Page 14 of The Alpha's Surrogate

Josie took a step back, thrown off stride. Garry grinned widely and Klaus shook his head. “Surprised, are you? What, you thought I was joking when I said you couldn’t run away from me? I wasn’t, so don’t even try.”

“I…I wasn’t trying to run away…” Josie’s heart thundered in her chest. She had never been this afraid before in her entire life. This was probably how her mother had felt all those years ago. “I just had an errand to run.”

Klaus waved her off and righted his chair. “That’s not important. What’s important is you explaining why you sent me ten percent of your debt. What was that about? Did you miss one zero, perhaps?”

Garry walked forward and took the box of pizza from her. He set it down on the table and took a slice. He pushed the box toward Klaus, who shook his head. He didn’t take his eyes off Josie for a single moment. Garry returned to his perch in the corner, chewing noisily.

“Uhm, it wasn’t an error,” Josie said in a shaky voice. “It was an initial deposit. A commitment—”

“What do you think this is?” Klaus’s voice cut through her sentence like a sharp knife. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Is this a joke to you? Ten percent isn’t a commitment, Josie. It’s a joke.”

She’d always suspected it, but now she was certain. They didn’t want to get money from her, that much was obvious. If anything, they seemed even angrier than they had been before she’d paid at all.

They wanted her to come work for them. That was what this was all about. Pressing her into service. Forcing her into a life of crime, drugs, and murder. The cold realization of that fact was chilling for her, and she visibly shivered. There was only one card left to play.

“I’m sorry, Klaus, okay?” she said tiredly. “Trust me, I’m trying as hard as I can to get you your money. I need you to be patient with me. I just need some time to pay you off.”

“Look around, darling,” he said. “Time is the one thing you don’t have. And I’m sorry to tell you, but you’ve run out, and we are here to collect.” He smiled a cold smile and leaned forward. “But I did tell you of…other ways to settle this debt, didn’t I?”

Josie shrugged casually, trying to show a nonchalance she didn’t feel. “It’s too bad, the only way I can settle my debt is by paying you off. As for the other activities you mentioned, I’m sorry, but it turns out I won’t be able to help you after all.”

Klaus raised a brow. “And why’s that?”

“Because I’m pregnant, is why.”

Klaus shot to his feet like a crossbow bolt. His face darkened like a winter storm. “You’re what?”

“I’m pregnant,” Josie repeated, her voice shaking violently. “I went to the hospital today and the doctor informed me I’m a few months along. I’m sorry.”

Klaus laughed a bitter laugh and walked around the table. “What is this? Is this another ploy from you to stall us? I guarantee you, it won’t work. We learned our lesson from your ma.”

“It’s not a ploy,” she said, taking a step backward. “It’s the truth. What’s more, it’s an alpha’s child. You can’t treat me the way you treated my mother. So, all I ask is more time to get you the money you’re owed.”

Klaus watched her incredulously for a long moment. Josie held her breath, praying that her bluff worked. If they made a grab for her, there was nothing she could do.

Klaus turned to Garry and laughed. The two men laughed for a few seconds, as if she had just told the funniest joke in the world. When Klaus turned back to her, there was no humor in his eyes or voice. “Now you listen to me carefully—”

“What the hell is going on here?” a stern, male voice asked from behind her.

Josie’s legs buckled underneath her in relief. She saw the look on Klaus’ and Garry’s faces. She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. She could smell him, feel his power radiating warmly through her.

She had never been so happy to hear Callahan’s voice as she was in that moment.

Chapter 6 - Callahan

The room fell eerily quiet. Callahan looked from one man to the other. Although he hadn’t met too many of them, he knew werebears when he saw them. They had a powerful presence, and he had sensed them the moment he stepped into Josie’s house.

He’d obviously caught them by surprise, and he did his best to look as threatening as possible. His eye went to the knife embedded in the table, and he felt a slight worry.

Two on one with these deadly beasts were hard odds to beat without having to worry about Josie’s safety. Whatever happened, he couldn’t allow this to turn into a fight. Not with her here. She annoyed him, but he couldn’t let her get hurt, not on his watch.

More than anything, he wanted to know what two were-bears were doing in her home. He could smell her fear from where she was standing. It cascaded out of her like boiling magma. What were they doing here, and how had she come to know these men?

Those were questions for later. For now, his current concern was to get her out of this situation as quickly as he could. She could answer his questions later. If they managed to get out of this with their necks intact, that is.

He stepped into the kitchen and put a wall behind him. He didn’t know if there were more of them inside the house, and it would be stupid to stand in the doorway like that. He also wanted to give them enough room to leave if they chose to avoid conflict like him.

“I said, what the hell is going on here?” he repeated. “Josie…who are these men? And what do they want?” He glanced at her but she kept her eyes on the floor, pointedly refusing to meet his. Did she not realize how much danger they were in?

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