" I asked as I followed his gaze to where some other pack members had gathered at a fast food place next door, waiting for us. Harper gave me a little wave as we approached.

Kaden didn't answer me, so I worked on getting my phone out of its packaging as we waited for the rest of the shifters to gather around us. I’d just gotten it turned on and the language set to ‘English’ when Kaden cleared his throat, and the shifters fell silent.

"Thank you all for your excellent work during the Leo attack," he said, as his eyes took in his people with pride. "We were successful in our mission, and not only did we rescue our pack member, but we learned how the Leos respond to an attack and what their plans are. But our work is far from over. As I'm sure you've heard by now, I require one more task before you return to the rest of the pack." He gestured toward Mira, who stood awkwardly beside me like she wasn't sure if she should be listening in or not. "Our friend here has suffered at the hands of the Leos, and she needs to be escorted safely back to the Pisces pack. It's possible there will be a group of Leos there threatening the pack and her mate. Deal with them swiftly, make sure the Pisces pack is safe, and then you can return home."

A murmur went through the shifters next, but none of them looked unhappy about their new mission, and I was awed by Kaden’s ability to command a pack at such a young age. He had the presence of someone much older, and no one seemed to mind following his orders at all.

Harper wrapped an arm around Mira's shoulders. "We'll make sure our new friend gets home safely, and gladly take out any Leos we find on the way. Don't even worry about it."

"Thank you," Mira said, giving the other woman a small smile, and then turning her warm gaze on Kaden too.

He nodded in return. "Jack will be leading you. He's arranged some plane tickets since this mission requires some haste and driving to Alaska would take too long. We’ll meet you with the rest of the pack once we've finished our mission.”