Page 44 of The Alpha's Surrogate

He held his head in his hands, slumping in his seat. “I should have tried harder to protect her. I knew they were a threat. I knew she was running from something. She hid it so well, I was willing to pretend to myself that the threat had passed.

“I was a fool. It never went away, and if anything happens to Josie and my child, I will never forgive myself for it. But don’t tell me that the were-bears were not involved, because you know them even better than I do.

“And if what you told me about her mother was true, do they sound like a bunch to walk away from a grudge? I need your help, man. Maybe more than I ever have before. I need to get her back, but I can’t just barge into were-bear territory, it would be war. Will you help me get my mate back, Fannar?”

Callahan’s friend watched him coolly, collecting his thoughts. Callahan could feel his eyes blazing with desperation. He needed Fannar. He couldn’t take on an entire territory of bears alone. It was a death sentence. Not to mention the diplomatic repercussions if he was unsuccessful.

Fannar’s pack was the closest and the truce was his pack’s to break, not Summer Rain’s. Callahan was about to drag them into a conflict that had nothing to do with them, and he didn’t trust that the conservative pack would be willing to take the risk.

Still, he hoped. He didn’t have a choice. He was furious and angry that someone had hurt Josie, but he was also very afraid. Every second she was in their custody, the higher the risk of something really terrible happening to her, and that thought killed Callahan a thousand times over.

“You’re right about one thing,” Fannar said suddenly. “We know the were-bears more than anyone else. We’ve been upset since what happened to Josie’s mother. Old man Larsen pushed us to take retribution for his daughter for years, but we couldn’t. She went willingly, you see, so we couldn’t retaliate.

“Taking Josie, though… If you’re right about this, Callahan, it gives us probable cause. But only if you’re right. I need you to be certain the bears were involved, or this could be disastrous.”

“I need you to trust me, Fannar. They were there.” Hope rose in Callahan’s chest. “What does this mean? Does this mean you’ll help me?”

Fannar nodded, a sad smile cracking on his face. “Yes. I will help you. You’re my friend, and Josie is still a member of my pack. The were-bears should have left her alone. We should call the others for backup.”

Callahan’s lips drew into a grim line and he shook his head. “No time, Fannar. If we’re going to do this, it has to be just me and you. The others can’t get here in time and I won’t waste another minute waiting. I can’t take the risk.”

Fannar held his gaze for a long moment, and then nodded, much to Callahan’s relief. “Alright then,” he said coldly. “Let’s go hunt ourselves some bears.”

Chapter 19 - Josie

The waiting was the worst part. The truck rumbled steadily, and each bounce jarred Josie’s head so violently she thought her skull would split open. She’d been stuffed unceremoniously into the back seat of the truck, and as uncomfortable as she was, she was grateful she didn’t have to make the trip in the bed.

She was afraid. More afraid than she’d ever been in her life. Her discomfort was the least of her problems. She felt a sick feeling of déjà vu, the bonds around her legs and arms seeming eerily too familiar, although she’d never been held against her will before.

Those were her mother’s memories, of course, and she’d relived them a thousand times over in the past months. It made Josie go pale to think of how the were-bears had treated her mother, and she had no doubt as to what awaited her when the truck eventually arrived at its destination.

Her wolf wailed pitifully, scratching endlessly like a trapped animal. It did nothing to ease Josie’s tension, and she was too shook herself to soothe the terrified wolf.

The truck bounced off something on the road, and she felt the impact in her bones, down to her teeth. She thought she heard the sound of bones breaking and a short but painful cry filled her ears. As sorry as she felt for the poor animal, she wondered if she herself wouldn’t have a worse fate than being run over by these two.

They barely made a sound as they sped toward the mountain. Garry turned around occasionally to make sure she was still restrained, and she hated the smug look he had on his face whenever he did. She desperately wanted to bash his skull in and wipe that look off of his pathetic, wrinkled face.

Klaus was different. He remained stiff and quiet, and whenever he glanced at her through the rearview mirror, his eyes looked hard and angry. The ominous mood in the car made her feel like a lamb being led to the slaughter.

She had no idea how they’d found her so easily, and the question burned a hole deep in her mind. How long had they been waiting outside Whispering Oaks for her, waiting for her to make a mistake?

Callahan’s presence had been enough to keep them at bay—she was sure of that now—and by fleeing from him as she had done, she’d foolishly tossed him out of the fray and delivered herself on a platter to Klaus.

She thought she would lose them in a human town. She thought they wouldn’t come this far from the mountains, so deep into wolf territory, with so many wolf clans about. She thought wrong, and she was about to pay dearly for her miscalculations.

The guilt of her bad decisions taunted her. She tried hard not to think of what could have been if she hadn’t panicked and run away. It seemed like such a foolish game to play, but she’d been forced to play it against her will.

Images of the night she and Callahan had spent together kept playing in her mind, and it felt painfully ironic that there was nothing she wanted more at the moment than to be wrapped safely in his arms, the sheets a tangled mess around them.

She’d had that, though, and had somehow managed to convince herself to walk away from it. All her reasons for leaving now looked pitifully inadequate, in retrospect, as was the nature of such things.

What could have been if she had stayed, putting cold logic before her feelings? She knew in her heart that Callahan was being honest about everything he said, so why was it so difficult for her to give him a chance? Was this not the happy ending she’d silently wished for all her life?

She swallowed hard and it tasted bitter in her mouth. It was a foolish game to play, indeed, and there was no iota of merit to torturing herself with wishes of what could have been.

She’d thoroughly burned that bridge, perhaps forever, if her mother’s experience was anything to go by. She’d traded a warm, soft bed for a cold, dark cage, and there were no do-overs. She had made a choice, albeit a foolish one, and now she had to live with the consequences of that choice.

She strained uncomfortably against her bonds. The cords around her wrists were bound so tightly she could feel them biting into her flesh and drawing blood. With every bounce on the hilly road, the knots grew tighter, sending a fresh wave of pain through her.

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