by D. Fischer
Munching on a platter of onion rings, Kenna’s body shakes as she tries to hide her laughter at the mental image Jeremy provided. Kelsey glares at her mate and takes another sip just to spite him.
Stealing an onion ring from Kenna’s platter, I ask, “How ya feeling?”
Kenna takes a sip of her water to wash down her food before speaking, “I’d be doing a lot better if the caffeine patrol over here,” she points her thumb at Evo, who’s sitting next to her, “would let me have a Coke.” She sighs. “The nausea has started and my boobs feel like they want to pop off and abandon my body. Does this last forever? Please, tell me it doesn’t last forever.”
I laugh at her when she discreetly tries massaging her breasts. “I wouldn’t know, baby doll. But, I’ve been told pregnancy is different for everyone.”
“So … your advice is to ignore the pregnancy book?” Kenna asks hopefully. Evo’s been trying to shove that book under her nose every chance he gets. Though Kenna isn’t opposed to reading a good book, she shows no interest in literature that includes any form of education.
Evo frowns at his mate, brushing crumbs off the table. “But I like the pregnancy book,” he grumbles.
Kenna pats his shoulder with greasy fingers, causing Evo to cringe. “Then I’ll leave the book to you, dear. I have no interest in reading about how much my body will make me suffer as a price to grow a person.”
Ben leans over and whispers in my ear, “Want to practice growing a person when we get home?”
Hell yeah, I do. I send him.
Since the mating, we’ve gotten nothing done except for sex. The pleasure my mate delivers is beyond expectation. Being able to feel what he’s feeling while we’re having sex makes it even hotter. Ben and I are quickly becoming addicted to each other’s bodies.
“Flint said the Riva Pack has a female wolf shifter with experience in home births,” Jeremy says around a mouthful of fries.
Kenna’s mouth drops and she turns to her mate. “Home birth? Oh, no.” She shakes her head. “Absolutely not, Evo. I want access to pain managing drugs. My birth plan includes lots and lots of western medicine.”
Evo steals an onion ring from her plate. Kenna watches with a glare until it disappears into his mouth. “All wolf shifters have home births, baby. It’s traditional and sacred. We’ll be welcoming another member of our Pack in the most natural way.”
“Don’t ‘baby’ me,” she growls. “For shit’s sake, Evo. People poop when they give birth! I will not be the one who leaves a big brown shit stain on our nice plush carpet!” Kenna thumps her fist on the table.
Smiling, I lean into my mate who has his arm wrapped around me. His body shakes with laughter at Kenna’s dramatics. “You can always do a home water birth,” I suggest with a smile.
Kenna turns her horrified expression to me. “I’m not a fish! My baby’s first breath will not be full of water and floating poop particles!”
A bartender comes over and offers refills. Kelsey is about to agree to another but after receiving a look from Jeremy, she declines her refill with a pout.
Do you want to have pups some day? I ask Ben.
He takes a moment to think it over. I wouldn’t mind having a few little ones following me around. He gives me a wicked grin. You’d be sexy as hell with a baby bump.
Evo’s phone rings, distracting me from our silent conversation. Evo frowns as he looks at the caller ID. “It’s Flint.”
All our attention focuses on Evo when he answers his phone. Flint wouldn’t be calling unless there’s a cause for concern.
“Flint?” Evo asks after he put the phone to his ear. His face turns from curious to expressionless. I glance at Kenna, who’s paused eating her onion rings and turned her wide eyes to Evo. We all know when Evo’s pissed or frightened, his face becomes emotionless. From the expression on Kenna’s face, she’s picked up this emotion through their mating link.
“Who is this?” Evo growls into the phone, his grip turning his knuckles white. He lowers his voice to not alert the customers around us. “If you touch a hair on their heads, I’ll personally rip you to shreds.”
Evo doesn’t lose control often, but when he does, it gives me goose bumps. Seeing him like this makes me feel edgy. I’ve seen him in a challenge a few times, once against my father. He’s a force to be reckoned with and will go into a zone, temporarily turning into someone I no longer recognize. My brother is merciful but ruthless. It’s what makes him an excellent Alpha.
Evo’s phone gives way in his hand with a crunch from the force of his grip. Kenna places a supportive hand on his shoulder. “Evo?”
“We have to go,” Evo says, placing a wad of cash on the table. “We’ll discuss this outside.”
Turning to look at Ben with fear in my eyes, I watch the muscle in his jaw tick as he grinds his teeth with barely contained anger. He grabs my hand and ushers me off the stool. He keeps a firm grip of my hand until we’re outside in the brisk cold. Though we’re anything but, we calmly walk around the back of the building to where we left our snowmobiles.
Evo glances around the lot, making sure we wouldn’t be overheard, before turning back to us. “Flint and Dyson have been taken.”
“What?” Ben growls the same time Kenna says, “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“The asshole who called me from Flint’s phone—he wants us to bring Kenna in exchange for Dyson and Flint,” Evo says.
Kenna frowns. “Why me?”
Ben’s growl deepens. “Because it’s your father’s wolves who came onto our territory and took Flint and Dyson,” he speaks to Kenna. He turns to face Evo. “Have you tried contacting them with telepathy?”.
Evo nods, continuing his blank expression. “They’re not answering, which means they’re unconscious.”
My gloved hand flies to my mouth. “Holy shit,” I whisper. Mental pictures form in my head about what they’re going through at this very moment.
“He knows who am I, doesn’t he?” Kenna asks. “He knows I’m his long-lost daughter.”
“I won’t let him take you,” Evo snarls in a deadly voice, confirming Kenna’s suspicions.
“Then what are we going to do?” Jeremy asks. Kelsey, who’s wrapped in his arms, is a shade of green while she silently listens to our conversation.
Evo holds Ben’s eyes. Ben nods to Evo, which indicates they’re having a telepathic conversation. “We’ll discuss this at home,” Ben says to everyone.
Grabbing my helmet, Ben helps me slide it over my head and makes sure it’s on securely. His movements are jerky while he fights to control his own anger and fear.
Reaching my hand to his face, I cup his cheek affectionately. He momentarily leans into my touch and takes a deep breath before hopping on the snowmobile. I sit behind him and he wraps my arms securely around his waist before starting the snowmobile.
Following Evo back to the trail, the three snowmobiles are pushed to their limit as we race back to our territory. The men weave through snow covered trees and hills while fighting against the windy blizzard.
Trying to calm myself and the pacing wolf inside me, I force myself to take deep calming breaths. What will we do if they kill Flint and Dyson before we get there? How are we going to convince the Gray Pack to give them back? I have a feeling that anything we try to trade won’t be enough unless it’s Kenna. Even then, there’s no guarantee they’ll hand over Flint and Dyson alive. They think they have us backed into a corner, but they have no idea we have wolf shifters who’ve vowed to stand by our side.
What did Evo say, Ben? I ask telepathically. Ben doesn’t answer, though I feel him hesitate on doing so. We need a plan, I try again.
I’m working on it, baby, he patiently says.
Arriving back on our territory, we drive the snowmobiles into the heated garage. As we dismount the machines, Evo turns to Ben and Jeremy. “See if you can catch their scent,” Evo orders. They sprint out of the garage and head toward th
e house.
I turn to my brother. “We’re going to challenge another Pack, aren’t we?
Pulling Kenna against him, he nods his validation before tilting his head to the side. The gesture is a curious one. “Tell me, Bre, what would you do? If the decision was up to you, how would you continue from here? What sort of action would you take?”
I quirk a brow. “Why would it ever be up to me?” I ask, skepticism thick in my voice.
“You’re Beta female now. There’ll be times when you have to make hard choices like Ben does.”
I chew on the side of my lip and peek at Kelsey and Kenna. Both are staring at me with expectation. Sighing, I pace the length of the concrete floor and draw up a makeshift plan in my head.
“Jazz told my father, didn’t she? She told him I was his daughter. It’s the only explanation,” Kenna says to no one in particular.
Evo kisses her winter hat-covered head. “I believe so. I talked with Ben on the way here. He thinks George is working with Jazz since she was his son’s mate. If this is true, she’d tell him that I killed Chris and somehow, they’ve discovered the connection with you. He’d seek an eye for an eye—for killing his son and harboring his long-lost missing daughter.”
An idea takes full form and I turn to Evo. He gives me a curt nod. “Let’s hear it,” he says.
Crossing my arms and rocking on my heels, I begin telling my plan. “We can’t give Kenna up, and we have nothing to trade. If we wait too long, they’ll kill Flint and Dyson. They’ve got nothing to lose. That leaves us one option. We have to go onto their property and fight our way through.”
“And how do you propose we do that?” Evo prompts.
I let out a deep breath. “We call the Riva Pack and have them send their wolves. Together, we’ll leave when most of the Gray Pack should be sleeping. We’ll have a lesser chance of fatalities if there aren’t several wolf shifters floating around, though I’m sure they’ll have some on guard duty. The trick is not to attack anyone who isn’t a threat. I guarantee most of their wolf shifters will step aside as we pass. If Kenna’s mom abandoned her to save her, I imagine most of the Pack aren’t happy with their leader.” I tap my chin. “We need to talk to Jeremy or one of the Riva wolves who’ve seen that property. We need a better idea of what we’re walking into.”
Jeremy and Ben step back into the garage as I say the last sentence. “There’s barbed wire fence that circles their entire territory,” Jeremy begins. “There are two outposts on two sides that have one guard at all times. Every wolf shifter or wolf shifter family has their own small cabin, which surround the Alpha house. A few large sheds are on the property but they’re run down so I doubt any wolves live in them.”
I nod, returning my attention to Evo. “I suggest we invade in two teams. They’ll be weaker if they’re forced to divide their Pack. Our main priority should be the guards in the outposts. Any wolf shifter we come across should be killed or knocked unconscious, depending on the threat level.”
“If they can’t sound the alarm, then no one will know we’re coming,” Kenna adds, intertwining her fingers with Evo’s across her belly.
“Exactly,” I nod. “One team will take out one outpost, the other team will deal with the other.” I pace again. “Once the posts are taken care of, we sneak on the property and deal with each wolf we come across, individually. The rest of the plan will be on instinct because we won’t know where Flint and Dyson are until we get there.” I turn to my brother. “Evo, you should keep trying to reach Flint or Dyson. If we can get a location on them, it will make this easier.”
Ben raises his eyebrows and crosses his arms over his chest. “What about George?” he asks me.
I blink at him. “We’ll have to kill him. Otherwise, he’ll continue to retaliate.”
“Whoever kills him will become Alpha,” Ben says, poking holes in my plan.
Easily coming up with a solution, I glance at Evo. “You feel like taking on a few extra wolves?” I’m all for expanding our Pack. A bigger Pack is a stronger one … under the right Alpha, of course.
Evo smiles at me and rests his chin on Kenna’s shoulder. “Very good, little sis. You’ll make an excellent Beta female.”
Evo shifts his eyes to Ben, communicating telepathically. The silence stretches on as Evo and Ben stare at each other while continuing their voiceless conversation. Eventually, Ben nods and walks over to wrap me in his arms.
That was totally sexy, he comments. I can feel his pride for me.
What did Evo say? I ask, nuzzling into his chest.
Ben kisses the top of my head. We’ll talk about that later. It’s not important right now.
“Did you call the Riva Pack?” Evo asks Ben.
Ben nods, his chin bumping my head at the movement. “They’ll be here shortly.”
“Good. Did either of you recognize any of the scents?” Evo makes his way across the garage toward the door. The rest of us follow behind him.
“It’s a mess inside, but Ben said he recognized one of the scents from the hospital parking garage,” Jeremy supplies.
We step outside and are hit with winds of the bone chilling blizzard. On the way to the house, I jog next to Kenna and into the promise of warmth. Evo holds the sliding door open for the Pack to enter and surveys the tree line before stepping inside himself. Everyone shakes off the snow and begins taking off their gear.
My eyes roam my surroundings—it’s, indeed, a fucking mess. Dining room chairs are overturned and blood is smeared on a broken mirror where what can only be described as a skull-sized break smashed against it. I inhale the scent of the blood and identify it as Flint’s. My wolf growls inside me, spilling out my own mouth at the smell of our bleeding Pack mate.
I walk to the living room only to find it in ruins. Bullet holes litter the front door with a few matching holes in the wall. It disgusts me that wolf shifters are using guns to fight their battles. It’s the cowardly way out for our species. There’s a claw mark on the couch that exposed the cushion under the cloth. Someone had partially shifted and used their wolf claws, possibly aiming to swipe someone, missing and hitting the couch instead. A lamp lay broken on the edge of the end table and several pictures sit crooked on the walls or in pieces on the floor. There had been a serious struggle here.
Hearing a growl behind me, I turn and see Evo slamming his fist into the wall, leaving a gaping hole the size of his fist.
Kenna walks to the front of him and pulls his face into her hands. “Evo, look at me. This isn’t your fault. This would’ve happened if we were here or not. Do you hear me?”
Evo growls in frustration. “It is my fault. If we hadn’t been distracted by so many things, we could have taken the time to hunt down Jazz. I should’ve never left them here by themselves.”
I cross my arms over my chest and turn to meet Ben’s gaze. He’s been staring at me since we entered the house. Through our mating bond, I can feel him use me as an anchor for his anger.
Kenna’s right. If this happened while the whole Pack was here, worse things could have happened. They came onto our territory for a purpose, and when they didn’t get what they wanted, they took Flint and Dyson as hostage for an exchange. They could’ve taken Kenna and killed any one of us who tried to stop them, I say telepathically to Ben.
Kelsey walks into the living room and examines the damage. “Why the hell do they keep bringing guns?” she asks in a high-pitched voice.
I take the moment to scent the room before my Pack mates delude the scents with their own. I smell several wolves I don’t recognize and only one that I do. “The blond dim-wit,” I comment.
Ben nods slowly. “Based on the number of scents, I’m going to guess that a handful of wolf shifters came through the house. There’s no telling how many were on the property or caught Dyson. That scent was carried away by the blizzard.”
I scrub the stress from my face with my hands and stretch my neck. A knock sounds on the bullet
riddled door, breaking me from my neck stretching. The door is uselessly latched. At the last knock, the door noisily complains as it swings open, a big gust of wind and snow swirls into the living room.
“What the fuck happened?” Jacob says from the other side of the door. He steps over broken picture glass and enters the living room; several wolves begin piling in with him. Most are male, but there are a few females that make their way into our crime scene of a house. Each wolf shifter studies the damage with angry expressions. I recognize many from the bonfire and nod my greeting as they enter.
“Kenna’s father is what happened,” Ben grumbles while reaching forward to shake Jacob’s hand in greeting. “They took Flint and Dyson to create an exchange for Kenna.”
Evo, now under some control, comes over to shake Jacob’s hand. “We were out on the snowmobiles when it happened.”
Jacob nods. Searching the room, his eyes land on Kenna. He gives her a small, brilliantly white smile, a contrast to his beautifully dark skin. “Bad timing, I know, but I hear congratulations are in order.” He gestures with his head to two of his female wolves beside him. “I brought you a few of my wolves. You remember Reese, our doctor? She’s been begging to come see you and has asked Evo to be your doctor throughout your pregnancy. She doesn’t get to do many home birth’s, especially for us wolves. You’ll have to excuse her excitement.” Reese produces a beaming smile for Kenna. Her excitement feels out of place in our destroyed living room, but this isn’t her Pack. She doesn’t feel the sorrow we’re feeling.
“Irene here,” he gestures with his thumb to the female beside Reese, “is a trained midwife at the hospital.” Irene is stunningly beautiful with short black hair, light brown skin, and rich chocolate eyes.
Irene, who’s taller than I, bravely makes her way over to Kenna’s stiff figure and shakes her hand. “Sorry for springing this on you, especially at a time like this. I figured we could give you a check-up while the other wolves preform a little search and rescue.”