Brayden
** Seven years later **
“Bry, baby, we have a situation to attend to.”
I look up from the computer monitor as Jacob struts into my office with a folder in his hand. His devilish grin is the first thing to greet me, but the sparkle in his light brown eyes warns me it isn’t all business that he is after.
I raise an eyebrow. “Why do you always start a sentence with Bry, baby, when you want me to do something for you?” I motion my hand for him to continue. “Tell me what you want me to do.”
My eyebrow raises even higher at the mischievous look in his eyes as he sits down in front of my desk. “I got a phone call from a pack way out along the edge of the werewolf territories. They need our help.”
Ah. There it is.
I sigh. “So, you want me to go out to the territory for you, since you can’t go. Why can’t you go?”
He slides to the edge of his chair. His eyes shimmer even brighter as he replies in a deep and sexy voice. “Baby, you know I have the outing with my father. You and Hunter agreed to pick up my load while I was off with the family. Are you backing out on me now?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m not backing out. However, I have a feeling there is something a little more to this trip than just a family outing and you refuse to tell me. We have been in a relationship for over 7 years now and friends since we were old enough to talk. I know you better than you know yourself. You are up to something.”
He shrugs his shoulder as if he doesn’t know what I’m talking about. However, I can’t miss his slight gulp, which proves he is up to something. I just need to figure out what.
“Bry, baby, I’m not up to anything. You can ask Hunter.”
A snort escapes from me as I stare at him. Is he serious? Hunter will cover for him, no matter what. I would have better luck asking some random person in the pack than Hunter.
I narrow my eyes and point my finger at him. “I don’t believe you. However, a pack is in need. I’ll go help them, but do you have any information on them and what exactly do they need help with?”
He leans forward and sets a folder on my desk. As he points to it, he chimes, “Everything should be in there. If not, you can let me know, and I’ll get whatever else you need.”
I glance down at the manilla folder and take a deep breath. How do I let him talk me into these things? Oh, yeah. Because I love the big goof.
I pull the folder towards me and open it up as he replies, “The first thing is, they need a good security check. They are having problems with rogues. However, once the securities are enhanced, I’m sure they will need some better training. Whatever they are doing right now doesn’t seem to work if the rogues are attacking all the time.”
I nod as I scan through the information, and he adds, “The pack isn’t too big, but it is big enough that they shouldn’t be having these problems. I’m sure you will whip them into shape in no time.”
Ah, there it is again. Me doing all the work. I really need to change how our relationship works. The same goes for Hunter. Between the two of them, I always end up doing all the work.
I take a deep breath and look up from the folder. “You owe me. I’ll need to add it to the growing list of things you owe me for.”
He flashes me his famous puppy dog eyes and pouts, “Oh, com on, baby. I’m not that bad. Maybe you are thinking of Hunter instead.”
I raise an eyebrow and snort. “I know exactly who I’m talking to, and your cute puppy dog eyes won’t work on me anymore.”
He leans forward and rests his arms on the edge of my desk as the sparkle in his eyes grows brighter. In a deep, husky voice, the same one he knows drives me crazy, he teases, “Are you sure? I think I’m winning already.”
Dang it. I hate it when he knows he is right. However, I’m not giving in so easy this time.
I sit up straight in my chair and grunt, “Yeah, I’m sure.”
My stomach flutters as his pout disappears and his devilish grin reappears. He slowly stands up and as he walks around the edge of my desk, I can’t stop my betraying eyes as they roam his muscular body and stop at his chest. His black shirt stretches tight against his muscles, outlining each one to perfection.
Gulp.
He stops beside my chair with our eyes still locked with each other, and in a soft and sexy voice, he has me dripping wet and soaking panties as he purrs, “Are you still sure?”
He leans forward as I slowly nod. However, my confidence is now gone.
As he slowly turns my chair towards him, he shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”
My core throbs while he slowly scans my body. I can almost feel his eyes looking right through my clothes at my naked body.
His eyes stop on my chest and darken. “I’m so glad that Hunter and I are the only ones who can see your true form. I can’t imagine letting anyone else devour you. You are only for me and Hunter to ravage.”
Almost as if Hunter has heard his name being called, he dashes into my office. However, I don’t take my eyes off the god-like body in front of me.
Click.
My heart hammers against my chest as Hunter whines, “Jacob, you know you aren’t to start without me. Plus, this is going to be our last night together before everyone leaves. We are going to make it special.”
A shiver runs through my body as his voice drops to that sexy tone I love with his last few words.
I’m going to make sure to make my trip fast. I don’t want to be away from these two for too long.
As Hunter rounds the corner of my desk, he pulls off his shirt and tosses it to the side. At the same time, Jacob gives me his all-knowing grin and stands upright while he takes his shirt off too.
Lord have mercy. How am I supposed to deny these two works of art?
I muster up what little courage I have left and softly whine, “Not in my office.” However, it doesn’t come out as a demand, instead it sounds more like a question.
Hunter flashes me a brilliant smile as he stands next to Jacob. “We want tonight to be special. So, we are starting in your office. Then, at some point, we will make it home to continue in our bedroom.”
Jacob licks his lips as he scans my body again. “We also have a gorgeous little black lacy nightie we want to see you in. I want to know if my imagination is true about how amazing and sexy you will look in it. I bet you will look better than other woman.”
I ignore the slight pain in my heart as my chest heaves and my heart races.
Hunter steps forward and, as he leans in towards me, he adds, “We are the luckiest alphas to have such a gorgeous and amazing omega.”
Jacob nods and also leans down towards me. “Yes, we are the luckiest alphas alive to have Bryanna as ours.”
Brayden I sigh and grumble under my breath as I fight to keep my eyes open. How could those two idiots not let me sleep? Well, we got a few hours this morning, but clearly it wasn’t enough. I can’t argue too much though. I was screaming for more last night, which they did as I requested. However, the next time I talk to them, I’m going to give them an earful. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time this morning. But when I finally corner them, they will wish they didn’t pull a stunt like that. I ease up to the front of Yellow Moon’s pack house, which is about average for its size. However, the white paint is chipping, and the flower beds need to be weeded. I can’t tell what flowers are even in there with all the weeds hiding them. If this is any sign of how they run everything else, I’ve got my hands full. As I step out of the vehicle, a tall, dark-haired man walks out of the building and calls out, “Alpha Brayden. I’m so glad you could come on such short notice. I
Brayden Jacob’s deep voice spills from my phone and sends a warm shiver through my body. “Baby, I miss you and Hunter. I wish you two were here with me.” Ah, an image of him with his plump pouty lips and his puppy dog eyes pops into my mind. I shake my head and stare out the window at the dark night sky. The clouds were building earlier, and storms will rumble through here in the night. However, right now, it is silent, but you can’t see anything except a pitch-black night sky. I shake my head. “You were the one who sent me here. Now live with it. Plus, you had really wanted to go on this trip with your parents.” That annoying feeling returns. There is something more to this trip than what he is telling me, but I’m not in the mood to fight and push it away. Hunter quickly chimes, “Yeah, Jake. You were the one to send our gorgeous mate away. Now you have to suffer.” My eye twitches at the word mate. I’m not their destined mate, but only a contract one. When they fi
ZACKWith a scowl on my face and my foot tapping on the hard tile floor, I glance at my watch and sigh. Where is he? I told him to be here at 8am sharp and it is now 8:30.He is nowhere to be found. Don’t tell me he is stilling sleeping like a baby up in his room.Ugh… I hate working with irresponsible people.The echo of footsteps stumbling down the stairs bounces around the lobby area.Yes. It is about time.I whip my head up and glare up the stairs.I take a deep breath and get ready to blast Brayden with my anger. How could he be this irresponsible? He is the alpha of his pack. People rely on him to do a lot for the pack. However, as soon as my eyes land on him, all the harsh words running through my head along my anger instantly disappears.His perfectly combed blonde hair from yesterday is gone.
ZACKI shake my head.Something I’ve been doing a lot of today, as I look across the table at Brayden. I didn’t think it would be safe for him to eat supper with everyone since he can barely keep his eyes open today.His eyelids slowly slide down as his long eyelashes flutter slightly before his eyes finally close. His head bobs slightly and his blonde bangs fall down over his forehead.Before his head can fall forward and into the last few bites of his food on his plate, I quickly reach across the table and gently grab his cute face. My heart skips a beat as I get up and, while still holding Brayden’s gorgeous face, I carefully walk around the table.He had been hesitant to finish our conversation over a meal in his room, but I figured this would happen. It is better for him to be here than in the dining hall. At least he ate most of his food before he fell asleep.I sc
BRAYDEN Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. No. Not yet. I groan as I roll over and turn off my phone’s alarm on the nightstand. However, my hand stops in midair right afterwards and my eyes pop wide open. I slowly scan my outstretched arm. What happened last night? How did I get into bed? Wasn’t I sitting and eating a meal? I quickly rake through my memories, but nothing comes to mind. Towards the end of the meal, everything goes blank. Wait. Did I fall asleep while eating? No. This can’t be happening to me. I throw myself backwards onto the bed and kick my feet. Again, I halt everything in mid-kick. Please tell me I’m wrong. This can’t be happening. As I whisper a silent prayer to myself, I slowly lift up the sheets. Shit. I’m not wrong. I’m only in my boxers. I brea
ZACKI look up from my tablet and glance across the table at Brayden, who has his eyes locked on the various documents and the files on his laptop, completely ignoring me. My focus instantly goes to his luscious lips and the burning question which I still don’t have an answer to. Do his lips taste good?No. I have to stop thinking about it.I press my lips together and shake my head before I turn my focus back to my tablet.This is crazy.Suddenly, my dream from last night pops into my head as my throat suddenly goes dry.Heat rushes through me as the image of his soft plump lips pressing against mine has my body coming alive.Gulp.My pants tighten as my manhood springs to life.Shit. I can’t be sitting across from him and thinking about that.I move around on the chair, trying to find a comfortable spot while I discreetly pull my
BRAYDEN I stare at Zack’s back as he storms out of the conference room. What in the heck has got him all worked up? However, his subtle jab with his words earlier still irritates me. My eye twitches as I turn my attention back towards Blake. “I was going to say he has been very professional and helpful, but after seeing his little tantrum, I may change my mind.” Blake glances over his shoulder at the empty doorway and sighs. “He has his moments. I’m hoping he can find his omega soon. He needs to get in his alpha position before his frustrations and waiting eat him alive.” My heart twists while I fight to keep a blank face. However, I quickly push this strange feeling out of my mind. “Well, he is old enough. I have to admit that I’m surprised he hasn’t found his mate yet. Maybe his mate is a lot younger than him, which is why he hasn’t found her. I’m sure it will only be a matter o
ZACKI grumble under my breath as I march towards Brayden’s room. My brother’s stern voice still echoes in my head. “Go check in on Brayden. He didn’t come down for supper tonight.”Why do I have to be the one to always check in on him? Why can’t Blake have someone else be the babysitter?Ugh…I stop in front of Brayden’s door and again grumble under my breath about me always being the one to take care of the cute alpha.I take a deep breath and push away all my frustrations. This will only be a short delay before I head off to the nightclub. Even though I couldn’t find anyone available, I’m sure I’ll get lucky at the club. There are always women there who are willing and ready to have a night of fun with a tall, handsome man.Knock. Knock.My foot taps lightly on the floor as silence falls a
Zack Jacob walks into my office. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be outside with all the pups? Why are you still in your office?” I look up and give him a look like he knows exactly why I’m still here as I motion my hands above my desk and all the papers. Hunter marches through the door, shaking his head. “We have stacks of paperwork sitting on our desk too, but we are here for your pup’s birthday party. I still can’t believe he is 10 already. It seems just like yesterday we were fighting with Bry’s father and throwing Alpha Trevor and his son in the dungeons.” I shake my head. “Why would you even bring up that time in my life? I was worried what that idiot alpha and his son were going to do to get my mate, while also trying to stop Bry’s father from executing his horrible plan. That is a part of my life I don’t want to remember.” Jacob plops down in a chair in front of my desk. “But that is also the time you made your pup, Zane. Why would you want to forget about finding
Bryanna“UGHHHH!!! I HATE YOU!!!” My face contorts in pain while I put all my might in smashing Zack’s hand. He is the reason for this and why I’m in this much pain. He needs to feel a small portion of what I feel.The doctor reaches up above her head and tilts a light. She looks at my face while she stands in between my legs. “You are doing good. It won’t be much longer now. The pup is crowning.”Crowning? I want him out! NOW!!!Another contraction slices through me like it is ripping me apart. I throw my head back on the bed and dig my feet harder into the stirrups. “UGHHHH!!!! I’M DYING!!!!!”I tighten my grip on Zack’s hand, my only chance of relief. He winces and rubs the back of my hand. “You are doing so good, honey. Our pup will be here soon. You can do it.”His calm voice irritates me, and I whip my head around to the side and glare at him. “NEXT TIME, YOU ARE GIVING BIRTH! WHEN YOU PUSH A WATERMELON OUT YOUR DICK, THEN YOU CAN TELL ME I’M DOING GOOD!!!!”A
BryannaI move around in my hard chair, trying to find a comfortable position while I rub my growing pregnant belly. My focus is on the various council members behind the raised wooden ‘judge’s’ bench. The court room is full of people anxiously waiting for their decision. I don’t know if I should be happy or sad my father survived. It was touch and go, but in the end, he pulled through. It delayed his trail until he was healthy enough, though. Zack wraps his arm around my shoulders and whispers, “Are you alright? Do you need something?”I shake my head. “No. I just need to find out their decision. I can’t see how it could be anything other than guilty.” My gut twists, and I know it may not be that easy. He still has some very powerful connections, but if he finds a way out of this, I will do all I can to make sure he pays for it the rest of his life. Zack kisses the side of my head. “It will be over soon.” I take a deep breath and let his amazing, woodsy scent fill my l
ZackMy heart hammers against my chest as a mix of fear and hatred consumes me. My eyes lock on Bry and her father, and my gaze snaps to her arm where blood is trickling down. A small pool of red liquid forms on the floor in between them. No! He is hurting her!A growl rumbles within me, but before I can bolt forward, Blake grabs my arm and whispers, “Not yet. This is a battle she has been building to for most of her life. She needs to do this on her own first. If she stumbles or her father gets the upper hand, you can then step in, but let her fight this by herself first.”I don’t want to, but I know he is right. She might resent me if I interrupt them now. My wolf jumps forward and claws at the front of my mind, trying to take over and not wanting to obey my brother. He doesn’t care if Blake is right or not. He just wants to protect our mate. I take a deep breath and push my wolf to the back of my mind while I keep my eyes on Bry and her father. Every move her father ma
BryannaAnger courses through my veins. How could my father do something like this? I know he is behind the attacks, but knowing he is here after getting the top-secret intel about the new recipe has my blood boiling. It is to be expected, but seeing him leaves no doubt about him. Nothing is going to stop me from being there either when my father is captured and punished for his wrongdoings. Not even my pregnancy will stop me. As I run through the forest towards the factory, I rub my belly and silently pray the little one will work with me on this. I’m sure the baby would agree with me if it knew what my father is doing. My lip twitches up into a snarl, and I grind my teeth together. A wave of anger rakes over me, and when it reaches my feet, the ground rumbles. I ignore it though and continue running as fast as I can. My mind is consumed with my father and what he is doing and has done to Blake’s pack. And for what? Money? No. He did it for power. It is as simple as t
JacobHunter and I march through Bry’s pack house towards the meeting room, where several of the attackers are being held, waiting for us to come and handle them. Who in the world would have the guts to do this to her pack? It takes a lot of nerve to attack any of our three packs. We have the best trained warriors, and they are evenly spread across all of our packs. My lip lifts into a snarl when we turn the corner, and the room comes into view. Hunter remains silent beside me, but he is far from being quiet. His feet pound against the hard floor and echo down the hallway, expressing his true feelings without saying a word. We burst through the door, and our feet stop right inside. My eyes widen and my mouth falls slightly open at the captive people as I stare at the last two, who I didn’t think would do something like this. Hunter’s steps falter, but his rage doesn’t allow his shock to overcome him. He balls his hands into fists and stomps his feet forward. Through gritted
BryannaZack holds my hand as we walk through the halls. “Baby, you should go back to the room and rest. You still look pale. The medicine is working, but you are still fighting with an upset stomach.”I shake my head. With determination in my voice, I grunt, “No. This is my father. I need to be in on it, too. There isn’t anyone who knows better than me what he is like or is capable of. I want to be there and see the look on his face when he finds himself backed into a corner with no way out with his world crumbling down around him.”He squeezes my hand. “But we aren’t to that point yet. We are still talking about what to do. You can go rest, and I’ll tell you everything we discuss.”I press my lips together, and my stomach churns. “No. I want to be there to help plan it.”I fight back the bile rising up. There isn’t anything that is going to stop me. I will be there. Zack sighs and shakes his head but remains silent. We walk through Blake’s open office door. Zack sh
ZackI expectantly look across the desk at Blake. “Is your person reliable? Are you sure this is going to work?”My foot bounces as my fingers fidget with the side of my jeans. I really don’t want to be here right now. I’d rather be back in my room with Bry. The doctors are watching her and have a staff hovering around her. None of them have ever come across a woman having as much trouble as Bry with her pregnancy, and it has just started. They have warned me they may have to put her on bedrest, which she has strongly argued against. But when I tell her that she might lose our pup if she doesn’t listen to the them, she quiets down. He nods. “Yes. Our little birdie is quite reliable. Don’t worry. Now, how is Bry? I didn’t get a chance to go to your room to check in on you two.”My fingernail flicks the seam along the side of my jeans as I slowly shake my head. “She is having a really rough time. Thank goodness, the doctors have been able to find a medicine which will ke
BryannaI hug the bucket to me as my stomach lurches again. There can’t be anything left in me. I’ve been sick all day. Isn’t morning sickness supposed to only happen in the morning? Why is it lasting all day? Does the moon goddess hate me or something? My wolf growls in my head as she grunts, “You only need to watch out for your father. No one else would dare go against us.”I hope she is right. “Maybe.”My wolf shakes her head. “You still don’t know what we are capable of doing. Believe me, no one else will dare to cross us. Only your father is dumb enough to do it.”The corners of my mouth curl upward. “Okay. I’ll believe you. Can you help me with this nausea? I don’t have anything left to throw up. My stomach is empty now.”Her head and shoulders drop as she shakes her head. “Sorry. This is one of the few things I can’t help you with. If you get to a point where you can’t take it any longer, you need to call the doctor.”I sigh. She softly adds, “Believe it or