Well, they didn’t because Holden was there. If he wouldn’t have been there, I couldn’t even think about what might have happened to Emmett. Cali and Loreli might have been casualties, and, d.amnit. I threw my phone across the car. Every part of me wanted to shift but-
I’ll get there faster than you in this f*****g prison
There are humans out there, and the car is already speeding
F.uck the humans, f.uck everything that isn’t our mate and pup
He had a point, but they were safe now, and I had to be rational. I couldn’t go running through the city as a massive wolf because it might save me a few minutes.
It would save you more than that
I pushed him away.
I didn’t wait until we entirely stopped before I threw myself out of the car and pulled open her front door, not caring that I broke her buzzer or the door itself.
Okay, maybe I should get that fixed today.
Now who is the rational one
I ran up the stairs and ignored the warrior in front of Cali’s door. I burst in, looking frantically around. Even though Cali said Emmett was safe, some part of me didn’t believe it until I laid eyes on him unscathed.
Emmett was holding Loreli’s hand, and when he saw me, he ran into my arms. I scooped him up, breathing in our pup’s familiar scent that felt like home. I let out a deep breath I had been holding since I got that call. He was safe, and I wouldn’t let anything like this happen again.
After a few long moments in his small embrace, I pulled back and looked him over, “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” He smiled widely, “Cali hit him with a pan. It was so loud,” He laughed.
I looked back at Cali, who shrugged. She was holding Loreli now who was buried under her mass of deep red curls.
“Is she okay?” I nodded to her daughter.
She bit a wobbly lip and shook her head, “She will be,” She smoothed Loreli’s hair and let out a shaky breath.
“You’re safe now. You all are.”
She nodded, and I looked around the apartment. The couch was flipped over. There was some broken glass from Goddess knew what, it was obvious there was a struggle.
A few warriors were there, one surveying out the window, and I heard a few others in the other rooms.
“Pack what you need for the night. I’ll have people bring the rest.” There was no way Holden or I would let her come back here unguarded. They were staying in the packhouse, at least until we got this sorted.
“Okay,” She nodded, looking down at Loreli. She seemed a bit reserved for the first time since I met her, and I wasn’t sure if it was because of her own shock or what her daughter must have witnessed.
Loreli fell asleep in Cali’s arms on the way, and Cali looked out the window, but her eyes didn’t focus on anything.
“Are you ready to talk about it?” I asked. Emmett was in his car seat playing with a toy, “Or do you want to talk about it?” That seemed like the right thing, something I would ask Willa. Maybe I could be better at people if I pretended they were all Willa. “Sure,” She turned her hazel eyes to me, studying me for a long moment, “Basically, some guy appeared, literally seemed to appear out of thin air,” Her eyebrows furrowed, and she shook her head a few times.
“I can ask Holden if-“
“No,” She held up a hand, “I was just trying to make sense of it. I was so worried about Loreli I’m just now replaying it without fear for her.”
I nodded, looking at Emmett, I placed a hand on his knee, and he put a small one on top of it. I felt a huge sense of love swell up inside me. It was different than what I felt with my parents, with Griffen and Holden, even with Willa. It was a protective love, and love that didn’t have to try. I couldn’t explain it, but I felt like it was everything I was missing.
“Basically, he came in and was looking around,” She lowered her voice, “He lunged for Emmett, who was playing on the floor with Loreli, and Holden met him midair.” She closed her eyes, “It was so fast, a lot of banging, and I grabbed the kids and ran to the kitchen. It was the closest place out of the way, and they were fighting in front of the hallway.
That man came into view, he was taking a few steps back from Holden, and I don’t know. I grabbed the first thing I saw and hit him in the back of the head.” She gave me a half-smile.
“The pan?”
“A frying pan, yes,” She nodded, “I panicked, and I felt helpless, and that makes me feel just this anger I can’t describe. It distracted him enough and,” She shrugged, “Holden got him and held him and tied him down with I didn’t ask what, then the other guys showed up, and that’s it.”
“He came out of nowhere?” I would have to get the report from the warriors and see how he broke in. It wasn’t a surprise, honestly. Besides the locked gate, there was no other security. Even for other humans, it wouldn’t be that hard to break in if they wanted to. “Literally, we were all hanging out and then, I don’t know, it doesn’t make sense.”
“Trauma can do that to you,”
She pinned me with a dead stare, “I know what I saw,” Her voice left no room for question.
“Fine, fine, I believe you.”
“Do you?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Yes.”
“Fine,” She turned back to the window.
Willa was pacing by the front door, her eyes wide when she saw us. Emmett rushed to her, and she scooped him up. I wrapped them both in a tight embrace. “Thank you-” She started.
“I’m so sorry-” I rushed at the same time.
She pulled back her green eyes locked on mine, “For what?”
“I should have protected you. I should have sent warriors, guards. I don’t know. I was arrogant. I didn’t think Alpha Jasper could actually do anything, not this fast.”
“It’s my fault too, I thought I could go back to the real world,” Willa shrugged, but her face fell slightly.
“Willa,” I waited until her gaze met mine. Emmett put his head on her shoulder and played with her hair, “This is the real world. You, me, and Emmett. I won’t keep you locked here. If you want to go get a hot dog right now, we can go.” She smiled at me, “Of course, an army will be surrounding us but”
“I think I’m fine here for now. I guess I’ll have to make do in a penthouse,” She sighed, a small smile played on her lips.
“Cali is coming up here with Loreli, she wanted to stop by Holden’s apartment, and Nora will be coming up too,” She nodded, and I grabbed Emmett’s hand, “Emmett, can you take care of Loreli? She is a bit scared.” He nodded once.
“Yes.”
“It’s okay if you’re scared too. You can tell us. I promise nothing will happen to you.
He shrugged, “It was crazy, Mama; guess what Cali did?”
She looked at him and kissed his head, “Tell me,”
“She hit the man with a huge pan.” Willa’s smile lit up her whole face, and she laughed once.
“She did not.”
“She did, I promise,” He looked serious.
“Well, I can’t wait to hear that story,” She shook her head, putting him down.
“I have to go now, but there will be warriors outside and inside,” Willa’s shoulder sagged, and I knew she was about to say something, “Cali said he came out of nowhere. I want to cover all bases. I need to know you’re okay so I can focus on other things.” “Like?” “Getting the information I need from someone who tried to take my son.” Atlas pushed forward, and a low growl ripped through us.
I was worried we might have scared them, but Willa placed a hand on my arm and tugged me down to meet her. I captured her sweet lips in a too-brief kiss before I had to slip back into the person I didn’t want to become, Prince Caspien Dracos, the one that everyone feared, hated, and awed before even meeting me.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.