Hunted Down by His Alpha (9 page)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Hayden

“Fuck!” I slammed my hand down on the table and pushed back from my chair. I’d gotten no closer to finding out what had happened that night five years ago and it looked like Tobias was right. I was going to have to put it behind us and move on. But it was hard. I wouldn’t feel safe—wouldn’t be certain that my mate was safe—until I knew who and what had caused Michael to take Tobias with him and run. It still didn’t understand why he hadn’t come to me. I’d been an alpha then too, and would have done all I could to keep them safe—everyone in our pack had known that Toby was more important than my own life to me, and that anything that harmed him or posed a threat would have been dealt with swiftly and surely.

I ran a stiff hand through my hair as the thought that’d been plaguing me since Toby told me what he remembered shot through me. Had Michael wanted to protect Toby from me? Was that why he had run and why he’d started that fire? He’d have to have known that we wouldn’t have been over to find their scents over the rancid smell of the smoke and ash. But who had been the body we’d found in the house that night? It seemed that my questions would have no answers for another night.

My skin felt tight and itchy and I felt my wolf clawing at the surface, ready to be let out. It’d been a while since I’d gone for a run, but I didn’t like the idea of leaving Tobias alone in the house or being away from him. In time I’d brought him home nothing had happened—not even a hangnail. Logically, I knew that nothing would while he was here with me. I trusted our packmates and they knew that my retribution and the retribution of the other alphas would be swift and deadly if anything happened to a mate—whether they were a mate of an alpha or another packmate. Mates, especially pregnant mates were sacred and to be protected.

I tried to soothe my wolf as I headed towards the bedroom. Tobias was sound asleep, nestled against the sheets. He’d been tiring easily lately and I wondered if the pregnancy was taking a toll on his human half. So far there hadn’t been any problems and Seamus seemed adamant that my mate’s body was adjusting perfectly to the growing pups inside of him without any complications. He knew that he would need to tell me immediately if there were any problems. A part of me would die if Tobias had to lose the pups, but losing him would be the end of me.

I silently moved over to his sleeping form and as though sensing I was there his eyes drowsily opened and he smiled up at me. Love swelled in my chest nearly bowling me over at the sight of him. I loved him so goddamn much and I knew my mate had grown to return my feelings, though feelings seemed too mild a word for what burst through me at the sight and thought of him.

“You don’t need to get up,” I said softly as I reached out and pressed my hand to his shoulder, stilling his movements.

“You’re working late again,” Toby admonished with a frown, his voice rough with sleep as he looked up at me. It was already nearly two in the morning.

“I needed to finish up some pack business, and Gray’s gone to help the Savatore Pack with their rebuilding so I was looking over his own renovations while he’s away.” In truth Gray had told us to leave it while he was gone—he’d pick it back up when he returned—but the extra work kept my worrying at bay when I wasn’t in my mate’s arms and I owed him for the tip he’d dug up a year ago regarding Tobias’s disappearance, even if it hadn’t panned out.

“Will you come back to bed now then?”

I swept my thumb over his soft cheek, smiling at the added fullness from the pregnancy, as I looked down at him. I tied to ignore the restless pacing of my wolf inside of me. “I was thinking of going for a quick run, but I won’t leave if you don’t want me to.”

He shook his sandy brown head. “No, you should go. I love seeing your wolf run.” I’d taken him out with me several times, letting him meet and play with my wolf and he’d openly embraced it as he had me.

“I was going to ask if you wanted to come with but you need to get some more sleep and I like the idea of coming back to you, knowing you’re naked and in bed waiting for me.”

He laughed huskily. “You better not take too long then.”

“I promise I won’t.” I leaned down and brushed a kiss on his lips then sighed as it deepened. Reluctantly I pulled back. “Maybe I should stay after all.”

Tobias grinned. “Go. I’ll be waiting for you when you get back.”

I hesitated, then nodded before pressing another kiss to his forehead. I headed for the door and turned around to see him smiling back at me. He nestled down deeper into the bed and mouthed “go” at me.

I grinned and headed downstairs. I’d use the kitchen doors. I inhaled the crisp scent of the winter night as I shifted and let my wolf out. The shift flowed through me like water, sliding through my bones and sinew and I dropped down onto the patio on all fours, shaking out my dark fur.

I felt my already sharp senses hone into razor-like intensity as I scented prey in the surrounding distance and my ears pricked at the sound of the wind through the trees and the sound of a television set two doors down.

I threw back my head and howled, yipping when I heard several answering howls and took off through the backyard heading for the woods. It was exhilarating, feeling the rush of the wind against my fur, the pump of blood through my veins as my muscles stretched and flowed. The crunch of the winter-hardened forest ground beneath my paws as I ran through the woods, and wove between the trees was as familiar to me as the hardwood floor of my office and the carpet in the house. I yearned for Toby to be able to experience this, that he would know the joy of running as a wolf, be able to taste the freedom of his shifted form. But I knew that was impossible.

Though halflings weren’t unheard of, it was rare that they were able to shift. I didn’t know what it would mean for our children, but with me being a full shifter and Toby being half, Seamus had assured us that the shifter blood would be stronger than the human side and that they shouldn’t have any problems shifting. My heart ached that my mate wouldn’t be able to take our pups out running, but that was for him. I wouldn’t have cared if he had been full human. I would still love him as hard and as much as I did now. It was an all-consuming feeling and I slowed my pace down to a trot before stopping in a small clearing under the pool of moonlight. I lifted my head towards the waxing crescent moon as I thought about the man waiting for me in our bed. My mate.

Tobias was right. It was time to put the past behind us. It seemed we’d never get answers for that night and it was time to let it go. Continuing to pursue it would only take more of my time away from him and I was too busy constantly worrying about an uncertain future event to properly relish every present moment I had with him. I’d deal with every problem that arose when we encountered it, and I’d keep on loving him. As I had for the last five years and even before that.

I turned and headed back towards the house wanting to feel him in my arms again. I’d tell him my decision, that I loved him, and then we’d make love, and in the morning I’d tell him again I loved him and paint the nursery whatever color he’d decided on for the week.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Tobias

“Hayden?” I called as I came awake. Moonlight spilled through the windows of the bedroom and I slipped out of bed as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. My skin pebbled and I grabbed the robe hanging off the chair and pulled it own, knotting the waist as I left the bedroom. I couldn’t sense him in the house, but I felt my instincts prick with the sensation of not being alone. Someone was in the house.

I stopped half-way down the stairs and decided to turn around and head back upstairs for the phone instead of trying to stupidly confront the intruder on my own when I felt a hard body suddenly slam against my back and a hand clamp over my mouth. I froze as fear, cold and sharp, doused me and then I burst into action, struggling against the tight hold as I fought to escape. The heavy sickening scent of perfume washed over making my stomach churn.

“Quick struggling, or I’ll gut you right here,” the rough voice growled menacingly into my ear as I felt the sharp tip of a blade prodding against my stomach.

I let out a keening sound and froze at the cold promise in the familiar voice.
Roman. This couldn’t be happening.
I’d vaguely told Hayden that Roman made me uncomfortable because I hadn’t wanted to cause problems between the two cousins, but now gripped tight in his arms and knowing he meant nothing but danger to me and my unborn pups, I wished I had told Hayden everything.

Hayden
. Fuck, he was going to go psycho when he realized what Roman was doing. I’d never been religious but I squeezed my eyes shut and forced myself to breathe as I prayed that he’d hurry the fuck home. It was too late for me to say I should have told him, I should have gone with him tonight, I should have made him kick Roman out of the pack or at the least, lock him up for giving me the chills.

Fuck, think damn it!

“Don’t even think of trying anything,” Roman growled as he turned me and maneuvered me down the staircase. “I’d kill you and the pups before you even get in a chance,” he warned. He would too. “Now be quiet and don’t struggle. We’re going to take a little walk before Hayden gets back.”

I nodded behind his hand and let him lead me out through the opened kitchen doors. I thought he’d take me to his vehicle but he marched me into the woods instead.
He’s going to kill me. He’s going to kill me and the pups and Hayden won’t know he’s the one who did it. That’s why he’s wearing all that perfume. So no one can recognize his scent.
I stumbled at the realization as terror and horror spread through me and felt his hand tighten around my mouth as I cried out.

“
Shut the fuck up!
” Roman growled as he yanked me back up and pushed me forward. “You should have died five years ago. Why didn’t you die?” he hissed in my ear as he pulled us through the trees. I stumbled several times only for him to yank me up and tug me on.

He finally stopped in the middle of nowhere and released me. I nearly fell as I took a step back, pulling in air and trying to push the gagging scent of him out of my dizzy head.

“I’d stop if I were you, although that would make my job easier if you were to fall off the side.”

I froze and snapped my eyes behind my shoulder. I was at the edge of a cliff and there was nothing but darkness down below. I shivered as I cradled my arms across my swollen stomach.

“Wh—what do you have against me?” I asked shakily as I tried to inch to the side.

“Don’t take another step unless it’s backwards. My knife might not be pressed up against your stomach but my aim is good and if it doesn’t get you my wolf will.”

“Hayden will know it’s you,” I said through chattering teeth. Fuck, I had to keep him talking while I thought of a way out of this.
But there is no way. Hayden, please! I need you.

“He didn’t know it was me five years ago and he won’t know now.”

My eyes widened at his words penetrated through the thick blanket of terror. Why hadn’t I made the connection? “
You.
It was you Michael was trying to protect me from.”

His black eyes narrowed on me. They looked like death in the dark night. “I should have gutted him when I had the chance. He was smart though, the old coot. He killed the wolf I sent after you and burned the house so that we wouldn’t be able to find your scents. I knew I’d get to you sooner or later though. It was a matter of waiting.”

I curled my fingers into my palm drawing in the bite of pain as shudders racked through me. “What the fuck do you have against me? What did I ever do to you?”

“
You lived!
” he snarled. “Your slut of a mother slept with a human and had you, a dirty halfling! You should never have been allowed to be born! You caught my cousin, the alpha, and wanted to contaminate our bloodline with your filthy human blood! Did you think I was ever going to let that happen? You should have stayed away, Hayden would have mated another wolf, one worthy of our line and you wouldn’t be here, standing on an edge of the cliff. You wouldn’t be trying to birth such filth into our pack! Once I kill you and your filth, the mate bond will be severed and Hayden will be able to choose properly.”

“He’ll never do it. Even if I died. Hayden won’t ever mate another wolf.” The certainty of my words rang in my voice and I watched as Roman hesitated, uncertainty flickering in his soulless eyes.

He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. No offspring is better than contaminating our blood. And he will do it. For the good of the pack. Now I just need to get you out of the way.”

I stumbled back and doubled over, trying to protect my stomach as Roman charged towards me, his arm raised. I heard the crack of bones and the sound of flesh hitting flesh as the dark furry blur turned into a very naked, enraged Hayden half shifted. He was crouched over Roman on his two very human looking legs, but his body was half covered in dark fur as he continued to pound at Roman’s face with clawed hands. His half-shifted face was a mask of rage as Roman slammed his knee into Hayden’s stomach and flipped the bigger wolf over. They tumbled along the ground, blood spraying as bones cracked and flesh split.

“Run, Tobias! Run!” Hayden growled, his voice barely human as he shifted and pinned Roman to the ground.

I wanted to stay and help him, but I knew I was going to be useless and in the way. Hayden couldn’t fight properly if he was worrying about me. I needed to get help. I had to get back to the others and get them out here. I nodded and turned to hurry back through the woods when I stumbled over a root in the ground and cried out. I straightened up and watched with horror as Hayden’s head snapped towards me, and seeing his momentary distraction, Roman grabbed for the large carving knife by his side.

“Hayden, no!” I screamed, warning him, but instead of stabbing the Alpha, Roman turned towards me and flung the sharp blade, sending it soaring through the air straight for me.