Chapter 9
Nate didn’t take the “evidence” of Mark Vance lying down. He was an Alpha; he was used to getting what he wanted through sheer force of will. But since he couldn’t fight a dead man, he did the next best thing: he used his power to change the scenery.
He had summoned me for a ’brief’ meeting at the council chambers. I’m sure he chose that location so I would agree to meet him since only serious matters relating to the pack was discussed there.
“The Elder needs constant monitoring,” Nate told me the next morning. He hadn’t slept; the dark circles under his eyes made him look haunted.
“And the Luna’s treatment is entering a critical phase. You can’t keep driving back and forth to the city, Dahlia. It’s a security risk for the pack and a waste of time for the patients p>
“I told you, I’m not moving back into that pack house,” I said in a harsh tone. The very thought of sleeping under the same roof as Gina made my skin crawl.
“You won’t have to,” he countered.
He laid a key on the desk between us. “There’s a cottage on the western edge of our territory. It belonged to the pack’s head healer fifty years ago. It’s private, it has its own garden, and it’s protected by the pack’s outer wards. You and the children can stay there. My drivers will bring whatever supplies you need p>
I looked at the key. It was a trap, and we both knew it. If I moved the kids onto his land, I was giving him 24-hour access to watch them, to smell them, and to look for the “wolf” in them that I was trying so hard to hide.
But I looked at the medical reports on my chart. The toxin in the Elder’s blood was spreading. If I didn’t stay close to the lab, he would die, and I would lose my chance to find out what Gina was doing.
“One month,” I said, picking up the key. “A trial period. If you or your people overstep, we leave. No questions asked p>
“Agreed,” Nate said. A flicker of something that looked like relief or triumph crossed his face.
Moving the triplets was like moving a small, chaotic army. We arrived at the cottage at dusk. It was a beautiful, rustic building made of stone and cedar. It looked like something out of a fairy tale, but I knew better.
As the SUV pulled up, the kids spilled out of the back seat. Aidan was the first one out, his small face set in a scowl as he looked at the dense forest surrounding us. Ariana followed, gasping at the wild flowers, while Axel immediately started poking at the moss on the stone walls.
Nate stepped out of the driver’s side. He had insisted on driving us himself. He stood by the car, watching them with an expression that made my heart ache for a split second. It was a look of pure, unadulterated longing.
“Is this where you live?” Ariana asked, walking up to Nate. She didn’t have the fear the boys did. She saw a tall man with a shiny car and a sad face.
Nate knelt down so he was eye-level with her. “No, little one. I live in the big house over the hill. This house is for you. Do you like the trees p>
“They’re okay,” Ariana said, reaching out to touch the silver crest on his lapel. “Mommy says we have to stay together. Are you our new neighbor p>
Nate’s throat worked as he swallowed hard. “Something like that p>
“We don’t need a neighbor,” Aidan snapped, stepping between them.
He grabbed Ariana’s hand and pulled her back toward me. He looked Nate up and down with a coldness that was far too old for a six-year-old. “We liked our house in the city. It didn’t smell like wet fur p>
Nate winced. The “wet fur” comment was a direct hit to his pride. “The forest has many smells. You’ll get used to it, I’m sure p>
“I don’t want to get used to it,” Aidan muttered, turning his back on the Alpha.
I walked over and put my hands on the children’s shoulders. “Inside, everyone. Let’s find your rooms p>
The cottage was already furnished. It was cozy, filled with thick blankets and a large fireplace. Nate helped bring in the bags, carrying the heaviest trunks as if they weighed nothing. He stood in the doorway of the kitchen, watching me set out the human vitamins.
“You give them a lot of supplements,” he said, narrowing his eyes.
“They’re growing children, Nate. City life doesn’t provide enough Vitamin D,” I lied.
In reality, those “vitamins” were mild herbal suppressants I had developed. They kept the children’s heart rates steady and their internal temperatures low, preventing the accidental “glow” of their eyes that happened when they got excited or angry.
“I want to bring them something tomorrow,” Nate said. “To help them settle in p>
“They don’t need anything from you,” I said, not looking up from the counter.
“They’re on my land, Dahlia. Whether you like it or not, they are under my protection now.” He stepped closer, his scent filling the small kitchen.
“You can tell me they belong to another man. You can show me all the papers in the world. But I see the way Aidan watches me. He doesn’t hate me because I’m a stranger. He hates me because he knows exactly who I am p>
“Hate is a strong word for a child.” I said plainly.
“I don’t mean it in that kind of way, you know p>
“Well, if you insist on using the word, he hates you because I told him you were a man who broke promises,” I said, finally looking at him. “And children don’t forget that p>
Nate stared at me for a long beat, his blue eyes searching mine for a crack in the armor. Finally, he gave a slow nod and walked toward the door.
“Sleep well, Doctor,” he said. “The woods are quiet tonight. But don’t forget. I’m just over the hill. If the kids get scared, I’ll hear them p>
As he drove away, I stood at the window and watched his taillights disappear into the trees. I felt like a bird that had walked into a golden cage. I had my children, and I had my lab. But I was officially in the Alpha’s territory, and the lie was getting harder to breathe by the second.
I turned back to the kids. Axel was already asleep on the rug, his head resting on a pile of books. Ariana was humming to herself. But Aidan was still standing by the door, staring out at the dark woods.
“Mommy?” he whispered.
“Yes, baby p>
“The tall man… he smells like us, doesn’t he? He feels familiar p>
My heart stopped. I knelt down and pulled him into a hug, burying my face in his hair. “He smells like the forest, Aidan. That’s all p>
But as I held him, I felt the tiny, rapid thrum of his heart. It was beating in the exact rhythm of Nate’s. The clock was ticking. I had to find the truth about Gina and get out of here before the children’s wolves decided to introduce themselves to their father.