mouth dropped open.
She pointed to Luke. “That human overheard Vince invite Barry, Rufus, and Taylor to join him at the cabin where I went to endure my heat-cycle alone, and to take me against my will. Vince spoke in a way that led him to believe I would not survive what he and his friends planned to do to me, and they were planning to use your grief against you and challenge you for the alpha position. The human came to protect me, and he succeeded.”
Acksel snapped his teeth together and a muscle twitched under his eye. “A human could not stand up against one wolf, let alone four.”
“I watched him with my own eyes. He fought bravely and honorably, and killed Vince only after he shifted into his wolf form and attacked him. The wounds on Luke’s arms aren’t from running over a wolf, but from defending himself and me.”
She closed the distance between herself and her brother. Looking up into his eyes, she saw the war in their gray depths. Taking his hand, she placed it on her stomach. “He’s my mate, Acksel. His seed grows in my belly. I know that I have to leave the pack in shame, but I’m not ashamed of taking Luke as my mate. He protected me when it could have cost him his life. Will you take my mate from me now, Acksel? Alpha? Brother?”
She stopped fighting the tears that had threatened since she’d seen Luke’s blood on the steps of his apartment. Acksel’s fingers flexed on her stomach and he dropped his hand and looked at their dad.
“If you look at Luke’s truck, you’ll see it hasn’t been damaged at all,” their dad said. “You were lied to and your sister could have died.”
Acksel swallowed hard and stepped back. Eveny felt like she was looking at a stranger. Would Acksel kill Luke? Would he believe her? She laid her hands on her stomach and looked at Luke. His head was lifted and he was looking at her. One eye was purple and swollen shut, but the other eye was staring right at her. She could feel how much he loved her.
Acksel spun and howled. Rufus, Barry, and Taylor backed away, but just a snap of Acksel’s fingers brought his second in command, Auro, to the group and he and several other wolves stopped them from leaving.
“Take the human down,” Acksel said loudly. “I find no fault with him.”
The pack murmured unhappily; Acksel froze and then lifted his head and howled again. Deeper. Angrier. The sound tore through the pack and everyone fell to their knees, including her and her father, as Acksel reminded them that he was alpha.
Eveny watched as Acksel moved to the group that was holding the three men who had come with Vince, and she heard them say she was lying and that they had told him the truth. Her dad touched her shoulder and they rose together and moved to Luke.
Pack members watched her as she untied the gag and tossed it aside. “Oh, Luke, I’m so sorry,” she touched his jaw with her fingertips.
His head lolled to the side and the corner of his mouth lifted in a small smile. “Love you.”
Tears spilled over her cheeks. “I love you, too.”
He groaned through clenched teeth as her dad loosened the chain and pulled the pins that held the shackles closed. Luke fell to his knees and she supported his upper body as much as she could, unable to see clearly through the tears.
“Are you safe?” he whispered.
“Yeah, Luke. We both are,” she promised.
He sighed in relief and then went limp. She almost went down with the sudden weight, but her dad lifted him up in his arms. “Come on, darlin’.”
She brushed the grass from her knees as she stood, and looked at Acksel as he gestured angrily. The three that had come to the cabin were forced to their knees. She shuddered as she and her dad left the clearing with Luke. She liked to tease Acksel about being alpha, but she knew what a hard job he had. She and her brother had grown up in this town and knew everyone, human
She pointed to Luke. “That human overheard Vince invite Barry, Rufus, and Taylor to join him at the cabin where I went to endure my heat-cycle alone, and to take me against my will. Vince spoke in a way that led him to believe I would not survive what he and his friends planned to do to me, and they were planning to use your grief against you and challenge you for the alpha position. The human came to protect me, and he succeeded.”
Acksel snapped his teeth together and a muscle twitched under his eye. “A human could not stand up against one wolf, let alone four.”
“I watched him with my own eyes. He fought bravely and honorably, and killed Vince only after he shifted into his wolf form and attacked him. The wounds on Luke’s arms aren’t from running over a wolf, but from defending himself and me.”
She closed the distance between herself and her brother. Looking up into his eyes, she saw the war in their gray depths. Taking his hand, she placed it on her stomach. “He’s my mate, Acksel. His seed grows in my belly. I know that I have to leave the pack in shame, but I’m not ashamed of taking Luke as my mate. He protected me when it could have cost him his life. Will you take my mate from me now, Acksel? Alpha? Brother?”
She stopped fighting the tears that had threatened since she’d seen Luke’s blood on the steps of his apartment. Acksel’s fingers flexed on her stomach and he dropped his hand and looked at their dad.
“If you look at Luke’s truck, you’ll see it hasn’t been damaged at all,” their dad said. “You were lied to and your sister could have died.”
Acksel swallowed hard and stepped back. Eveny felt like she was looking at a stranger. Would Acksel kill Luke? Would he believe her? She laid her hands on her stomach and looked at Luke. His head was lifted and he was looking at her. One eye was purple and swollen shut, but the other eye was staring right at her. She could feel how much he loved her.
Acksel spun and howled. Rufus, Barry, and Taylor backed away, but just a snap of Acksel’s fingers brought his second in command, Auro, to the group and he and several other wolves stopped them from leaving.
“Take the human down,” Acksel said loudly. “I find no fault with him.”
The pack murmured unhappily; Acksel froze and then lifted his head and howled again. Deeper. Angrier. The sound tore through the pack and everyone fell to their knees, including her and her father, as Acksel reminded them that he was alpha.
Eveny watched as Acksel moved to the group that was holding the three men who had come with Vince, and she heard them say she was lying and that they had told him the truth. Her dad touched her shoulder and they rose together and moved to Luke.
Pack members watched her as she untied the gag and tossed it aside. “Oh, Luke, I’m so sorry,” she touched his jaw with her fingertips.
His head lolled to the side and the corner of his mouth lifted in a small smile. “Love you.”
Tears spilled over her cheeks. “I love you, too.”
He groaned through clenched teeth as her dad loosened the chain and pulled the pins that held the shackles closed. Luke fell to his knees and she supported his upper body as much as she could, unable to see clearly through the tears.
“Are you safe?” he whispered.
“Yeah, Luke. We both are,” she promised.
He sighed in relief and then went limp. She almost went down with the sudden weight, but her dad lifted him up in his arms. “Come on, darlin’.”
She brushed the grass from her knees as she stood, and looked at Acksel as he gestured angrily. The three that had come to the cabin were forced to their knees. She shuddered as she and her dad left the clearing with Luke. She liked to tease Acksel about being alpha, but she knew what a hard job he had. She and her brother had grown up in this town and knew everyone, human
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