ZackI stare out the airplane window and scan the sea of trees, hoping to find something other than brown and green, but there is nothing. Blake taps my shoulder and grunts, “Zack, are you listening to them? Jacob and Hunter weren’t given the correct maps. For the first time since Bry came, I went back and verified all the documents my secretary gave them and several of them are wrong. We have a mole within our ranks.”His voice gets a little higher with each new sentence. I know he is frustrated, but my top priority right now is still finding and bringing Bry back. I nod while still staring out the plane’s window. “Yes, I’m listening, but I can do two things at once. I’m also grateful for Jacob and Hunter allowing us to use their plane for both the search and for our meeting. We have a major problem back at the pack house and your office. Even if we do multiple sweeps every day, I still won’t trust your office anymore, especially with everything I tell your secretary. At t
Zack Bry’s sweet voice rings through my head, and it takes me a minute to register what she said. Wait. She wants to know if I’m in a plane. I lean towards the window and press my forehead against the cool glass as my heart races. Through our link, I reply, “Yes. We discovered there is a mole within the pack, so Jacob and Hunter decided to do what I want and search for you while we discuss how to resolve the issue with the traitor. Are you outside? Can you see the plane?” I bite my lower lip while I press my head harder against the glass. My eyes dart back and forth across the sea of trees. “Yes. Can’t talk much. Five buildings to the right of the plane.” Right of the plane. My mind repeats her words before I suddenly sit up straight and jump out of my seat. While ignoring everyone, I rush to the other side of the plane and look out the window. My breath hitches as I spot five buildings and a bright white object. I don’t have to even look at it again, but I do. The
BryannaI pace back and forth at the end of the room. My stomach flutters as my mind goes back to my mate. He saw me and now knows exactly where I’m at. I wish I hadn’t told him not to come get me. I would give anything right now for him to burst through the door and pull me out of this prison. Currently, there is only one person left in the room with me, who I keep glancing at and keep an eye on. Of all people, why did the creepy guy be the one to stay behind and be alone with me? I don’t dare look away for even a second. A mix of excitement and dread runs through me as my mind tries to think of ways for me to get out of here. I can’t control my enthusiasm or stop my paws from moving at the idea of seeing Zack again. It is only a matter of time now before I’ll be back in Zack’s loving and strong arms. From across the room, the man pushes himself off the wall and slowly walks towards me. As he takes his first steps in my direction, he licks his lips and his mouth curls int
Zack“I’m coming back. I’ve escaped.” Bry’s voice echoes in my head while my breath hitches. Did she say what I think she just did? She quickly adds, “I love you.”Yes, she did! I bolt up out of my chair in the conference room and dart for the door. Before she blocks me off, I quickly ask through our link, “Where are you coming through at?”“I’m not sure. I’m not exactly sure where I’m at. I just know I‘m coming back to you.”As I run out of the conference towards my brother’s office, I briefly explain to Bry where she is at and what path she needs to take to get back here as quick as possible. I barge into my brother’s office and ignore his guest. “Bry has escaped!”I don’t give him any more details before I turn and dart back out of his office and down the hall. Hopefully she can follow my instructions and get here as soon as possible. I want to run into the forest and greet her, but something in her voice and her previous commands to not come ‘save’ her tell me I should
BryannaEvery part of my body aches, even my hair. Ugh… Why did I not ask Zack to come get me as soon as he found out where I was at?The familiar woodsy scent I love drifts through the air and wraps around me like a comforting blanket. A faint smile glides across my lips as Zack’s deep voice softly asks, “Baby, how are you doing? The doctors said you were weak because you hadn’t eaten anything for the last few days. They don’t think you had anything to drink, either.”I slowly open my eyes. His handsome face is the first thing I see as my vision comes into focus. I have missed him so much. Even though my hand feels 100 times heavier than normal, I muster up all my strength and raise my hand up and caress his cheek. My throat aches and is dry like a desert.My voice cracks as I force out one word. “Water.”His concerned blue eyes widen as he quickly turns towards the nightstand next to the bed. He pours me a glass of water, while Jacob and Hunter step up along the other sid
Zack NO WAY!! A load growl rips from me with an authority I didn’t know I had. “NEVER! SHE IS MY MATE! YOU WILL NEVER HAVE HER!” My wolf jumps forward and nearly gains control of me while Blake wraps his arms around me, trying to hold me back. Jacob jumps over the bed and joins Blake in holding me back while I struggle and fight to get at the jerk. How dare he walk in here and make such a claim. Bry isn’t going to be anyone else’s mate. We have already claimed each other and have gone through the ceremony to bring me into her pack. I’ve taken the title of Alpha for her pack and there isn’t anyone who can reverse it or stop it now. Red. All I see is red as I fight and struggle to break free, like a crazed wild animal. The air grows thicker as the tensions rise. Tanner raises an eyebrow and gives me a small smirk, as if he has already won. The urge to jump over the bed and rip him part consumes me. I narrow my eyes and shoot daggers at him. The next second, though
Dale (Bryanna’s father)UGH!!! Why is this all happening now? I’m so close to finally getting what I want, and it is all going down the drain!Standing in front of my desk, I grab a paper weight and throw it across the room. It slams against the far wall and into a picture of my mate and me, shattering the glass. It falls to the floor with a thud and the frame breaks. Some of the glass cuts through the thin paper and scratches my mate’s beautiful face. The only thing not distorted now is her gorgeous long blonde hair. Not only has Bry gotten my mate’s hair, but she also got her sparkling green eyes. Bry’s eyes, though, don’t hold the same sparkle as my mate’s. Instead, our pup’s green gaze has a very cold and distant look. It is nothing remotely close to her mother’s warm gaze.My heart twists as I stare at the broken picture. “Wow. What the heck happened in here? Did something not go right for you?”I quickly push any thoughts of my mate out of my mind as I turn around.
Bryanna I march through the forest, grumbling under my breath. How could my father do something like this to me? I knew it wasn’t going to be good, but I also didn’t think he would have stooped to this new low. What is he thinking? Wait. I already know this one. He wasn’t thinking, but I’m sure whatever was going through his head it was something which would benefit him. I almost wanted to keep Alpha Trevor and Tanner in my hospital room a little longer to get some answers, but I was too mad to think clearly. Plus, Zack was about ready to blow his top. I clench my hand tighter into a ball as I stomp my feet. Steam rolls off me in waves while I continue to mumble to myself. Zack steps up closer to me on my left. “Bry, you need to calm down. You haven’t been out of the hospital for that long. What am I going to tell them when I have to take you back because you hurt yourself?” I grit my teeth and hiss, “I don’t care. You can tell them my father is the one to blame.”
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