“Daddy!” she yelled.
Tears were streaming down her face as she looked between me, Violet, and Diana.
“You’re going to be okay, baby,” I assured her.
“Of course she will,” Diana insisted, grabbing her granddaughter by the arm. “She’s coming with me.”
“I want my daddy!” Penny cried, louder than before.
“Don’t be stupid, child,” Diana said.
I saw her twist Penny’s arm and try to pull her closer to her side. Diana had never shown malice to Penny before, but she wasn’t acting like herself.
“Diana, you need to let her go,” I said calmly. In her current state, I couldn’t be sure that she wouldn’t do something rash if she thought it would hurt me or Violet.
“Penny ismine,” Diana seethed. “You don’t deserve her.”
I circled around to Diana’s other side, watching for traps as I went. The closer I moved to her, the tighter she held onto my daughter. I could see her fingers digging into Penny’s arm, causing bruises to blossom.
“Nile, you know what we have to do,” Jasper said, eyes narrowed at the woman.
I did. Diana’s eyes bounced around as she tried to find an escape for herself and Penny. As soon as she realized there wasn’t one… I dreaded to think what she would decide to do.
“Diana, this is your last chance,” I warned her. “Let Penny go, and we can talk.”
“I will never let her go. I would rather die,” she replied.
She thrust Penny into the cabin behind her, closing the door to prevent her from escaping. Penny’s screams of terror and pain echoed through the trees, and I felt my blood curdle at the sound. I moved to shift into my wolf form when an even louder scream came from Violet.
At the sound of Penny’s distress, Violet had braved the pain of the silver rope, pulling it off her leg and tossing it onthe ground toward Diana. She panted heavily at the exertion and strode toward Diana.
“Do not touch my daughter,” Violet snarled. “Ever again.”
“She’s not your daughter,” Diana hissed back.
“She is,” Violet argued. “I have loved and cared for that child since the moment I met her. I have tucked her into bed at night, fed her, read to her, played with her, and taught her. I have listened to her when she needed me. What have you done?”
Diana sputtered, taking a step away from the cabin and toward Violet. Her rage at my mate was causing her to lose focus, and I could see that was Violet’s plan.
“Penny is happier with me than she has ever been with you, and you know it,” Violet said quietly.
Diana moved a few more steps away from the door, which cracked open as Penny peeked outside. I put my hand up to my daughter, hoping she would understand that she needed to wait a moment longer. Diana was still too close.
“And you know what she calls me now?” Violet asked, stepping toward Diana once more.
“It doesn’t matter what she calls you, you bitch,” Diana snarled. “I’ll kill you for destroying my family.”
Diana launched herself toward Violet, but I was faster. I tackled her to the ground while Penny ran from the cabin and straight into her mother’s arms.
“Jasper, kick that rope over here, would you?” I asked, struggling to subdue Diana’s violent convulsions and snarls.
Jasper had found a pair of gloves, which he put on before grabbing the rope and bringing it over to where we tussled onthe ground. Together, we restrained Diana and waited for the fight to leave her.
“It’s okay, Pen,” Violet murmured into our daughter’s ear while she stroked her hair. “I’m right here. No one’s going to hurt you, I swear.”
“Is she hurt?” I asked Violet, not daring to take my eyes off of Diana.
“Nothing that a little time won’t fix,” she replied.