The Werewolf Tycoon's Secret Baby (The Woolven Secret Book 2) (4 page)

E
mmie dreamed
of Andrew and their time in Santorini. Those memories were never far from her thoughts and, even as she splashed in those surreal waters and lounged in his strong arms, Emmie knew it was just the ether of what had once been. But it was better than the dream she had where she was running—always running. Pushing her body faster and harder than she ever thought she could, but the monsters always caught her.

Always tore her limb from limb. Devoured her. Only to somehow resurrect her and do it all over again.

Drew’s arms or the nameless, faceless teeth in the dark?

She surrendered.

Emmie kissed him longer, reveled in the heat between them, memorized the way his body felt against hers and, while there was bliss, what she wanted to remember most was how safe she felt. Nothing bad could happen to her here.

Emmie hadn’t been touched by a man since Santorini, and she’d thought she was fine with that. She was okay with the fact that part of her life was on hold. Or she had been, until she saw Andrew again.

Andrew with the broad shoulders, the rippled muscles, and a cock that was a rocket straight to orgasm.

Now her body burned for him with a painful awareness.

If only she could go back to the warm sand, the tang of salt water, and those stolen moments where time belonged to them with no fear of tomorrow or the dark secrets of yesterday.

Reality intruded, jerking her to wakefulness. Except Andrew wasn’t only Andrew—he was the billionaire VP of a Fortune 500 company. He could have any woman he wanted. He could have
anything
he wanted. She had nothing to offer him but a sagging ass and betrayal.

When he found out that her ex-husband was the hunter Peter Breslin, he’d never believe anything she had to say again. He’d think she was a plant, or some kind of trick to get him and his family to drop their guard.

What if he took Noah?

She had to run.

But he’d catch her. He’d followed her scent from the sweet shop. With his resources, with his… abilities, there was nowhere she could hide from him.

Emmie was trapped, just as she had been with Peter.

He wouldn’t hurt you
.

No, he wouldn’t hurt her. Not as long as she did everything he wanted her to. Not as long as she—Christ, she couldn’t live this way.

But what about Noah? Could he survive without Andrew’s guidance?

She sank down against the wall and put her head in her hands. Thirteen years under Drew Woolven’s watchful eyes.

Thirteen years with Andrew Phillips, in his bed, a voice in the back of her head whispered.

He’d pulled her into his arms so easily. He’d been so strong and warm, so everything she thought she wanted in a man. Powerful, but gentle. Only, he wasn’t a man. He was a werewolf. Just under his pretty skin lurked a nightmare.

A nightmare that he’d passed on to their son.

The sound of light knocking on her door pulled her out of her spiral, at least temporarily.

Noah streaked past her at the speed of light. “It’s Aunt Lennie!” he shrieked.

As if things couldn’t get any worse. Lenore couldn’t be in Den Hollow. It meant that Peter found them again. She’d have to say yes to Drew or run.

“Hold on, Noah.” She inspected him. He was human-shaped and wearing pants. That was all she could ask for.

And bonus that he wasn’t dirty.

Yet.

He flung open the door.

Lenore was tall, leggy, and dressed in leather that had been charmed to withstand the bite of a full grown Alpha male werewolf. She was a hunter, but unlike her brother, she freelanced. She hunted rouge werewolves, werewolves who’d been lost to the rage—berserkers. She operated mostly with the consent and in concert with the Great Council.

But that didn’t mean she’d be any more welcome than her brother in a place like Den Hollow.

“What’s happened?” Emmie asked, heart full of hope that warred with fear. There was a dark part of her that hoped Lenore was coming to tell them that Peter was dead. That she’d be safe from him forever.

And so would Noah.

“There’s a price on Peter’s head.” Lenore said quietly.

“I thought the Council decided he was untouchable.”

“The Council is at war. Divided down the middle on everything but this. Peter went to the Council and he showed them something horrible.” Lenore shook her head slowly.

“What could possibly be more horrible than anything he’s already done?”

“He’s been Turned.”

Terror knifed her. Peter Breslin with all the power, all the skills of an apex predator like a werewolf. She and her son were going to die if she didn’t do something.

“It’s worse. You might want to sit down.”

Noah held his hands up to Lenore and she scooped him up in a big hug. “He’s got an immunity to silver.” She kissed the top of his head.

“Did you take the contract?” Emmie whispered.

“Of course I did. He’s going to come for you and Noah now. I can’t let that happen. Who knows how many people he’s going to hurt? How many he’ll infect…” Lenore shook her head. “Peter with that kind of power is the beginning of the end. Not just for you and Noah, but for all of us. His madness—” she shook her head.

“You can’t do this alone.”

“I’m not. I’ve got a secret weapon.” Lenore smiled. “But I wanted to warn you to be on your guard.” She closed her eyes and Noah clung to her, content to be held. When she opened her eyes, she met Emmie’s gaze squarely. “I wanted to spend the day with you and with my nephew before I go.” She eased Noah down to his feet. “Is that okay?”

“Of course.” So many emotions rose to the surface and her voice shook with their intensity. “Noah, go get Mama’s blanket for outside sitting and we’ll go outside with Aunt Lennie.”

Noah scampered off to do her bidding.

“You don’t have to do this, Len.”

Lenore’s dark eyes were shadowed. “If not me, then who? I got this, Emmie.”

“Do you remember what I told you about Noah’s father?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “His name isn’t Andrew Phillips at all. He’s Drew Woolven. He asked me to bring Noah and move into Aphelion with him. You could—”

“You should do it. He’ll protect you.”

“He’ll dominate me, control me—like Peter.” Emmie shuddered.

“He’ll be nothing like Peter. Not with everything you told me about Santorini. Plus, they have a witch. Noah could go to school. Have friends. Be among his own.”

“I’ll have to…” she bit her lip. If Noah were to fit in to the supe world, Emmie would have to accept the bite. She’d have to become one of those slavering things. She shuddered and looked down the hall to where Noah came out of her room with the old blanket. He’d be one of those things. Under his skin—just like Drew. Her sweet child, her innocent boy…

“Maybe. But it wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen to you. You’ll have a longer lifespan, immunity to most illness, and hello? Did you forget that Drew is a billionaire?”

“I don’t care about that.”

“You should. It’s Noah’s birthright. Don’t choose to take that away from him because of your pride.”

“This is the last thing I expected from a hunter.” Emmie would admit that she’d wanted Lenore to tell her it was crazy. That she was right to be wary, be here she was pushing her toward the edge of the cliff and telling her to leap.

“I’m not only a hunter. I don’t kill people just because they’re different. I kill them when they’re evil.”

Her shoulders sagged. “I know, I’m sorry. I just feel cornered and I don’t know what to do.”

Noah shoved the blanket toward his mother and grabbed Lenore’s hand to lead her out into the expansive yard. Lenore followed, laughing.

Emmie watched them play, thankful for the time to herself. It gave her time to process what Lenore had told her. It seemed that she had no choice but to accept Drew’s offer, but part of her wondered if even the great Woolvens would be able to protect her and her son from Peter Breslin.

Being married to him had been a tour in hell. If not for Lenore, she never would’ve escaped.

She supposed she hadn’t really escaped. She was still running, still living in the long shadow of fear.

Emmie couldn’t do this the rest of her life.

She dipped her head in the bowl of her hands. The long-term plan hadn’t been to live with it. When Noah turned eighteen and was off to college, she was going to find Peter and kill him. If she went to jail or he killed her, so be it. Her son would be safe.

Of course, she hadn’t factored in his unique condition.

But now, Peter was a werewolf. An invincible werewolf.

She remembered when he first told her, how he’d run out on their honeymoon. When he’d come back, he’d been covered in blood. She’d thought he was such a hero then, that he would protect her from all the dark things that had suddenly become real.

Her stomach clenched. He’d been a dark thing, darker than the folk who lived in Den Hollow just trying go on about the business of living or raising their families.

Just like Emmie and Noah.

She exhaled heavily and turned her attention back to Lenore and Noah. She chased him now, and he howled with delight—zig zagging to keep out of her reach. When she grabbed him, they tumbled to the ground and Lenore tickled him, both of them giggling.

It brought a smile to Emmie’s face.

Noah wriggled free and growled, the excitement and adrenaline bringing about his Change. Lenore didn’t correct him, didn’t even pause in their play. Not even when he growled deeper, trying to sound menacing.

Instead, she encouraged him. She ran from him, staying just far enough ahead that he’d think he could catch her. When he got too close, she turned and growled back at him.

He howled with delight.

It was so nice to see Noah playing so freely with someone who wouldn’t get hurt—and neither would Noah. Emmie could see that Lenore wasn’t just playing with him, she was teaching him how to channel his strength, how to be comfortable with the power that would one day be his.

This was what happiness was made of. It wasn’t a destination, or even a state of being. It was these moments, made up of the smallest things.

But they could shatter so easily.

She heard him before she saw him—a low, menacing growl that stirred a dark awareness inside of her. A sure knowledge that sound was equivalent to death.

He was like something out of a horror movie—obviously male, bipedal, and every inch a carnivorous predator. He erupted from the woods, his massive form arching through the air as if he could fly, propelled by his powerful legs.

And the slashing of claws on his descent.

Emmie didn’t scream or make any noise whatsoever. She held her arms out to her son and nodded for him to come to her. If the beast was focused on Lenore, then perhaps Noah could slip away, unnoticed. She didn’t worry about Lenore—she was a hunter who’d eaten the hearts of her enemies. She’d be fine.

Noah’d morphed back into his human form, his tiny jeans hanging in rags off his baby-chubby legs. He was frozen with terror. He’d never seen another like himself, what he would become. She crept toward him slowly, ever so slowly, and she fought to control her fear. She knew they could smell it.

But she saw the determination on her son’s face. She saw him swallow his fear and the tiny roar that echoed from him ripped her heart out.

Emmie sprung from her position and snatched her son close to her body. He struggled, clawed and bit at her, only his claws tearing at her arms as he fought to get to his opponent.

Lenore called out, “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

She couldn’t see how it could possibly be okay. Lenore was lying flat, neck exposed to the most horrible beast she’d ever seen. It was the farthest fucking thing from okay.

“It’s fine, Noah. Aunt Lennie is okay.”

How could Lenore even speak in the position that she was in?

Emmie exhaled a shuddering breath.

The horrible beast wasn’t so horrible anymore. The arcs and planes of his body became golden and familiar as the beast receded.

“Aunt fucking Lennie?” Drew’s voice was still low, menacing. But it
was
Drew.

“Get off me, Woolven. Before I kick your ass.”

“I’m about to tear your face off. What are you doing with my son?”

“He’s my nephew. If not by blood, then by love.” Lenore shoved at his shoulders. “Get a grip on yourself.” Lenore struggled to her feet and looked up at the sky. “And some fucking pants. Jesus.”

“Fucking pants!” Noah yelled with glee, his earlier fury quickly forgotten.

Aware of Noah’s sensitivity to her moods, especially her fear, she put him down with shaking hands.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she growled at Drew.

His eyes flashed, but he licked his lips and exhaled heavily. “I was protecting you. Protecting Noah. Do you know who she is?”

Emmie gritted her teeth and forced herself to move forward and stand close to him. “I know exactly who she is. She saved my life. She saved your son’s life more than once.”

“She’s a hunter.”

“And before I got divorced, my last name was
Breslin
.”

Drew looked like she’d slapped him.

With a brick.

She didn’t know what she expected. Maybe his wrath. Another change and tearing, slashing claws, ripping teeth. But when his arms came around her, it was still a punch to her gut.

“Don’t say that name in Den Hollow. It isn’t safe.”

Lenore brushed off her pants. “I wouldn’t come here unless it was important. I just wanted to see them before I go after my brother.”

“You don’t have to take the contract. I knew the Council offered it to you, but…” he shook his head.

“I know what’s happened, what he is. I’m probably the only one who can get close enough.”

Drew exhaled heavily. “If there’s any resource Woolven can offer, it’s yours.”

How quickly his temper changed. Just like Peter.

Not, not just like Peter. Peter was mean, Peter wanted to hurt things. Drew thought he was protecting his son from someone who could hurt him and, seeing he wasn’t in danger, let go of that rage.

Noah wandered over to Lenore and held his arms up indicating he wanted her to pick him up. Lennie didn’t hesitate. She swept him up in her arms. “I’m going to play with my nephew some more, if you don’t mind.”