Chapter 47
Clover
I’d been sticking close—probably too close—to home since my car baby got trashed, but I was running out of things to do as the weeks marched by.
In the last three and a bit months, I’d reorganized the nursery about fifteen times, following the nesting urges the closer I got to my due date.
I wasn’t normally a fan of laundry, but I couldn’t seem to stop folding all the adorable little baby outfits I had accumulated.
I’d already packed, unpacked, and repacked my hospital bag several times, triple-checking that I had everything I needed and following the helpful lists online.
Meadow had come over and given me the full rundown of everything she had and everything she wished she’d had on the day.
My bag was looking more like a suitcase, but I was never one to pack light.
“Where’s my favorite sister?” Maggie’s sweet voice called out as she entered my room.
“I’m your only sister,” I pointed out.
“Fair enough,” she conceded. “I heard that someone’s going a little stir-crazy.”
I groaned. “I am. I love it here—it’s amazing—but I’ve barely been interacting with humanity besides you and my pack.
Meadow has been having a rougher time with this pregnancy, so she’s not up and about as much.
This is practically torture for a social butterfly.
The only sky I’ve seen has been from the backyard or the car window for my OB appointments.
It’s actually pretty hard to go adventuring when you have a super protective pack and are a million months pregnant. ”
“You’re like nine months tomorrow,” Maggie pointed out.
“Semantics,” I replied.
Maggie sat next to me.
“I used to sit down like that,” I said wistfully and only a little bitter. “So easy, so graceful.”
Maggie laughed. “You’ll be there again soon enough. Now, I came here because I’m craving some good junk food, and I had a feeling you would be too.”
“I’m growing a human being—of course I want junk food.”
“Parker told me you’re obsessed with that place that makes all the different kinds of fries. How about we go there?”
“Maggie, I think you’re the most amazing Ashcroft,” I declared.
“That isn’t hard competition when Parker is my brother.”
“He’s gotten pretty sweet, so the competition is a little stiff.”
“Huh.” Maggie looked thoughtful. “I suppose you can teach an old dog new tricks. Come on, preggers, let’s go get you some food.”
“You have to drive. The guys are worried about me driving this late in pregnancy. What’s the point of having one of the most beautiful cars in existence if I can’t drive it?” I said grumpily.
“Isn’t your car still being repaired?”
“Don’t remind me.”
Maggie popped to her feet, but when I tried to do the same, I only grunted and remained where I was.
“I’m stuck.” I pouted.
Maggie laughed, holding out her hands and helping to haul me up.
“See, this is the kind of support I need from family!”
“What was your plan if I wasn’t here?”
“One of the guys would have checked on me eventually. They rotate through the day, bringing me snacks, water, and kisses if they can’t hang out for long.”
“Cute as fuck. Let’s get you some fresh air and French fries.”
Maggie’s car was beautiful, but not nearly as gorgeous as my Princess Mobile.
“Don’t judge my car—my parents picked it for the safety rating,” Maggie said, sliding into the driver’s seat.
“Don’t tell that to your brother,” I said, doing up my seat belt. “He’ll get me one, and I’ll never have my Princess Mobile back.”
“My lips are sealed. All I require in return is copious baby cuddles when the time comes.”
“I think I can manage that.”
“Best fucking fries I’ve ever had,” I said as I waddled out of the restaurant.
“So damn good. I’m an absolute slut for waffle fries.” Maggie fumbled in her handbag for her keys.
“Pregnancy is making me appreciate everything a bit more—especially delicious food. Delicious food needs to be appreciated a lot. Curly fries might be the baby’s favorite.” I rubbed my stomach happily.
“I bet if you tell your pack you want this place, they’d buy it for you,” Maggie said.
“Magnolia Ashcroft, when I say I love this place, I mean I’d love to come here three times a week and eat my weight in fries. I don’t want to own it.” I laughed. “You rich people are wild.”
“I know, we’re so annoying, aren’t we?”
“Why did you park so far away?” I whined. In reality, it was only down the street from the restaurant, but there were limited parking spaces.
“Isn’t exercise good in pregnancy?”
“Hush, you,” I groaned. “Bitching is exercising my mouth.”
Maggie turned to me to say something, but instead of words, a startled yelp escaped her. She screeched when an arm snaked around her from behind and pulled her backward.
“Mag—” My scream was instantly silenced by a gloved hand covering my mouth and a sharp grip on my arm.
Shit—were we getting mugged? Crime was minimal in this area, but knowing my luck, I had just picked the wrong time.
The side doors on a van parked near us flew open, and an alpha—it had to be an alpha with how easily he lifted her—tossed Maggie inside.
Fuck. Not getting mugged. We were getting fucking kidnapped.
The alpha holding me dragged me toward the van. I flailed and scratched at my assailant as best I could while he cursed up a storm, trying to avoid my kicks.
“Fucking stop,” he growled. “We’ve been waiting for you to leave that damn house unattended for months, and you’re not getting away now.”
Months? What the actual fuck? Who were these people?
Maggie bashed the back of her head against her attacker’s face, and he howled as she screamed my name.
“Shut your fucking mouth.” The shitty alpha grabbed for her again before she could wriggle free, and she gave up entirely when I was unceremoniously hurled at her. The van door slammed shut behind us.
“Drive!”
We drove for what felt like hours but was probably only minutes. My wrists and ankles chafed where they’d tied me up, and they’d duct-taped my mouth. Presumably Maggie’s, too, since she’d gotten quiet. What the fuck was this bullshit?
The van screeched to a halt and I nearly fell over.
Before I could get myself upright, the doors were open, blinding us with the bright evening sun.
The light didn’t last long. Maggie and I were quickly scooped up and dragged into a building that I didn’t have time to fully take in, except that it was a house.
“Put them down there,” one of the guys snarled.
Where the hell was “down there”?
I found out a few moments later when Maggie and I were roughly shoved into a dimly lit room. The door closed behind us, and the click of a lock rang out.
Now that we were unsupervised, Maggie and I were able to rip off the duct tape keeping us silent and help each other undo the knots binding us.
“Who the fuck are these people?” I asked.
“Fuck if I know,” Maggie growled, leaning to gnaw at my ropes and loosen the knot.
“I had no idea you were a little beaver.”
“What did you say about my beaver?”
I choked out a laugh, despite the danger we found ourselves in. “A beaver, not your beaver. You were chewing the ropes.”
“Feral energy gets knots undone, what can I say.” Her ropes fell away, demonstrating the truth of her statement.
“Do you think this is some ransom bullshit?”
“Probably.” Maggie sighed. “You and I are worth a lot of money to the right people—and we know Parker will pay anything for you.”
“You think so?” I didn’t have to second-guess it. In the horrifying quiet, the panic from my pack burned hot in my chest. I sucked in my breath, tension gripping my body tightly.
My ropes fell away and I cradled my bump carefully.
“Are you okay?” Maggie whispered.
I nodded. “I think so.”
I’d been feeling light cramping since they’d snatched us. I just prayed it was nothing.
“Where the fuck are we?” Maggie whispered.
“I wish I knew.”
We had a bit of light from a tiny window near the ceiling.
Wonderful. Nothing good ever happened in basements.
Slowly, I did a lap around the room, terrified that someone was going to jump out of the shadows at any moment. The space was concrete, and they’d provided nothing for comfort except an old mattress.
Great. No place to rest, nothing to keep warm, and I was out of breath from being a million months pregnant. At least there was a half bathroom, so I wouldn’t end up peeing myself.
“Why’s there nothing in here?” Maggie toed the dingy mattress with her shoe. “That’s nasty.”
“As far as nests go, I’d rate this minus ten thousand.” I grimaced. “Do they expect us to sleep on that thing?”
“Hopefully not,” Maggie said.
I resisted the urge to gag.
This wasn’t good.
I wanted to hurl, and given the dank condition of the room, that honestly would have improved the space.