Bully Alpha Daddy (Gold Wolves Black Ops #1)

Chapter 19 - Mira

The pictures by the front door rattled with the force of Declan’s door slam. I stayed rooted to the spot, staring after him. My body quivered with rage and hurt.

He had just told me to leave. He had told me to trust him, and the next second, he’d effectively rejected me for the second time.

My head swam, the hurt and anger melding together, making it impossible to sort out my thoughts. But one thing came through in perfect clarity: I couldn’t stay here. I needed to go, and the sooner, the better. I couldn’t let him keep hurting me like this. It was too much, and I wasn’t going to let it keep happening.

And it wasn’t just me and my feelings that I needed to protect. I also had to look after the little wolf inside me. I didn’t want them growing up in this type of environment.

I had fooled myself into thinking that Declan had changed. In reality, he was the same person he had always been. Staying here would only get me and my baby hurt.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to move. I walked through the halls almost in a daze, my head bouncing with a dozen different thoughts. I barely realized I arrived at my room until I had closed the door behind me.

I stared at my room, though I guessed it wasn’t my room anymore. The pang of loss the thought gave me took me by surprise. But there was nothing to do—I had to leave. I was going to leave. I had no idea where I would run to if Harrison really was still chasing me. In fact, I hadn’t even begun to think about the information Declan had given me, with everything else going on. I couldn’t, not until I had taken care of the whole “leaving for good” aspect.

What about Dani? a voice asked.

A nugget of guilt formed in my stomach. I didn’t want to leave her. I knew she needed a mother figure in her life, and she needed some stability. With how many nannies had left her, I was sure she would feel some level of abandonment. And the two of us had grown close to one another over the last few weeks. Could I really leave her like that? What would she think? I didn’t like the thought of leaving her alone in this large house.

I pushed the thought away. I had to do what was best for myself and my cub. She could find a new nanny. I wasn’t the first to leave. But even as I told myself that, I couldn’t shake the guilt, that tug to stay for Dani’s sake, if no one else’s. She was a good kid. She deserved better.

And then there was Jackson. God, how would he feel knowing I had run away a second time? I wasn’t sure if he would ever forgive me, not that I would blame him if he didn’t.

And there was Rose. We had started growing close. I would be sad to leave her as well.

And, as much as I didn’t want to admit it, I was going to miss Declan. Up until today, I had begun to grow used to him, to care about him. My wolf wanted to be near him. This was the happiest she had been in years. I could feel her own hurt over just the thought of leaving.

Tears had filled my eyes and started trailing down my cheeks without my realizing. I took a deep breath, wiping them away with the heel of my palm as I willed myself to get a grip. At the end of the day, if Declan didn’t want me here, I wasn’t going to stay.

As I hauled out my suitcase and opened it, I stared into its empty hollow. One final protest from some timid voice deep inside echoed through me. There was still time to back out. Still time to try patching things up and stay.

But Declan had made it perfectly clear he didn’t want me here. And I wasn’t going to subject my baby to someone like him, even if he was their father.

I grabbed the clothes from the closet and began jerking them off their hanger. As I stuffed them into the suitcase, being less careful than I normally would have been, I ran through a mental list of things I needed to grab that lay scattered across the house. As I cataloged all those items, it took me by surprise just how much I had made myself at home, how much the roots had begun to dig into the soil here.

Well, they weren’t strong enough yet that I couldn’t leave.

A knock sounded on the door. I was about to yell at Declan to leave me alone when a different scent caught my nose. Not Declan at all.

Before I could tell her to come in, Dani burst through the door. Her eyes were puffy and red, and tear streaks ran down her face. She ran in and came to a halt, her gaze locking on the suitcase.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” I asked, crouching in front of her.

“I heard you and Daddy fighting,” she said, and hiccupped. “You said you were leaving.”

“I…” I faltered, then glanced over at the half-filled suitcase on the bed.

“Please don’t go,” she cried. “I promise I’ll be good.”

My heart broke a little at the earnest and worried expression on her face. “It has nothing to do with you,” I promised.

“Then why are you leaving?” she asked.

I opened my mouth, but no sounds came out. God, how was I supposed to explain the situation and its complexities to a kid?

“It’s me. I think it’s for the best,” I said. “I’m sure you’ll find a new—”

Before I could utter another word, Dani lunged toward me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face into my shoulder.

“Please, please, please don’t go,” she said. When she took a step back and wiped the tears from her face, she jutted out her chin. “You’re the best nanny ever, and if you leave, I’ll make every other nanny run away so you’ll have to come back.”

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Some of the anger and frustration melted away, and I found myself smiling. “Come here,” I said, pulling Dani into a hug. I gave her a tight squeeze. “That might be the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

“Does that mean you’ll stay?” she asked hopefully.

I gave a half-laugh because I knew I couldn’t leave now. It wasn’t just because of Dani. It was Declan, too. As much as it startled me to admit, I couldn’t deny that I cared about him—maybe even more than that—even if I was furious with him. I wanted to be with him. Even if it was just to look after Dani, I didn’t want to leave.

“I think so,” I said. Assuming Declan doesn’t kick me out when he comes back, I thought but didn’t say. I had a funny feeling that Dani would argue with him until he caved, regardless of what he thought or said.

Dani squealed, clapping her hands before hugging me again. “Thank you!” she squealed. She glanced up at me, her head tilted. “You’re still sad, though. Do you need ice cream?”

“Are you tricking me into letting you have ice cream again?” I teased.

“Maybe.”

The edges of my lips tilted upward even as my eyes felt puffy and red. How could I have ever considered leaving this sweet, mischievous kid?

“Ice cream actually sounds delicious,” I told her. “Come on.”

We went downstairs, and I let Dani create two massive bowls of ice cream, complete with whipped cream and sprinkles. I had just put a spoonful of ice cream in my mouth when I heard the door open. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes as I mentally prepared myself for the unpleasant conversation I was about to have with Declan.

But instead of Declan’s campfire and leather scent, one that normally sent a flutter through my stomach whenever I smelled it, a different one wafted through the halls. I stiffened as I recognized the smell. It did not come from anyone in this pack.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as Rex’s scent slammed into me full-force. My heart began beating faster even as the rest of me froze with terror. He was here. He had broken in. We only had seconds.

Dani must have noticed it, too. Her brow furrowed, and her nose tilted upward as she sniffed the air. She might be too young to shift, but she still had her wolf senses.

“That isn’t Daddy,” she said.

“No,” I said, my throat raw. “It isn’t.”

I pushed away from the table with so much force that the chair fell back. We didn’t have time to waste. I knew what they were here for, and I didn’t think they were going to leave without it. Right now, the most important thing was getting Dani to safety.

“Do you have a place you can hide?” I whispered. When Dani nodded, I added, “Go there, now. Don’t come out until you can smell your dad. Do you understand?”

Dani looked as though she was about to argue. Her mouth had opened in protest. It clamped shut when she saw the look in my eyes.

“Go. Now,” I hissed.

“Come with me,” she said. “I don’t want to hide on my own.”

I wanted to, not for my sake, but so I could comfort her. But I also understood that hiding with her would only put her at greater risk. If they found me without incident, maybe there was a chance they would leave Dani alone. And if I didn’t have to worry about Dani, then I could fight my way out of this. Or, at the very least, fend them off long enough for Declan to arrive.

“I can’t,” I said softly. A clattering sound came from the hallway. Time was running out. “Go. I’ll be fine. Okay?”

Dani swallowed, and I could see the defiance in her eyes. But she nodded reluctantly before scurrying away deeper into the house.

Just as she had vanished, Rex strolled into the kitchen. His bored gaze swept around the space before lingering on me. Behind him, I saw two other shifters, both from Harrison’s inner circle, appearing behind them. I heard another set of feet somewhere else in the house. Four of them, then.

I stared at all of them, waiting for someone to break the silence. Fear and anger battled for dominance inside me, engaged in a bitter fight. I forced myself to get a grip. I couldn’t let fear overtake me. Not right now.

“What are you doing here?” I asked after the quiet drew long, lingering.

He raised an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure you know why we’re here,” he said evenly. “If you cooperate, it’ll be easier for everyone involved.”

I stayed where I was. My mind raced, trying to think of what the hell to do but coming up blank. I couldn’t run and leave Dani behind, and I couldn’t go with them. The only option left was to fight.

“You should leave,” I said. “Declan will be back soon, and if you’re not gone by the time he gets back, he’ll tear all of you to shreds.”

“We don’t plan on being here that long,” Rex said, unfazed. He glanced around again. “Where’s the girl?”

Oh, God. I had hoped that if they found me alone, they wouldn’t care about Dani.

“She’s not here,” I lied. “Gone with her dad.”

He smirked, his eyes looking past me. I turned to see what he was looking at, and my stomach sank as I saw the two bowls of ice cream still sitting on the table. When I turned to face him again, he asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to tell the truth this time? It’ll make all our lives easier.”

“It’s me you want,” I snarled. My fingers had lengthened into claws, and my teeth had turned to fangs. “You can leave her out of it.”

“I’ve got orders to take both of you,” he said. “And I know she’s in the house somewhere. So why don’t you make it easier for everyone and just tell us?”

The air seemed to rush from my lungs. He was here for Dani, too. A surge of anger and overwhelming protection rushed through me. No. They weren’t getting their hands on Dani. Whatever his motives were, I wasn’t letting him get anywhere near that girl.

Without a second thought, I jumped, shifting as I leapt through the air. I jumped over the island, my paws knocking things off as I raced across it before jumping on him. The gesture caught him off-guard, so I slammed into his shoulders, knocking him to the ground.

I snarled, paws on his chest, pinning him down. I leaned forward, preparing to tear into his throat before either of the other shifters could intervene. My teeth bit into flesh, and—

“Stop,” a new voice said behind me. I snarled, rounding toward the newcomer. My stomach plummeted when I saw a massive shifter standing in the hallway, a squirming Dani tucked under one arm.

“Get off him,” he warned me. “Shift back to human and come quietly, or the girl gets it." The look on his face told me he wasn’t bluffing.

For emphasis, his hand went to Dani’s throat, fingers lengthening to claws. Dani went perfectly still, her rage shifting to fright. She glanced at me, looking for help.

I let out a low, threatening growl as my hair bristled. My wolf howled in rage, demanding I kill everyone here, even as the rational part of me knew I couldn’t, not with Dani’s life at risk. I couldn’t get to her in time to save her. She would be dead before I cleared half the distance.

Knowing they’d won, I shifted back. Rex clambered to his feet behind me, glaring at me with new hatred.

“Let her go,” I begged. “We all know she doesn’t have anything to do with this.”

Rex shrugged. “Alpha’s orders,” he said, then threw a collar at me. I caught it and recognized it immediately: a suppression collar, something that would prevent a wolf from being able to shift.

“Put it on,” Rex ordered.

I glared at him, half-tempted to throw it back in his face. But then I heard Dani whimper behind me, and my heart broke. I couldn’t do anything that would put her in danger. Which meant I would have to go along with it.

Not breaking eye contact with Rex, I snapped the collar around my neck. The instant it clicked in place, the connection between myself and my wolf ebbed as if someone had flicked a dampener switch. I could still sense her, still feel her rage and urge to tear everyone to shreds, but it was like hearing her underwater.

“Let’s get going,” Rex said.

I stayed put. “At least put Dani down and let her stand next to me.”

Rex snorted. When he saw I wasn’t going to budge, he rolled his eyes and said to the shifter holding Dani, “Let her go.”

The instant Dani’s feet hit the ground, she charged toward me. I crouched down, giving her a hug before holding her at arm’s length.

“Are you okay?” I asked softly.

She gave a little nod. “I bit him when he grabbed me,” she said.

Glancing over at the burly man, I indeed noticed a brilliant red bite mark on his forearm with a little bit of blood trickling from it. I couldn’t hold back a small smirk.

“Good job,” I whispered. When I saw she had begun to cry, I reached out and wiped the tears away. “It’s going to be all right,” I promised. “You’ve got to be brave, all right?”

Dani nodded.

“Come on,” Rex snarled. “Stop stalling, or I’ll put a leash on that collar.”

I shot him another glare but gave a short nod. And Dani and I followed our captors out the door to who knew where.