Page 141 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

“Maybe it’s exactly that,” Zayde added. “Control. What is more terrifying than stuff like body horror? Someone who’s threatening to turn you into something else. Maybe it does go both ways, and he wants it as a threat or punishment? Humans and shifters would both be terrified to get changed into the opposite being.”

“Could be.” Langston shrugged. “Or maybe he wants to create his own pack. Force a bunch of people to become shifters and use them as some sort of fighting force. If he had an army of his own, he could make more money. Who’s going to put up a fight against extortion when there are a few dozen growling shifters at your door?”

As I listened to them, I thought again of the awful things Kyle might be doing to Ashton. In the darkest recesses of my mind, I could hear my son screaming, calling for help, shouting out in a blood-curdling cry for his mother.

I didn’t realize I was even shaking until Cole was wrapping his arms around me.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed,” he said as he lifted me up from the couch.

Digging my fingers into his shirt, I pressed my face into his shoulder. He carried me as though I weighed nothing. Having him take care of me pushed back some of my fear and terror.

Cole set me down on the bed, then removed my shoes and pants, pulled the covers back, and nestled me into the sheets. The reddish-orange light of the sunset shone through the windows, tracing patterns on my bedroom floor as it arched through the trees outside.

Cole knelt beside the bed and brushed my hair out of my face. “It’s okay. You rest. Maybe sleep will help. It’s all gonna be all right.”

“How can you say that?” I asked, my voice trembling as I spoke. “You don’t know that for certain. We don’t even know how to find Kyle or his men. We don’t know the first place to start.”

Reaching under the covers, he took my hand and squeezed softly. “When we were in North Crest, an older lady gave us some information. She said something about Kyle’s men coming on Thursday to collect ‘taxes.’ Langston and I are planning on being there. Maybe we can get one of those henchmen of his to spill some secrets.” His lips were set in a thin line, and a dark gleam shimmered in his eyes. “I’ll make sure they understand it’s in their best interest to talk.”

The inherent threat in his words sent a shiver through me, and the sensation wasn’t unpleasant. Before all this, I’d never considered myself a violent person or someone who was prone to cruelty. I’d never even spanked Ashton. Now, the thought of Cole beating in one of these men’s faces, shattering noses, breaking teeth, and spilling blood… it awakened a feral maternal desire inside me. The momma bear or she-wolf, who would tear the flesh off any creature that dared try to touch her baby.

“You promise?” I asked.

“I do.” The hardness in his eyes faded, and he lowered his head. “I’m focused now. I’m sorry for earlier today, I really am.”

He did seem more confident and mentally prepared. Before, it was almost like I’d been trying to talk to four different people at once: the Cole I knew, the jealous asshole, the guilty, absent father, and a rage-filled wolf.

“I let my jealousy get the best of me,” Cole said, resting his elbows on the mattress. “When I saw Langston… I don’t know, I started thinking he’d be a better match for you. He was there for you, helping you for the last decade. You said it yourself.”

A pang of guilt shot through my heart at his words. I’d thrown those words in his face like a weapon. At the time, he’d been acting so stupid that it felt justified. Now, I was ashamed of myself.

Reaching out, I stroked Cole’s cheek. “I don’t want Langston. I never have. He doesn’t want me, either. We’re like siblings. The furthest thing from lovers you could imagine. He wouldn’t even look at me twice in that way.”

Cole scoffed, but the corners of his lips twitched upward. “I don’t think you really understand how beautiful you are.”

“Stop.” I groaned and slapped his arm. “Flattery will get you nowhere.”

“It’s true,” he said, smiling at me. “I think because you see yourself in the mirror every day, you don’t realize it. You’re a fucking knockout. It’s not just that, either. There’s something about you that makes people want to protect you.”

“Great. I’m the damsel in distress? Is that what you’re saying? I always saw myself as a feminist. This is very disappointing.”

Cole barked a laugh. “See? You’re already getting back to your old self.”

My smile faded. “Can you hold me for a while?”

“Of course.”

Cole got in bed with me and wrapped me in his arms. His body wasn’t vibrating with tension like it had that morning. He smiled easier and was less pent-up and angry. I was glad he’d gotten over whatever had taken a hold of him that morning.

“I’m terrified, Cole,” I admitted after a few minutes of silence.

Cole took a few breaths before answering. “So am I. You saw that video,” he said. “Kyle is more of a psycho than we originally thought. It’s okay to be scared, but we can’t let that cloud our judgment.”

“And what about Dallas?” I had to hear what he thought, see if we were on the same page. After that video, how could he still think Dallas was an unwilling participant?

He gave a single humorless chuckle. “I don’t know. I watched him in those videos, and I was trying hard to see remorse or hesitation, but I saw nothing. There wasn’t even pleasure in his eyes. His face was blank. He looked like he was doing nothing other than washing dishes or folding laundry. Threatening, assaulting, stealing from, and torturing innocent people didn’t even make him blink. It tears my heart out.”

“What will you do if he does truly side with Kyle?” I rose up, supporting myself on an elbow to look into his eyes. “Personally, I think he already chose him, and I need to know what you want to do.”

---