Page 30 of The Beast's Baby
“Severely,” he agreed. “We do as they say.”
“Yeah,” she said.
They both raised their hands though no guns were really being aimed at them. They meant it as a signal of surrender, and it was accepted as such. The largest wolf, the silver grey one, walked forward until he was standing right in front of them.
His eyes glowed a deep gold as he observed them.
Then his voice was in her head, and she got the distinct impression that it was in Jay’s as well.
Did you think we wouldn’t find you?
There was a soft growl behind every word, and she felt the hairs on her neck stand up.
Alpha.
The wolf within her was pacing. There was a soft protest there at having to do anything the other wolf said, but there was also reverence. The need to follow orders no matter what. In the hopes of joining his pack, the growing craving to be accepted, to get to run with him. But then her wolf growled softly as if to say no, they would not be giving in quite so easily.
It was as though the Alpha could sense her struggle, eyes moving onto hers.
Would you like to know what true loyalty feels like?
The question was softly taunting, and she felt the muscles of Jay’s arm stiffen under her fingers. She squeezed gently as some sort of affirmation that she was standing next tohim—she wasn’t going anywhere—and the walls she’d been trying to build back up seemed set on crumbling. For him.
This was bad.
She was in real trouble, and she’d never gotten herself into trouble quite so quickly before. Then again… she had known him for a month without ending up in his arms and that was new for her. Usually, she went for the whirlwind. The one that would leave her with bed hair for a week and mess with her heart and leave her life in shambles when it moved on. And yet her hands stayed on his arm, holding onto him like he was a buoy in chopping waters.
“We’ll go back with you,” Jay said.
You don’t really have much of a say in the matter, the wolf remarked.But good.
“I want to see my father,” Isobel piped up, knowing now was not the time to turn into some shrinking violet. She took a small step out from behind Jay, glaring the Alpha down even though it set her heart racing. “I need you to get the message to him,” she added.
There was a soft growl from the Alpha. It filled her head, and she wasn’t sure if it was in protest or a noise of acquiescence, but then the silver wolf bowed its head. It turned, heading for the doors, apparently expecting them to follow.
She wasn’t going to be afraid.
She kept telling herself that she wasn’t as she slipped her hand in Jay’s and they followed in the wolf’s footsteps. He led them to the helicopter and once they’d climbed in and were airborne, she turned to Jay, knowing her eyes must look like saucers.
“What’re they going to do now?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I have no idea,” he admitted.
“Can we make sure to stay together?” He raised his eyebrows. She knew how it sounded, but she needed him to say that he’d make an effort. That he’d agree to try. “I think it’d just be better, don’t you?” she added.
Her hand was still in his. He glanced down at it, then said, “You know I don’t have any power in that place, right?”
“Yes, but you know how to talk to them,” she said. “What arguments to make. I don’t.”
“There are no arguments to be made,” he said, regretful. “I don’t know what comes next, but I doubt it’s pretty. I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For not getting you out of there sooner. For buying into the whole thing. For many things.” He observed her for a moment, the regret from earlier blooming into a wilderness in the green of his eyes. She wanted to walk into it, get lost in it, accept it as the silent apology she knew that it was. “We’ll get through this, yeah?” he said.
“Yeah,” she said, feeling silly for holding onto him like she was and still being unable to deny that it did make her feel like they most likely would.
***
