Page 17 of Wolf Unleashed
“Nothing explains those pictures. That was my mother turning into a wolf. Or are you going to tell me he faked photos of her shifting and hid them under his floorboard for fun? Don’t you get it? He killed her! My father killed my mother, took the only person from me who ever loved me.”
Tears streamed down her cheek, leaving a glistening trail behind. “Come here, precious,” Rafe held her while she sobbed, the tremors moving through her body at an alarming rate.
She needed some good news. He just hoped he wouldn’t be getting her hopes up. “We’re heading south in the morning. To find Maddox.”
She pulled away, swiping the tears away. Her eyes shone with hope and her spirit came alive.
“I don’t think you noticed, but my father recognized Maddox’s name when I mentioned him. When I told my father, my alpha, everything that had happened at the DSA training facility, he didn’t seem surprised by most of it. Just angry. The type of anger that comes with time, as someone mulls it over and lets it fester. I could tell he knew something.
“As it turns out, when Agent Gallagher visited my alpha last week, he didn’t say anything about you being Woodrow Monroe’s daughter, which I find curious. Regardless, my father knew what had happened to Maddox. I pushed until he told me.”
“Where’s Maddox now? Is he okay?”
“The DSA returned him to his pack two weeks ago.”
“That’s wonderful!” she said, clearly excited.
Rafe held up a hand. “He hasn’t been charged with murder, but that doesn’t mean he’s in the clear. You’ve heard Maddox talk about his alpha, right?”
“He didn’t talk about him much, but when he did, he had nothing good to say about him.”
“Drake Novak has a reputation for being ruthless and a bit crazy. For whatever reason, he demanded the DSA return Maddox to his pack.”
“And Gallagher turned him over just like that?”
“I’m sure there was more to it, but my father didn’t tell me. He’s rather upset with me for what happened at the DSA training facility and especially for getting involved with you.” Rafe stroked her hair. “He said your lineage should have been the first thing out of my mouth because of the danger.”
“Which danger? My being human, the possibility of other packs attacking to get to me, or my father tracking me to his pack?”
“All, I’m sure. It wasn’t exactly a give and take discussion. He was seething mad.”
“I can’t blame him for wanting to protect his pack. But I don’t think he’s in any danger from my father. I mean, I don’t think my father can track me way out here, not unless he finds a shifter to work for him, and I can’t see that happening.”
“Agreed.”
“Did you bring up that point?
“Tried to,” Rafe said, scrubbing his face. “My father wasn’t exactly in a listening mood. Your background was only part of the two-hour lecture I received. What happened at the training center was a clusterfuck, Artemis, and I should have prevented it. He’s right. I’m not alpha material, not like Eero was.”
“Eero? I heard you both mention him before. Who is he?”
“Was. Eero was my brother. Three years older than me. The virus killed him before I could get back with the vaccines from Tiernan’s pack. I think my father blames me for his death. I should have been faster, more insistent with Tiernan’s alpha. I had trouble convincing Liam Greyson to share his stock of the vaccine. He didn’t have enough for his own pack and there I was asking him to give up half. He shouldn’t have given me any. In fact, I left there empty-handed.”
“I thought you brought the vaccine back.”
“I did. Tiernan convinced his alpha to hand over a quarter of their stock. Doses intended for the outer lying parts of his territory that hadn’t been hit by the virus. Those vaccines helped my pack stop the spread and ended up saving dozens of lives. But I was too late for Eero.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Rafe. That’s awful. I didn’t realize. No wonder your father wanted me gone. It wasn’t the threat of having me in your pack. I would have been a constant reminder of what happened to his eldest son.”
“When my father refused to grant you sanctuary, I don’t think he expected I’d leave with you.”
“I can’t believe what you’re sacrificing for me. You’re not just taking me to Maddox, you’re giving up your pack.”
“I made my choice weeks ago. When I said you’re mine, I meant it, even without a blood-bond.”
She frowned, then bit her lip. “I shouldn’t have said what I did earlier. I don’t need a blood-bond to love you. You know that, right?”
His wolf inside howled softly, the desire for the blood-bond present, along with the reality of how it could weaken him. As if that weren’t bad enough, he had to break the news to her about Maddox. “I think the bond you share with Maddox is the cause of your nightmares, Artemis.”
