Page 41 of Pregnant Kidnapped Mate

“Seems like you’ve got everything under control,” Dan said to Dad, smirking.

“We still don’t like your kind, wolf,” Dad retorted coolly. “Just remember what we told you.”

“I will.”

“In that case, you ought to get out of here as quickly as possible.” Dad glanced at me, his grin malicious and cold. “Now that we’ve found our beloved daughter and she’s back with us, things will be moving a lot faster.”

I had no idea what they were talking about, and at that moment, I didn’t particularly care. I desperately wanted to get out of this situation, but I couldn’t figure out anything. My hands were bound too tight, and if I tried running, the shifter would catch me in a minute, assuming I didn’t trip and break my neck—or my father didn’t shoot me first.

My attempts at stalling weren’t working, either, as Dad and Jason kept pushing me toward the door. Every time I tried to drag my feet or take a while, I’d get a push between the shoulder blades or a prod with the gun barrel.

As we stepped out of the house, Dan paused, looking around. “I’ll cover your scents for you,” he said to Dad. “Otherwise, Alek will track you in all of two minutes.”

My stomach clenched again, contorting into a knot. They were trying to make it impossible for Alek to find me. If they succeeded, I’d be locked away forever. I knew my father well enough to know that he would carry out his threat of locking me in the basement.

I couldn’t go back. I wouldn’t.

I opened my mouth to scream, hoping that maybe someone would come running. But before I could utter a sound, Jason held a cloth in front of my face.

“Make a sound, and this gets shoved in your mouth,” he warned.

Ignoring him, I let out a piercing shriek that was stifled seconds later when cloth filled my mouth, forcing my tongue down and muting any sounds I tried to make.

“Come on,” Dad said. “We’re wasting daylight.”

And my brother and father dragged me into the woods, away from Alek.

Chapter 18 - Alek

The meeting with the rest of the Silver Wolves about plans to protect Iris and keep an eye out for the humans didn’t amount to much. There hadn’t been any sign of the humans anywhere nearby, and the general plans of trying to keep Iris safe basically amounted to more frequent patrols and making sure everyone in town knew she was under our protection. It was good to know what was going on, but the entire time, I just wanted to be back home with Iris. It was all I could do to keep still.

After the meeting was over, I stopped by the store. Iris had mentioned craving caramel as well as salt and vinegar chips—thankfully, not together—so I figured the least I could do was grab her those snacks.

It was amazing, how much our lives had changed in just a couple of months. Things between Iris and me were stronger than they had ever been. I trusted her entirely, even if she was still a little hesitant when it came to shifters. She was comfortable around the girls, as well as Malcolm and myself. At the very least, she seemed to be settling in better than I could have hoped. In a way, it felt like she had been here her entire life. She belonged here just as much as any shifter, and I thought she was finally starting to believe it herself.

And Iris had helped me, too. She had helped me learn to grow up and take responsibility, something I hadn’t particularly cared to do until recently. And being with her had helped me control some of my impulsive nature. I felt like a new person, and I was completely smitten with Iris in a way I hadn’t realized was possible.

In short, everything seemed to be going perfectly.

I had a spring in my step the entire walk back to the house. It was a perfect summer day, the sun shining overhead. The smells of the forest surrounding me on every side made me want to stretch my legs and go for a run. And I thought I might after making sure Iris was all right. Or maybe I’d suggest another skinny dip in the hot tub for both of us.

I rounded the corner and headed up the path toward the house. I froze when I saw the wide-open door.

“Iris?” I raced up the steps.

The locked door had been torn from the door frame, which was nearly in two pieces as it hung from a single hinge. Beyond that, things didn’t look much out of the ordinary. No overturned furniture, no broken glass. Nothing.

Except for the body on the floor.

I raced over to where Tannen lay prone on the ground. Spinning him over, I heard him groan, and I sighed in relief. My stomach lurched when I saw the bullet wound in his shoulder. It was healing but slower than it should have been.

“What happened?”

“A couple guys came in, shot me immediately. I blacked out. Something in the bullet, I guess. I don’t know what.” He grunted and rolled his shoulder. “I’ll be all right in a bit, I think. I’m sorry, Alek.”

I gnashed my teeth. But it wasn’t Tannen’s fault. “We should have figured out they would have things to weaken shifters,” I said. “Are you able to get to the mansion?”

Tannen nodded.

---