Page 22 of Bullied Pregnant Mate (Silver Meadows Wolves #7)

It’s extremely late when we get back, and Bae is waiting for us on the front porch. I tell Alisa to go straight inside and I’ll bring in all the bags while she has a rest.

“I won’t say no,” she says. “I need to put my feet up.”

“There’s a fire going in the den,” Bae answers. “And we didn’t wreck up the place, I promise.”

“Kind of you,” she quips, moving past him to go into the house.

Bailey waits for her to go down the hall, then turns to me, a very serious look in his eyes.

“The area is still thick with patrols, okay? We are still a bit spooked about everything that went down before, and we can’t take any chances.”

“Did you find any clues?” I ask. “Any sign of the other wolves?”

“No, that’s why I called you back. The area seems to be secure. I may have a mission for you, though, in the future.”

“Oh?” I ask, terrified and eager at the same time.

If he’s going to trust me with a mission, that means he accepts me into the top circle and obviously doesn’t suspect anything. On the other hand, I’m not a good fighter, and I am keeping important information from him.

“I’m going to need to infiltrate Silverton,” Bae says. “You might end up on a mission like Kyle did—convincing the other pack you are with them and bringing intel back to me. I desperately need information—on the Ancient Ones, Kelta’s intentions, Decker’s defenses, and the wolves he’s got locked up over there. This incident with wolves attacking Alisa right here in your backyard also has me on edge.”

My heart leaps into my throat, and my chest tightens so much I can hardly breathe. I actually struggle to draw my next breath. Black spots dance in front of my eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Bae says, patting me on the shoulder. “We’ll give you some training and conditioning first. You won’t be going in cold. But you’re the best man for the job. You have ties there, you were part of their town for a couple of years. I’m pretty sure you could get Sam to take you in—and you might even be able to get him back to our side.”

“He was very close with Lena,” I say, trying not to choke.

“She misses him badly,” Bae agrees. “Just one more reason to get in there and find out what’s really going on.”

I nod, trying to think of something to say. I can’t believe he’s thinking of giving me this mission when I already have a guaranteed way in.

If I told him that right now, what would happen? Would he be happy to have a way in, or would he literally bite my head off for betraying him?

“Don’t worry about it right now,” Bae says. “It’s not happening anytime soon. I just want you to think about it, okay?”

“Sure,” I answer. “I can do that.”

“The only other thing I want you to know is that the patrols are ongoing. I’ll want you back out there soon, but you’ll see the others running their routes pretty close to the house.”

“Okay,” I say, nodding. “No problem.”

“How was your holiday with Alisa?” he asks, the serious look giving way to a smile. “It must have been like a honeymoon for you.”

“It sure was,” I say, grinning back. “We had a great time.”

“Excellent,” he says. “It sounds like your marriage is off to a good start.”

I just nod, starting to feel awkward. I’m not sure how long I can keep my secrets if he’s going to stand here and be so nice to me.

“Anything else you’d like to tell me?” Bae asks, giving me a searching look.

“Nope,” I say, shaking my head. “Nothing.”

“Okay, then. I’ll be in touch.”

I watch him walk away and get in his truck. He gives me a wave as he pulls out to the road. I return it, trying to look calm, even as I’m struggling to stand still.

The second his headlights disappear, I turn and run for the east wing. When I reach the end of the house, I tear off my clothes and shift.

I’m too wired to go back into the house just yet—but I can also feel a disturbance in the night.

No, no. Not this, not now.

As I take to the forest, there is no denying it. My brother’s scent is in the air, as if he’s been waiting for me.

For the first time, I really consider the idea that they are playing me. Now that Bae has directly asked me to infiltrate them, I wonder if Decker thought of it first, and that’s exactly why Brad is here.

His scent is familiar enough that it could be true, but not completely the same. That tracks if he’s my half-brother, and I didn’t pay enough attention to the other wolf to really notice if he’s my father. Up close, the scent will be unmistakable.

I reach a dense thicket, crawling low on my belly to get inside. Brad’s scent is muffled now, and I know he’s risking a lot to come this close just to talk to me.

It’s either a true need to connect, a plot to entrap us… or just sheer lunacy.

As I enter an open space in the center of the scrub, I see Brad standing there, waiting for me. I shift into my human shape and approach him carefully.

“Hey,” he says with a friendly smile. “You’ve been away for a bit. Where did you go?”

“Alpha Bailey wanted me to clear out,” I answer. “He was increasing patrols, looking for you.”

“I figured as much,” Brad replies. “I’m wily, though. He can’t catch me.”

Never underestimate Bailey.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, a hint of challenge in my voice. “This is a big risk you’re taking.”

“Yeah, it is,” he agrees. “But Father and I want to get to know you. It’s been a mess on both sides, man. Dad cheated on my mom with Minette, and he’s never forgiven himself for it. He had no idea she was pregnant when they broke up.”

“I get that,” I say. “I got a raw deal, too. She kept me under lock and key, she was so scared of anyone finding out about it.”

“Yeah. Dad says she was a bit strange, but it was part of what he liked about her. He said she was impossible to forget, and it almost broke him. Is she still around?”

“No,” I say flatly. “She took off when I turned twenty-one. I’m guessing that by then, she didn’t care if anyone found out about the scandal because I was grown up enough to deal with it myself, and she could take herself far enough away that it wouldn’t be her problem anymore.”

“Witches, man,” Brad says, shaking his head. “They’re nothing but trouble. Can’t you see what they’ve done? We had peace. A kind of peace our packs have never known. Then the witches show up, and everything goes to hell.”

“That wasn’t our fault!” I hiss at him, barely keeping my voice down. “I was here the night of the attack, when Decker and the wild wolves came for us. My friends were slaughtered!”

“I wasn’t part of that,” Brad says with a heavy look in his eyes. “Not everyone supports Decker. There could be a leadership challenge any day now.”

A tingle runs through me as I realize this is exactly the information Bae needs to know.

Who do I betray? My alpha, or my brother?

“Does it have anything to do with the wolves Decker locked up?”

“It sure does,” Brad confirms. “No one is happy about it, but the wolves that support Decker see it as necessary.”

“Why won’t anyone challenge him if the pack is split?”

“The Ancient Ones,” Brad answers. “Everyone is scared shitless. That Kelta bitch, she’s crazy, man.”

I frown a little, trying not to show any reaction. It’s the second time he’s spoken of women with disrespect, and I don’t like it.

“You don’t sound fond of witches,” I say, challenge in my tone. “So why do you oppose Decker?”

“I might not be fond of witches, but I don’t want to kill all of them.”

“So why did you attack one right in my backyard?”

Brad looks into my eyes, his expression guarded.

He looks like he knows he fucked up, and now he looks suspicious as hell.

“Do you know her?” he asks carefully.

I nod. “I do,” I say, deliberately keeping the answer vague.

“I need to get out of here soon,” Brad says, changing the topic, “or the patrols will catch me. But my offer still stands—Dad wants to get to know you. It’s killing him that he has a son he never knew. We just want to be involved in your life, and try to mend the bonds between us.”

“I’d like that,” I reply, actually meaning it. The deep yearning within me to discover the rest of my family hasn’t gone away, and if Brad’s talk about Decker is true, then both packs could reconcile if my family does.

“If we could meet somewhere, you and Dad, and me and my wife, that would be a start,” I offer.

“Yeah, it would be,” Brad says, smiling. “Dad would be so happy to hear you say that. You’re married?”

“Yeah,” I say simply, still not giving anything away.

“Okay. So, this would have to be outside our territories. How about we meet somewhere down near Ophir? Further up towards Mt. Sneffels is Kelta’s territory now. We definitely don’t want to go there.”

“I think that’s perfect.”

“How about on the full moon, at zenith?”

“You got it.”

“I’ll be there,” Brad says, slowly slinking back into the shadows. “With Father.”

I watch him go, my senses on alert for any nearby patrols. Once Brad disappears, I turn, go back through the thicket, and run for home.

All I want to do is get back to Alisa, and soak in the comfort I feel in her presence. Tonight rattled me badly. I still don’t know if I want to go into this as a long-lost son, or a malignant spy.

To my surprise, Alisa is still awake when I reach the den.

“I thought you’d be asleep,” I say, coming in and kneeling by the couch. “You didn’t have to wait up for me.”

“I did doze a little,” she admits. “But I was wondering where you went.”

“Okay, well, this is pretty heavy,” I begin, taking a deep breath. “But I saw my brother out there.”

“Oh, Jenks, no,” she says in a hushed voice, her eyes going wide. “Already? What’s he doing here?”

“He says that he and my father just want to get to know me. Apparently, my dad feels all cut up about the affair with my mom and devastated that she hid me from him.”

“Do you believe this?”

“Some of it,” I answer, sighing. “I just don’t know. And there’s something else.”

“Oh, God,” she groans. “What?”

“Bae told me he might want me to go on a spy mission,” I say in a rush. “To Silverton. These guys could give me a way in.”

“Jenks.” Alisa shakes her head, her eyes wide with fear. “This is too much. What the hell are you going to do?”

“My half-brother and I arranged a meeting, and I have to go,” I answer, strength coming into my voice. “It’s the only thing I can do.”

“But… it could be a trap. We have no idea if you can trust them.”

“I know. Believe me, I’m not convinced, either,” I say. “But I have no choice. The best way forward is to meet with them, and go from there.”

Alisa looks down, sighing in resignation. “I could argue with you a bit more,” she says, meeting my eyes again. “But really, you’re right. If we tell Bailey, it could all go to hell. If your brother and father are genuine, they could get killed by our pack. It would be devastating.”

“Or Bae could force me to use them to infiltrate Decker,” I add quietly. “I don’t want to turn my family against me. If there’s any chance I could find out where I come from, I have to take it.”

“I know,” she says, putting her hands on my cheeks. “I know, Jenks.”

She rests her forehead on mine, and we breathe in unison for a few moments, feeling the wonderful dance of magic between us.

“I’ll stand with you,” she whispers. “I will always stand by your side, no matter where you are.”

“Thank you, Alisa,” I say, opening my eyes and putting my hands on her shoulders. “I’ve never had anyone on my side before. Even now, I don’t know who to trust, except you.”

“Jenks,” she murmurs, leaning forward.

I pull her towards me, and when our lips touch, the effect on me is electric—love, not just lust, flows through me, and I know that the passion I feel for this woman will never fade.