Rick

by Dana Archer

  “Todd, please slow down. I’m carrying your sons this time.”

  Todd turns his head and stares at me. My heart pounds, yet my skin chills. Death’s staring me in the eye. Even without my wolf close, I can read Todd’s mood. He’ll kill me if provoked. Maybe even if he’s not.

  “Todd.” I point with a shaky finger. “The road. Please. If I die, so do your boys.”

  He faces the windshield and presses the gas pedal into the floor. The engine revs as it picks up speed. “Boys! It makes what you did worse.”

  I bite my lip until the taste of blood fills my mouth. My fear is weakening me. I can’t stop it. My unborn babies are relying on me. If telling Todd the truth about their sex doesn’t calm him, I’m not sure what will. “I didn’t do anything.”

  “Don’t lie! I know how you betrayed me. Dishonored me. I won’t stand for it! I can’t allow you to let another man pretend to be the father of the brats I allowed to live. I sure won’t allow him to claim my sons!”

  “I…I…” No words come to me. Todd shouldn’t know Rick went to Peyton and Rey’s preschool. The teachers there have never even met Todd. Heck, Rick’s probably still there. He didn’t leave too long ago. No, Todd can’t be angry about that. It’s got to be something else. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You think I don’t have people watching you? Or those little brats?” Todd shoots me a harsh look. “Wyatt demands it. So nobody runs off with you before you give us a son.”

  “Us?” I grip the seat, digging my sharpened nails into the cushion. I’ve always known Wyatt wanted a male heir in his bloodline to carry on their family’s name, but his influence on Todd is not normal. Neither is Wyatt’s interest in me. “Why do Wyatt’s wants matter to you? Or is he the one who really desired me and used you to claim me?”

  “Answer me, you stupid slut!” Todd’s voice booms in the enclosed space.

  I cringe. I hate the reaction but can’t stop it. The fear slithering through me is real. I’m not helping matters by running my mouth either. I have to shut up. I know that’s what I need to do. Darn, it’s hard. Todd’s not the only one angry.

  So am I.

  I’m furious. At Todd. At Wyatt. At the knowledge that they preyed on a naïve young woman. At our male-dominated culture. At the laws that give Todd the right to hurt me.

  Over the fact that I might lose Rick.

  My nostrils flare on my quickened breaths. The barrier restraining my wolf erodes. Her power flows through me, energizing me. I’m stronger than Todd thinks. I’m stronger than I’ve allowed myself to think. Rick pulled the veil from my eyes. Proved to me I’m worthy. Proved to me I’m a dominant—an alpha’s daughter.

  “I am not a slut. I’m not a whore. And I’m not a worthless vessel for you to use and abuse as you see fit!”

  “You are all that and more!” Todd twists the steering wheel, taking the turn in the road without slowing down. The truck fishtails, then accelerates. I tumble forward and smack my forehead off the dashboard. “I smell that Shifter Affairs agent on you. He slept with you! Left his scent on you! You think I can just sit back and let you disgrace me like that?”

  With my hands planted on the dashboard, I stare at the floor while dots dance in front of my eyes. I blink several times and focus on my purse lying between my feet. The butt of Rick’s gun is visible among the contents spilling out. Using my foot, I slide it out of the bag. All I have to do is grab it and release the safety.

  Ilan’s instructions repeat in my head: exhale, aim, squeeze. Once I commit to taking a shot, it’s over in seconds. He made shooting someone sound so easy. At least until he warned me to make sure I could live with the memory of what I’ve done. It would haunt me for the rest of my life.

  I close my eyes, blocking my view of the gun. “You told me you didn’t care who I slept with.”

  “Screwed. I said I didn’t care who you screwed. Not sleep with. Not pawn off as the father of your children.” Todd’s voice takes on a deep growl as he lies, spinning a version that suites this moment. “But you had to go and push your boundaries like you always do. Now, I’ve got Wyatt breathing down my neck. Talking nonsense about tradition and the old ways. How there’s only one way to deal with a worthless female like you.”

  “And that is?”

  “Wyatt’s going to lend me his toys. They worked on his female. They’ll work on you too.”

  Toys? Oh, goddesses. I don’t want to think about what that means.

  “No.” Eyes squeezed tight, I shake my head. “They won’t work. Neither will kidnapping me or locking me in your bedroom. Nothing will. I’m strong. A dominant. I won’t let you break me.”

  Todd’s deranged laugh surrounds me. “Is that a challenge? Because if it is, I’ll be more than happy to take you up on it.”

  Ice slides through my veins. My racing heart slows. Tension drains from my shoulders. It’s almost as if someone has taken over my body, wiping away my fear and my guilt. The emptiness within me makes me feel powerful.

  I open my eyes. My fingers are wrapped around the butt of the gun. The safety’s off. I don’t remember doing either.

  Holding the gun against my leg, I straighten in my seat. “I won’t allow you to touch me anymore.”

  “You can’t stop me. I own you.”

  Exhaling, I raise the gun. Aim it. “Only until one of us dies.”

  Todd whips his head in my direction. “Put the gun down.”

  “No. You chose the wrong female. I’m done—”

  The truck hits something, jerking it and sending the vehicle spinning. I’m thrown into the windshield. A whooshing sound registers. Glass shatters, slicing my back and my arms. White-hot pain whips through me. A scream rips from my throat. I bounce on the hood, then the road, hitting it so hard my teeth rattle. Asphalt, then rocks tear at my skin. Finally, I come to a stop.

  I’m hurt. I know it. I can’t move without sharp pain stabbing me. What did this do to my babies?

  Fear chokes me as the question repeats in my head. I need to look inside myself like I do when I visit my wolf…like I did after Todd shoved me.

  “I’m afraid.” If I lost them, it’ll be my fault. Not Todd’s. Mine. I’m the one who pointed a gun to his head.

  Ignoring the sharp pain in my arms, I close my eyes and cradle my achy stomach. Tears run down my cheeks. The pity and regret press down on me. I choke on a sob. I’m too afraid to check on my babies. “Oh goddesses, what have I done?”

  “Forced my hand, that’s what.”

  The words reach me a second before a fist connects with my face. Darkness pulls me under, but one thought remains.

  I didn’t get a chance to see if my babies survived the crash.

  Twenty-Four

  Rick

  The problem with establishing a Shifter Affairs agency in a new area isn’t identifying a shifter group willing to donate land or finding the money to fund the high security building. It’s staffing it with the right agents and assistants. At the moment, West Virginia Shifter Affairs is operating on a skeleton crew. That fact makes planning a drug raid with a handful of agents a failure waiting to happen. We need help.

  Ella promised we’d get it.

  I maneuver my rental car into the tight spot along the road a couple of blocks from Harper’s Diner. The moment I cut the engine, the rear passenger door opens. A blonde human female who’s drowning in her uniform climbs in.

  “Officer Rodrick, thank you for meeting us.” Uri turns in his seat and motions to me. “This is Agent Rick Lyall, and I’m—”

  “Agent Uriel Alexander.” The female peels gloves off her hands that are even more slender than Mya’s. “Yes, I know who you both are and what you are. I got the call minutes ago from Agent Montgomery, and I must admit, I’m not happy. Not happy at all.”

  “Why is that?” Because I can’t imagine the circumstances where any officer wouldn’t be happy to take out a major threat to the community she was sworn to serve and protect.

>   “Because I hate being the last to find out about new shifters in my town.” The human’s hazel eyes pierce me. “Each one of you—”

  “If you have a problem with shifters, this is not the right assignment for you, Officer Rodrick.” I don’t need to deal with this woman’s discriminating attitude. Ella assured me her source at the local police station was sympathetic to shifters. Discovering she’s not puts me in a tough spot. I’ll have to report Officer Rodrick.

  “Please, call me Bree.”

  She drops her gloves on the seat next to her and leans forward. The scent of something spicy and sweet clings to her. It’s the kind of tempting smell that makes a man want to pull a woman’s body against his and bury his nose in her hair. I have no intentions of doing so. Her beauty means nothing to me, but if she gets any closer, I will have a problem. I won’t take Bree’s scent home with me, even if there’s an innocent reason for carrying it. Mya won’t appreciate smelling another woman on me.

  “I don’t have a problem with shifters. In fact, my cousin, Josh, is married to a shifter.” Bree props her elbows on the corners of the front seats and rests her chin on her linked hands, inches from my face. I lean back. So does Uri. Bree smirks but doesn’t move back. “What I was trying to say before you so rudely interrupted me is that each shifter in this area threatens the deep-rooted distrust of outsiders this area is known for.”

  “I haven’t gotten that impression. Many of the locals I’ve talked to seem interested in the new federal SA building in their county.” Uri counters Bree’s claim with the same experience I’ve had over the past few days.

  Bree rolls her eyes in an exaggerated manner. “That’s because they see money and the potential of jobs.” Bree turns to Uri. “Just look at your cousin Kade’s mansion he’s having built, and his twin is slated to have his house remodeled and expanded next spring. Not to mention the other new homes going up in surrounding areas. Those are sweet jobs for a construction area that’s been struggling to stay afloat.”

  “When you’ve lived for centuries, you tend to amass money, and Kade likes to surround himself with elegant and dignified things.”

  Bree waves off Uri’s words. “I couldn’t care less why Kade is building his mansion.”

  “It’s not a mansion. He’s expected to have a home large enough for distant pride members or dignitaries from other shifter groups when they visit,” Uri explains in a voice that suggests he’s had to defend his pride leader’s lavish lifestyle before.

  I turn in my seat to face Bree. An ache spreads through my chest, tightening it. I frown at the odd sensation. The claw mark Mya branded me with healed last night. Only the slightly raised edges of the marred skin remain. It shouldn’t ache. But it does.

  Ignoring the twinge, I redirect this conversation back to what’s important. “If you don’t have a problem with shifters, we need your assistance today.”

  “First, she needs to explain her attitude.” Uri studies her. “There are too many people in this area I need to protect. Those with half-hearted loyalties are a threat to them.”

  Bree gnashes her teeth. The sound reverberates within me, unleashing a thump behind my eyes reminiscent of a headache I once woke with after an attempt to drink myself to death.

  “You know what’s also a threat to them?” Bree’s raised voice adds to the pressure building behind my eyes. “Having human hunters accidentally shooting your loved ones because they’re hunting on shifter property or the busybodies who stick their noses in everyone’s business and discover something they shouldn’t. Those are threats I can protect you from, but I can’t do that if I don’t know who is human and who isn’t. You all look normal to me.”

  “You’re going to protect us from the locals? By yourself?” Uri’s raised brows match his condescending tone.

  Hasn’t he learned not to piss off women yet? You would think after his little confrontation with Ella this morning he would think before he speaks. Apparently not. I press the heel of my hand to my temple to counter the pounding in my head.

  My mind is too distracted with this impending raid. My future rests on whether I can prove Todd’s dirty and deserving of jail time or death. It’s no wonder I have a headache and an ache in my chest. Being a shifter doesn’t erase the effects of stress.

  “I can subtly influence them, steering them away from focusing on your family and friends.” Bree smiles, but it’s not the pleasant kind of grin. If she had fangs, she’d be baring them at Uri. “I make it my business to know my neighbor, Agent Alexander, and I know how to manipulate them.”

  “But you didn’t know your neighbors were buying Ambrosia out of a vending machine at the local diner.” Uri voices the thought I had while Bree was boasting about having her finger on the pulse of this area.

  “Unlike the two of you, I’m a plain old, ordinary human. I don’t have an animal’s instincts to guide me.” Bree turns and snatches her gloves. Her voice rises another notch. The thump behind my eyes turns into a shooting pain. “But I grew up in this town. I know these people better than anyone, and I’m warning you that if you dismiss the locals as ignorant rednecks and don’t work at involving yourselves in the community, they’re going to turn on you.”

  “That I agree with,” Uri announces.

  “Wonderful.” I rest my aching head against my seat. “So let’s plan this raid. There are two of us. How many police officers do you have ready to back us?”

  “Besides me, you mean?” Bree asks.

  “Yes,” I snap.

  “One. My partner. He’s in plain clothes at the diner having coffee. Maybe two, if Deputy Rodgers can rescue Mrs. Maples’s cat that’s stuck in a tree. Otherwise, the volunteer firefighters will have to be called and—”

  “Two?” How are we supposed to pull this off without compromising evidence or guaranteeing innocents aren’t hurt? I have no idea how Wyatt will react to our visit.

  “Yeah.” Bree looks at me as if my reaction is absurd. “What do you expect? This isn’t exactly an area known as a hotbed of crime.”

  “Is your partner ready to move once we get there?” There’s no use arguing or debating our actions. We need to act on this today.

  “Yes, and I’ll go in the front door with you.” Bree faces Uri. “Can you handle the employee entrance by yourself?”

  “Of course.” Haughtiness drips from Uri’s voice. I’m not surprised by it. Heck, it amuses me. Uri’s turning out to be one of the best partners I’ve ever had.

  “Good.” I start the car and pull out. My vision blurs. I focus on the road in front of me, driving slower than I normally would.

  At the intersection, I lift my foot off the gas. Two streetlights sway in front of me instead of one. I shake my head to clear it. The double streetlights merge. The red light registers. I slam the brakes. The car lurches hard, but we avoid the van going in the opposite direction. I barely missed it. I need to be off this road before I hit something. Or someone.

  “Ugh.” I close my eyes against the realization that I almost caused an accident. The moment I do, the echo of my racing pulse compounds the pounding in my head. I drop it to the steering wheel. The cool leather feels good against my heated skin.

  “What’s wrong, Rick?” Uri’s low voice near my ear registers through the thumping in my head.

  “I don’t know.” I wish I did. Anxiety is not something I deal well with. “But you need to drive.”

  Bree’s radio goes off. The dispatcher relays a series of codes and mentions Mya’s apartment building. I jerk upright in my seat. “What do those codes mean?”

  “Domestic dispute and possible kidnapping,” Bree answers.

  “Mya.” The regret lands hard in my gut. I should’ve known the odd sensations assaulting me weren’t mine. I recognized them as unusual. Why didn’t I react? “How long ago?”

  “In progress. Dispatcher said that.” Uri roughly turns my face to look at him. “Your eyes are dilated, and you’re burning up.”

  “Mya. It’s Mya.
She’s hurt.” My voice sounds sloshy, as if I drank a full bottle of bourbon.

  “What do you mean, she’s been hurt?” Bree shoves Uri’s hands out of the way and tips my head toward her.

  Bree is standing in the road next to the car. Has the door open. I didn’t see her get out. “Mya’s a part of me. The best of me. She’s hurt… Todd hurt her. That’s what I’m feeling.”

  Uri unleashes a string of vulgar curses. He jumps from the car. In the next instant, he’s at the driver’s door, pushing Bree out of his way. “Climb over, Rick. I can’t drive with you in the way.”

  “Where are you going?” Bree grabs on to the driver’s door, stopping Uri from closing it.

  “Change in plans. We’re responding to the domestic dispute and possible kidnapping.”

  “Deputy Rodgers will respond. He’s been out there several times already this year, and—”

  “Mya Ammon is Rick’s true mate.” Uri yanks the door, forcing Bree to release it or risk getting her fingers smashed. “We’ll have to come back here later.”

  “Go. Go!” Bree steps back. “I got this.”

  Uri doesn’t respond. He throws the car in drive, then peels out. “She better not muck up our investigation.”

  Dots dance across my vision. I close my eyes. Mya’s got to be in agony for me to feel the echo of it. We’re miles apart. Everything I’ve learned from those who carry a piece of their partner’s soul say that distance is a huge factor in how accurate and intense the response to the other person’s mood and pain. So is time. The longer people are bonded, the easier it becomes to distinguish your emotions from theirs.

  Mya and I haven’t shared this bond long. I don’t want to lose it. Or her.

  My heartbeat stutters. White-hot pain spreads through my cheekbones. I hold my head in my hands.