Page 59 of Secret Wolf Baby

Reacher’s eyes blazed with rage. He grabbed the front of my shirt and jerked me onto the tips of my toes. Terror washed over me. I knew I was stepping into dangerous territory. But all I wanted right now was for him to leave me and Claire and Jackson alone from now on. This was the best, most direct way to get that.

“He what?” he hissed.

“He knows,” I said, trying to sound braver than I felt. I gave Reacher a wild grin. “Have fun putting your plan into action with the Gold Wolves breathing down your neck. I wonder how long it’s going to take for them to come after you now. What do you think?”

“You bitch,” he hissed. He slammed me into the wall, still holding me by the shirt. “We told you not to tell anyone. You’re going to go against a direct order like that, you little snake?”

My heart pounded in terror and rage. Still, I kept my cool as I leveled my gaze at him.

“I’m done answering to you,” I said.

His lips curled into a snarl, his face inches from mine. “We’ll see about—”

“Mom?”

Ice ran through my veins as Claire’s panicked voice reached me. The air rushed from my lungs. Our heads turned in unison toward the front of the hall. Claire stood just inside the door, frozen in place as she gaped at the tableau in front of her. I could only imagine what it looked like to her: her old alpha pushing her mother against the wall while her grandfather looked on. Her gaze went from Dad, to me, to Reacher. Her eyes narrowed.

“Let my mom go,” she said. Her fingers lengthened to claws, and she showed her fangs.

“Claire, don’t,” I said. “Just run. Go get—”

I didn’t even have time to say ‘your father’ before everything went to hell.

“Get her,” Reacher ordered over my own words.

Dad lunged for Claire. Before she could fully shift or even take two steps toward the door, he had grabbed her and pinned her hands behind her back, holding her in place even as she screamed and fought.

“Don’t you hurt her—” I snarled.

I tried to push Reacher away and move toward Claire to get my father away from her. Reacher shoved me back against the wall. I glared at him, preparing to shift and shove him away. Before I could, as if he knew what I was about to do, he grabbed me by the throat.

“Don’t even think about it,” he growled.

I gagged as his claws dug into my flesh. I tried to pry his fingers away, but couldn’t.

“Mom!” Claire screamed off to the side.

“If you kill me or her, you’re done for,” I managed to choke out.

“Oh, I’m not going to kill either of you.” His grip on my neck tightened as he leaned forward. “I still have use for you,” he hissed in my ear.

I could barely hear as dark spots poked at the edges of my vision.

“Mom,” Claire said, the fear and desperation now evident in her voice. “Let me go!”

I glanced toward her to see her fighting her grandfather to no effect. Even if she had shifted, it would have taken only seconds for Dad to catch her.

“Hold her,” Reacher ordered Dad, then turned back to me. “Now, you listen to me, you brat. The only reason I’m keeping you alive right now is because I want you to give the Gold Wolves a message. You tell that mate of yours that if he so much as thinks of coming after me, his daughter is dead. Do you understand?”

“Let her go. Please,” I implored. My wolf howled in rage, wanting to fight back, to kill this asshole for so much as thinking about hurting my cub. But I knew that so much as shifting would only put Claire in more danger. I knew my father well enough to know he cared more about power than he did about hurting his own blood. “She doesn’t have anything to do with this.”

“Think of her as my insurance,” Reacher growled, his grip tightening until I could barely breathe. He turned my head, forcing me to watch Dad drag Claire out of the house as she kicked and screamed, and I could do nothing about it, not without risking her getting hurt. “Remember to tell your husband when you wake up.”

Then his fist slammed down on my temple, and everything went black.

Chapter 21 - Jackson

On my way home from work, I picked up some flowers and chocolates for Audrey and Claire. I wanted to do something nice for them. Everything seemed to be going well. After relaying Audrey’s information to Declan, we had enough to mount a plan against Reacher, and Audrey and I were on the best terms we’d been on since meeting again. After months of stress and tension, it was a relief to feel like things had taken a turn for the better.

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