by Leah Brooke
They’d finally found her. Nothing else mattered.
Even now, he couldn’t blame her for leaving.
They’d told her that they could never have a relationship or a family.
They’d told her that the pack came first.
Neither one of them had even spoken of love to her.
When she realized she was pregnant, she’d probably figured that she had no other choice.
Thank God, they’d found her.
He looked toward the closed bathroom door again, waiting impatiently for her to emerge. “She’s too fucking pale.”
Joe looked up from where he inspected the contents of the refrigerator in the small adjoining kitchen. “She’s cold and just had a hell of a scare. Fuck, Fiona wasn’t kidding.” With a look of disgust, he slammed the refrigerator closed. “How the hell can I fix them something to eat when there’s nothing here to fix except noodles and cold cereal?”
Leland cursed, another surge of anger at the women’s predicament making him even more restless. “Fiona’s scared. I’m just glad she finally agreed to let us take Glenna.”
Joe’s brow went up. “We would have taken her anyway, but you’re right. I’d rather not upset either one of them.”
Leland rubbed his gritty eyes. “They spent all their money on rent, heat, and the doctor. She said there wasn’t much left for food, and Glenna hasn’t gained enough weight.”
Joe crossed his arms over his chest. “What the hell are we going to do about Fiona? She won’t come with us, and I don’t want to risk upsetting Glenna by physically kidnapping her sister.”
Leland smiled. “I have an idea about that. Hold on.”
He moved silently to the bathroom door, where he could hear Fiona talking to Glenna.
“Glenna, honey, I lost my job at the fish market. They told me today that they’re cutting back hours, and since I was the last hired, I’m the first to go.”
Leland knocked on the door, determined to get Glenna out of here as soon as possible. “Wear something warm and comfortable, Glenna. We’re leaving tonight.”
Fiona raised her voice. “I’ll have her ready.”
Satisfied, Leland went back out to the kitchen. “Call Joshua. Tell him to take of the SUVs and get his ass up here. I want him to pack her up whether she’s willing or not, and bring her back to the farm. Glenna will be glad to have her there, and Fiona will be able to see that her sister’s being taken care of.”
Joe grinned. “Fiona’s not going to like that.”
Leland shrugged. “Joshua won’t take no for an answer.”
* * * *
Wishing she had cream to rub into her dry, itchy skin, Glenna dressed in a warm, comfortable sweat suit, acutely aware of Leland and Joe’s presence in the small apartment. “You should have told me about losing your job.”
Fiona slapped her hands on her hips. “Why? So you could go out and get another job? You’re working two as it is, and working double shifts at the diner when you can.” Tears shimmered in her eyes as she took Glenna’s hand in hers. “I’m glad they’re here. I was wrong about them. They really seem to care about you. Go with them, honey. You can’t keep going like this. Even the doctor said that you’re not gaining the weight that you should be gaining. You’re exhausted. Stressed. Worn out.”
Shaking her head, Glenna had to admit that it would be good to lean on someone else for a while. “I still can’t believe they’re really here.”
Fiona smiled and sniffed, wiping away a tear that trickled down Glenna’s cheek. “They seem very resourceful. They’re just mad at themselves for not being able to find you sooner. I know you love them, honey. You cry in your sleep, and when you do, you call out their names.”
Glenna sniffed, smiling and wiping her eyes. “I sure as hell hope you didn’t tell them that.”
Fiona looked insulted. “Of course not! They need to grovel a little. Let them take care of you now, honey. They need it and so do you.” Shaking her head, she started cleaning up the bathroom. “You should have seen them when they got here. They searched the whole apartment for you, and went crazy when they found out you weren’t home from work yet.”
Glenna sighed and started to comb the tangles out of her hair. “I’m surprised that you didn’t tell them about the baby.”
Fiona shoved the damp towels into the hamper and smiled. “That wasn’t my place, but I’m sure they were surprised.” She plugged in the blow dryer and started drying Glenna’s hair.
Meeting Fiona’s eyes in the mirror, Glenna held on to the counter, too exhausted to stand much longer. “They were surprised.” She’d never forget the look of stunned pleasure and pride in their eyes. With a sigh, she raised her voice just enough for Fiona to hear her over the noise of the blow dryer. “What are you going to do?”
Frowning, she continued to run the comb through Glenna’s hair. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. You just take care of yourself and my niece or nephew. You know—no. Forget it.”
Turning from the mirror, Glenna faced her sister. “What?”
Shaking her head, Fiona turned Glenna back to face the mirror and resumed blow drying her hair. “Nothing. It sounds crazy.”
Getting an uneasy feeling in her stomach, Glenna stiffened. “Tell me.”
Fiona frowned. “I would swear that when they walked outside, they sniffed the air.” Laughing, she shook her head. “Like I said, crazy.”
Glenna forced a smile, pressing a hand protectively over her stomach, where her child kicked—a child who would have needs she wouldn’t understand. “Yeah. Crazy.”
* * * *
Turning from the living room window, Leland took the few steps to the small kitchen, his nose twitching when he found Joe sitting at the table sipping from a cup. “Are you drinking tea?”
Joe grimaced. “Worse than that. Herbal tea. I can’t find any coffee. This place is a dive. It’s clean, but it’s falling apart.”
Getting to his feet, Joe dumped the tea into the sink. “With all the cold air blowing in from the cracks around the windows, it’s freezing in here.” Leaning back against the counter, he shook his head. “Hell, even turning the heat up didn’t help. I’m just glad we’re getting Fiona out of here. She needs our help, but is too proud to take it.”
Leland lowered his voice as the bathroom door opened. “Joshua will see to it.” Turning his head, he met Glenna’s eyes as she emerged from the bathroom. His heart leapt at the sight of her, noticing that the sweatpants and sweatshirt she wore seemed to be several sizes too large for her. Smiling, he moved toward her, unable to look away from her beautiful eyes. “Feeling better, baby?”
Lifting her chin, she nodded. “Yes, thank you. I want you to know that I’m only accepting your help because of the baby. I want what’s best for him.”
Leland smiled as Joe approached. “As long as you understand that I’m going to do everything in my power to change your mind about that. You belong at the farm, Glenna, with us.”
Fiona stepped forward, wrapping a protective arm around Glenna and sealing Leland’s affection for her. Her eyes, slightly darker than Glenna’s, hardened, her concern for her sister giving her a permanent place in Leland’s heart. “I want to be able to stay in contact with her. Glenna says you don’t let anyone on your property. I want to be able to call her whenever I want, and visit whenever I want.”
With a smile, Leland inclined his head. “You’ll have full access to her at all times. As soon as we get her a cell phone, she can call and give you the number. Joe’s already written down our cell numbers and the number to the farm.” Joshua would be here before she needed them, but he felt better knowing she had them anyway.
Running a hand over Glenna’s hair, Joe gestured toward the table. “It’s on the table there. I think both you and your sister would be happier if you came with us. There’s plenty of room.”
Fiona’s faint smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m not going to sponge off of you. You’ve go
t enough to take care of. I will visit just as soon as I get the chance, and I’d better see that she’s well taken care of.”
Joe frowned. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”
Swallowing heavily, Fiona turned away. “No. The three of you obviously need some time together to work out your differences.” Turning back, she shook her head. “Although how the two of you expect to share a woman and a child baffles me.”
Joe gathered Glenna close. “Baffles us, too, but it works.”
Leland closed the distance between him and Glenna, alarmed at how pale and tired she looked. She leaned against the wall as if too weak to support herself.
Smiling, he reached out to touch her silky, freshly washed hair, breathing in the scent of her like an addict while pulling her close to lean against him. “We’ll take good care of her. Nothing’s more important to us than our m—Glenna’s health, and that of the baby. We’ve been searching for her for a long time. Everyone at the farm is anxious for her to come home.”
He’d been thinking of her as his mate for the last six months, but had to watch what he called her around others.
Glenna’s eyes flew to his, the fatigue in them reigniting his anger. “I won’t come between you and the others.” The sadness and conflict in her eyes tore at him, leaving a raw feeling inside.
Her pain was his.
Smiling, he placed a protective hand on her swollen abdomen where his child grew. “Things are much different now. I’ll explain everything to you. Everyone has been frantically searching for you, and the news that we were on our way to get you spread like wildfire. Everyone’s anxious to have you home.”
Lowering his gaze to where his hand moved gently over her belly. “And when they see this…”
His breath caught at the movement under his palm, his hand shaking. “He moved.”
Glenna’s smile had to be the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. “He kicks more every day. The doctor says he’s strong.”
Fiona nodded. “And he’s taking a lot out of you. The doctor wants her to rest and eat. Nothing strenuous. No lifting. Peace and quiet. She’s been working like a dog—even taking double shifts.”
Leland looked into Glenna’s eyes, the scent of her surrounding him, and his unborn child moving under his hand. At that moment, a sense of calm came over him unlike anything he’d ever experienced.
A sense of rightness.
She was his mate.
She was everything.
As the Alpha, he’d always accepted responsibility for the others.
This was different.
More intense.
All consuming.
She was his mate.
He would kill for her.
He would die for her.
Hiding his fury at her condition, he forced a smile.
“You’re so fucking tired and worn out—you’re swaying. Sit down while we get your things together.”
Joe bent to kiss her hair before releasing her. “I’ll start taking her things out and warming up the truck. Fiona, do you have a blanket we can wrap her up in? Her coat’s too small and won’t be comfortable for the ride.”
Minutes later, Leland lifted her from the sofa, unsurprised that she’d started to doze. “Come on, baby. The truck’s loaded. Let’s get you home.”
“It’s not my home.”
Her soft voice cut through him like a knife.
Bending his head, he touched his lips to her cold ones. “You’re wrong about that. It’s your home now, and everyone’s thrilled that you’re coming back.”
* * * *
Sitting in his truck down the road, he watched them bundle her into their SUV.
They’d actually come for her.
Even from a distance he could see they cared for her.
Although he didn’t understand why anyone would allow themselves to develop such a weakness, he’d seen it often enough to know it existed.
He’d thought them above such things, especially when they chased her away, but apparently not.
His satisfaction in finally finding a way to get his revenge overshadowed his disappointment that they would possess such a weakness.
The other two had surprised him, but when he’d had the opportunity to witness her in action, he understood that the animal in them would need a woman to satisfy their primitive urges.
He’d followed the two of them, of course—Marcus and James—knowing that getting them alone would be the best way of ambushing them. He’d been surprised when their Alphas and the others had joined them, and had had to back off.
When the others had left, he’d stayed with Leland, one of the Alphas, and had followed him when he left in such a hurry.
His instincts had paid off.
Even from this distance, he could see that the woman was heavy with child.
Obviously their child—a new generation to rule.
Even if the woman meant nothing to them, they would still want their offspring.
If he could get his hands on her and the child, it would solve everything.
Of course, he had no intention of releasing her. He’d draw out his revenge for as long as possible.
He’d finally found a weakness, one that would allow him to make them pay for what they’d done to him and the others.
And the woman and child were just the beginning.
Chapter Eighteen
“Is she warm enough?” Leland’s voice still held a hint of excitement.
Joe looked up from Glenna for the first time since he’d bundled her into the SUV next to him. “Yes. She’s sound asleep.”
He loved the feel of his arm around her, and the way she nestled against his side. Tucking her hand back into the blanket, he kept his voice low, his protective urges stronger than ever. “Our mate’s carrying our child. Can you believe it? Christ, what if we hadn’t been able to find her in time?”
“I don’t want to think about it.” Reaching out to touch her, Leland sighed. “We probably would have found her when their parents got home from their cruise. They’re due home in two weeks.”
Joe smiled when she snuggled closer. “They were both working under the table and paid for that shithole they lived in month to month. No wonder we couldn’t find them.”
“When you called the farm, did you tell them she’s carrying our child?”
Joe grinned. “Nope. I want to surprise them, especially Vincent. He’s gonna go nuts when he finds out he’s gonna be an uncle. I have a feeling my little brother is going to do a lot of groveling.”
Vincent’s attitude toward Glenna had changed quite a bit, especially when he saw how badly Joe missed her.
Holding Glenna close, Joe chuckled. “I wish I could be a fly on the wall when Joshua gets there. Fiona’s not going to go willingly.”
Leland glanced in his direction, lowering his gaze to look at Glenna again, as if to make sure she was really with them. “Do you think that’ll stop him?”
Joe grinned, running his hand up and down Glenna’s arm when she moaned in her sleep. “Not a chance.” A sign caught his attention. “Look. Isn’t that a diner?”
Glancing at Glenna, Leland frowned. “I don’t want to wake her up. She’s exhausted and needs the sleep.”
Joe shook his head, sick to his stomach at the conditions she’d been living in. “She needs to eat more. She’s supposed to be eating for two, and from the amount of food I saw at the house, she isn’t even eating enough for one.”
As Leland pulled into the parking lot of the diner, he glanced at Glenna before lifting his gaze to Joe’s. “How far along do you think she is?”
Joe gritted his teeth. “Fiona said she’s a little over seven months along.”
“That means she knew she was pregnant when she left.”
Joe nodded, understanding the self-directed anger and sorrow in Leland’s tone. Studying her delicate features in the harsh parking lot lights, Joe ran a hand over her hair, worried at her paleness. “Yes, and it’s probably
the reason she left. After the way we tried to keep her at a distance, I don’t blame her.”
Gathering her in his arms, he lifted her against his chest, tucking the blanket more firmly around her before opening the door. “Come on, my mate. Wake up.”
* * * *
Joe’s low voice, filled with indulgence, brought her partially awake.
An icy gust of wind finished the job.
Opening her eyes, she looked up into his, blinking against the glaring light overhead. “Where are we?”
Joe frowned and gathered her closer. “We stopped to get something to eat.”
Pulling the blanket over her face, Glenna let her eyes close again, finding it difficult to keep them open. “You go eat. Just leave me in the truck.”
“No, baby. You need to eat.”
“Too tired.”
“I’ll help you.”
As they entered the diner, which appeared to be filled with nothing except male truck drivers at this hour, all eyes turned to them.
A hard look from Leland had them turning back around again.
Glenna tried to hold back a giggle, but failed. “Even in a truck stop, you’re the badasses.”
Joe’s lips twitched. “And yet you don’t seem to be afraid of us at all.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You scare me to death.” She smiled up at him. “Put me down. You’re making a scene.”
Joe followed the waitress to a booth. “I like carrying you, and I really don’t care if I make a scene or not.”
Settling her into the booth, he followed her in, while Leland took the seat across from her.
Setting his menu aside, Leland took her hand in his. “What would you like to eat?”
Leaning against Joe’s bicep, Glenna perused the menu. “Steak, eggs, toast, orange juice, hot tea, and since they don’t have grits—hash browns.”
Joe turned to look at her, grinning. “And you wanted to wait in the truck.”
When the waitress came, Leland gave her their order—three orders of the same, but coffee with theirs and milk with hers.