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Forty Four
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FATED ESCAPE Forty Five
After climbing the stairs and entering the room, I close the door behind me and move to sit with my back against the wall, my legs stretched out in front of me and a stuffed yellow bear cradled against my belly.With no idea whether this baby is going to be a boy or a girl, we’ve tried to stay neutral with a soft buttercup yellow paint for the walls, a white crib that I watched Mack build, and a matching baby changing table and dresser set up on the wall near the window.As the window overlooks the backyard, I hear Faith laughing as Mack explains his gardening process. My attempt at tuning it out goes so miserably that I regret not escaping into the forest.I know this is Mack being friendly so Faith will open up about why she’s come to Winter Lake in pain, but that doesn’t make it any easier to listen to when I also know how easy Mack is to love.When there’s a soft knock at the door, I turn to it with a smile. “You can come in, Moses.”A second later, the familiar lean figure of the
FATED ESCAPE Forty Six
“My son is the next alpha of the Raleighs, which means he doesn’t need to be tied to a weak omega carrying another man’s pup. Soon, he’ll realize that, if he hasn’t already, that is.”Although his words are hurtful, they’re not unexpected. Not with the way I’ve caught him staring at me, and not with the things he’s said. But since I doubt I’m going to change his mind about anything, I don’t even try. I continue walking away.“She killed herself. Did Mack tell you that?”The pain and rage I feel building inside him warn me that I’m dealing with anguish so old that it’s practically ingrained in him. It makes me even more wary, because every time he’s in pain, it will trigger his anger.I keep walking toward the house because staying isn’t safe. “I didn’t say you could leave,” he murmurs.I hear him take a step as if to follow. My heart thumps in alarm, because if he tries to hurt me, I’m going to hit him with emotion and I have no idea what it’s going to do to him. Probably make this si
FATED ESCAPE Forty Seven
“The only time I can get five minutes alone with you is away from here. So we’re going out there.” He speed-dials someone, and a second later I hear Bennett’s voice on the other line. “Bennett. I need you here. Yeah, right now.”Bemused, I blink up at him. “Uh, Mack?”He tugs me from the room. “Let’s go.”I trail him down the stairs. “But where are we going?” “Somewhere no one will disturb us.”“And that place is…?”Before he can respond, Connall steps through the back door, his eyes going straight to Mack. “Oh, there you are. I need—”Mack doesn’t hesitate to cut him off. “Not now. I’m busy.”Connall’s eyes slide over to me and narrow with suspicion. “I see, so she’s been telling tall tales, has she?”My back stiffens at the mocking tone of his voice. But I don’t get a chance to speak. Mack beats me to it. “Da, considering I didn’t even invite you here, you should stop before I show you the way out.”Connall’s lips curve. “I see, and you plan on using force to do it.”Mack falls sil
FATED ESCAPE Forty Eight
When Adela knocks on the door to announce dinner is ready, I tell her I’m not hungry. Unlike Mack, she doesn’t go away until I agree to join her at the dining table. But the moment I’ve cleared my plate, I return to the bedroom.During the night, I wake with my heart in my throat, the visions from my nightmare still clinging to me.In my dreams, it isn’t Shane whimpering on the ground, the victim of my strange gift, but Mack.No matter how hard the rest of the pack tries to stop me, I don’t. In the end, Bennett turns to me with violence in his gray eyes, and as he’s reaching for me, that’s when I wake up.After that, I don’t sleep. I can’t.I wrap the comforter around myself and spend the rest of the night and early morning in the lounge watching an old black and white movie with the subtitles on, so I don’t wake Adela.She finds me there bright and early the next morning.“You didn’t sleep a wink, did you, child?” she murmurs before settling in on the couch beside me.“I slept.”Not
FATED ESCAPE Forty Nine
If nothing else can convince me to go, that does, because she’s right. Today is the day my father promised he’d leave, which means I at least have something to be excited about.But not about Moses leaving. I would rather he stayed, even though I know he never would. It isn’t only because he has Lucy waiting for him back in Minnesota, but because he has responsibilities as well. He’d never walk away from those. Not even for me.So I head for the bathroom to shower and dress, conscious that Mack has had hours to come to terms with my uncontrolled power, and that today, he may not be as understanding as he was yesterday.I don’t even make it into the house.That sounds like Mack has kicked me out or refused to let me in, but that couldn’t be further from the truth since he’s the one leading me by the hand away from it. “Mack, what are—”“No questions,” he interrupts me as he continues to lead us through the forest.“What about the bag? Can I ask about that?” I ask, my eyes going to the
FATED ESCAPE Fifty
It isn’t until he brushes a tear from under my eye that I realize why he wouldn’t. “I wish I could take all your pain from you,” he says in a sober voice. “I think, even if you told me not to, I’d do it anyway because I never want you to be in pain.”“I think that’s love,” I admit. “Yes, so do I.”“I think I’ve decided.” “On what?”“Where I want us to make love.”His eyes darken. “Really? And where is that?”“Here, beside the stream.” I lean up and kiss him. “And then in the stream.” I kiss him again. “And then—”He raises an eyebrow. “You’re thinking I’m capable of far more than I am.”My smile fades. “No, I’m not. And I’ve decided, that as Luna, I’m going to be as demanding as you.”He grins. “Is that so?”I nod. “Yes, but only in bed. Like you.”“Well, I’d better get to work giving my Luna what she wants,” he murmurs as he lowers his head to mine.His next kiss is full of heat and desire, but it’s also tempered with the tenderness that is, and always will be, Mack.At first, we mov
FATED ESCAPE Fifty One
After giving me a boyish grin, he lowers his head to give me a hard kiss. But then he hesitates and the doubt in his eyes is clear to see. “I don’t know how I feel about leaving you here.”“Everyone is back at the house, so that means I’ll be okay.”When his expression shifts, I know he understands what I’m implying. “My da is there; he won’t hurt you.”I’m hoping Faith is too because I still haven’t told Mack about that tree. But I need to. Soon.“Then I’ll be fine. Go. The walk back will give me a chance to prepare for a hard conversation I have to have with my father before he leaves.”When the last of his doubt falls away, he presses his cell phone into my hand. “I’ll call as soon as I get back. Don’t go anywhere until I do, okay? I wouldn’t want you getting lost in the forest and a hiker taking a kiss that belongs to me.”I grin. “They all belong to you. Now go.”After one last grin, he sits back on his haunches, and as I watch, he smoothly, easily shifts into a sleek gray-brown
FATED ESCAPE Fifty Two
The guilt flooding through me is nearly overwhelming because no one deserves to have their mind broken. “I didn’t—that wasn’t—”The venom in Bree’s gaze silences my stuttering apology because it’s clear there’s no point. I’ve made myself her enemy and nothing I say or do will change that. It’s all right there in her gold-eyed glare.“His wolf attacked me. Nearly killed me,” she says, in a deceptively mild voice, as her eyes burn with rage. “Me. His mate.”I don’t speak. I don’t have the words to say a thing.“He says your name in the night. Sometimes he talks about the baby. He pretends not to remember, says he was just talking nonsense, but I know he does.” Bree’s next laugh is brittle. “His father had to come and save me. Oh, he had such fun rubbing it in my face that Shane would always view you as his mate. That his wolf would never let him forget he walked away from his child.”I shake my head as I will her to understand. “No, Shane didn’t want the child. He said—”“It doesn’t mat
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