Page 19 of Embraced By the Alpha Pack

“That’s good Griff. Barrett needs to be spoiled, too. It’s not just me here bonded to you guys, he is too.” She nips my shoulder blade, then walks over to lean on the kitchen counter. “What’s for dinner, Wolfie?” Grace rests her forearms on the counter, looking up at Ethan. Her posture screams submission and I watch my brother’s chest puff up with pride.

“Anything you want Darlin, you name it and it’s yours.” I’m shocked by the softer tone he uses with Grace when he speaks to her. He must have caught me smirking, because he let out a growl. “Fuck off, asshole. This is an A-B conversation, so see yourself out of it.” Ethan flips me the bird, then goes back to looking at Grace dismissing me.

“Wolfie … be nice…” Grace reaches out and swats Ethan’s hand and tilts her head at him. “As for food, can we grill some steaks and make baked potatoes?” Her eyebrows shoot up as she looks at him expectantly.

Ethan turns to the freezer and takes out several steaks, and lays them out on the defrosting board. “I’ll send Conrad out to get the potatoes from the root cellar and maybe some carrots to go with it.” He tilts his head the same way Grace does when she asks a question, mimicking her.

“Okay, I’m going to take a shower. Love you guys. Have a great time tonight Griff, you too Barrett.” Grace says before heading down the hallway just as Barrett returns.

Staring at Ethan, I arch a brow. “When did you start the head tilt thing?”

Laughing, he reaches into the fridge and pulls out a beer for himself. “The minute I realized she did it to convey the questions she really wants or needs the answers to. The ones she’s not so worried about, she won’t tilt her head. Pay attention man, its basic female 101. They all have a tell. They do one thing every time something is important to them. Watch closely, even Barrett does it.” The know it all smirk that Ethan gives me makes my insides want to boil over in rage. How could I be so oblivious?

Even old dogs can learn new tricks. And my brother just took me to school.

Chapter 12

Conrad

-Hunting Season—Ice Nine Kills-

Griffin and Barrett took Ashina with them last night to get dropped off at Agnes’s house so she can sleep over and play with Nina in the morning. Nicolai is supposed to be getting brought here via medical transport sometime this morning. All these thoughts run through my head as I whip up some eggs for breakfast.

“Hey, where’s Grace?” Ethan yawns as he steps into the kitchen.

“She was next to you.” I sit the bowl with the eggs in it back in the fridge and we both concentrate on locating our wayward mate.

Just as Ethan’s phone rings, Grace comes busting through the door. “My baby!” She screams at the top of her lungs as her wolf rips free of her body. Her shift forces Ethan’s shift and his phone hits the counter. They run out the back door and into the woods.

I pick up the phone and it’s Agnes. “Ethan? Ethan come quick.”

“It’s Conrad, Ethan, and Gracie shifted and are on their way. What happened?” Grabbing my keys, I run to my car to follow behind the wolves.

“Sarah, Nicolai’s secretary, stopped by like she always does. Something snapped in her when she saw two pups playing on the floor and she knocked me out. When I woke up, both pups were gone. She stole the babies.” My heart sinks hearing the news. Nic lays in a coma and now this Sarah has unleashed hell on earth.

“You know Grace won’t let her live.”

“I know. All I care about is the babies. Get them back Conrad.”

“We will come to our house. Your son is due to arrive in the next hour.”

“I’m on my way.”

The phone call ends abruptly and before I can call Griffin, he’s calling my cell and Barrett is calling Ethan’s. I let my car answer Griffin’s call so I can concentrate on driving. “What has Grace and Ethan pissed off?” By the tone of his voice, I know he’s fighting the shift.

“Nic’s secretary stole both babies. Grace knew before we got the call and her shift forced Ethan’s and well … Watch for the explosion, you know they are going to go nuclear.” I know I’m closing in on their location. I can feel it. This female isn’t all that bright. She took the babies to the old mill on the edge of the two packs lands.

“Fuck, okay. Retrieve the babies try to contain the explosion. This is more than likely a set up and there’s more than that female there. We’re almost there.” Griff hangs up and all I know is that you never piss off a female with a pup. Especially one that was turned on the brink of death.

Getting closer to the location, I see body parts of other wolves. It looks like Ethan and Grace tore through the scouts. Parking the car, I decide to go on foot, following the trail of blood and destruction in their wake. Looking to my right, I notice Griffin and Barrett closing in, and I raise a finger to my lips and point ahead. The sounds of a massive battle hit us, and Griffin shifts quickly to join the fray.

“What should we do?” Barrett says as we proceed forward.

“Remain human for as long as we can. If we need to, we can call for reinforcements. Ambrose isn’t far from here, and with him being Ashina’s godfather, you know he will be here.” I mention the wayward alpha and make a note that there are gray wolves closing in fast from the east. “Okay, I guess Grace already called for him.” Shrugging my shoulders, we run hearing how much worse it’s getting.

When we catch up, it’s an all out war. Rogues of all shapes and colors are attacking Ethan and now Ambrose’s pack. Ethan has Grace behind him in between some large boulders, and I can only assume the pups are behind Grace. Griffin is fighting alongside of our brother and Ambrose’s pack is killing off the last of the rogues. My wolf rips free and joins my brothers, getting rid of the last of the rogues trying to get to Grace and the pups.

Barrett comes close and scoots in with Grace and the puppies. “The babies are untouched. Everyone is okay.” He yells from behind us. As much as his words are meant to comfort, it’s only making Ethan angrier. He tears off from where he was standing and goes to assist Ambrose in the destruction of what I am calling the death squad.

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