ANN POV "We all heard you approach. It's a good thing I have contingencies in place or this opportunity would have passed me by," his gruff voice mumbles before he grabs my arm. A small yelp escapes my mouth as his grip crushes my forearm and tears well up in my eyes once more. I feel so stupid and helpless. I knew the second I left the safety of my car that he was behind me, but I have yet to look at him. I can't seem to bring myself to do it. It's like seeing the boogeyman after imagining him forever. I don't want to put a face to my nightmares... But facing him might be my only chance. Come on, Ann. Fight. You chose to come here tonight. You put yourself in danger. At least try to protect yourself. Before I can try any kind of defensive tactic he yanks me toward the front of my car and pushes me down. I fall on my butt and look up at him instinctually to shield myself, but what I see makes me gasp in surprise, not fear. He looks like any fifty-something-year-old man except fo
FINLEY POV Her tears and fear are the only things I can focus on as I run full speed at his back. If he thinks for one second he can take someone else from me he is wrong. I will kill him right here and now. When I get about five feet from him I launch myself into the air.He is so focused on his brief moment of control that he hasn't smelled or heard me coming straight at him. I open my jaw wide and aim directly at his neck. I need to kill him instantly. He has Ann in his arms. I can't risk him hurting her. As my teeth sink into his flesh I allow every feeling of sorrow and rage I felt racing here come pouring out of me. I clamp down on his spine and snap it in half with one clean bite. I dig my claws into his back and tear his skin open. As his body falls to the earth, limp and useless, I attack it. I rip it open with my canines and claw it open with my paws. I know he is dead, but the fact he took Darcy's life and was threatening Ann's has me seeing red. My wolf spirit and my
ANN POV "Your ulna is snapped clean in half and your radius has a bad fracture. You are going to need a cast, Ann," Neata says as she looks over my x-ray. I nod and try to keep from tearing up again. I have cried enough today. I knew the bone had a clean break, but hearing her say it makes it so final. Alpha Hugh was strong enough to snap my arm without exerting much effort and that fact is terrifying. Shifters look so normal, but they aren't. They are unnaturally strong. I should have listened to Claire. I should have stayed away from the house. Now all I can think about is how easy it would be for Fin or one of the others to hurt me. "So you are friends with shifters... and there was an attack that you got caught in the middle of," Neata asks critically as she steps away from the x-ray and takes a seat on the stool. "Yes. I know how that sounds, but they are real trust me. Members of their high council should be showing up to go over what happened at Gray Ranch and my injuries
FINLEY POV I have never been this angry and disappointed in Ann before. She has always been a calm reasonable woman who I could trust to make good decisions. But tonight she broke the trust I had in her. "Hey, I am about to head out," Lewis says as he sees me stomp back into the waiting room. "Good. Go," I snap and he looks at me as if I have grown three heads. "What the hell is your problem? Did Ann tell you to come back out here," he asks and I run my hand through my hair. The angry words I spoke to her come back in waves as I think of what to say to him and my stomach tightens. I shouldn't have cussed at her, but I was so mad. I am still mad. Everything about the past 4 hours has been wrong and unfair. "No. I blew up at her for coming to the house. Claire warned her and she still came... I said some hurtful things," I explain in a low voice. Shame is beginning to ease my anger toward her. I already lost someone important today and I just treated Ann like crap. I can't
FINLEY POV The gentle neighs from the horses around me filter through my sensitive ears as my brain continues to drift through thought. Food, water and reproduction, those are the only things wild animals care about. The horses we tend to and the cattle we raise have no drama in their lives. They live every day as if it were their last. They learn from their pasts, but they do not dwell on their futures. They do not plan. Their lives are lived day by day. If only I could shut that part of my brain off too. If only I couldn't dream or wish about the things I want for tomorrow. If only I were a wolf all the time. "Fin? You in here man," Lewis calls and my head snaps in the direction of the tack room door.I don't know how long I have been standing in front of the manure shovels and wheelbarrels, but it must have been a while for Lewis to come looking for me."Yeah, just putting up," I say in an easy going tone to bypass any suspension about why it's taking me so long to come inside
FINLEY POV For three solid days, I have listened to Killian mope about running the cameras or brag about his council missions with Darcy. It is at the point where each time he opens his mouth, I want to tear my ears off. I can no longer eat or sleep. I am just seething. His ego is the size of Alaska and I just want him to shut up so we can complete our job. Today alone has been particularly bad. "Hey Fin, you good," Lewis asks as we walk into the cave we are calling home for the night. I nod without meeting his concerned gaze and he sighs. "I haven't heard a wisecrack in over 48 hours," Lewis says, digging deeper, and I grind my teeth. Usually, I disguise a bad mood, concern, or give advice through light-hearted jokes, but I feel too sick to my stomach to laugh about anything right now. Even a fake laugh would make my mouth fill with bile right now. Killian just finished describing how much he is looking forward to returning to his wife for some much-needed sexual time, a
DARCY POV"We are all fine... It's dad. He's sick. Pack doctor can't figure it out. He can't fulfill his duties right now. Daniel is needed here. I am basically human. Emma is enjoying her first semester at a college across the country. It has to be you, Fin. You need to go home and help mom," Stanley says as Tabitha rubs his back.He is keeping his tone even for his younger brother, but we can all see his face. He looks practically ill as he relays the news about Alpha Forest to Finley.Marcie called four or five hours ago and Stanley has done nothing but plan. He immediately started emailing the Northern Gray pack's doctor and corresponding with Emma, who sounds like a brat."Yeah....""Yes, he is okay.""No, Dan said for all three of you to go. It gets dicey in those woods so you need the backup, Fin. Once you get there Lewis and Killian can return. Grab your packs and head that way tonight. Mom needs you now," Stanley says as he brings his hand to his forehead.My heart twists a l
FINLEY POVDad's sick.The biggest strongest wolf I know is sick. He is never sick. He is like a mountain. He is always standing tall. Nothing shakes Dad. He is my hero. He has always been the male we can count on for everything. Every problem we have ever had has been solved by Dad. How can he be sick? Lewis whines from beside me as he senses my mood, but I keep my muzzle pointed straight. Getting to the Northern pack will take us all night and I don't have the energy or patience to address anyone. I just want to run. I can't take anymore. I feel as if my body is constantly anxious. It has been one blow after another... Adam killing his mother and abducting Samantha and Angelica, Lauren betraying us and killing David, Mariah losing her son, Grace and Andrew dying, Stanley coming back from death, and Darcy showing up married. Now Dad is sick, and I am losing my composure. I have tried to remain positive. I have been the one to offer support to the others. I have tried to keep my em
FINLEY POV I have never been this angry and disappointed in Ann before. She has always been a calm reasonable woman who I could trust to make good decisions. But tonight she broke the trust I had in her. "Hey, I am about to head out," Lewis says as he sees me stomp back into the waiting room. "Good. Go," I snap and he looks at me as if I have grown three heads. "What the hell is your problem? Did Ann tell you to come back out here," he asks and I run my hand through my hair. The angry words I spoke to her come back in waves as I think of what to say to him and my stomach tightens. I shouldn't have cussed at her, but I was so mad. I am still mad. Everything about the past 4 hours has been wrong and unfair. "No. I blew up at her for coming to the house. Claire warned her and she still came... I said some hurtful things," I explain in a low voice. Shame is beginning to ease my anger toward her. I already lost someone important today and I just treated Ann like crap. I can't
ANN POV "Your ulna is snapped clean in half and your radius has a bad fracture. You are going to need a cast, Ann," Neata says as she looks over my x-ray. I nod and try to keep from tearing up again. I have cried enough today. I knew the bone had a clean break, but hearing her say it makes it so final. Alpha Hugh was strong enough to snap my arm without exerting much effort and that fact is terrifying. Shifters look so normal, but they aren't. They are unnaturally strong. I should have listened to Claire. I should have stayed away from the house. Now all I can think about is how easy it would be for Fin or one of the others to hurt me. "So you are friends with shifters... and there was an attack that you got caught in the middle of," Neata asks critically as she steps away from the x-ray and takes a seat on the stool. "Yes. I know how that sounds, but they are real trust me. Members of their high council should be showing up to go over what happened at Gray Ranch and my injuries
FINLEY POV Her tears and fear are the only things I can focus on as I run full speed at his back. If he thinks for one second he can take someone else from me he is wrong. I will kill him right here and now. When I get about five feet from him I launch myself into the air.He is so focused on his brief moment of control that he hasn't smelled or heard me coming straight at him. I open my jaw wide and aim directly at his neck. I need to kill him instantly. He has Ann in his arms. I can't risk him hurting her. As my teeth sink into his flesh I allow every feeling of sorrow and rage I felt racing here come pouring out of me. I clamp down on his spine and snap it in half with one clean bite. I dig my claws into his back and tear his skin open. As his body falls to the earth, limp and useless, I attack it. I rip it open with my canines and claw it open with my paws. I know he is dead, but the fact he took Darcy's life and was threatening Ann's has me seeing red. My wolf spirit and my
ANN POV "We all heard you approach. It's a good thing I have contingencies in place or this opportunity would have passed me by," his gruff voice mumbles before he grabs my arm. A small yelp escapes my mouth as his grip crushes my forearm and tears well up in my eyes once more. I feel so stupid and helpless. I knew the second I left the safety of my car that he was behind me, but I have yet to look at him. I can't seem to bring myself to do it. It's like seeing the boogeyman after imagining him forever. I don't want to put a face to my nightmares... But facing him might be my only chance. Come on, Ann. Fight. You chose to come here tonight. You put yourself in danger. At least try to protect yourself. Before I can try any kind of defensive tactic he yanks me toward the front of my car and pushes me down. I fall on my butt and look up at him instinctually to shield myself, but what I see makes me gasp in surprise, not fear. He looks like any fifty-something-year-old man except fo
ANN POV My hands shake as I reread Claire's texts for the third time. 9:21 Claire- Hey, go to your place after work. Something happened. One of the guys on patrol howled. Lewis just left our wing to go get ready. 9:32 Claire- I am so scared. I think it's happening, Ann. I think that angry Alpha has finally shown up. I am so scared for Lewis. We just found each other. I can't imagine losing him now. 9:57 Claire- I expect I will be going to the bunker soon so you should either stay at the hospital or go back to the house. Please stay safe. I love you Tears fill my eyes as fear for my friend and Fin ravage my exhausted body. I shouldn't have left my phone in my locker. I should have kept it on me, but the lobby was busy when I arrived and I jumped right in. I didn't think about checking my phone once all night. Anything can be happening to them and I wasn't even aware. I look at the time and swallow the lump in my throat. It's only been twenty minutes since she last text me. May
BENJI POV Realization that Alpha Hugh has an explosive tied to a tree dawns on me at the same time Darcy's dark gray and black wolf comes rushing in front of my body. But before either of us can do anything the explosive goes off.Darcy is blasted back into me instantlyand our bodies go flying backward from the force. I yelp as I hit the hard ground. Black dots cloud my vision and my legs feel as if they have been broken, but I am still alive. I yelp again as the broken bones instantly begin to reset. They won't be fully healed for several hours but at least they won't be sticking through my fur.I lift my head and look to my right. Darcy landed just a few feet from me, but she isn't moving. The tree that had the bomb and several others all exploded. Sharp pieces of wood are sticking out of the ground and her body. I can't shift with freshly broken bones to check on her and our enemy is still roaming free, so I do the next best thing. I tilt my head up and howl. I pour all of my pai
DARCY POVBenji's large body quietly moves away from me as he begins his route and I sigh in relief. His calm power has always been slightly intimidating, but his presence has become unbearable since Killian came back. He eyes me as if he knows what Kill and I did. I push his existence out of my mind before focusing on the empty field and stretching my legs.Patrol is tiring, but it brings a certain peace to my mind. I prefer doing it then staying inside with the perfect Grays. All the happy couples and sweet gestures between them make my wolf and I more bitter about our situation. I can't even stomach the babies anymore. Of course, there is one person more miserable than I am, and it is the pregnant little human. She looks as if she hasn't slept since I brought the news about Alpha Hugh.I cut through the tall grass in a direction that doesn't have a fresh scent. I never take the same route; I switch up my routes every hour, and when I first come out, I always choose to start in a
ANN POVThe atmosphere of Gray Ranch has become suffocating. Ever since Darcy's ex showed up everyone seems tense. The side-eye looks the pack gives him and the long periods of silence are killing me. Mix in the fact Mike and Carmen are scared every second of the day... "This will be over soon," Claire says quietly as she looks over my face. I should have known she would say that. Coming to her with my problems or thoughts isn't like it was before she met her mate. She is going to place being with Lewis over everything... and I get it. This is where she belongs. She is happy. I am just a girlfriend who has been thrown into this awkward four-way relationship situation. I can't leave because of the danger and I can't feel comfortable here. Finley doesn't speak about or to Darcy, but I know he is bothered by the two exes sharing his home. Knowing that just makes me feel weird. "I know. But the awkwardness will never be gone. She is his mate. Even when she leaves again, there will st
DARCY POV He grabs the waistband of my shorts and works them down my thighs slowly, which makes me nervous. I want him to move fast so there is no time for second thoughts. I don't want the fog created by his lust to lift an inch. I need him to commit to fucking me. I wiggle even more as the air touches my sensitive areas. "Oh please," I moan and he lightly rubs three fingers over my wet folds. I smile. He is gathering lubrication. This is it. He is about to be mine once again. "This tight chocolate hole needs me," he says almost to himself and I feel the head of his cock press against me. My natural lubrication helps the head of his cock slide past the tight ring of muscle and he groans deep as his shaft slides into me too. I wince from the pain of such a fast stroke, but I don't whimper. This is the moment I have dreamed about for so long. I don't even care we are doing my least favorite position. If this is what I need to do to win him back I will. "Yes, Kill," I moan as he