Page 31 of Taken By the Wolf Daddy

“Oh, what the hell do you know about wolf rules?”

I didn’t say anything more, but I was pretty sure that snapping at an alpha was enough to get a wolf evicted from their pack. Was that what happened? She got evicted from the pack, and then she enlisted the Hunters to help her? To rip the old pack apart? I didn’t want her anywhere near Jesse as it was, but that really terrified me.

What if she attacked Jesse for rejecting her too? What if she brought human hunters here to Wolf Mountain? The thoughts raced through my mind, filling me with a paralyzing fear for Jesse’s safety and the safety of our entire community.

But then, just as despair began to take hold, a ray of hope emerged. I felt a wet, cold nose nuzzling against my fingers. Startled, I turned to find Lissa, one of Jesse’s pack members, working to tear the ropes binding my wrists. Was that who he was waiting for? Thank God, I might be safe.

The relief that washed over me was overwhelming, and I tried to stay as calm as possible so as not to alert Ophelia to the fact that help had arrived. Lissa worked swiftly but quietly, her eyes filled with determination and concern.

Meanwhile, Jesse had finally arrived at the scene, his voice strong and commanding as he called out to Ophelia. “Ophelia, come out and talk to me. Come on, I’m here now. This is what you wanted, isn’t it? To speak with me? Well, here I am. Come on.”

Ophelia hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting between Jesse and me, as the wolf behind me hid in the bush near by. It was clear that she was torn between her obsession and the imminent threat that Jesse posed. Finally, she made her choice and began to back away from me, heading toward the sound of Jesse’s voice.

As Ophelia retreated, Lissa managed to free my wrists from the tight bonds. I immediately rubbed my wrists, feeling the blood flow return to my numb hands. I offered Lissa a grateful smile, and she nodded in response, her eyes filled with relief.

With my hands now free, I could feel a renewed sense of hope surging through me. Jesse was there, and the members of his pack were undoubtedly close by, ready to assist. Ophelia’s twisted plans were unraveling, and I had a fighting chance to escape this nightmare.

As Jesse and Ophelia began their confrontation, I knew that the moments that followed would determine the outcome of this dangerous encounter. I could only hope that Jesse’s strength and determination would be enough to put an end to Ophelia’s reign of terror and keep us all safe.

“What now?” I whispered to Lissa. “What do we do?”

She pressed a finger to her lips, silencing me. I had to assume that the wolves had a plan. and I didn’t need to do a thing. I didn’t like standing back and doing nothing, leaving Jesse to do all the hard work, but I also didn’t want to make it worse.

SEVENTEEN

JESSE

I curled my fists by my sides, my patience running thin as I waited for Ophelia to finally reveal herself. Every rustling leaf and snapping twig amplified the tension in the air as I could hear her moving stealthily through the dense forest. Finally, I saw her, and I was immediately struck by how different she looked. Her wild eyes bore into mine, and her mood hung in the air like a heavy cloud of doom. She was not in a good place, and that was written all over her. This would not be good.

“So, you’re here.” She shrugged and smirked. “I knew you would come. You can’t seem to keep away from me, can you?”

I rolled my eyes. “You told me to come. You knew I was coming.”

“For me,” she murmured as she circled around me. “Everything you do is for me.”

This was getting ridiculous. “Ophelia, until recently I haven’t seen you for years. I’ve had a life since then. I was married…”

“Because you had to be,” she snorted. “Because you wanted a baby and couldn’t have one with me. But I don’t want a baby, so we need to get rid of that girl.”

My God, she was really trying everything, wasn’t she? Giving me her all. Threatening Marie, trying to get rid of Belle… It was like she didn’t know me at all. I wanted to scream and yell about all of this, but I didn’t have any words. I wasn’t sure what to say, but I knew I had to tread carefully.

“Ophelia, what the hell are we doing here?” I threw my hands in the air in frustration. “Can we just get to the bottom of this now?”

“Jesse,” she hissed, her voice laced with desperation and a hint of madness. But thankfully it seemed like she might be telling me what I need to hear now. “You have two choices. Become my mate and let me take the place of Alpha Female or lose Marie for good.”

The weight of her words pressed down on me, and for a moment, I felt as though the world had come crashing down around me. I had known that Ophelia was dangerous, but I had never anticipated the depth of her obsession or the lengths she would go to achieve her desires. Wow, I didn’t think I was coming here for that.

“Ophelia, why don’t you go back to New York? Back to your pack.”

“My pack is no more.”

I knew because I’d heard her talking, but I was going to act like I didn’t know a thing. “Because of Hunters? That’s what rumors say.”

Her eyes flashed angrily. “You have heard rumors? Because they aren’t all true.”

“So, what is true? Please, help me understand. Explain it to me.”

“You don’t understand,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I’ve lost everything, Jesse. My pack, my status, my future. I can’t go back to being a lone wolf. I need this, and I’ll do anything to get it. I want you. I have always wanted you. You were the one, right from the very start. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.”

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