DANIEL POV I drag my hands down my face as I try to push past the scent of antibacterial cleaners. I have been here for hours, and they haven't told me anything. To the hospital, I'm nothing but the boyfriend. I'm not her life partner or soulmate. They don't know that according to my community, we are already married, so here I sit. Waiting! The rest of the pack gave up about an hour ago. The cleaners are just too strong for our noses. And with Lauren also being pregnant, it isn't good for her. "Fuck," I growl as my patience grows even thinner. The nurse behind the desk shoots me a "watch your mouth" kind of look, and I reward it with my own "go to hell" look. I need someone to tell me the status of my girls, and I need them to tell me now! I can't even fake pleasantries at this point. As I go to place my hands behind my head, my cell vibrates in my pocket for the thousandth time, and I sigh. I know the pack is just as worried as I am, but having to repeat that, I kno
SAMANTHA POV "Ahhh," I groan as best as I can. My mouth feels dry, and my throat is sore. My body is weak feeling, and I am completely disoriented. What happened? I wonder as I manage to look around the mostly white room that isn't familiar to me. I look down at my body, and my eyes widen as I see the IV in my hand and the blue hospital gown. Panic surges through me, and I lift the thin blanket to reveal my noticeably flatter stomach. "NO," I scream as I begin to frantically feel for my baby girl. "ANGELICA," I scream again as sobs begin to shake my body. The door to the hospital room flies open, and two nurses run into the room. "Ms. Layne, please calm down," one says as she gets right next to my bed. She tries to touch my hand, but I swat at her. "Get away from me! Getaway. You, you took my baby," I scream, and the woman freezes. "No. No. Ms. Layne, your daughter, is just fine. Please calm down. Calm down, Ms. Layne," she says, and the other nurse
DANIEL POV I never thought a heart could grow larger. I always thought a person's love had to be shared among the people the person cares about. But that theory was demolished the moment Sam placed our little beauty in my big hands. Just like the Grinch, as soon as my eyes locked onto hers, my heart doubled in size. "She's beautiful," I whisper, and Sam hums in agreement. "I know. I can't believe it. I can't believe I ever lived without her," Sam whispers, and I nod as our little bean yawns in my arms. My inner animal and my protective instincts stir as I watch her grow comfortable against me. "I will protect you forever, little one. You and your mother are my life. Everything I am belongs to the two of you," I whisper, and Sam squeezes my bicep. "No need to be so serious, Love," Sam says, and I look at her. "It's true. I will never be the same again. As soon as I saw you, my entire world shifted, Sam. My mind became consumed with you, followed by my heart. And now t
SAMANTHA POV "You don't think the straps are too tight? She looks so tiny, and I don't want the straps hurting her," Daniel says as he slides a finger under Angelica's car seat belts. "We followed all the rules, and I will be sitting right next to her. I will be watching, Love," I say before kissing his cheek. He glances at me briefly before looking back down at our four-day-old daughter tenderly. "I just want to make sure. I know she is stronger than she looks, but she's also a cub. Cubs and pups are almost just as weak as human infants. I want her safe but comfortable," Daniel mutters so that the staring nurses won't hear. "Are you sure she isn't just a human infant," I whisper, and he glances at me before looking down at her? "The shifter gene is dominant. Both of your parents were shifters; you are a shifter. So that means she will be as well. I know you still have your doubts, but you half shifted. You kicked Lauren with shifter strength. You have done things th
DANIEL POV "Okay, well, here goes," I mumble with a grin, and Samantha laughs as I push open the front door that one of the guys must have fixed. As we step in, I don't spot anyone in the living room, which surprises me. I figured they would all be waiting, ready to jump on us the second we were inside the door. "That's weird," I mumble, and Samantha looks around curiously with Angelica tucked safely in her arms. "Where are they," she asks, and I shrug before testing my nose to answer the question. "Smells like they are all...oh, I get it. Come on, love," I say with a grin as I place my hand on Samantha's lower back. "The house looks nice. Cozier with all this stuff. I love the paintings," Samantha comments as we head to the mother-in-law suite in the back of the house. "My mother and sister like to paint, so most of the work is made by them," I reply to keep her distracted. She smiles and nods as we continue, but right as we get to the door, Samanth
SAMANTHA POV "I can't believe she is already three weeks old. Time is moving a little too fast," I grumble as I look down at my sleeping daughter. Daniel glances my way in the rearview mirror, and I see my emotions mirrored in his eyes. "I know, baby. But she can't stay squishy and small forever. We will make the most of it while we can," Daniel says, and my ears catch the slight note of excitement in his voice. "Mr. Daniel Gray, what do you have planned," I ask, and he grins. "Well, I knew today would be rough. So I scheduled a little photo shoot after we leave the doctor's office. I packed a change of clothes for us in the diaper bag. I picked matching clothes...Lauren approved, don't worry," Daniel says as he sees my face when he mentions clothes. "Really," I ask, and he nods. "You mentioned that you wanted to get pictures done, so I called a local bear shifter. She works as a photographer in town. She is going to meet us after we leave Dr. Hurst's office. I
SAMANTHA POV "The pictures are absolutely beautiful, Sam. I can't believe I still haven't met her, and she is over a month old. I do have a vacation week coming up, and I plan on spending the entire week there. Ever since I let Adam go, I have had to fill that position myself. I was hoping to be retired by now, but maybe in a few more years. Anyway, I can't just get up and leave like I used to, or I would have already taken a trip up there. Don't think I am a terrible grandfather. I promise it's just because of work, not because I don't care," Andrew says, and I laugh. "Stop stressing, Andrew. I don't think that at all. I know the company is demanding, especially during this season. On a little note, I have some exciting news. I have started looking at some blueprints for homes. Daniel and I plan on getting married soon, so we will be combining our land. We are going to build a big house in the middle for us and our ranch hands to share," I say excitedly, and he pauses. "Ran
SAMANTHA POV I spend the next hour reading and crying like a baby, only to learn that for the rest of 1974, my grandmother got no news about Grace. Kyle began walking, and my horrendous grandfather did force my grandmother into being intimate with him. He didn't get violent with her, and she didn't verbally refuse. But any sane person could tell she wasn't truly a willing participant. She only allowed him to touch her so that her daughter could remain safe. She did get to leave their bedroom for brief periods of time during the day. So that is a positive. After I finished that diary, Angelica woke up fussy. I fed her and changed her just for her to fall right back asleep. Now I am on to diary number two, and my palms are sweaty just thinking about it. The last few pages of diary one were left blank. I don't know if that means she lost it for a while or if she just decided to end that one, but it makes me nervous. I have no idea what awaits me in this book, but I fear it w
SAMANTHA POV Oh God, what have I done? I scream the thought to myself as I follow Daniel's scent trail into the old pine forest. It's been hours since he left. I tried to give him time to cool off and come back to me, but I think that was a bad idea. I need to find him. I never meant to hurt him or behave as if I am unhappy to be pregnant again. I'm just stressed. Angelica is amazing, but she is a lot of work. If we didn't have the pack's help, I have no idea how I would get everything done. And I don't even do that much. I also wasn't a massive fan of being pregnant the first time. Yes, it was a magical experience, but I disliked all the heightened dramatic emotions that made me not act like myself. Plus, being that big is extremely uncomfortable. You can't sleep or even walk without experiencing growing pains. I hit an area in the forest that is denser than the others, and I decide to shift. He should be close enough to hear me yell. "DANIEL," I yell out with m
DANIEL POV "No, Boyd and Mike went over to Andrew's. They are helping him move his larger furniture. The movers delivered his stuff before we arrived," I answer as I pat my favorite horse. I have missed the smells and sounds of home so much. It's so peaceful here compared to Florida. Florida is awful, to be honest. I have no idea why humans retire there. It smells of mold and dirty water. It's humid and loud. Plus, it's the home to alligators. I leave the stall and head for the tack room. I want to check on everything. Not because I don't trust my men, but because I have missed doing it. I have missed the routine and the scents of Wyoming. I have missed working away my stress. "That's nice. Is Andrew comfortable with that," Stanley asks as he follows me with his hands tucked in his pockets. "Yeah. He commente
SAMANTHA POV It's been a week since Margaret Polk's body was found, and you would think we would be over it, but we aren't. The funeral is today, and I have no idea how I am going to hold myself together. All week the press has been harassing and torturing Andrew with in-depth questions that tear at my heart. They ask him what drove his son to murder. They ask him whether he abused his wife or son. They asked him if Adam and Margaret were having an incestuous affair. They ask him if Kelly O'Neal was a part of the relationship. You name it, they have asked it. When they tried to bring Angelica and me into it, he shuts them down. He denied them any further interviews and said if anyone went near us, he would sue. All in all, it's been an absolute nightmare. "Love, I believe Boyd is all set with all of Angelica's things, but I might be wrong. He has four bottles, two pacifiers, a change of clothes, and a crap ton of diapers... Is there anything else you can think of that he might
BENJI POV Mariah leans in a little closer as Lauren continues to eye her suspiciously from across the table. My anger towards the pregnant female grows. The other members have all moved past the fact that she is here, but Lauren is refusing. She is purposefully making Mariah feel uncomfortable, and I am ready to tear her hormonal head off. The only people that needed to accept Mariah were Luna and me. Lauren needs to realize we have accepted Mariah as a pack member. My mark is on her flesh. "The Hay sold, so that's a relief. I spoke to a couple of companies about the foundation of our future home, but without a set blueprint, they can't move forward," Stanley says, and Finley nods while swallowing his bite of brisket. "I'm sure Luna will move forward with the house once she returns. Right now is a stressful time," Finley says, and the stiffness in Stanley's shoulders eases. His face creases with sympathetic emotions, and we all feel that familiar pinch of sadness for wh
DANIEL POV "This seems promising. There is an off-road path to the water here," Boyd says, and I nod. "Roll down the window. See if you can smell anything," I urge, and he instantly follows the order. He closes his eyes and inhales the outside air as we slowly drive down the dirt/grass road. After about two seconds, his eyes snap back open. "She's here....and not just her normal smell. Her body is still here. This whole area smells like death," Boyd whispers, and I roll down my window. As soon as the first wave of air enters the car, I smell it. I smell death and decay emitting from somewhere nearby. I slowly stop the car. Boyd and I climb out in silence. The pit of my stomach is tight, and I almost feel nauseous thinking about seeing her. But we have to do this. We have to close the c
DANIEL POV "Sam said he would have chosen a spot with water. He might have been crazy, but he wasn't an idiot," I say as I drop one of Margaret's shirts in the backseat. Boyd and I already familiarized ourselves with her smell, but bringing her scent along will help. "Did he have any special spots," Boyd asks as he rounds the car to the passenger side. I nod as I recall mine and Andrew's private conversation last night. "Yeah. Andrew said he loved to fish. He gave me a list of the most private spots. But the thing is, most of the areas have some pretty big predators. Alligators being the main ones. We might be searching for a body that is being digested. So let's focus on locating her scent. We won't focus on finding the body, just her scent. I think Andrew would benefit from just knowing her final resting place," I say as I s
BENJI POV RATED R I growl as my dominant side pushes forward. Her lips try to keep up with mine, and it makes my fire build. I love that she didn't give up. I love that she refused to just let me walk away. I love that she took charge, but now it's my turn. I need to show her that I do want her. That it was my hurt pride talking. Her words reminded me of my fear when we voted. How I felt knowing if my pack said no, she would have to leave. She is right. I said I wanted her, and I do. I trust that what she is saying now is the truth. It just hurt my pride that she didn't come back for me. I wanted to be the reason. When she brought up everything she did, it made me angry again. It made me forget what I already knew. She is mine! I want her! We will forgive her, and she will earn our trust. I growl as I let my index claw grow. I slice her dirty dress in half at her back, at she gasps. She pulls away to look at me, and I smirk. "Show me what's mine, sexy kitty," I growl,
BENJI POV "Mariah," I say as I open the guest room door. She has been hiding out ever since Lauren blew up, and I need to check on her. I haven't checked on her yet, and I feel like a terrible mate, but it's because I don't know what to do. My heart is torn between loving my mate and loyalty to my pack. I never thought I would have this dilemma. I thought I would meet my mate and she would love me. That's how shifters are. The only time a shifter has to work harder is if their mate is human. They have to win their mate over and reveal their true identity. But a shifter with a shifter mate has nothing to disclose. Both their inner animals call to one another. They love instantly...except in my case. My mate is a secret assassin sent to kill my Luna. Kill my Luna, not because of her crimes, but her family's crimes, which is bullshit. My Luna is an amazing woman. She is strong, loving, and loyal. My mate has been dishonest and withdrawn....ahhhhh. "I'm here," Maria
SAMANTHA POV I don't know why I am so nervous. I mean, Andrew is one of the nicest men I have ever met. He shouldn't blame any of this on me. I know I had no control over Adam's actions. But I also know people who are grieving aren't always rational. He could have warped what happened in his mind, because he is upset about losing his loved ones. I mean, I did kill his son. He could be upset about the way I handled things. He could think I should have used nonlethal force. He could be disappointed that Adam never got his day in court. "Do you think seeing me will be too much for him," I ask Daniel quietly as he follows the rental car's GPS? "What do you mean? Too much? Are you asking about whether he can handle you being a shifter" Daniel asks, giving me a quick glance? "No. No. Well, that too...But umm, I was meaning he might get upset when he sees me. I mean, Adam killed his wife, and now Adam is dead. And Adam is dead because I killed him. Andrew might resent me," I