Page 61 of Cruel Alpha Daddy

“Why?” Lucy asks.

I shake my head slightly, flicking my eyes at Caleb. Lucy nods in understanding. This information is not for Caleb’s ears.

Lucy goes into the kitchen to make us a ridiculously early breakfast. We’ve been out all night, and the sky is just starting to fade from black into pale blue. I take a long shower, luxuriating in the basic comfort of having hot running water.

We have the facilities for full indoor plumbing up in our town. Just no resources to make it happen.

One of the first things we did was connect generators and plumbing hoses, but most of the water comes from deep wells. And clearly, gas hot water heaters and solar panels weren’t a thing when the place was built.

After my shower, I eat a huge breakfast of bacon and eggs with Caleb and Lucy while sharing a heavily condensed version of my kidnapping. Afterwards, I cuddle up with Caleb in his bed, and he falls asleep in my arms immediately.

Even though tiredness creeps up on me quickly, I don’t want to fall asleep. I missed his sweet face so much. The heavy warmth of him in my arms is the greatest comfort I’ve ever known.

I try to stay awake, but I can’t fight the wave of exhaustion that slowly floods through me, forcing my eyes to close. I wrap my arms around Caleb and give in to it, completely relaxing for the first time in over a week.

When I wake, the sun is very bright and slanting through the blinds.

It’s late afternoon!

I slip free of Caleb, rushing to the door. “Lucy, what time is it?” I call out.

“It’s about five, Fiona,” she calls back as she emerges from the living room.

“Has the meeting started?”

“Probably.”

“What the hell, Lucy! I said I had to be there.”

She glares at me. “I don’t want you involved in this! You’ve been through enough!”

Her voice is full of anger, but it doesn’t upset me. Instead, I reach out to my friend and wrap my arms around her.

“I know you were scared, Lucy,” I whisper. “But I’m okay, and I have to do this. Just trust me, I have a good reason, and I will tell you everything as soon as I can.”

Lucy pulls back and gives me a puzzled look, but she doesn’t get a chance to answer.

“Go where, Mommy?” Caleb asks from behind me. “Are you going away again?”

“No, baby! No way!” I exclaim, turning around and hugging him. “But we have to go to this big pack meeting, okay?”

“Okay,” he says. There is worry in his eyes, and he clings to me.

He’s so scared. My poor little man.

I pick him up, even though he’s a bit unwieldy for that at six years old. “Wherever I go, you’re coming with me,” I say reassuringly. He hugs me even tighter, and I don’t let go of him as I find my shoes and head to the car with Lucy.

When we reach Shelley’s, the place is packed. I come through the back doors and see grim faces on every person in the room.

This is a war meeting.

“Hey, Caleb,” I say, bending down to look into his eyes. “Can you do me a big favor? I really want an ice cream. I haven’thad one the whole time I was away. Can you go with Auntie Lucy and get me one?”

“Why can’t you come?” he implores.

“Because I have to have an important talk with Alpha Bailey,” I answer. “I’ll be right with you, I promise.”

“What are you doing, Fiona?” Lucy whispers.

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