Page 1 of Claimed By the Alpha Pack

Prologue - Grace

~As the World Falls Down - David Bowie~

Twenty years ago -

“We shouldn’t be here.”

“I’ll protect you. After all, I’m older.” Conrad’s voice wavers for a moment as we move deeper into the cold, dark woods.

“Grace is right. We should leave.” Barrett’s voice squeaks as he clings to me, his hands almost bruising my arm. My grip on Conrad’s hand tightens as we move forward. I cling to him like he’s my only tether to safety.

Treading along the soft moss lined trail, our feet sink slightly as we follow behind Conrad, moving deeper into the coniferous forest. The inviting scent of the cedar trees carries almost as far as the sweet honeysuckle that lines the trail. Barrett’s hand slides from my arm to grip my hand as we follow Conrad. We come to a fork in the trail and head to the right. The forest floor changes from moss to rock as we head down a small hill toward a body of water.

Conrad stops and smiles as he releases my hand and turns to face Barrett and me. “It’s said that this pond will show you who you’re meant to spend the rest of your life with.” The dimples on his cheeks always make me giggle when I look at him. He’s a hopeless romantic and dreams of one day finding his princess.

I’ve had a crush on Conrad since the first moment I saw him. His dimples and gray-blue eyes always captivate me. For whatever reason, I always have a hard time looking away from him. Momma always picks on me for loving an older man. It’s a big deal that Conrad, being eleven, wants to hang out with me. Barrett, who is ten years old, steps forward and looks down into the water and smiles. “Look Conrad…” He points at the water and they nod, looking at each other. I watch the boys wondering what they are seeing as they point at the water, looking at whatever is in front of them.

Butterflies flutter in my belly as I think about having the chance at finding the one. What if it shows me my prince charming? Maybe if it’s a prince that has a castle? Maybe it’s a knight on his horse that will sweep me off my feet? “Come on Gracie. Do you want to see who your prince may be?” Conrad extends his hand and wiggles his fingers in my direction. Laughing, I move forward and take his hand, clenching it. The warmth radiating from his palm soothes me, and some of the nerves I was feeling are gone.

Pausing, I look at the surrounding area before I step onto the soft mud that surrounds the pond. No matter how carefully I choose where to step, my feet slip on the mud some as I get closer to the water’s edge. Both guys reach out and steady me as I approach the pond. Drawing in a big breath, I dig deep to find my courage and look down. There’s three men that look related. Light eyes, two with dark hair, the third with his head shaved. The fourth looks gentle, kind hazel eyes, and dirty blonde hair. I study the image more and in an instant it changes. The three that look the same are huge black wolves and the kind one is a smaller rust-colored wolf. Panicking, I slip on the mud as I scurry back in shock, hitting my head on something as I fall backward. Everything goes black.

I awaken to the sound of my baby crying. I look at the clock and realize it is the middle of the night. She’s been colicky this week, and tonight is no exception. The same dream that has plagued me since childhood is back again. It seems to happen more often around the summer solstice than any other time. I pick up my daughter to cuddle her and move to the rocking chair, hoping to soothe her back to sleep. Using the gas drops seemed to help last time, so I try them again. After about twenty minutes, she calms down and drifts off to sleep.

I wish I could say the same for myself. Between my fiancé being on the trail of a killer and a colicky baby, sleep has been evading me almost nightly.

Chapter 1

Grace

-Life is Beautiful - Sixx Am-

Alone again…

Hunter’s harsh words echo in my mind as I stare down at the beautiful bundle of joy that is my daughter Ashina. No matter how hard I’m trying to make him happy, nothing seems to be enough for him. I can’t understand why he reacts to her the way he does; it makes no sense. I set my desk up in front of me and I’m finishing up the last book in my series - my final hope of creating a better life for both of us. But with Hunter constantly verbally attacking me, I don’t know how much more of this I can take.

The mental abuse Hunter has dished out increased almost tenfold over the last month and a half. One minute he’s the man I fell in love with, the next it’s like he’s Jekyll and Hyde. The yelling and throwing things when he goes into a rage doesn’t help the fear factor. Once I’m frightened, he stops and tries to smooth things over, wanting to take care of me.

Ever since our daughter was born and the killer that’s on the loose seems to be ramping up his attacks. Hunter is more irrational the longer he’s working on the case. I’m not sure what to do. I wake up alone and most time go to bed alone. It’s as if we have started living two separate lives.

“Grace!” Hunter screams, as if the world is ending.

I wiggle myself out of the bed without startling my baby. The room is dark, but I don’t turn on a light because I don’t want to wake her up. I leave the bedroom and walk down the hall to see Hunter stripping in the middle of the living room. “What’s going on?”

His face contorts into a mask of unbridled rage as he grabs the back of the chair and yanks it away from the table, screaming, “Where’s my dinner?”

“I didn’t know you were coming home,” sniffling I rush to the fridge and pull out the defrosted venison, and head to the stove. Slicing the meat thin, I add very little spice and barely cook the meat. Quickly, I plate his dinner and grab a bag of his favorite chips and place them on the table before him. Turning around, I grab his IPA from the fridge and pop the top and sit that on the table near his food before backing away.

There’s the telltale tick in the corner of his eye that warns me of his foul mood. He stabs into the meat almost savagely, shoveling forks full into his mouth. His voracious appetite has far exceeded his usually impeccable manners. Ashina moves slightly in her wrap and I’m quick to silence her before her father says something.

“I’m heading back out to hunt the killer after dinner. Don’t wait up.” The coldness in his gaze sends a shiver down my spine.

“Please be safe, Hunter. I miss you.” I don’t dare ask him to stay. That was a battle to end all battles the other night.

“There’s nothing stronger than me around here.” When he grins, he makes it a point to show his upper canines. When did baring his teeth become a thing with him?

Lowering my gaze, I nod and reach out to take the empty plate from him. His hand shoots out and grips my wrist, roughly tightening down on me. “When do you want to try again?” He motions towards our daughter.

“Hunter, it’s too soon. You heard the doctor she tore me up on the way out. He said we need to wait at least six to eight months, otherwise you may lose me and the baby.” Trying to reason with him is a losing battle. He narrows his eyes, staring at me before shoving back from me.

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