Cruel Alpha Daddy (Silver Meadows Wolves #4)

Chapter 2 - Fiona

Going for an early morning run is not something I regularly do. I much prefer to be in at the bakery by 5 am at the latest, firing up the ovens, setting dough for bread, and getting started making biscuits and cakes to feed the hungry Silver Meadows Pack.

But for some reason, today is different. I’m uneasy and restless when I wake in the pitch dark. I can’t settle my mind to focus on my usual routine. Even though I make some coffee and go over the orders for the day, my usual passion and creativity are impossible to summon.

I leave a note for my roommate, Lucy, and check in on my son, Caleb, before I go out. He’s in a deep sleep, muttering away in his dreams. I give him a light kiss on the forehead before I tip-toe through the house and slip out the back door.

We live near the center of town, so I can’t just shift out in the open. I jog down the street towards the nearest camping area, keeping a casual pace. Most of the pack prefer the outskirts so they are close to the woods, but I like being within walking distance of the school and my shop.

Even though I am close with Carla, our luna’s mother, I don’t have much to do with pack business. Things have been pretty scary the last couple of years, and I’m more than happy to keep my son and me out of it. I crave a simple life, and my only desire is to provide Caleb with a safe environment to grow up in.

As I get close to the outer edges of town, I pick up my pace. The forest seems to reach out to me with long, dark fingers as shadows stretch towards me, pushed by the rising sun. The sky is slowly tinting from black to gray, and any minute now, it will explode into spectacular pink and orange.

I want to be higher up when that happens so I can see the sun come up over the snow-capped peaks. It suddenly seems a great sin to me that I wake before dawn every day but rarely ever see it.

Once I’m far enough into the forest, I shed my clothes and shift. Instantly, as my wild instincts take over, my anxiety begins to settle. As a wolf, my needs are simple, and the connection I feel to the earth and nature helps heal my emotional wounds.

A flash of pain streaks through my heart, and I push forward into a flat-out run. Nose to the ground, paws drumming on the soil, I let the wolf consume me until all thought and worry has been swept from my mind.

When I break through the tree line to a low peak, the sun greets me. A golden glow streaks across the mountaintops, making the snow glitter as if it is scattered with diamonds. My heaving breath fogs the air around me as the sky breaks out into glorious colors, peach and pink blushing against perfect blue.

An ache that has nothing to do with the exertion of my run throbs behind my ribs. I whine softly, realizing that my hard run, my wolf’s primal mind, or the beauty of the sunrise won’t make it go away. I throw my head back and howl, letting that horrible, painful loneliness wail from my throat. My sorrow joins the beauty of the sky as an accompaniment, like a reminder that there is no joy without pain.

Even though my hard breaths begin to settle, the ache in my chest remains. I drop my nose to the ground, sniffing without enthusiasm. I don’t want to look at the pretty sky anymore. I feel lost, tired, and fragile, and I wish I was back in my warm bakery, making cakes and pies.

Repetitive, familiar actions are soothing, and making delicious food for people to enjoy is a great comfort to me. Suddenly, I have to wonder what madness possessed me to leave the house and come up the mountain. I don’t think I’ve ever opened the bakery late for any reason.

My thoughts are sweeping dangerously close to things I don’t want to remember. I turn my back on the beauty of the breaking dawn and trot into the forest, ready to bolt down the mountain.

If I really push it, I won’t even be late. Caleb will never even know I’ve been gone.

That’s when I hear it.

I have to tilt my head and tune out the sounds around me to identify the noise. It’s a soft pattering, lots of footfalls running lightly through the forest paths.

It could be foxes, rabbits, or deer.

Or wolves.

Whatever it is, it’s downwind, so I can’t catch a scent. If it was wolves from Silver Meadows, they would howl or bark to let me know. Even as I try to reason with myself, cold panic starts to spread through my guts.

Move! Now!

I turn and bolt into the trees, using the steep descent to my advantage. I try to leap from rock to rock, covering ground as quickly as I can. As I hit the trees, an excited baying splits the air.

Definitely wolves.

My chest constricts, and the swift beating of my heart makes my head spin. They are gaining on me, and they are not friendly.

I push myself as hard as I can, but I’m not used to running and can’t get ahead of them. Soon, they are sweeping around me, a small pack of mangy-looking, dirty wolves with fierce, feral eyes.

Even though I try to run downhill towards Silver Meadows, they charge at me, snapping their teeth and shoving me off-balance. They drive me deeper into the forest, forcing me to run ahead of them.

We cover a lot of ground before my strength finally gives out. I have no idea where I am, and the sun is high and hot above me when I finally drop. My wolf fades, and my human shape takes over. Lying face-down in the grass, I sob, trying to get my breath back.

“Look at this, boys. We got a pretty little she-wolf here.”

I know that predatory tone too well, and I quickly sit up and try to cover myself. A shadow falls across my face, and I look up into the coldest blue eyes I’ve ever seen.

“Don’t bother trying to hide,” he sneers. “We’re going to see it all in a few minutes.”

His voice is a low rumble, dripping with dreadful promise. Fear freezes me in place. I curl up, shaking my head uselessly.

The guy takes a step towards me, and I flinch away. He lunges, growling as he grabs my arm.

“Tobias, shouldn’t we see the alpha first?”

The one holding me rolls his terrifying blue eyes and sighs. “Russ, do you really think I give a fuck?”

“I know you don’t. But… it’s the rules. You said we weren’t ready to—”

“Okay, okay,” Tobias snaps, letting go of me.

All of them have shifted and moved towards me. I’m shivering so hard, I can barely move. They look fierce, hungry and dangerous. All of them have bulky muscles, ragged hair, and elaborate tattoos.

Where did they come from? Are they from Sawpit?

“Get up,” Tobias growls. “Or I’ll kick you in the spine so hard, you’ll never walk again.”

Somehow, I get to my feet and take shuffling steps forward. Obviously, I don’t move fast enough, because they end up grabbing me and dragging me along with them. As my fear rises, so does their excitement.

All five of them crowd close around me, touching me and pressing their bodies against mine. Sharp cries burst out of my throat as I feel their hands on me, squeezing and pinching. I know my reactions are only urging them on, but I can’t help it.

I’m hoping desperately that they will hold back until I’m presented to their alpha, but really, what difference will it make? The alpha will be just as bad as they are. There is no hope, no salvation anywhere.

I’m so sorry, Caleb. I won’t be there when you wake up, and I never will be. Ever again.

Tears burn my eyes and pour down my cheeks. Sobs tear through my throat as I think about my son asking Lucy where I am.

Oh, my baby. Now you’ll have to grow up without a mom… or a dad.

Anger floods through me, a bright red wave of fury and desperation. I manage to shove two of the guys away and run towards the trees, but they catch me before I’ve run three steps. Their hands on me are even harder than before, gripping me tightly enough to leave bruises.

I struggle again, kicking and thrashing, trying to get free. Tobias reaches out and wraps one thick arm around my neck, yanking me against his body and forcing me to walk ahead of him.

Up ahead, I can see smoke curling above the trees. We’re getting close to a camp. Fresh coffee and sizzling bacon drift to me on the light morning breeze. I can hear people talking and, unbelievably, the sound of a child laughing.

What is this place?

The men start yelling again, mindless, excited shouts with no discernible words. They pick me up between them and rush through the final band of trees into a wide clearing lit by bright, warm sunlight.

I’m dropped on the ground, hard. My breath blasts out, and for a moment, I’m completely winded, unable to move or speak. Voices swirl around me, but I can’t make out any words.

Then, a dark shadow falls over me. Even though I’m shaking with fear, I manage to roll over and look up. The light is dazzling, a white-hot glow directly behind the man peering down at me. I can’t see his face clearly, but something feels familiar.

No .

Somewhere deep inside, my wolf shrieks with joy. Primal urges rip through me, making my heart pound and blood rush straight to my head.

No .

I blink hard, crawling away. I have to deny everything my senses are telling me.

When I look again, it will just be a random tough guy. It has to be. There’s no way it could possibly be…

Rider.

As I raise my head, the entire world freezes around me. I could never forget that face. The hard lines of his cheeks and jaw. The delicate curve of his mouth, and the long, jagged scar that runs down the right side of his face.

And his eyes. His beautiful green eyes.

I look into them every day… because Caleb has the same eyes.

His father’s eyes.

My lips part, and I can feel his name begging to be spoken. He shakes his head just slightly, giving me a hard look.

He doesn’t want the others to know.

Emotions are tumbling through me, shock, loss, confusion… and love. So much love, it swells inside me as if it’s going to break my chest.

I never stopped loving you. Not for a single day. You complicated, gorgeous, infuriating bastard!

I can hear the men raising their voices around me, but I don’t know what they’re saying. I’m struggling against my memories, the thoughts and feelings I locked away inside myself. I thought I buried all of this so deep, I’d never have to feel it again.

But I know the restlessness that drove me out of bed this morning was born from one of these memories. I must have been dreaming about him. And somehow, I was led to a place where the fates could bring us together again.