by EA Hunt
“No,” Lucy shook her head. She had said too much and now Theo's sister-in-law would tell him and he would demand answers. Lucy stood. She needed to get out of here. “Thank you for the job offer but I have to go.”
Amanda stood. “Lucy wait.”
She shook her head turned and bolted from the diner.
Amanda picked up her phone and dialed Theo. He needed to get to Lucy before she bolted completely.
EA
“She had no right to be there. This was a pack event she is not a part of this pack,” Martin Moore said as he sat in Atlas' office. When his son had come to him, fuming because he had lost out on some competition while on the pack camping trip, he had been ready to tell his child that these things happen and he should get over them. But then his son had told him who had won the competition—the half-breeds’ human daughter; a child Atlas and Bill had pranced around town like she was the second coming. Yes, she was the first female in the pack in almost twenty years, but she was human. She could not hold a position in this pack no matter what Atlas said.
Atlas shook his head. He was tired of this. He had lived through this with Joe Gil and now he was living through this with Martin Moore. Martin and Joe had been friends and Atlas should have expected this, but for once he wanted someone not to attack his family. “Taylor has been taking the same classes your son has at the rec center, Martin. Classes in which she and Garret have been excelling at—if the reports I have been receiving are any indication. So she had every right to be there.”
“Garret was tracking that animal, Alpha. He was ready to strike and she took it from him. If she was a shifter, she would have smelled Garret in the area and backed off. Instead she did what all humans do—take what they want and damn the consequences.”
“Martin, you forget I was there. I watched the whole event take place. Taylor waited for the others to shift. Garret took longer to shed his clothing than the others. All were hunting prey and Taylor happened to take what Garret was taking too long to take down.”
“He was lulling the animal into a sense of calm,” Martin replied. He was not going to lose this argument. “Once he had, she struck. That was unfair.”
Atlas wanted to laugh. He had watched from the sidelines as Taylor mirrored the animal that she was tracking. She had been light on her feet, making sure not to make any sudden moves which would frighten the animal, causing it to bolt. When the buck had thought it smelled Taylor she had climbed a tree and taken the animal out once it was calm again. Garret had been half a mile away from the animal. His niece had tracked fair and square. “Martin—”
“I want her punished for an unfair kill.”
“Taylor—”
“—is not pack. She never will be. You think because she was brought into this pack after girls have not been born to many of us, that she is granted some special treatment.”
“Watch your tone,” Trevor said as he stood behind Atlas' desk. He had listened to the exchange, watching to see if there was any reason to step up but until now there wasn’t—until Martin had spat out his last sentence.
Martin looked at Trevor. “What are you going to do—beat me like you beat Joe?”
Trevor stood straighter. “I believe this conversation is over.”
“It’s not, because you will defend your children. You will fight for them but the rest of us aren’t supposed to because you are the next Alpha. So your children are given a free pass.”
“You think Tyson did not pay for his crimes?” Trevor protested.
“He is still in this pack. Still walking around this town like nothing happened.”
Trevor wanted to laugh at the man. He really wanted to believe Tyson had not come out unscathed from his altercation with Joe Gil? Tyson hadn’t really left the house in months, and if it wasn’t for Taylor going on this camping trip he would still be in his room, thinking he was the reason for all that had happened. “You know nothing of my son and how this has affected him.”
“Obviously he wasn’t affected too much, because none of us were made aware of the boy's punishment.” Martin replied. Trevor was not the Alpha yet—Tyson's punishment should have been made known to the pack.
“Why should you have been?” Atlas questioned. He was Alpha and the only ones who needed to know of Tyson's punishment were his parents. Amanda and Trevor had been in the room when he had disciplined his nephew. Each had agreed with the punishment, and Tyson had followed the punishment to the tee and was now slowly becoming the man Trevor and Atlas wanted him to be. “Martin, I have made my decision in regards to Taylor and Tyson.”
Martin seethed. “They—”
“—are not your concern, they are mine, because they are a part of my pack and I am Alpha. If you want to challenge me you know where to find me.” On that, Atlas rounded his desk and walked out of the room.
“Uncle?”
Atlas walked over to Taylor. She and Garret had been asked to wait outside the office until the meeting was over. “Why don’t you head over to the diner and help your Mom out for the day?”
Taylor looked at him in confusion.
“Go ahead,” he said with a sad smile.
Taylor nodded turned and headed out of city hall.
“Garret.”
Both turned at the sound of Martin's voice. Garret walked over to his father. “Have—”
“Let’s go,” Martin said. He was not in the mood to deal with his son's questions at the moment. He had some decisions to make—decisions that could change his family and the pack.
EA
Lucy wiped at her tears as she pulled into the rest stop. She killed the engine as she leaned her head back on the head rest. She’d run out of the diner like the hounds of hell were after her—all because Amanda Hart had questioned her about her past. She sniffled. The woman had tried to apologize, and all she had done was leave. She sat up and shook her head. Amanda hadn’t done anything wrong. She had just been concerned, like Theo had been concerned. The man had taken such good care of her and hadn’t asked about her injuries. All he had done was take care of her and her daughter. And here she was thinking about leaving him but for what reason? If Duncan wanted to find her he would. The man's reach extended through the whole state.
Heck, the last time she had run he had found her within twenty-four hours, but not now. Now she'd been safe for days and she was willing to give it up—for what reason? Could she possibly stay in Hart and have a life where Duncan couldn't hurt her or her daughter? The only way she would find out was if she went back to Hart, apologized to Amanda, and stopped questioning all the things Theo did for her. Lucy opened the door to the car and headed for the rest stop bathroom. She would clean her face then head back to Hart to start her apology tour. She was reaching for the bathroom door when a hand came over her mouth. Lucy struggled against the hand over her mouth and the one gripping her upper arm.
“Well well. Look what I have found. Duncan has been looking for you everywhere.”
Lucy stopped struggling. She swallowed. Charlie was Duncan's best friend. He was just as deranged and dangerous as Duncan. “Please,” came her muffled plea.
“Please what? Let you go? Sure, once I have you back with Duncan.” Charlie released her mouth, turned her, and pushed her body up against the bathroom door. “Did you really think you could get away? That there was a place where you could hide?” Charlie shook his head. “Duncan's reach is far and wide. He would have found you sooner or later.” He placed a hand on her stomach. “He would have found this and taken it. What kind of mother would leave a good home and take her child on the run?” He shook his head. “A judge will take this baby from you and give it to Duncan.”
“No!!!!” She struggled against him. “I will not let you take my baby.”
“What in the hell do you think you are doing with my mate?”
Both turned at the sound of the growled voice.
Lucy stuttered. In the time she had known Theo she had never seen him so furious.
&nb
sp; “This is none of your concern,” Charlie replied.
“I don’t believe you understood me.” Theo walked over to the man holding Lucy. He placed a hand on his shoulder. “I said she belongs to me.” He pulled the man away from Lucy, then stepped before her and the baby. He needed to get Lucy out of here. She was leaking fluid, which meant the baby was coming. He was not going to have his little Princess born at a rest stop.
Lucy placed a hand on her stomach. It was starting to hurt. She swallowed as she felt fluid on her leg. No, she couldn't be in labor. Anastasia would be early. She would be ok, but she would be early.
Theo reached back and placed a hand on her arm. He needed her to stay behind him. He watched as the man before him straightened to his full height. “I would rethink your next move,” he said as the man reached behind him.
“That bitch and baby are coming with me,” Charlie said as he pulled his gun from his back holster. You had to love a state that allowed you to carry a concealed weapon.
“Fine.” Theo shifted his left hand. A bullet would slow him down but it wouldn't stop him from protecting his mate. “Lucy, go to the truck and leave here. Head back to Hart.”
“I am not leaving you here,” she said in a slight moan as she rubbed her stomach.
Theo watched the man before him. His mate was being stubborn. “I am not asking you, Lucinda Hart. I'm telling you to get yourself and Anastasia out of here.”
“If she moves I'll shoot her,” Charlie replied. He was not leaving this place without Lucy and that baby.
“Fine.” Theo lightly pushed Lucy to the ground as he reached out and swiped his paw against the hand holding the gun.
Charlie cried out as he cradled his hand. He looked down at the hand—it was bleeding like a major vein had been punctured. He looked at the man before him. “This isn’t over,” he said before he turned and raced for his car.
Theo nodded. He knew it wasn't over but right now he had bigger things to worry about. He quickly faced Lucy. “Honey—”
“I know. Anastasia is coming. We need to get to the hospital.”
Theo nodded, scooped her up, and raced towards the truck—hoping he could get Lucy to the hospital before Anastasia decided to make an appearance.
Chapter Four
“You boys are going to stop with the secrets,” Mary Hart said to her son as she cradled her new granddaughter in her arms. She looked at the beautiful mocha colored child. She had light reddish-brown hair and the most beautiful deep-brown eyes Mary had ever seen. Anastasia and Aviva were the future of their pack and with their looks each would have their choice of suitors, may it be shifter or human. Just like Taylor. Mary had seen a few shifter and human boys sniffling around the young girl. She had also seen her sons and grandson giving the boys the evil eye and several growls when those same boys attempted to approach the child. She and Amanda would have to have a talk with the boys because if they wanted the pack to survive they needed to back off some.
“Mom, you were out of town and—” he was trying to get his mate to trust him, Theo said to himself. When he had called Amanda to let her know he had Lucy and they were heading to the hospital, his mother had been there scolding Amanda and Trevor about the twins, then looking to wring his neck because of Lucy and Anastasia. Two minutes after his daughter had made her entrance, Mary and Martha had walked into the hospital room. Oh-ing and ah-ing over the newest member of their family. “Trevor was keeping a secret from you also,” Theo finished, hoping to give his brother some of his mother's wrath.
Trevor gave his brother a death stare. He had finally gotten his mother off his back after she had walked into his home furious at the fact Theo had found his mate and no one thought to call her. She had to hear from her husband about this development. When she was about to launch into a 'mother's right to know' speech, Amanda had walked into the room and Mary had rushed over to her, placing a hand on her stomach, then looked at her son like she was ready to kill. “I only found out the night before. I was not going to stop celebrating the fact that I was going to be a father again to call Mom and tell her. It would have killed the mood,” he replied.
Amanda had told him about the babies only after her had spanked her because she had kept the secret from him in the first place. He understood why she had done it. In the first five weeks of being pregnant with Aviva the doctor hadn’t been able to find Little Bit's heartbeat and Amanda had thought she lost the baby. When she had gone to her doctor for a checkup they had tested her blood once more, proving she was still pregnant. An ultrasound a month later showed Aviva nestled safely in her mother's belly. Because of that one moment Amanda was fearful she would lose the babies, so she'd kept the secret.
“My grandsons or daughters are safe in Amanda's womb. You Harts don’t give up so easily,” Mary said. She was not going to have her boys fighting while Lucy and Amanda slept in the hospital room. Amanda was exhausted from celebrating with her husband and Lucy was exhausted from giving birth. Her daughters deserved their rest and she was determined they would get it. She placed the baby in the hospital bassinet. She looked at her sons and motioned them out of the room.
Trevor and Theo followed, wondering what their mother wanted. They nodded to the rest of the family who were waiting in the family waiting room for the honor of meeting Miss Anastasia.
Mary faced her sons. “Now, I seem to have missed a lot while I was away,” She looked at Trevor. “Besides the pregnancy, someone was after my Taylor.”
Trevor released a breath. His mother was a momma lion when it came to her grandchildren. No one messed with them, and no one spoke ill of them or they would have her to deal with. “I have taken care of it.”
“Amanda—”
“I was going to tell her when I heard the babies. She's in a delicate place right now. I won’t over-excite her. Taylor and I are handling this.”
“Taylor is a child.”
“Mom, she is pack and she can stand on her own. I promise you she can.”
Mary nodded. She would let Trevor and Taylor handle this but anytime she thought her granddaughter needed her, she was going to be there. She faced her other son. “The marks on Lucy…”
“I'm waiting for her to tell me.”
“Does she know?”
Theo shook his head.
“Theodore, I had this same conversation with your brother when Amanda—”
“I know Mom. I was going to tell her tonight,” he replied.
“Amanda said something flashed in her eyes while they were talking, making her think whoever Anastasia's biological father is controlled every aspect of Lucy's life,” Trevor replied, trying to save his brother from their mother's wrath.
“I got that feeling too,” Theo replied, thanking his brother for a little bit of a save.
“I don’t want her to have that feeling at all,” Mary replied. Amanda had felt like she wasn't worth loving; now Lucy was scared of being controlled. The fates had picked women her sons could love and show that not all men were bad. She would thank the fates forever for that. Now she just needed to get her other sons mated off and her life mission would be complete—well almost. Once she had them mated off she would work on her sister’s boys, Peter and David. Then her life's mission would be complete. “I hear Lucy stirring, meaning Amanda will be waking soon also. Let's let the family meet Anastasia, then Theodore, tell Lucy what is going on. I want her safe and my granddaughter just as protected as the others.”
“Yes Mom,” Theo said. Just like Amanda and their Auntie Martha, no one wanted to be on Mary Hart's bad side.
EA
She was here. She was finally here and she was safe—all the men in the room and a few of the women surrounding her looked as though they were ready to hurt anyone who thought about hurting her or her baby. Lucy smiled as her baby was passed from person to person. Anastasia seemed content to have all these people holding her. Lucy chuckled when Aviva Hart looked at the baby, then smiled at her mother before she placed a hand on the baby
's head and kissed her.
“All right everyone. We have met Anastasia and some have met Lucy—time for us to leave,” Amanda said as she placed a hand on her stomach. Her babies were making her want to puke. She needed a bathroom but she wasn’t going to use the one here. If she did, Trevor would carry her out of the hospital insisting she stay in bed for most of her pregnancy—something she was not going to do. She looked at her husband. He had a concerned look on his face. “I’m fine. I just need to rest.”
Trevor nodded. He looked at the other members of his family and motioned for them to head out.
Once everyone was gone, Amanda walked over to the bed. “The job is yours if you want it. Mary and I think you would make a great addition to the staff.”
Lucy stared at her. “Are you sure? Because—”
“It’s fine. Now you keep that niece of mine warm and fed. She will need all her strength dealing with the over-bearingness of Viv,” Amanda replied as she patted Lucy on the shoulder, turned, and followed her husband from the hospital room.
Lucy waited until the door was closed behind the Hart family before she faced Theo. He was holding the baby and cooing softly to her. She smiled. Her daughter was staring at the man, in awe of him. Lucy could relate; she was in awe of him also. Not only had he saved her from Charlie but he had held her hand and helped her bring Anastasia into the world. Even kissing a goo covered baby once she came out. “Theo…”
He faced her, a smile on his face. “Yes darlin'?”
She licked her lips. “You called me something at the rest stop.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Because as soon as we can get a license, you will be that person.” He would marry her, then he would mate her. Something told Theo marrying her would be the fastest way he could keep her safe from the man who was chasing her. He’d already placed his name on Anastasia's birth certificate—as an added layer of protection for his mate and daughter. He placed the baby in the hospital bassinet. He walked over to Lucy and sat on the bed. He took her hand in his.