Chapter 14
The headlights sliced through the darkness as Ian pulled into his driveway, gravel crunching beneath the tires.
Emily sat in the passenger seat, arms wrapped around herself; her thoughts were a tangled fucking mess.
That seemed to be the norm for her these days…
well… ever since she found out that her parents had lied to her for her whole life.
She hated all the turmoil raging inside of her.
Especially how she felt about her own damn family.
She needed answers from them. Why had they drugged her to keep her wolf side hidden?
A million images filled her brain, and she quickly dismissed them.
She didn’t want fictional scenarios that made her parents look like some sort of fucked up heroes in her mind. She wanted the cold, hard truth.
Ian cut the engine but didn’t move to get out of the truck. Instead, he looked over at Emily, his expression softening. “You all right?”
She hesitated, twisting the long locks of her hair around her finger.
“I don’t know. Everything feels… different.
I keep thinking about what Rafe said.” She finally turned to face him.
“What happens to them now? My parents? I know what they did is fucked up, and I’ll probably never forgive them—at least not anytime soon.
But that doesn’t mean I want them to die. ”
Ian reached for her hand, his touch steady, warm, and comforting. Their mating connection was stronger than she had anticipated.
“They’ll face pack law. Rafe will make sure they answer for what they did to you.
He’s an honest Alpha. He’s tough but fair.
I can’t imagine they would receive the harshest punishment for their crimes.
Very few have been sentenced to death over the years.
Those who were sentenced to die were guilty of far worse than what your parents did.
Besides, Rafe isn’t like that. You don’t know him yet, but I do.
Believe me when I tell you that he’s one of the best people to have on your side. ”
She swallowed. “I know. It’s just—after everything, I almost wish they’d just let me go and stopped with this drugging shit they were doing. What the hell were they thinking? I don’t want a bunch of fighting. I don’t like any of it. But I have to see this through, don’t I?”
He nodded. “You do. But I’ll be with you every step of the way.
They can’t control you anymore, Em. Your life is yours now.
You are finally free to make your own decisions.
And now that we’re mated, you’re not alone.
I’m here. I will always be here for you.
But it’s more than that. You have more than just me.
You have an entire pack now as your family.
I know it seems odd to think of a bunch of strangers as family, but they are. You’ll see.”
Emily managed a shaky smile. “I don’t know what that even means. I have no idea what being part of a pack is like or what I’m supposed to do with any of this,” she sighed.
Ian squeezed her hand. “We take it one day at a time. Tonight, we rest. Tomorrow, we’ll figure out the next step together.”
She blew out a deep breath. The tension that had been smothering her eased just a little. “I guess that will have to do for now.”
“I know you like plans. You like to be in control when you can, because you never had control over your life. Your parents never allowed that. It won’t always be like this. I promise. This is just a small pothole in our path.”
They climbed out of the truck and into the cool night air that whipped around them after the warmth of the cab.
Ian slung an arm around her waist as they walked up to the porch, and she felt a sense of calm filtering through their mating bond.
For the first time, Emily let herself hope that maybe, just maybe, things would turn out all right like Ian had assured her.
The porch creaked under their feet as Ian unlocked the front door. Inside, the familiar scents of home filled the air. It was funny how quickly she began to think of Ian’s house as her home.
As Ian reached for the light switch, a recognizable, icy voice sliced through the darkness.
“Emily!”
She froze in her tracks. That single word chilled her deeper than the brisk night air ever could have. Ian tensed beside her, his body shifting subtly in front of her, protective and ready for a fight.
“Back off!” Ian growled. He would protect his mate against any threat, including her own family.
The light flicked on, throwing a harsh illumination across the living room. Layla stood near the fireplace looking immaculate as ever, but her eyes were wild with accusation. Eric was beside her, arms folded, and jaw set so tight the veins stood out on his neck.
“How did you—” Emily’s words faltered. Her wolf surged forward, bristling at the violation of this supposed sanctuary, but she pushed back. It wouldn’t do her a damn bit of good to let her wolf take over right now. Not if she wanted any sort of answers or a peaceful outcome.
“We need to talk,” Layla said, voice icier than Emily had ever heard it. “Before you make any more mistakes.”
Ian’s voice was low, edged with threat. “You broke into my house. That was your last mistake,” a fierce growl flew from his mouth.
Eric ignored him, his gaze fixed on Emily. “We’re your family. We can still fix this. You just need to come home and let us help you.”
Emily shook her head, fighting to keep her voice hard and steady. “You can’t ‘fix’ me. I’m not broken. I never was.”
Layla’s gaze flicked to Ian. Her contempt for him was as plain as day. “This is his influence on you. He’s always wanted to tear you away from us. You belong with your own kind, Emily. With your family. Not him!”
“She is with her kind,” Ian growled, stepping forward. “With someone who actually wants her to be herself. With someone who has always loved her. With her mate!”
Eric’s lip curled as he turned his attention to Emily. “You have no idea what you’re inviting with this foolishness. You think the pack will protect you? They’ll turn on you the moment you become an inconvenience.” He reached into his coat. A little too quickly for Ian’s liking.
Ian surged forward. In a flash, he’d shoved Emily behind him and crouched, ready to shift. “Don’t,” he barked.
But Eric’s hand came out holding a familiar syringe—the same kind they’d used to suppress Emily’s wolf for years.
Layla stepped closer, eyes pleading now. “Emily, please. We can put this behind us. Just come home and take your medicine. Things can be like they were—safe, normal. No more chaos.”
“No,” Emily shouted, voice clear and resonant. “I’m done hiding. I’m done being your secret. I want to live my own life.”
For a moment, the four of them stood in a tense, silent standoff. Waiting for each other to make their move. A sudden rush of wind and a shimmer of magic filled the room, and Tanner and Rafe appeared out of nowhere.
“I’m never going to get used to that,” Emily said with a start.
Tanner’s shoulders were squared, his eyes scanning the room for any possible threat.
Rafe radiated Alpha authority so strongly that it seemed to press the air flat.
Emily tried to suck in a deep breath to keep herself steady and alert, but the feeling of Rafe’s magic left her seriously unsettled.
She was thankful when Ian wrapped his arm around her to keep her upright and to save her ass from hitting the floor.
The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass herself in front of everyone.
“Nobody move,” Rafe commanded, his voice thick with the Alpha timbre. His eyes locked on the Holmeses. “You must be Eric and Layla. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Who the hell are you?” Layla screeched. The thick vein on her forehead grew angrier with each huff of breath.
“I’m the Alpha of Black Paw Pack. Complaints against both of you have been officially filed with the Pack. I’d like to discuss these matters with you.”
“I don’t think so. This is a family matter. Period,” Eric shouted.
“Pack law is clear. What you’ve done to your daughter will not be tolerated. Not by Black Paw Pack and not by the Council. You’re under arrest for endangering a shifter, use of an illegal suppression drug, and trespassing on Black Paw territory.”
Eric’s face contorted with anger. “You have no authority over us! We don’t belong to you!”
“That’s correct. You do not belong to the Pack, but as a shifter, you know better.
You know how this world works, whether you choose to participate in it or not.
What you have done to your daughter is wrong.
Period. You will face the consequences of your actions.
Both of you.” Rafe’s voice left no room for discussion.
“Like hell!” Layla shouted.
“I’d drop that syringe if I were you, or this situation is going to get really ugly, really fast.” Rafe made his stance on the situation perfectly clear.
“Fuck you. I don’t care who the hell you are. You will not tell us what we can and can’t do with our family,” Eric shouted.