Page 60 of Alpha Rising (Secrets of the Northland Shifters)

“We want you gone.”

“Who is this?” I demanded, this time louder.

“Even if we have to trap all of you in nets, one by one, we will kill you all. And you can tell your pretty girlfriend, she won’t get away from us a second time.”

Sarah’s eyes locked with mine. I expected to see fear. Instead, her eyes were icier than I’d ever seen them.

The caller had just connected everything for us. Whoever was on the phone had not only trapped Toby in the net, but he was the same person who’d tampered with the ropes course. And if he knew what happened to Sarah, then he was also connected to Lady Luck and my father’s death.

One person—or one entity—was behind it all.

“So the next time you get an offer to sell your property,” said the voice, “take it, or be outed for the monsters you are.”

The caller disconnected.

My heart lodged in my throat.

Then I roared with uncontrolled fury and threw my phone across the room. It hit the wall, leaving a divot in the sheetrock.

“That’s it!” Sarah exclaimed, punching the mattress. “I’m so fucking tired of this.”

I immediately regretted my outburst. I hadn’t considered how she must be feeling, and I was sorry to have scared her. “I apologize. It’s going to be okay.”

“Are you kidding me?” She looked at me wild-eyed, her face flushed. “Nothing about this isokay, Reese.”

“You’re right.” God, I was an idiot. “I’m so sorry.”

I tried to pull her back into my lap, but she got off the bed and began pacing, her fingertips pressed to her forehead. “I’m tired of living under constant threat. Ofhiding. I’m done with all of it.”

She made a swiping gesture with both hands to emphasize her point.

“Okay. It’s okay.” I got off the bed and went to her, stupidly thinking she needed comforting.

She slapped my hands away. “Whoever that was…” She pointed at my phone, which lay on the floor, its screen cracked. “He’s just another DaBruzzi, thinking he can take whatever he wants and ruin the lives of people who are just going about their days, minding their own business.” She made an exasperated sound. “I’m so done with it!”

“Okay, Sarah.” I put my hands on her shoulders and tried to steer her back to the bed. “But let’s settle down.”

“I’m notsettling down, Reese.” She looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “I’m tired of people who look at something beautiful and insist on making it ugly. If anyone threatens you, or me, oranyonehere again, I’ll showthema monster.”

My lips quirked. I couldn’t help it. “What are you saying, kitten?”

Her face grew even more serious, something I would have thought was impossible. “I’m saying,Reese, that this kitten has claws.”

19

REESE

Privacy was a precious commodity. It seemed the walls had eyes, and the trees had ears, and I didn’t know where to go anymore for a private conversation with my family.

Before Dad died, when there was something important to discuss, we’d often convene in the woods, but now there was the threat of cameras. My office was no good—the walls were thin and someone could stop by at any moment—and now, the very thought of using the back corner booth at the Mad Hatter made me feel like I had a target on my back.

In short, while I’d vehemently rejected Sarah’s suggestion that our troubles were the result of an inside job, I couldn’t risk the possibility that someone was listening.

So I’d called my siblings into my bedroom, and I stood with my back against the stone fireplace while I relayed last night’s threatening phone call.

Sam paced the floor as he listened, his angular face set in hard lines, and his blond hair standing on end from all the times he’d raked his hand through it.

Toby and Mel sat perched on the front edge of the brown leather chairs. Toby’s short dark hair was wet from his morning shower, and he still looked rattled from recent events.

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