Page 68 of Wolf Claimed
“Why did you frame me?”
Gallagher started sweating and clenched his teeth, fighting the truth serum.
“You know how the drug works, Gallagher. I’m not going anywhere until I get the answers, so do yourself a favor and start talking.”
“It was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up,” he blurted out and then took a deep breath as the pain disappeared. “We didn’t realize who you were when we recruited you for this job. After you were inserted here, we received a tip that you had a connection to the WSSO. It was enough to get a judge to unseal your court records. We found out who your father is.”
“It wasn’t enough that she went undercover to help you, you used her to get to her father?” Tiernan said, his face darkening with anger.
“Yes.”
“Why did you frame her?” Rafe asked the one question Gallagher had been avoiding.
“So he could reveal my identity to the mole,” Alyssa said through clenched teeth. “That was the entire purpose of that interrogation, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” Gallagher said, sounding proud of himself. “That’s all we needed. We never planned to charge you for the murder, Monroe.”
“By now the mole has told my father where I am.”
Tiernan came up from behind and placed his hands on her upper arms, gently running them up and down. “We have to get you out of here.”
“We’re not leaving without Maddox,” she replied.
“You’re a target now, from someone worse than the DSA,” Tiernan added.
Alyssa leaned her head against Tiernan’s chest. She felt wonderfully warm and safe with him holding her, but all the love and support didn’t change the sting of knowing the DSA had used her. And that her father now knew where to find her.
“My father won’t kill me.” Her words lacked conviction, but saying them aloud was the only way to convince herself she would survive whatever was heading her way. She didn’t know what he wanted with her, but she’d always known this day would come.
“No, he won’t,” Tiernan reassured. “Because we won’t let him near you.”
We. As in him, Rafe, and Maddox. Her shifters. Herpack. They were all she needed. If they’d accept her, together. Hell, that was a crazy idea. They came from different packs and they planned to return to their alphas. She would return to her old life in the secret service. Except that life was probably gone to her now, thanks to the DSA’s betrayal.
Alyssa strode over to Gallagher. “I would have cooperated, worked with the DSA to capture my father, but you never gave me a chance. You used me, Gallagher. You were supposed to back me. I’m one of you. Or rather, I was.”
Suddenly, her chest felt heavy and her breathing became hard. Rafe led her outside into the fresh air. “Breathe, Artemis. Deep breaths. You’re fine, but you need to calm down.”
She looked up at Rafe, who was bending over her. She didn’t even remember sitting on the ground.
“I worked so hard to put myself through college and then to become a federal agent. These were my people. They were supposed to have my back, not sell me out. If they wanted to use me as bait, then they should have come to me. I would have helped them. But they didn’t trust me. They never trusted me because of my father. I’m alone again.”
Rafe squatted in front of her. “You’re not alone. You have Tiernan. You’re blood-bonded mates. He’ll never leave you.”
“I don’t feel the bond. Shouldn’t I feel something different? And he did nothing when I kissed you. Or didn’t you notice?”
Rafe reached out to touch her, but withdrew before making contact. “I noticed, and I don’t understand it. But I know you’re not alone. He loves you, Artemis. I see it every time he looks at you, especially when you’re with me or Maddox. I hate the idea of losing you, but I know he’ll take good care of you. He loves you.”
“I know this sounds selfish, but I want all of you. If the blood-bond isn’t working like you and Maddox said it would, can’t we stay together? All of us?”
“Maybe if it didn’t work. But he’s in full control of his wolf, so part of it worked.” Rafe shoved his hand through his hair as he did when he was confused. “But he did let us kiss. We’ll figure it out. For now, focus on the fact that no matter what, you still have Tiernan. And me.”
“And me,” Maddox said as he emerged from the woods. “I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but we need to get out of here fast. There’s a group of shifters on my tail. I didn’t think Alyssa would be here or I never would have come.”
“Tiernan,” Rafe called. “Leave Gallagher. We’re going.”
They piled into the car, Tiernan sitting beside Alyssa as she threw the SUV into reverse, spun the vehicle around, and headed back to the one-lane dirt road. Tiernan placed his hand on her thigh. “You’ll be fine.”
“I’m scared,” she admitted, something she’d never done before. But doing so to these shifters didn’t make her feel weaker. “Gallagher revealed my identity and all the trainees know my face. And the shifters know my scent.”
