Chapter 15 #2
“Oh! That’s-” She cuts off with a groan, her body melting against me. “How did you know that would help?”
“I’ve been around pregnant women before. Watched the ways their mates helped them.”
She’s quiet for a long time, drifting in and out of sleep while I hold her.
If this helps her sleep comfortably, we can cuddle like this every day.
Feeling our son kick and move against her side is a bonus that brings a smile to my lips.
Parenthood is a dream that Foster and I have whispered about in the darkness of his nest, but we never expected it to happen so suddenly.
Not that either of us would change our situation for the world.
An hour after lying down, Hannah sits up with a grunt. My bladder is screaming at me, so I slip from behind her. “I’m going to use the bathroom real quick. Pizza should be here soon, so I’ll grab plates and drinks while I’m up. We can eat in here tonight.”
I’m at the sink washing my hands when someone knocks on the apartment door.
With my phone still sitting on the coffee table, I assume it’s the front desk dropping the pizza off.
Hannah calls back to me, and I hear her swing the door open.
Seconds later, a panicked shriek fills the air.
I bolt out of the bathroom, hands still wet, and storm down the hall.
What I find in the living room has my instincts hurtling into overdrive.
Kaitlin cowers behind Hannah’s legs, shaking so much her teeth are chattering.
My Beta holds our daughter behind her, but the same fear shines in her rich brown eyes.
Colin stands in front of the partially closed door, one hand gripping her wrist tight enough to indent her skin.
Fury, like nothing I’ve ever felt, surges through my veins, tinting my vision red.
My body moves on its own, carrying me across the room.
One arm presses against Colin’s throat, pinning him to the wall.
Breaking his hold on Hannah’s wrist is easy when the weak asshole is struggling to breathe.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? ”
A brief flash of fear enters his eyes before they narrow on me. Arrogance flows in his dank, earthy scent. My lips tilt into a snarl when he dares to look at my mate again. She’s mine! Not his! He lost the right to lay eyes on her the moment she left their home.
“Shepherd,” Hannah pleads, hand curling around the biceps of the arm that isn’t pressed to this asshole’s neck. “You have to let him go. Please look at me.”
I don’t want to take my eyes off Colin, but the shake in her voice pulls my focus to her. Tears line her warm brown eyes, and her lip wobbles. “Let him go, Alpha. The police are already on their way. If you kill him…”
Shit! Turning back, I notice the ugly shade of purple his face is turning. I drop him, letting his body slam to the hardwood floor. He coughs and sputters, glaring up at me. Matching his glare, I reach out and pull Hannah against my side. Kaitlin follows her, quietly crying as she hides behind us.
“How disgusting.” Colin coughs harder as he pushes to his feet and dusts himself off. “You stole my son from me so you could spread your legs for an Alpha? The sins you’ve committed will be dealt with when we get home-”
A growl, low and menacing, fills the air, stalling his threats. “They. Aren’t. Going. With. You.”
“She is my wife. She will follow my orders-”
“I filed for divorce.” Hannah’s words land heavily between them. “Legally, we are separated, and the court granted us an order of protection against you. One you’ve broken by coming here.”
Colin takes a step toward her, and I push him back, watching him slam against the wall. “Don’t touch her.” Gripping the door with one hand, I use the other to pull Hannah behind me. He’ll have to go through me to get to them, and this scrawny Beta doesn’t stand a chance against me in a fight.
The elevator dings, and two officers step out.
They immediately lock onto us, and their hands go to the stun guns on their hips.
Waves of angry Alpha pheromones filter out of the apartment, blending with the fear-soaked notes of Hannah’s scent.
When they get closer, one of them recognizes me.
“Mr. Wilson, we got a call about the violation of a protective order?”
“Yes, Officer Monroe. This is Colin Boyd. My Beta, Hannah, is his ex-wife.”
“We aren’t divorced-“
“Yet,” Hannah chimes in, leaning around me to look at the officers. “He tried to force his way into our apartment, and was threatening both my daughter and me.”
Monroe steps forward and pulls Colin to his feet.
We watch as he is arrested and escorted to the elevator.
If this stunt proves anything, it’s that the threats against Hannah haven’t disappeared with the destruction of her father’s cult.
The little hope we held that she was finally free has now shattered.
Fates, I wish I had punched that asshole in the face.
Slamming the door shut, I turn and pull Hannah into my arms. The tart notes of her cherry scent flow through my senses as I breathe her in.
Slowly, the anger and aggression dim back to manageable levels.
I drag us to the couch and lift her onto my lap.
Kaitlin comes too, climbing up to wedge herself between us.
Tears trail down her tiny cheeks, breaking my heart with each new drop.
Cupping her face, I gently wipe them away.
“It’s okay, Princess. He’s gone. I’ll never let him near you again. ”
My phone vibrates on the table. A call from the front desk.
I answer it one-handed, refusing to let either of my girls go when they’re still shaken.
“Mr. Wilson, this is Harry, at the front desk. I’d like to apologize for the slip in our security.
We’re reviewing our procedures to ensure there isn’t a repeat of this situation.
” Grunting in acknowledgment, I let him continue.
“One of our security guards is on his way up to check over your door. He will bring up the food you ordered. Again, I’m sincerely sorry for our mistake. ”
The call ends a few minutes before there is another knock at the door.
Kaitlin’s whole body locks up, her eyes wide as she snaps her head up to stare at the wood.
I carefully shift Hannah to the couch, and then I place Kaitlin beside her.
“It’s our pizza this time, Princess. You’re safe, I promise. ”
Her eyes track me across the short distance to the door. I hear her sigh when I swing it open to reveal a uniformed guard holding three large pizzas. “Mr. Wilson. Your door doesn’t appear to be compromised, but I can put in an order with maintenance to have it swapped out, if you’d like?”
“That won’t be necessary. Thank you for bringing this up, and checking in with us. Can you let the head of security know that I’ll need to speak with him tomorrow? We will need to debrief in case that asshole comes back.”
“Of course. Enjoy the rest of your night.”
Closing the door behind him, I plaster a cheerful smile on my lips and turn back to my girls. “Who’s hungry?”