Tyler POV
Te Amo Ristorante
"Is water fine with you?"
Rachel preferred white wine to red; I had never figured out if her preference was because she genuinely favored the taste of white or she wanted to spite me as red was my favorite. Since she was pregnant, I couldn't rely on a glass of wine to distract us before our meal arrived.
"Yes, water is great. Sparkling? Do you have sparkling?"
I wasn't sure where the hesitance was coming from with her, but she spoke with a quiet murmur I found I couldn't stop craving.
If I had been dealing with Wynd, I would have blamed my wolf for the need to assert my dominance. Alpha tendencies could cause aggressive behavior at any time. I often felt the need to dominate others even if no one was challenging me.
Wynd slept completely silent inside me though so all my cravings were my own for the first time since before I shifted.
I waited on the waiter to return wit
Rachel POVBella & Rachel's Apartment - Rachel's BedroomBella was a wizard when it came to organizing the pantry or the refrigerator. She was able to find a place for all the leftovers I had brought home even though it was enough food for a week. I was grateful for her because if it had been left up to me, I'm sure I would have simply thrown everything away only to hate myself later for the waste.I hadn't been able to look at Tyler on the ride home though he had done his best to get my attention, cheer me up, gain a reaction of any kind from me since I was frozen inside.I couldn't respond though because I'd inadvertently reminded myself of all the things wrong with us.Why had I made a joke about wrinkles?Neither of us were old enough to worry about age lines. We were healthy and we would benefit from our werewolf birthright whether we could shift again or not. I had only wanted to joke around with him,
Rachel POVBlue Diamond - Kitchen"Rachel? Rachel!"I had no idea how long Bella had been trying to get my attention. I was perched on a counter in the kitchen of Blue Diamond while Bella made the specialty dessert of the night. The delicate tarts were more of a pain in the ass than they seemed to be worth in my estimation."What? I'm sorry. I was caught up in my head.""You were thinking about Tyler," Bella snorted, "You're going back to him because he bought you pasta? I can cook pasta."Jack laughed loudly before flicking flour into Bella's face. He and I were visiting while we went over our plans to get me a visit to House Campbell territory. I would have felt bad about being in her way while she was working except Bella clearly enjoyed the company."She says that as if you're terrible for thinking about your mate. How often do you think about me? No, really, tell me. I need the ego boost.""Y
Rachel POVBella & Rachel's ApartmentFull from 'taste-testing' Bella's special desserts, I wanted to get a nap in before I had to do anything else with my day. I was alone in the apartment when my phone rang. I was surprised to see Nathan in the caller ID screen. What was he wanting?"Hello?""Rachel! I'm so glad you picked up. Can we talk?"I wasn't sure how I felt about talking to Nathan. He'd been so desperate he had scared me. My bruises had faded a lot faster than my fear.Ultimately, I decided to talk to him because my need for him to be the boy I remembered outweighed my anxiety."Sure," I agreed, "We can talk. What did you have in mind, Nathan?""Can I come in? I'm right outside. I promise I'll leave if you want. I just want to talk and I'd rather do it in person if we can."Knowing Nathan was right outside the door gave me a momentary shiver. I wasn't sure if I was scared
Rachel POVBella & Rachel's Apartment"Honestly? I had too much going on to worry about hurting you. My brother had been kidnapped. Men were hurting him. Torturing him. They would have killed him, Nathan."Nathan looked at me in surprise. I could see the shock on his face as he took in what I said.There wasn't any doubt in his eyes which I knew came from the fact he'd known me our whole lives. Neither of us had hidden our family secrets from one another. Nathan had known Patrick was a gambler with bad luck as long as I'd known; I knew House Lewis mourned only having one son to their name when they'd wanted a houseful of children."I had to come up with half a million to save him. Patrick had sold me to pay the debt. I got away," I reassured him as I saw a flush creep along the hard line of his jaw, "That's how I met Tyler. I was taken to this---club. He was there in a room down the hall from where I was held. The
Tyler POVMoonrise Entertainment - Executive Level"I think I'm making headway for your girl!"I looked up from the contract I was going over to see my father letting himself into my office without a by-your-leave.John Wright had never been good with boundaries. As far as my father was concerned, this would always be his company and we were all only visitors playing in his sandbox while he was willing to share."What are you talking about?"I'd learned to be direct with him. Father wanted to play games while I didn't have the right nature for it."My granddaughter," he said.There was a smugness to his tone I knew meant he was congratulating himself on finding out I was having a daughter instead of a son even though I hadn't shared the information with him. The bastard could choke on the knowledge. I wasn't hiding my child's gender. He hadn't gotten a foothold over on me; I was not about to let h
Rachel POVBella & Rachel's Apartment - Rachel's Bedroom"Nathan Lewis wants to take you into Moonglow territory. Is that his idea or yours?"I blinked as I processed what Tyler was saying at the same time I tried to take in how he was saying it."Tyler, are you drunk?"Liquor could affect werewolves the same as humans, but it took a lot more to intoxicate one of our kind than a human. I had fallen asleep only an hour ago according to the clock on my bedside table. Was the thought of Nathan being my escort enough to drive Tyler into a bottle?"Yes. Did you ask him to take you? Or did he offer?"I turned the lamp on as I sat up in bed, making myself as comfortable as I could against the headboard. My stomach felt bigger than ever as the sheets bunched at my waist; I wondered when I would begin to gain too much weight to fit into my clothes.Neither of those Alphas were going to want me when I was fat, were they?"I as
Rachel POVCamelot RecordsNo one has paid me any particular attention. I thought everyone would be able to tell I had given in to temptation with my former mate the night before, but I looked myself over carefully in the mirror as I got ready to go to the studio. I didn't look any different no matter how hard I studied my reflection.Bella was surprised I showered before finding breakfast -I normally don't bother with a shower in the morning- but I had zero desire to leave even a trace scent of arousal on my skin.I'd rather be hungry and clean than full and smelling of sex.Howard called to make sure I was on my way in so I skipped breakfast entirely in favor of getting to Camelot Records on time. I knew we had to go over the final Master on my LP. I was supposed to approve the final versions; they cared about my input even though this was my first record."Rachel?"I looked up from the soundboard as H
Rachel POVOutside Camelot RecordsHours of going over tapes made me feel numb to sound. I walked outside Camelot Records only to stand on the sidewalk staring around me at the world moving along while everything felt muffled. I had to resist the urge to check my ears for plugs.I was so caught up in shaking off my sound shock, I didn't notice Tyler until his hand was already curled around my bicep. He tugged me against his chest and I screamed as if I were being murdered, startled and stunned by the strange sensation of someone grabbing at me."Rachel! It's just me."Tyler shook me a little as he pulled us away from the safety of the recording studio. His sedan had pulled up to the curb; Adam waved at me from behind the wheel. I could tell from his expression he'd heard me shrieking my head off.Naturally Tyler's Beta found it amusing when I was caught unawares. I had always thought Adam possessed a warped sen
Rachel POV"The baby is coming!" I criedHow was my baby coming?I'd had pain in my back, but I was used to that by now. I spent all day in the bed. My stomach was so swollen I couldn't see my feet and the extra weight put pressure on my spine.I had not had the first cramp! Where were my contractions? Where was the agonizing pain women all talked about?"Relax," a nurse said as she bustled into the room behind my mother who'd bolted for the hall as soon as I'd first called out.The nurse looked gloriously professional and capable. I wanted her help more than I wanted my next breath of air. I sighed audibly in relief."It's not really my water breaking? Was it just some kind of---accident?" I asked, blushing as I looked at the tablet where the Alpha Council was still hanging on the line on their side.All the male Councilmen looked terribly uncomfortable while the two females both looked amused. I was mortified this had happene
Rachel POVDays turned into weeks in Our Blessed Goddess Medical Center.Mama had taken over a week to detox from the drugs flooding her system. She'd managed to regain her ability to speak after only a few days. She was, however, still taking physical therapy to assist her with strengthening her muscles and bones again after all those years of living a dormant life in the asylum.My body was still fighting against itself. Some part of me -some animal part deep inside- wanted to reclaim the ability to shift, to fight, to run.I knew Rayne wanted to stretch her legs, but I didn't think my wolf was the one calling all the shots. I believed most of the restlessness in my body was from a part of me even more primal than Rayne herself."Have you seen Ethan today?" I asked my mother.Mama looked up from where she had been studying her hands. I knew it would take her a few moments to respond. She'd gotten her voice back, but speech was still not ea
Rachel POV"How is my brother?" I asked again, feeling like a crazed parrot as I clutched my mother to me yet every muscle in my body had gone tense in her arms.Ethan was going to have to be okay, too. I couldn't gain my mother only to lose my brother. Ethan was too young, too vital, and he had too much life left to live.Mama sat at my side on the edge of the bed tangling her fingers with mine while being careful not to pull on my IV lines or interfere with her own. We were a pair of invalids it seemed.I couldn't quite comprehend the situation we were in. Everything felt too surreal. Nothing was going the way I had ever imagined it in my head though I had certainly dreamed of my mother being returned to me more than once."Ethan is still unresponsive," Tyler answered, taking a seat beside me and reaching for my other hand, "He's not getting worse, but he isn't improving at all either. Your mother has agreed to donate blood. The hospital is tryin
Rachel POV"Your mother is doing well considering," Art said."Considering what?" I asked.My body was hot yet numb at the same time. I had a baby monitoring band wrapped around my waist to monitor my daughter, a pulse oximeter to monitor my oxygen and pulse, a blood pressure cuff for exactly that, and two IVs to make sure the hospital had access to my bloodstream as fast as possible "just in case."Saying I felt out of sorts was putting it mildly."Considering the quack caring for her had kept her overmedicated for the last two decades," Art said, shrugging a shoulder, "I think they did all they could to keep her barely conscious to avoid her fighting for her freedom. According to Justice, she can't even speak."I frowned, the muscles in my face moving as sluggishly as the rest of me, "According to Justice? You haven't seen her?"Art shook his head, "No. I distracted the facility attendants while Justice got your mother from her room
Elena POVTime passed based on the light coming in from the only window in my room. I knew the rays of dawn, the brightness of noon, the fires of dusk, and the silver of moonlight at night.Everything else was a guessing game.I've never been allowed a clock or a calendar. I tried to count days by marking them on the wall beside my bed, but they just painted over my marks on one of the days they took me for their tests.'Tests' were supposed to determine how safe I would be in normal society, but they consisted of a series of random questions I couldn't follow with all the drugs in my system.Every time they asked me something I knew there was a right answer and a wrong answer. I just couldn't make my mind identify which was which so I played the part of a mute after a while.If I didn't speak at all, they didn't give me more drugs. I was given a little more autonomy. I was left with books to read and, for a time, paper to write on.I
Art POVEvery breath felt harder and harder to draw in. I couldn't get my head on straight. For some unknown reason, I was more involved with this case of this missing female than any other case I had ever investigated in my career as an Alpha Inspector.I'd rescued children -babies even- and plenty of women before. What made this woman special? What made Rachel's baby so important to me?I couldn't think of anything hurting her child or her without the Alpha instinct rising up in me. I could feel my wolf, Merlyn, bristling all over and I couldn't afford a moment's lapse with the vampire demon sharing my body with my wolf.Merlyn had to keep the vampire in check. We would go on a rampage, drink dry anything with a pulse. I'd lost control once before and it'd been worse than any nightmare I had ever had.Coming back to myself with my belly full of the blood of others, I remembered wanting to erase every memory I had to take away the taste.No
Tyler POVRachel had finally drifted off into a fitful sleep. They'd had to pump her full of icy IV fluids to drop her temperature enough to allow her any peace. Every drop of sweat from her forehead felt as if it were being wrung from the marrow of my bones.I literally ached with the need to protect her, care for her, heal her.But there was nothing I could do."You'll drive yourself insane if you keep pacing out here worrying over what you can't change. We need to get to Elena," Windsor said.I could hear the finality in his tone; I knew he wanted to push me to do something for him. I just didn't know what more I could do for the Alpha Council. What help could I be in tracking this 'Peter' down?I'd never crossed paths with the man to the best of my knowledge."How can I help?" I asked, knowing Art Windsor well enough to realize he would tell me what he needed if I only asked.Art placed his hands into his pockets, walking o
Rachel POV"Why aren't we going to get my mother, now?" I asked, wiping the sweat from my brow with a towel growing steadily warmer with every touch to my skin.Art had brought Richard Campbell's computer along with the files from behind the picture frame. We had an exact location on the asylum my mother was being held at, but we had no access to her. I was still trying to understand why.I prompted, "What is the plan, Art? We can't just let them keep my mother in that hellhole."I knew the place Mom was in had to be terrible. They couldn't be a reputable institution and keep a woman with no illness hostage for two decades. I didn't even want to visit the place much less imagine how my mother could have survived there for twenty years."Are you okay?" Art asked, his expression concerned as he studied me hard enough to make me wipe myself with my cold towel again, "You don't look okay.""I feel hot," I said, "I don't know? It seems to be gett
Rachel POV"What do you mean you don't want to meet them?" I asked, feeling ridiculous even repeating the words aloud, "Lindy, we're talking about your family. Your real, blood family."Lindy shook her head 'no' over and over. Her wet hair slapped against her cheeks and I noticed she was crying now, too. Her gaze was slightly vacant, as if she couldn't understand what she was saying or what was being said to her or both."You---"Art cut me off, saying, "Lindy, do you need something to drink? Some water? We don't have to talk about those people right now. Can I get you anything?""Water," Lindy mumbled.Adam offered, "I'll go get it. Plenty of ice. I've been---well, I haven't been where she's at right now, but I understand enough."The big Beta left the room while the rest of us simply stared at Lindy as if we expected her to do a trick of some kind.I couldn't say I had ever seen anyone look so lost before. Lindy looked the wa