The gun in my purse might not weigh much, but carrying it makes my shoulders hunch. I scan my apartment building’s parking lot. Nobody’s around. Thank goodness. I’m too frazzled to lie if someone questions my odd behavior.
I should’ve just left the gun in the apartment. I don’t have a license to carry a concealed weapon. Rick insisted I keep his gun handy, however. I’m not sure he meant for me to take it if I leave my place, but I made him a promise. I’m going to keep it.
Besides, this is only a short trip. Ella asked me to come to her office. She wants to get my official statement about when and how Todd made me his breeding partner. I’m not sure why it matters if she doesn’t think the Shifter Council will punish Todd for what he did, but I have no reason not to cooperate since I’m not skipping town. Hopefully, Ella will be able to pull a few favors or dig up some support for me. She seemed determined to help me. I won’t know until I talk to her.
At my van’s side, I pull out my keys. My wolf slams hard enough into my rib cage that I stumble. Sharp teeth rip at my insides. I gasp at the unexpected assault. She wants out. Now. I can’t let her free. My neighbors might see me shift. There are a few who don’t work during the day.
Eyelids squeezed shut, I focus on the wall between us, building it up. It pains me to do so. She’s obviously sensed a threat. Her deep snarls chill me. She’s going to fight me with everything she has.
The slight curving of her spine is my only warning. She throws her metaphysical body against the barrier separating our forms. Sheer agony radiates through me. The keys fall from my hand as I press my palms against my chest. Never before has she tried so hard to force a shift upon me.
There’s only one thing I can do.
Using every ounce of strength I possess, I shove her back. A thick wall drops between us. A twisted sense of rage chokes me without the shield she provides. I know who it belongs to—Todd. I want to get away. Only, I can’t run yet. My body’s still reeling from my wolf’s attack. I brace a hand against the van’s door as my stomach heaves and my head spins.
The sound of squealing tires yanks my attention to the entrance of the parking lot. Todd’s rusted pickup jumps the curb. It fishtails, then accelerates, aiming right at me.
I scream and run toward the building. The truck swerves, coming to a stop inches from me. Panting hard, I pivot and take several steps before a bruising grip on my wrist stops me.
Todd yanks me against his body. He hooks a muscled arm around my waist. My feet leave the ground.
“No!” I pry and scratch at Todd’s arm, trying to break his hold. “Let me go!”
He climbs into the driver’s side of the truck and shoves me. My shoulder rams into the passenger door as I tumble onto that side. I reach for the handle. The truck lurches forward before I can open the door. My head bangs hard against the window, sending spots dancing across my eyes.
“What is wrong with you? And where are you taking me?” Too angry to be afraid, I scream the question. How dare he manhandle me like this! I’m pregnant with his babies!
“My house. I’m taking you to my house. Locking you in my bedroom.”
“Your house?” I swallow hard. He’s got to be joking. Threatening me, maybe. “Why? You never wanted me there before.”
“And I don’t want you there now. You forced me to do this!”
Oh no, he’s not locking me away. I have to get out of here. I reach for the door handle. The truck picks up speed. I glance out the window at the blurry objects rushing by. We’re going too fast to jump. I can’t guarantee I won’t hurt my babies when I smack into the pavement.
I cut a quick glance at the speedometer. Seventy miles per hour and climbing. Releasing the door handle, I grab onto the armrest of the door. There’s a reason the speed limit is only forty going through here. The road is narrow with hairpin curves. “Todd, slow down. You’re going too fast.”
“Shut up, you stupid female!” Todd flexes his hands on the steering wheel. “I’ll drive how I want to drive!”
Fury twists Todd’s features. I’ve never seen him this mad before. Or this quiet. He usually screams at me when he’s angry, telling me exactly what I’ve done to set him off. Not this time. Something’s different. I know what.
I smell like Rick.
In an attempt to put as much distance between us as possible, I inch my way from Todd until the metal door presses completely into my side. The tremor shaking my free hand rushes through my body, leaving me trembling. The panicked reaction is the worst I’ve experienced. No wonder. I’m living my worst nightmare.
“Todd, please slow down. I’m carrying your sons this time.”
Todd turns his head and stares at me. My heart pounds, yet my skin chills. Death’s staring me in the eye. Even without my wolf close, I can read Todd’s mood. He’ll kill me if provoked. Maybe even if he’s not.
“Todd.” I point with a shaky finger. “The road. Please. If I die, so do your boys.”
He faces the windshield and presses the gas pedal into the floor. The engine revs as it picks up speed. “Boys! It makes what you did worse.”
I bite my lip until the taste of blood fills my mouth. My fear is weakening me. I can’t stop it. My unborn babies are relying on me. If telling Todd the truth about their sex doesn’t calm him, I’m not sure what will. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Don’t lie! I know how you betrayed me. Dishonored me. I won’t stand for it! I can’t allow you to let another man pretend to be the father of the brats I allowed to live. I sure won’t allow him to claim my sons!”
“I…I…” No words come to me. Todd shouldn’t know Rick went to Peyton and Rey’s preschool. The teachers there have never even met Todd. Heck, Rick’s probably still there. He didn’t leave too long ago. No, Todd can’t be angry about that. It’s got to be something else. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You think I don’t have people watching you? Or those little brats?” Todd shoots me a harsh look. “Wyatt demands it. So nobody runs off with you before you give us a son.”
“Us?” I grip the seat, digging my sharpened nails into the cushion. I’ve always known Wyatt wanted a male heir in his bloodline to carry on their family’s name, but his influence on Todd is not normal. Neither is Wyatt’s interest in me. “Why do Wyatt’s wants matter to you? Or is he the one who really desired me and used you to claim me?”
“Answer me, you stupid slut!” Todd’s voice booms in the enclosed space.
I cringe. I hate the reaction but can’t stop it. The fear slithering through me is real. I’m not helping matters by running my mouth either. I have to shut up. I know that’s what I need to do. Darn, it’s hard. Todd’s not the only one angry.
So am I.
I’m furious. At Todd. At Wyatt. At the knowledge that they preyed on a naïve young woman. At our male-dominated culture. At the laws that give Todd the right to hurt me.
Over the fact that I might lose Rick.
My nostrils flare on my quickened breaths. The barrier restraining my wolf erodes. Her power flows through me, energizing me. I’m stronger than Todd thinks. I’m stronger than I’ve allowed myself to think. Rick pulled the veil from my eyes. Proved to me I’m worthy. Proved to me I’m a dominant—an alpha’s daughter.
“I am not a slut. I’m not a whore. And I’m not a worthless vessel for you to use and abuse as you see fit!”
“You are all that and more!” Todd twists the steering wheel, taking the turn in the road without slowing down. The truck fishtails, then accelerates. I tumble forward and smack my forehead off the dashboard. “I smell that Shifter Affairs agent on you. He slept with you! Left his scent on you! You think I can just sit back and let you disgrace me like that?”
With my hands planted on the dashboard, I stare at the floor while dots dance in front of my eyes. I blink several times and focus on my purse lying between my feet. The butt of Rick’s gun is visible among the contents spilling out. Using my foot, I slide it out of the bag. All I have to do is grab it and release the safety.
Ilan’s instructions repeat in my head: exhale, aim, squeeze. Once I commit to taking a shot, it’s over in seconds. He made shooting someone sound so easy. At least until he warned me to make sure I could live with the memory of what I’ve done. It would haunt me for the rest of my life.
I close my eyes, blocking my view of the gun. “You told me you didn’t care who I slept with.”
“Screwed. I said I didn’t care who you screwed. Not sleep with. Not pawn off as the father of your children.” Todd’s voice takes on a deep growl as he lies, spinning a version that suites this moment. “But you had to go and push your boundaries like you always do. Now, I’ve got Wyatt breathing down my neck. Talking nonsense about tradition and the old ways. How there’s only one way to deal with a worthless female like you.”
“And that is?”
“Wyatt’s going to lend me his toys. They worked on his female. They’ll work on you too.”
Toys? Oh, goddesses. I don’t want to think about what that means.
“No.” Eyes squeezed tight, I shake my head. “They won’t work. Neither will kidnapping me or locking me in your bedroom. Nothing will. I’m strong. A dominant. I won’t let you break me.”
Todd’s deranged laugh surrounds me. “Is that a challenge? Because if it is, I’ll be more than happy to take you up on it.”
Ice slides through my veins. My racing heart slows. Tension drains from my shoulders. It’s almost as if someone has taken over my body, wiping away my fear and my guilt. The emptiness within me makes me feel powerful.
I open my eyes. My fingers are wrapped around the butt of the gun. The safety’s off. I don’t remember doing either.
Holding the gun against my leg, I straighten in my seat. “I won’t allow you to touch me anymore.”
“You can’t stop me. I own you.”
Exhaling, I raise the gun. Aim it. “Only until one of us dies.”
Todd whips his head in my direction. “Put the gun down.”
“No. You chose the wrong female. I’m done—”
The truck hits something, jerking it and sending the vehicle spinning. I’m thrown into the windshield. A whooshing sound registers. Glass shatters, slicing my back and my arms. White-hot pain whips through me. A scream rips from my throat. I bounce on the hood, then the road, hitting it so hard my teeth rattle. Asphalt, then rocks tear at my skin. Finally, I come to a stop.
I’m hurt. I know it. I can’t move without sharp pain stabbing me. What did this do to my babies?
Fear chokes me as the question repeats in my head. I need to look inside myself like I do when I visit my wolf…like I did after Todd shoved me.
“I’m afraid.” If I lost them, it’ll be my fault. Not Todd’s. Mine. I’m the one who pointed a gun to his head.
Ignoring the sharp pain in my arms, I close my eyes and cradle my achy stomach. Tears run down my cheeks. The pity and regret press down on me. I choke on a sob. I’m too afraid to check on my babies. “Oh goddesses, what have I done?”
“Forced my hand, that’s what.”
The words reach me a second before a fist connects with my face. Darkness pulls me under, but one thought remains.
I didn’t get a chance to see if my babies survived the crash.