Page 60 of Daddy's Mail Order Mate

“Roger. What’s our logged headcount?”

“Twelve,” chimes another over my earpiece.

“Auxiliaries. Baird, continue observation. Vasquez, move in and start bagging in one minute unless informed otherwise,” I order.

“Yes sir.”

I stand and stride over the man writhing on the ground, gaze locked in on the back of my squadmate who's already advanced a good bit down the hall. And while I am honed and locked in for the danger ahead, I am far too accustomed to battle for some of my mind to not wander back to thoughts of Gwen.

If I don’t tell her the truth, she will inevitably suffer, and I know that I’ll lose her completely. Am I really willing to forsake her again? I’ve made so many sacrifices in the name of other people, but I know that as much as I’ve been convincing myself that I’m trying to protect her, I’m…

I’m just selfish and terrified of owning my past. So I need to decide what I’m more scared of: admitting the past or losing a future with her. But then gunfire cracks off ahead and I pressmyself into the nearest doorway. We were anticipating that they might be armed—I sigh, knowing already that this is going to be so much paperwork.

***

The road ahead is a streak of gray framed by flickering trees as I drive my SUV down the open highway. It's still early in the morning and this stretch is quiet enough that I can be a bit excessive with the gas pedal. My training for serving the council wound up including a rigorous tactical driving course as I expanded my duties over the years, so I feel competency and control even as the engine whines and the speedometer hovers on some questionably legal numbers. I flex my hand on wheel and feel the freshly regenerated skin over my knuckles go tenderly taut. They're still a bit pink on a few knuckles but it should fade out over the next hour or two. It's still a tad surreal for me to think about how long injuries last for humans compared to my kind.

A thought broaches my mind:I wonder if Rowan is going to have to deal with that when he's older.

I shake my head to focus back in—this is not the time to get lost in my long-term worries as a father. My priority right now is getting back to the house as soon as I can to stabilize things with Gwen. She hasn't contacted my phone as of yet, and in worry that I might wake her, I haven't called. But the not knowing has me mentally pacing, fretting over how things could be going wrong without me being there to prevent it.

What if I get back and she's all packed up and gone?

I grunt under my breath in self-directed anger to snap out of it, though I do spare a glance towards my phone. Perhapsserendipity decided to make another appearance in my life because at that very same moment, the screen brightens up with a notification.

Remus Security Systems Alert: Possible trespassing identified at 07:38. Silent house alarm activated.

Everything goes cold. It's only by sheer discipline that I keep the car navigating steadily down the highway despite the wave of shock trying to wash over me. There is the possibility that it’s a false alarm and that everything is fine… But I have never lived a life where things were innocent or easy. I know to anticipate the worst because I have seen it.

I jerk the clutch and grit my teeth. The SUV gets louder as I shift gears to push my car from skirting the legal limit to pushing its practical limit.

“Voice command.”

The digital dashboard chirps obediently.

“Call Gwen.”

I can't spare my eyes from driving much at these speeds even with the straightaway, so I stare deadlocked outside as the phone rings out over the car speakers. It almost immediately goes to voicemail.

“Goddamn it.”

Either her phone is dead or it's been turned off. Regardless of the exact circumstances, the ultimate result is that I can't reach her remotely. All the more reason for me to do whatever it takes to get home as swiftly as I can.

“End call.”

I lift my hand to my phone in its mounted holster on the dash and navigate to the security app as safely as I can to get thecamera feeds up. And what I see floods the chill of dread away with molten fury. There are strangers pacing through my house, and both my son and Gwen are sleeping, entirely unaware.

“Call Eli.”

Thankfully I get an answer after a few rings.

“Morning Thorn.”

“Eli. I'm a few minutes out from my house and there are several men that have broken in. Will update you once I arrive but I may need backup.”

The Alpha's voice is sharp and serious when he replies, a fair contrast from the more relaxed tone he'd started the call with.

“I'll get some warriors on their way ASAP.”

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