Page 35 of Cruel Alpha Daddy

It takes all the strength in my body to keep myself still. Tobias has ensured that if I call for a leadership challenge or try to punish him, I will look worse than Jethro.

“Charities were more than happy to help,” Tobias says. “There should be enough here to keep us going for some time. I was always going to share with the rest of the pack; I just had to take care of these excellent young men first. They volunteered to help, you see, so I needed to make sure they had warm clothes and decent vehicles.”

What about the weapons and the liquor?

My inner voice is screaming, but Tobias has set this up perfectly. If I accuse him of any crime and we go to search his cabin, we won’t find anything that could incriminate him. It will look like I’m persecuting him for no reason.

He’s got at least twenty of the young guys completely on his side… not including his loyal pack of cronies. This is making it completely clear that he doesn’t just want to fuck me over. He wants the whole pack.

Tobias comes forward, standing over the pile of bounty and the laughing children like a scary, leather-clad Santa Claus.

“I live to serve, Alpha, and I apologize for any misunderstanding. Please accept these gifts as a sign of my loyalty. All I want is peace within the pack.”

“Then you shall have it,” I answer tersely. “I’m glad we got this straightened out. Thank you for the gifts, and the entire pack owes you gratitude for this generosity.”

Tobias bows his head, giving me a feral grin as he lowers his eyes from mine, just like a good, submissive wolf would.

Well played, you bastard. Well fucking played.

Chapter 14 - Fiona

The morning after Rider and I made love, I wake with him by my side and realize I slept straight through the night. As the dawn slowly brightens the room, I watch him sleep, admiring the clean, sharp lines of his face and strong muscular body.

I’m tempted to reach out and touch him. My hands ache a little as I imagine running my fingers across the smooth skin of his chest. This moment, this life, could be perfect.

If only I wasn’t missing Caleb.

Loss hits me right in the guts, a horrible wave of pain that brings tears to my eyes.

How long has it been? Maybe a week.

No one here seems to have a phone, and I doubt there would be an old-fashioned paper calendar handy, either. It’s hard to track how much time has passed. All I know is that my son has been apart from me for far too long.

And now, I’m entangled with Rider again. I know I can’t just leave him. I love him too much.

Tears trickle down my cheeks, and my chest aches with tension and stress. Rider turns over in his sleep, muttering softly. The long, jagged scar on his right cheek comes into view, reminding me how much deeper his emotional scars must be.

What is he going to do when he finds out he has a son?

It’s not a question of if anymore, but when. I had hoped to get away and never come back, keeping Caleb far from his father’s violent, harsh world, but now I know that isn’t possible.

What am I going to do?

My stomach growls loudly, and that makes the decision for me, at least for now. I slip out of bed and get dressed, heading to our kitchen to look for food. In the short while I’ve been here, I’ve cleaned the cabin, and we have water and power connected. The buildings here are still in excellent shape, and it hasn’t taken much effort to turn this town into a comfortable home.

Would I want Caleb to live here with us? He’s used to school and his friends, not to mention his favorite YouTube channels.

I laugh softly, shaking my head.

So long as we can charge an iPad and get Wi-Fi set up, I’m sure he’ll be fine.

The only problem left is Tobias and the other violent members of the pack. My anxiety rises a little as I go to the front windows, wondering where they are. Rider hasn’t spoken to me directly about any of them, and I haven’t asked.

The street looks quiet, but a light is on in the hall. I go to the front door, thinking about breaking out, when I realize it isn’t locked.

Rider didn’t lock me in!

I’m so shocked that for a second, I can’t breathe. My blood starts pounding in my temples, and my head swims before I remember to take a breath. I push the door open and walk out onto the porch, staring up at the nearby mountains.

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