Rachel POV
"Get away from my mate!" roared Tyler as his hands transformed into those of a Lycan, great claws tipping each finger.
I screamed out of shock more than fear. The animal in me knew Tyler would never hurt me. I was his mate and he wouldn't dare risk me or the baby I carried.
Art pushed me behind him which only further enraged Tyler. I quickly moved around to try to get between the two Alphas. They were already huge compared to me, but Tyler was losing control, shifting into his Lycan form which was even bigger than his human one.
"Tyler, no! I was only saying 'thank you' to him! Tyler!" I cried, trying to get his attention so he could calm down.
Tyler had always been outfitted with a steel will when it came to holding back his beast. Wynd only took control when extremely unorthodox situations happened like if I were to go into heat or the full moon happened during a fight or---I lost the ability to come up with scenarios as I
Rachel POV"How do you know this was done by those wolves?" Tyler asked me, shifting his grip on me to lower me to stand on my own feet again.I couldn't believe he was even asking me the question. They were my fathers! I had grown up with Patrick Flores as the man I called "Daddy" first and later "Father" and I had known Richard Campbell to be my father only a short time, but I'd known him long enough to recognize his voice."I heard their voices! I saw Patrick!" I cried, tears starting to leak down my face against my will, "Patrick was literally in the room with me and the men holding me hostage spoke to Richard Campbell on the phone while it was on speaker. I heard his voice. I heard him."Tyler rubbed his hands up and down my arms as if to soothe me, but my tears wouldn't stop. What had I done to make it so easy to betray me? Why did I have not one but two fathers willing to use me, hurt me, even kill me for their own ends?
Rachel POVWright HouseAdam had brought the sedan around within a span of time I couldn't even remember. All my thoughts had become scrambled due to exhaustion of both the mental and physical varieties. I just wanted to go home with my mate.Tyler carried me to the car and then insisted on carrying me inside Wright House when we arrived home.I'd thought I couldn't sit on the sofa there a moment longer, but it turned out I was never so grateful to see a piece of furniture. I might have even cried a little in joy at being back to my sequesterment."Oh, so now you like the couch?" Tyler teased.Sniffling, I smacked his chest lightly, "Stop it! Don't tease me. I'm in a fragile state."I felt silly even saying the words, but they got a deep chuckle out of Tyler and even a little chortle of laughter from Adam who was following us inside. I'd managed to convince Lindy, Bella, and Jack to stay at their apartment. Adam was obviou
Tyler POVEvery breath was tinged with the hot burn of hatred; I literally breathed in anger and blew out fury with every movement of my lungs. I wanted to tear someone apart except the ones I wanted to be the focus on my rage were out of my reach for the moment.Patrick Flores had raised Rachel yet he was never a father to her. I would have said it was because his mate had come to him with a child already in tow except Ethan was his own child and he'd been no better father to him. "I want Patrick Flores and Richard Campbell," I told Adam as soon as he answers my call, "I'm calling in the Alpha Inspector to get them both. No excuses. Understand?" Adam answered, "I understand, Alpha." "Good. Wait for my call," I said before hanging up then called Art Windsor."What are you thinking, Wright? You think we can just take down the head Alpha of a major pack without an heir lined up?" Windsor responded when the call connected."I don't care about his heir or his Alpha House or his pack. H
Art POVOur Blessed Goddess Medical Center - Intensive Care UnitWright was giving me a headache. Again. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I breathed out hard, trying to pop my ears to relieve some of the pressure in my head.All I managed to do was make the nurse in the room with me hop back from me like a rabbit before a wolf which wasn't too far off considering my personal afflictions and nature. I wasn't in danger of giving in to my thirst, but she did smell delicious. I wondered if she had fae blood in her. "What were you saying?" I coaxed, trying to get her to resume the conversation we'd been having before Tyler Wright called. "His blood shows poison. Signs of poison," she corrected, "Doctor Thomas ordered a full blood panel when he wasn't responding to treatment." I prayed for patience as I stood beside Ethan Flores in his bed. He was breathing on his own, but he was completely comatose, virtually unresponsive to stimuli, and showing no signs of improvement even though he h
Lindy POVFollowing the Alpha Inspector or his witch wasn't possible. They could move through space using magic and I didn't have any. I had my senses though and I'd always been good at being invisible.No one paid me any attention when I slipped out of the apartment to track the scents of first the Alpha Inspector then his witch.Windsor hadn't left much of a trail to follow. For all his magnificent muscles and size, he was proving to be lazy, preferring to use magic to move around rather than his two good legs.The witch was less careful. I found her tracks outside the apartment in a concentrated area where she must have spoken with the Alpha Inspector for a while before parting company. I was able to follow her scent much farther since she seemed to have just strolled away.I knew no one wanted me poking around for information on Nathan, but how could I not? He was my mate! I'd never dreamed I would find my fated mate much less learn he was wonderful, handsome, and the Alpha heir t
Rachel POVWright House"What in the name of our Goddess---" Art exclaimed, shoving Lindy away from his chest and knocking her onto the bed with me.Lindy landed in a sprawl, her face tear-streaked and eyes swollen. She looked haggard as if she hadn't slept in days; I realized I had no idea how she was doing since I'd been caught up in my own plight. Her bruises were still visible from the beating she'd taken."You said you were going to check on Nathan!" Lindy spat out, "You're a liar! I knew you were a liar. My father told me not to trust anyone.""Your father?" Art asked as I started to feel a sinking sensation in my chest.What had Lindy told Richard Campbell? Did he know we were aware my mother was alive? Was he going to try to kill her before we could rescue her in order to cover up his involvement?I had too many questions to wait for Art to try to communicate with Lindy. I knew the woman well enough to get answers from her. She'd be less afraid of me than Art. He'd just have t
Rachel POVWright House"Who's Peter?" I asked again, bewildered by the thought some man's first name would be enough to find my mother after she'd been missing for twenty years.Lindy looked up at me, adjusting herself on the bed to sit beside me with her back against my headboard, "I don't know. Just Peter. He's always been around Daddy. Doing whatever Daddy wants or needs. He's a 'good dog' or that's what Daddy says.""A good dog," I repeated.I felt nauseated at the idea of this man being nothing more than a pet who fetched, sat, and rolled over on command. Had he fetched my mother on the day Patrick pretended she'd died? Had he taken her away to be put in chains somewhere in a stone building where the wind blew over the ocean?Lindy shrugged. She had never known any other life. The secrets her father asked her to keep weren't suspicious to her because she had no idea what kind of horrors Richard Campbell might be hiding or trying to hide."What sort of things does your daddy ask
Rachel POV"We have to get the Alpha Council involved right now," Art stated with a grim tone I'd never heard him use before.He stood up from Patrick's body with his hands out towards Tyler making me realize it was Tyler who still held the gun.Tyler had been the one to pull the trigger then, the one to kill Patrick, the one to commit murder here in our home."Here," Tyler murmured, offering the gun to Art who took it between his thumb and forefinger before placing it onto the footlocker at the end of our bed, "It was an accident. I didn't mean for it to go off.""I was here," Art said, "I saw the whole thing. I'm your witness. Patrick Flores pulled a weapon. We had to suspect he intended lethal force. There was nothing to do except react accordingly.""I didn't intend to shoot him, but I'm not sorry either. I'd do it again," Tyler said, looking right at me and I realized he wanted something from me.Something I could give him."I know," I said, telling my mate I forgave him as easil