Page 53 of Alpha's Claim
I suck in a deep breath and then another, but there’s no room to let in more air. Oh yeah, I forgot to exhale. I blow my breath out, slowly.
Thom settles into Wren’s chair and surveys me with a satisfied smirk.
I’m going to kill him.
“Now, here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to return to Lockepoint with your new friend Darius, or Wren won’t live through the night.”
“I’ll come,” I say in a hurry. “I’ll come–just leave Darius out of this.”
Thom’s smile broadens. “No, no, my dear. Darius is a part of it now. The only thing that will save Wren’s life is both of you coming together. I want you there by midnight.”
Darius takes the phone from me and holds it up to his face. His eyes glow amber with rage. “We can’t make it by midnight,” he snarls. “We’re on the other side of the country. But I can get us there by morning—six a.m.”
“That will be too late.” Thom laughs, as if he will delight in murdering a young girl. He probably will.
“Four a.m.,” Darius bargains. “That’s the best we can do. Even with a private jet, the flight will take almost five hours.”
“Drop a pin to your location to prove to me where you are.”
“No!” Teddy roars.
Thom–the sick bastard–smiles enough to show teeth. It’s disgusting. “Who is there with you, Darius? Family members?”
Darius growls, “If you want Paloma, you’ll have to wait till four a.m.” He ends the call before Thom can reply.
“What if he doesn’t?” Fear crawls up my throat.
“He’ll wait. If he hurts Wren, he loses his leverage over you, and you’re far too valuable an asset for him to give up.”
Teddy growls. His eyes are the same shade of amber as his brother’s.
I look around and realize all eight of the brothers’ eyes glow. The entire room hums with low bear growls.
“Let’s move.” Matthias stands.
“What?” I ask. I’m shaking, still in shock over seeing Thom tase Wren. “Where are you going?”
“We’re going to help you,” Teddy says. His voice is deep and thick, more bear than human.
I rub my face. I have to think, to figure out what to do about Wren, but my thoughts are spiraling. Darius puts his hand on my back, and the weight steadies me. “You can’t…I can’t ask you to do that.” I know they said they’d help get Wren, but now they’ll be facing off with Thom and all his guards. “It’s going to be dangerous.”
“We love danger,” the triplets chorus.
“You’re with Darius,” Matthias says. “That makes you family.”
I don't know what to say. I can only gaze at them all, emotion clogging my throat.
The big bear pokes his head through the door and grunts. It would be scary, except I know he’s Darius’ brother, and the expression on the furry face is so earnest.
“He says ‘don’t worry,’” Axel interprets.
I have the strongest urge to pet the bear’s head, but I’m not sure if that’s polite. So I nod, swiping my angry tears.
“We’re going to get Wren back,” Darius says. He wraps me in his powerful arms, and I let myself sink into his hug.
“That’s right,” Hutch says as Darius’ brothers crowd around me, offering their comfort. “They’re about to find out that you don’t mess with the bears.”
Chapter Eleven