NAC & The Holly Group - Box set: Alpha Team

by Chelsea Handcock

  Dalton was floored. He couldn’t let these two ladies go anywhere. He needed to figure out what all these feelings led to and if Emma could feel the same way about him. Maybe she wasn’t feeling anything for him at all except for gratitude. That would kill him, but damn, could he really expect anything else? She was human after all. Emma would need time, but he and his bear already knew they belonged to him. Emma was his mate and the little girl was to be his daughter. He would protect them with every fiber of his being, both man and beast! If Jacks and the squad wouldn’t help them, he would find a way to protect them, at all cost, even if that meant leaving the Alpha Team.

  “Rest, Emma, the only thing you need to worry about right now is resting peacefully in your arms. You’ve had a really tough day. We’ll figure everything out together; please, trust me.”

  “I do for reasons I can’t explain. Please, Dalton, I need you to tell me, if my baby is a Shifter, how much danger will she be in? Am I even equipped to raise her? I mean, I don’t know anything about Shifters or what you all do. Will I walk into her room one day and instead of a baby, a little fur baby will be in the crib instead?”

  “Honey, I know it’s a lot to take in after everything you’ve been through today, but I honestly can’t answer those questions until Mia and Ryleigh have run their tests. I can only tell you what happened to me as a child, and I can assure you I wasn’t a fur baby.”

  Chapter 20

  Jacks was beyond pissed. He and the Alpha Team had left on a mission and came back to a cluster-fuck of major proportions. His mate hadn’t been kept safe like, she’d been exposed to an unknown woman. Mistakes like that couldn’t happen. Cash had told him most of Emma’s story and how she came to be at their base camp. he’d even listened to the tapes of Dalton and Emma in the bathroom as well as Emma’s explanation of what had happened to her. He had to admit the importance Emma and the baby played to the Shifter race, if everything was on the up and up with her story, which he still had doubts. He needed facts, right now everything was not adding up.

  Ryleigh and their child were his first responsibility. Something was wrong with his mate; she wasn’t taking care of herself or their child, and even though they hadn’t been together long, Jacks knew deep down that something more was going on. He never dreamed he would have a mate let alone a child on the way, and it scared the crap out of him. He needed to protect them, it was engrained in him to do so. Ryleigh was scattered, manic almost, and she was hiding something from him, he felt it to his very core.

  At first, he’d paced outside of the exam room waiting for the delivery to be over. Deciding that wasn’t helping anyone, he made his way down to the conference room. He wasn’t one to sit idly by, he was a man of action. Leaving Bas stationed at the door of the exam room and Dalton inside, he felt secure enough to leave and get to work. He grudgingly had to admit, Mia and Ryleigh were both trained agents and could take care of themselves if things went to shit. He needed to be doing something productive, not standing around.

  Cash had followed him, but at the moment he wasn’t ready to listen to his Second. He was the leader of Alpha Team, but Cash was the soul. The man always anticipated his teammates moods and tried to keep them all on an even keel. Walking into the room, Cash set up the equipment, so Jacks could listen to the events which had happened prior to his return home. He then worked on his laptop, allowing Jacks a moment to gather his thoughts and provided him, without questions, the information he needed to make any decision. Finally calming down enough to deal with the business at hand, Jacks let out a deep breath.

  “Okay let’s get this done.”

  He, Cash, and the team were reviewing the tapes after Cash had given an explanation of what had been happening. Wyatt the only member of their team not present; he was still back with Echo Team trying to locate Zoey and Milo, a decision Jacks highly regretted now. He could use Wyatt’s expertise at the moment.

  Damn it! He couldn’t even leave for a day and everything went to hell. Dalton and Cash were definitely going to pay for placing Ryleigh in a dangerous position, but he needed to know what Ryleigh was thinking. Emma’s story sounded bad, but it could be a cover. People did awful things for money all the time, who’s to say she didn’t allow someone to do those things to her body just to prey on Ryleigh’s softer side. The woman would need to be watched and moved out of their base as soon as possible. He didn’t care what anyone thought about that. They had safe houses and contacts all over the world. He was fairly confident he could keep Emma and the child safely hidden. Damn, he never considered the possibility of a female shifter birth; that further complicated matters, making this whole thing a cluster fuck of epic proportions. Then again, he could always hope this child was like the females they had discovered, only having the Shifter DNA but the ability to shift. He was the Alpha, damn it! All this uncertainty and upheaval didn’t work for him.

  Ryleigh walked into the conference room, instantly sensing Jacks mood; he was seething. His eyes were glowing bright and the hair on his arms and hands was thicker than normal, and his body seemed bigger than normal as well. Sure, signs that his bear was riding him. She could reconcile it with his protectiveness and his very Alpha nature. She couldn’t believe or didn’t want to think that he thought an abused woman, who just gave birth, was a threat to any of them. Ryleigh wasn’t naïve, she knew there were bad people in the world; she didn’t believe Emma was one of them.

  She knew the current state of her heath wasn’t helping matters. She wasn’t sleeping or taking care of herself as she should be. Jacks, being a shifter, sensed her weakness and the predator in him reacted to it. She couldn’t figure out a way to change anything. She’d convinced herself that if she could crack all of Franklin's data, she would have the answers she needed, but she knew deep down that wasn’t the case. She was scared and helpless; Eli’s words taunted her—tainted, failure, mongrel—repeated in her mind over and over again. Her fears for her baby’s future were driving her to do things she wouldn’t normally do. Was it okay to hope or was she doomed to let Jacks and her baby down? Would her DNA hurt her child? There were so many unanswered questions and fears, so much uncertainty, and so many faults. Was she good enough? Would she be a good mother, wife, and mate? Did she even know how to do those things? She was afraid to sleep; her mind wouldn’t shut down. Even while unconscious, the taunts and her failures played over and over again in her mind, in an unending loop. Those hours brought back memories she wished she could forget, memories that needed to stay locked away in the boxes she’d placed in her mind. Those boxes seemed to be cracking under the pressure; she didn’t know what to do.

  As a child, she handled what had happened to her better than she was handling everything that was going on now. Then again, as a child she only had to worry about herself. When her Dad rescued her, he took on all the worry. Now, she not only had to think about herself, but Jacks, their baby, and all the teams. Everyone was counting on her and The Holly Group for answers, and she didn’t have any.

  Ryleigh knew she needed to give Jacks comfort; his Alpha vibes were stifling everyone in the room. She was getting used to them, but from the way they were acting, she could only assume the pressure of his dominance was causing the group pain. Cash had his head in his hands looking down at his laptop, Ethan was nervously thumping the table with his thumb. Walking up to her mate, Ryleigh did the only thing she could think of, giving him a kiss.

  “Hi baby I missed you” His sexy little smirk made and appearance for a second.

  “I missed you too baby, but you know we need to talk about this,” he said taking her into the circle of his arms.

  He hated being away from his mate; her nearness had a way of settling his beast. Within his arms, no one could harm her and that calmed his wild side, appeasing his instinct to protect like nothing else could. Jacks could feel the tension of the last couple of days drain from his body. He knew his dominance was causing the team problems, but he couldn’t seem to pull it together. His job wa
s to protect his mate and child, and he’d failed right along with his team. Being part of a mated pair, he never imagined how much he and his beast would rely on Ryleigh’s mere presence. Going forward, he would have to decline further missions until his bear felt secure enough to leave her, that was all there was to it. He hoped that with time as their bond grew stronger, it would allow him to continue with his mission. He certainly had no clue on how all this worked, he would have to take it day by day.

  The vibes started to decrease, and Ryleigh was able to relax a little and take a deep breath. She didn’t really want to talk about it; she knew he was mad and protective. She accepted those qualities in her man, but he needed to realize she was just as strong. She would protect their child, regardless of her fears, not to mention her extended family, which included the Alpha Team, as fiercely as he would. She also didn’t like that he questioned her judgment. Deciding to deal with all that later, she gave him her report.

  “Mia needs to run some tests; I left her in the lab to do that. The DNA test will take several days to run, but a much simpler protein test will determine the existence of Shifter DNA. It should be done in a couple of hours. Then we can do the much more advanced testing. If Emma’s story is true, these tests will show what we need to know. But Jacks I believe her and before you go all beast man on me, I’m not naïve, I realize there are evil people out there. I don’t believe Emma is one of them. She has been through a truly horrific ordeal. Damn! Didn’t you look at her?”

  “I know you weren’t in there long, but there isn’t a part of her body that isn’t injured in some way. She also has medical issues that include dehydration, malnourishment, and exhaustion. What you didn’t see is her strength. She used every bit of her reserves to deliver a baby she doesn’t even know if its biologically hers or even how she became pregnant in the first place. She’s the exact type of person both NAC and The Holly Group helps on a daily basis. Jacks, if the breeding program worked, that child is in more danger than we can predict, making both of them our top priority. You have to see that. I know you’re worried, and I accept that, all I’m asking is that you keep an open mind.”

  Ryleigh knew she was laying it on a bit thick, but Jacks was a tough nut to crack when he set his mind on something. Appealing to his sensitive side seemed to be the answer at the moment. Reminding him of their life’s mission to help woman and children also seemed to be a good idea. She needed him to think of Emma as a person in dire need of help and not a threat to her or their baby. The mating connection was unlike anything she’d ever felt before, and she knew Jacks felt the same way. His instincts were on high alert, and he wasn’t acting as rationally as he normally would in this situation. At least, that was what she assumed. They were still very new to all of this, only getting to know one another and each other's quirks.

  “I also think you need to talk with Dalton, he seems overly attentive to Emma. He reminds me of how you act toward me. Not to mention that Emma trusts him; that could definitely work in our favor in beginning to figure all this out.”

  The room mumbled their agreement. All of them had noticed Dalton’s strange behavior. Jacks continued to hold Ryleigh. He knew she was as pissed as he was, but for different reasons. He couldn’t imagine his life without her and hated that she could’ve been in danger. He knew she was pissed because he questioned her judgment, but damn, his woman had a big heart and sometimes that wasn’t the best thing. She had a soft spot for anyone who had been harmed, and he knew one day that would get her in trouble. He would make sure that day never came whether she liked it or not. Deep down he knew was being a bit irrational, but Ryleigh was his world. Without her he would go rogue and that scared the absolute crap out of him.

  Chapter 21

  A rogue was a mindless killer. All Shifters were aware of the inevitability of going rogue and subsequently the need to be put down. It was a fact of life. Without the grounding of a mate to keep the beast at bay, eventually all Shifters degraded to an animalistic state. With he and Ryleigh being the first mated pair in a hundred years, he was only now starting to realize how much their bond truly grounded him and what would happen if that bond were ever to be broken.

  Ryleigh was enjoying her fleeting moment of peace within Jacks’ arms. Here, she was safe and nothing could harm her or her child. In his arms, everything was perfect, no fears or failures, only love. He had the ability to make her feel safe, loved, and cherished with only a touch, and through their bond, she knew that she did the same for him. Up until she met Jacks, she would immerse herself in whatever was going on until it reached fruition, never caring about herself or her well-being. Being with Jacks made her focus on something else; him. She wanted to blame her pregnancy hormones on the seemingly extreme nature of her need, but the truth was it was more than that. Jacks completed her, he saw her weaknesses and strengths and helped her be a better person. The peace in Jacks’ arms was short lived, it seemed. Her feelings of inadequacy were creeping back into her mind. Ryleigh was sure she would’ve lost Emma or the baby, maybe both. She hated feeling like a failure.

  Most of the team was in the conference room, but they weren’t paying attention to Jacks and Ryleigh, they were working on their own things. Deciding it was time to get back to work, Ryleigh gently extracted herself from Jacks lap. She got up, kissing him on the chin and smiled in silence, thankful for the love and comfort he always provided for her. She knew he didn’t want her to move, but they all had jobs to do, and she didn’t need to distract Jacks any more. She took the seat next to him. Ryleigh had to smile when he pulled the chair closer to him. Typical Alpha. Jacks loud booming voice brought the group back to order, and Ryleigh was able to continue her report.

  “Listen up. Let’s get this over with, Baby,” Jacks said, looking to Ryleigh.

  “I believe she’s a Franklin creation,” Ryleigh revealed. “She matches the age and her circumstance resemble what we’re now finding to be the norm. She was placed in foster care as an infant, yet, she was never adopted, which doesn’t make sense. I think Davis tracked her down, but decided to turn her over to Pandora for the breeding program. At least all signs seem to point that way. She was set up with the job while those bastards waited for her DNA results. that’s what we’re assuming. I can’t figure out why she was the only one at the facility or why she was left with only one tech. Our research showed that Pandora doesn’t let their test subjects go and they’re all highly guarded in secured, secret facilities. Emma would be a prized possession once the pregnancy took.

  “Shoot, we’ve all seen the results of what happens when they try to enhance the fetus before birth. From everything she said, no further testing was done after conception. It doesn’t line up with Pandora’s SOP, but it does link Davis Defense even more to the group and their agenda.”

  From the looks on their faces, the guys in the room, as well as Jacks, didn’t want to think about Davis or Pandora actually succeeding in their breeding program. Those fuckers wanted designer babies to sell to the highest bidder. Then once they reached adulthood, those children would then breed the next generation, and that was only their plan for the female children. For the males, damn everything pointed to them being trained from infancy to serve as mindless super soldiers to anyone who could pay the price.

  “Fuck! Okay, Baby, let me know the test results.” Jacks hoped the results tested negative, he really wanted Pandora and Davis to fail. “Guys we need to do some digging, we need to know everything about Emma and why Pandora deviated with her. If she only dealt with Davis Defense, is it possible they’re starting their own breeding program? We have way too many unanswered questions here. We need to find solutions.”

  Cash grunted his agreement and got up from his seat at the conference table.

  “Emma left her purse and coat out in the living room, maybe we can get a lead from her personal items. I agree with Ryleigh, Jacks, even my bear is calm around Emma. He doesn’t perceive her as a threat and neither do I. I genuinely believe she’s a vi
ctim here. Davis and Pandora are going to want her back. That alone means we need to protect her and that baby. Not to mention that if the child indeed turns out to be the first female shifter born in over a century, we have even more problems. We need to protect the little one. The Association will want her for their own breeding stock, not to mention every clansman will be vying for her to continue their individual blood lines. This fucking situation is fucked from every side. Emma is at risk because of her unique possibility of being able to give birth to shifter babies and damn that little girl is going to be the prize everyone wants. This is totally fucked-up.”

  Just saying those words made Cash throw up a little in his mouth; no one should be referring to a woman as breeding stock or a baby as a prize to be acquired. EVER! Looking around the room he noticed that the others had the same look of disgust on their faces.

  “Also, I agree with Ryleigh’s assessment of Dalton, he’s unusually attentive to Emma, there is definitely something going on there, you can’t discount that. I could tell he was ready to attack and was barely keeping his animal in check when I threatened the woman. I know you want both Emma and the baby out of here Jacks, but I think we need to find another solution or we might lose Dalton in the process.”

  “Fuck! I go away for not even two days and all hell breaks loose, shit! Okay, Cash go get her things, we’re going to find out everything we can about Emma. Ethan, I need you to stand guard at the door, I don’t really think the woman is capable of causing any problems right now, but we can’t be sure, so better safe than sorry. Dalton’s behavior means we won’t be able to count on him to do what needs to be done if that time comes. When Dalton comes out tell him to come and find me. Sebastian, I want you to work your magic, find out everything you can about this woman, even if you need to get your hacker friend on it. I don’t want any more surprises. Baby, you go track down Mia and help her run those tests if you can, okay?”