NAC & The Holly Group - Box set: Alpha Team

by Chelsea Handcock

  Walking down the hall, tray in hand, Dalton was playing and replaying all his doubts and hopes in his head. Standing outside the door, he took a deep breath, and made a decision. He would move forward like he planned showing her the man he was and the future they could have together. Emma would either respond or she wouldn’t. He might not fully understand what was going on with them, but he was willing to put the time and effort into finding out.

  Emma never even noticed Dalton walking into the room. It was the act of him arranging the tray over her lap that brought her attention to him. She was still in a same position on the bed as when he left. When he started to spoon some soup out for her, she cringed. She wasn’t hungry and she didn’t want to be treated like a child right. Emma needed some time and was thankful her daughter chose that moment to wake up and start making a fuss. Asking Dalton to care for the baby, Emma forced herself to eat some of the food, not tasting anything.

  Dalton was still holding the baby when Mia came back. Emma desperately wanted to hold her daughter, but just as desperately, she wanted oblivion. She wasn’t good for anyone at the moment, not herself and not her daughter. Satisfied that Dalton was watching over her little one, Emma watched as Mia placed the medicine in her IV port. Soon after, her head felt fuzzy, her limbs felt heavy, then she knew nothing but darkness.

  Chapter 31

  For the next couple of days, Dalton rarely left Emma’s side, only going to get her food or take care of Team business. At first, it was awkward and their conversations were stilted, but with time, things became more comfortable and natural. Emma still wasn’t sure where her mind was, she went from completely trusting in her current circumstance to doubting everything and everyone. But she was determined to get though it on her own. She enjoyed hearing about Dalton and the other Team members, but especially learning more about Dalton. He told her some funny stories about the other members of Alpha team and gave her glimpses into his childhood and military career. She loved that he was letting her in. To her it felt like a bond was forming and hoped he felt the same way. Nothing about their situation was traditional. There were no dinner dates or going to the movies. These moments alone were special, she wished she didn’t have so many doubts.

  One night, about a week into her recovery, they were playing a game of twenty questions. He started the game. He got to ask her any question he wanted and then she got to do the same. The questions started with normal ones like favorite food or color. Emma’s favorite food was chicken and gravy over mashed potatoes, and Daltons was Cash’s lasagna. To both of their surprise, they shared their favorite color, green. The mundane questions continued for quite a while. Emma had a feeling Dalton wanted to ask more intimate questions, but seemed to be avoiding them, so she decided to take the lead.

  When Emma asked about his most embarrassing moment as a child, he told her it was when he realized that his middle name was actually a girl’s name. After much prodding, she finally got him to reveal that name under the strict penalty of bad things happening if she ever revealed it. Emma knew he was joking, but acted very serious when she accepted the challenge. His full name was Dalton McKenna Hayes; Emma loved it. She got a piece of him that he didn’t let others have, it made her feel special.

  When he asked about her most embarrassing moment, Emma wanted to avoid answering because she didn’t want him or anyone else to be sorry for her. She tried to stop the game, but Dalton wasn’t having it.

  “Now, honey, I answered all your questions, so you have to answer mine.”

  “Dalton, I don’t want to answer that question, please,” Emma pleaded, but ultimately gave in. “My most embarrassing memory was from kindergarten. We were having a spring pageant and a little girl asked me where my parents were.” Emma looked down, she didn’t want to see the look on Dalton’s face. He had a crappy childhood, but at least he had friends and clansmen who looked out for him. Emma didn’t have anyone.

  “Oh, damn I’m sorry…” Dalton started to say, but she stopped him.

  “No, Dalton, it was a long time ago and although I don’t like to talk about it, I have moved passed it, now it’s a part of who I am. Please don’t feel sorry for me, I seem to do enough of that for everyone.” She tried to make light, but the truth was that her past only added to the depression she’d been feeling pressing down on her.

  As the days turned into weeks, Emma was becoming more and more attached to Dalton and their time together, but she also became more and more scared regarding the budding relationship. Dalton represented everything Emma had ever wanted in a boyfriend, mate, or partner. He was strong, loving, and respectful. He gave her the space she needed, staying within reach. He helped her to get stronger, even helping her with her physically therapy when Ryleigh couldn’t. He also seemed to love her daughter. It all seemed too perfect for Emma. He was exactly what she wanted and needed most, but she couldn’t help but question if it was real. Her mind wasn’t processing the way it usually did, and her body was depleted. Then there was the whole reason she was with him, and the shit kept on falling downhill. Emma was so confused.

  Dalton was a touchy-feely guy, and it surprised Emma that she actually liked that about him. He was always touching her arm or offer kisses, in a platonic kind of way, on the forehead or check, but Emma longed for more. One time when he tried to kiss her cheek, she turned her head, wishing for his supple lips to meet with hers just once, but he stopped before the action could be completed, much to her displeasure. She dreamed about completing that kiss and prayed it would happen soon.

  She’d been having dreams about his lips for the last couple of days. She spent so much time mesmerized by his mouth, it was imprinted in her memory for life. His bottom lip was fuller than the top and looked suckable, and his top lip formed a perfect cupid bow; she wanted to taste them both. When he licked his lips, a nervous habit he seemed to have if he was really getting into a story, her panties would become drenched and her clit throbbed.

  She craved his touch and reveled in the small acts of intimacy, but couldn’t help wanting more. She wasn’t in any position to complete anything at the moment. Her dreams became more and more erotic. She would wake up startled and gasping for breath. Emma knew that Dalton thought she was having nightmares, and she didn’t correct him because she was just plain embarrassed. It hurt that he didn’t seem to be as affected by her as she was by him.

  Her only regret during this time was she wasn’t bonding with her daughter as much as she would’ve liked. The Team had rallied around her and someone was always taking care of the baby. She had so many doubts. Ava, the psychologist Ryleigh and Mia had set her up with was excellent, nothing like the ones Emma had encountered as a child, but Emma was still holding back. She wasn’t being completely honest with the woman, was still fearful of her past and her present. She felt more and more depressed every day and the pretending was taking a toll on her more than she was able to comprehend.

  Ava explained to Emma that she was suffering from not only postpartum depression but also PTSD. It was why she’d a hard time getting her mind around everything. Ava explain that it was okay and they would work on all of it, but Emma was doubtful. She didn’t want to admit it, but she felt distant from her daughter and the people who came to talk to her every day, and it wasn’t getting any better.

  The Alpha Team was a godsend, especially Dalton. Her strength hadn’t completely returned, and she was sleeping way more than usual. Dalton or one of the others would help her into a rocking chair someone had provided, so she could at least help with feeding her daughter at least once every day. She liked that time the most, it made her feel somewhat normal. Ryleigh would come in to help her shower, but Dalton was there for everything else. He would help her to the bathroom and wait for her to finish, then help her back into bed. The man was a saint, no question.

  Whether it was her physical condition or her depression, she wasn’t sure which, but it was causing havoc with her mental well-being. Mia continued to medicate her making her gro
ggy or lethargic most of the time, which added to her frustration. She wanted to be strong, she wanted to be her baby’s primary caregiver, but even after several weeks, she was still in no condition to do that. It broke her heart, exacerbating her symptoms.

  Ryleigh and Emma were also becoming closer, spending time together each day talking and taking care of Emma’s basic needs. Mia had told her that her shifter DNA was a match for the DNA that Ryleigh had; essentially, they were sisters. That blew her mind and set off a crying fit for both her and Ryleigh. Emma had always wanted a sibling, a family to call her own, and Ryleigh seemed to need the same thing. She’d already adopted the men of the Alpha team as her brothers and now Emma and her baby as well and that even without the DNA match, Ryleigh would’ve treated her the same way.

  During one of their talks, Ryleigh told Emma all about her adopted Dad and how his brother Seamus Quinn was their biological father, but unfortunately, had died young and under suspicious circumstances. Emma felt bad she would never be able to meet the man who had basically given her life. Knowing the woman who actually birthed her was more than likely a paid surrogate, hurt. Ryleigh and her daughter seemed to be the only blood family she would ever have, except for Declan. Pandora had taken so much from her that it only strengthened her resolve to get justice for what she’d been through.

  Ryleigh wanted her to meet her father and assured her when he returned from his current mission, she would make that happen. Ryleigh kept on telling her that Declan, her father, would want a relationship with Emma and her daughter, it was the Shifter way. Males protected what was theirs, and Emma and her daughter being of his brother’s blood would facilitate that relationship. Emma was skeptical. This man didn’t know her but these insta-bonds Shifters seemed to have led Emma to believe there might be some truth to the statement.

  She came to love the times Ryleigh would tell her the stories Declan had told her about his childhood with Seamus. She wanted that connection to him even if it was through a third party and hoped that Declan would tell her more if they ever met. Not to mention a small part of her wanted to believe what Ryleigh was saying. She could have the family she always dreamed of; a father, a sister, and maybe a boyfriend. Real connections. But shouldn’t that connection start with her child?

  She wasn’t an eleven-year-old child as Ryleigh had been when Declan Quinn came into her life, she was a grown woman. Emma still hoped the man would want something to do with her daughter, to give her something Emma was never able to have, a father figure, a good man in her life. She wanted that person to be Dalton, but she felt the odds of that happening were slim to none. She didn’t trust enough, yet, to believe in the long term, regardless of what he may have said or how he acted.

  It all seemed weird and disconnected, but when Ryleigh explained her past, Emma was able to relate. They both wanted to be loved and have a family to call their own. Ryleigh was offering Emma’s hers, however odd that might be. Emma was learning the Shifters ways and her past wasn’t making the transition easy. She didn’t have any experience to draw from, no loving parents or siblings. Her relationships had been superficial at best until now. How was she supposed to take everything at face value? Her experiences taught her to question every motive. What did they want from her or what was their angle? Instant friendship or family didn’t resonate with her. Emma had had too many let downs in the past.

  But that didn’t stop her from desiring more Emma. It would be great if she could develop half the relationship Ryleigh seemed to have with Declan. She wanted that for herself and her daughter. She also wanted the relationship with Ryleigh no matter how weird she thought it was. Emma didn’t take to people the way Ryleigh seemed to. With Emma, she was always waiting for the other shoe to drop

  She noticed other things during this time. Her daughter’s eyes seemed to brighten and glow anytime Emma got upset, and her baby was exceptionally well behaved. She didn’t fuss or cry like Emma believed a baby should. Her daughter was an observer, often taking in the room before making a peep. She was extremely strong for a baby who was only a couple of weeks old, lifting and holding her head up, and even pushing herself up a bit in the crib. No one else seemed to notice or at least they didn’t mention it. There were other small things, but never having spent much time around babies before, Emma couldn’t be sure it they were normal or not. Everything she was noticing seemed to indicate that her daughter was definitely a true Shifter, and Emma was scared. She knew her baby had Shifter DNA, but they had told her they wouldn’t know if she was in fact a true Shifter until she hit puberty. Were they lying to her or were they keeping that information from her? Only time would tell.

  Chapter 32

  Emma’s tightly protected world changed one night, that shoe that was always threatening to drop did that and in a big way. Emma had been feeling odd for days, kind of out of it, but also really depressed. She’d tried to play it off, but little things were seeping through. She wasn’t being as active, often quitting her PT before she was done. She had a feeling of doom that wouldn’t budge. She figured it was all the medication that Mia had her on, but she would have to wait for the doctor to get back to ask.

  Ryleigh must not have shut the door completely when she’d left earlier. She overheard two of the guys talking outside of her room; it took her a couple of minutes, but she figured out it was Jacks and Cash.

  “Man, I’m sorry, but I still don’t trust any of this,” Jacks said. “Everything is too convenient and well-timed. Ryleigh’s pregnant and then Emma shows up ready to give birth to the first true Shifter female in over a hundred years, bruised and battered, and happens to be related to my mate. I couldn’t have written this crap better for a soap opera or sitcom, myself.”

  “Dude you have to wait things out. it’s been weeks and Emma hasn’t attempted to do anything, and Dalton is watching her 24/7, like you and I both ordered. I don’t think she’s a threat to anyone, but you’re right, the timing is all too perfect. One thing I do know is that baby can’t leave. We all have a stake in that. Shit, dude, she could be related to one of us. Mia is still running test, but she’s one-hundred percent bear shifter; I know you have seen the signs. I sure as shit know that if that baby turns out to be my kin, she’s staying right where I can protect her, and if Emma turns out to be a bad apple, then we need to get rid of her.”

  “Agreed, the baby needs to stay, but Emma, not so much, I can’t put anyone at risk. I don’t think she’s a threat, but damn brother, we’ve been fooled before.”

  “You do realize Dalton will freak if anything happens to that woman. If we find out she’s unworthy, I have no problem taking her out, but we have to weigh in all the factors, we can’t have Dalton going rogue. Shit! As it is, he’s a bear to deal with during normal situations, no pun intended. He can kick all our asses if he puts his mind to it, and I don’t even want to get started on what his bear would do.”

  “Fuck, maybe it would be better if we got rid of Emma now. Get Mia to tell him she needs more skilled medical care or something, and hopefully, after a while, he’ll be just… shit, I don’t know, maybe he’ll be able to forget about her.”

  “Yeah, fat chance that’s happening. One thing I know about Dalton is his loyalty has always been with our team and NAC. We have to hope he honors those lifelong bonds instead of the ones he’s formed with Emma over that last couple of weeks. But, Dude, you have to ask yourself if this was Ryleigh, could you just let her go and forget about her, even if it was necessary?”

  Emma couldn’t hear them any longer, they must have moved off down the hall. What she’d heard hurt unlike anything she’d ever felt. All the happy feelings from her talk with Ryleigh earlier were crushed. She wasn’t spy, and it wasn’t within her ability to convince them otherwise. Perhaps the hardest blow to her fragile state of mind was that Dalton was ordered to stay with her. It was an obligation, his job, all the touches and kisses meant nothing. he was only doing his job. The realization devastated her. Then again, maybe they didn’t not
hing; the guys had also indicated he was becoming or had become attached to her. That’s what she wanted to hang onto, not the possibility of being separated from her child, being sent away, or worse yet, eliminated! Dalton made her feel safe, loved, and cherished. Was it all part of the plan? She didn’t know what to think, her mind wasn’t able to process what she’d overheard. She was so mixed up. The feeling of hopelessness added to her depression. Emma felt so alone, like she’d always been. In her fragile state of mind, she even allowed herself to think maybe her little girl would be better off without her. Damn! Maybe it was for the best, and they knew it from personal experience of being Shifters.

  She knew nothing about being a mother, let alone a good one. Maybe she wasn’t equipped to handle anything that was coming her way. Her baby was a true Shifter, not like her, Mia, or Ryleigh; they only carried shifter DNA. One day she would turn into a bear and there wasn’t anything Emma could do about it, and none of them had bothered to tell her. Should she or could she burn her bridges with these people, only to realize later her baby needed them? Could she even get away from them with her child? There were so many questions and no answers.

  In a downward spiral, Emma started to close in on herself. The words she overheard upended her fleeting sense of security and left her with endless doubts. They still didn’t trust her and they might not want her there. It had been weeks, and she’d been developing relationships with these people or so she’d thought. Was it all a lie? She seemed to be reeling from them one minute, mad, and then resigned. She felt lost and alone, the pain so deep, she could barely function. She needed a minute, an hour, some unknown amount of time, to make a decision that was best for all of them, but it didn’t seem to be working. Someone was always there, helping with the baby and trying to engage her. Giving their opinion on the situation, but not really revealing anything at all.