Page 43 of Cruel Alpha

Then he said it:

“Alyssa is my mate. She is your Alpha female, and her children are my heirs. You betray her, and you betray the future of this island.”

I barely registered the frisson of whispers that swept through the crowd. My mouth was hanging open, my whole body shut down from shock, and Jack was tapping my cheek.

“Momma. Momma, he say your name.”

“Yeah,” I croaked. “Yeah, he did, buddy.”

I couldn’t evenbeginto explain to my children what had just happened or the way it had changed the course of their lives. I could hardly understand it myself. All I knew was that I wanted to run to him. I wanted to stakemyclaim on him just as he had claimed me. I wanted to feel his arms around me, aroundus,and know that nothing was ever going to part us again. I wanted to be with my mate.

Just as I began to step forward, Nate came bursting into the square. His frantic gaze found Caleb’s immediately.

“They’re not there,” he panted, and I saw the defiant expression drop from Caleb’s face in an instant, replaced by terror.

“Julia?”

Nate shook his head.

“Gone, too.”

I was across the square before I’d consciously realized the implication of Nate’s words.

“I’m here,” I cried, unable to stand the stricken look on his face for a moment longer. “We’re fine, we’re safe.”

Caleb’s warm, strong arms were around me before I could say anything further, and I was engulfed by his pine and charcoal scent. After so many days apart, it was like breathing fresh air again. My wolf was preening in my chest, and I couldn’t blame her. We’d beenclaimedin front of the whole Pack. We were his. We belonged. With my face smushed against Caleb’s chest, I confessed,

“I was just doing laundry.”

I felt his laugh rumble in his chest, but then he pulled away, almost sheepish.

“Sorry,” he said, low enough that only I could hear. “I shouldn’t have—”

I shook my head.

“It’s okay,” I assured him. It was more than okay. It was perfect. Everything was perfect—apart from the small army of hostile wolves about to invade the island. Right. I’d almost forgotten about them. Caleb clearly hadn’t, though, because he scooped Emmy up into his arms, his expression hardening once again into that of an Alpha on a mission.

“Ethan,” he said, “Go find Julia.” With a curt nod, Ethan was out of the square at a run.

It was only as I watched him go that I realized every other eye in the square was on us, and I shrank back against Caleb. He wrapped his free arm around my waist as he gave his friends and the assembled Pack members their orders. This time, there was not a single voice of dissent. I listened to it in the strangest haze of fear and contentment. The wolf within me was growling so low it was almost a purr, relishing the closeness and the scent of her mate; I relished it no less, but I was also aware that in a few short hours, everything might be very, very different.

I tightened my hold on Jack, who grumbled and wriggled, trying not to think of what would happen if Arbor made it into town, if they found us. I tried not to think of the black look on Leonard Pearce’s face as he knelt, humiliated, in front of the Pack. I tried not to think of the target that would be on Caleb’s back during the fighting.

I reminded myself that Caleb was strong. He was brave. The Arbor wolves would not get the better of us. I wouldn’t let them. I finally had my family, whole and together, and I’d be damned if I was going to let it go now.

Chapter 20 - Caleb

My wolf was going wild. Seemingly unable to decide between howling in triumph and gnashing in fury—at Arbor, at Leonard—he paced and prowled. I was similarly restless. Leading Alyssa through the crowd and back to Julia’s cottage, my hand on her waist, I wanted nothing more than to get home and stake my claimproperly,to kiss every inch of her body until she was begging for me to mark her with my teeth. At the same time, I wanted to rip apart every shifter who looked at her wrong. It was overwhelming, and I concentrated on the familiar route through town and the small, warm weight of Emmy in my arms to ground me.

I didn’t need the emotion sharing that came with a mating mark to know that Alyssa was frightened. She pressed nervous kisses to Jack’s head every few steps, flicking her gaze over to check on Emmy, too. There was no need to worry on that front: Emmy was unflappable and quite capable of beating the shit out of Arbor wolves. She babbled a string of toddler nonsense as we hurried along, and I was suddenly struck by how much she reminded me of Julia.

Absently, I pressed my own kiss to Emmy’s chocolate curls, receiving a confused frown in return. It sent a stab of pain through my heart, but I didn’t allow it to linger. One day soon, this little girl would be used to gestures of affection from her father: both my children would.

Julia was still not home when we arrived, and a new knot of worry began to form in my stomach. Ethan would find her, I told myself, and then she, Alyssa, and the kids could ship out to Ferris just as we planned.

Alyssa was moving the moment we crossed the threshold, dropping Jack on the sofa with a less than convincing smile before she hurried up the stairs to fetch overnight bags.

“Where’s Mommy go?” Jack asked, his eyes big and worried. I crouched down in front of the couch, trying my best to look calm.

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