Page 11

Falcon’s Reach was larger than my old town. Rowen had been simpler to navigate, though that might have had more to do with living there my entire life. Falcon’s Reach seemed windier, though it maintained that small-town feel. It took me a while to find my way around. Even though everything somehow managed to find its way back to the center square and the town hall that stood at one end, the roads wound and intersected in ways I wouldn’t have expected.

Despite the unfamiliarity, I was surprised to find that I liked the town. There was something about it that just felt homey and welcoming in the way other towns never had. I couldn’t put my finger on why, only that it was easy to relax and let my guard down, to not think about my dad or Reacher or any of the problems plaguing me.

Except that wasn’t all of it.

It took a while of wandering around, moving from shop to shop as I grabbed groceries and bought new clothes for Claire until I figured it out, or at least part of it. It was that people here seemed happy. People were smiling and laughing as they strolled around in small clusters. People waved to one another across the street as they went about their business. In the Blood Moon pack, a looming tension had gripped the entire town. Everyone had known about it, but no one would mention it. None of that plagued Falcon’s Reach.

It was one of those things you didn’t realize was a problem or abnormal until you went somewhere else. As I explored Falcon’s Reach, I had to wonder how I’d never noticed it in Rowen.

Today, I was wandering through a small grocery store, the type that sold niche goodies and treats that you wouldn’t find at a typical supermarket. I slowed along the candy aisle, looking for a treat for Claire. She was adjusting well to the new environment, but I could tell she was still struggling and missing her friends back in Rowen, so I was going out of my way to spoil her until she got used to the new setting.

As I studied some of the options, a shadow loomed over me. I ignored it, assuming it was another patron doing their own shopping. I crouched down to the shelf I was looking at, trying to make myself smaller so the other shifters could grab what they wanted.

“Hey there,” a gruff voice said.

I craned my neck upward to see a broad-shouldered shifter with unkempt stubble looking down at me.

“Sorry,” I said, standing and shuffling back. “I didn’t mean to get in your way.”

“No, no, you’re not in my way,” he said as his eyes looked me up and down. He gave a slow, sleazy smile that I assumed he considered charming. “And I doubt anyone would complain if you were.”

I gave a thin-lipped smile and a sound that might have been a half-laugh. I reached out and grabbed a thing of peanut clusters—one of Claire’s favorites—and began walking down the aisle away from the man.

“Good choice,” I heard him say from right behind me, looming at my right shoulder. “Those are some of my favorites.”

“They’re good,” I said tersely.

“So, are you new around here?” he asked. “Don’t think I’ve seen you before, and I’m pretty sure I’d remember a face as pretty as yours.”

“I’m new,” I said, trying to engage with him only as much as was strictly necessary, hoping he would get the hint. I could sense him looking at me, eyeing me up and down. It made me feel like I needed to take a shower.

“Cool.” He moved until he was right next to me. The aisle was small enough that it would be easy to brush against him if I wasn’t careful. “I’m Hank.”

“Nice to meet you,” I muttered. I wanted to tell him to beat it, but I couldn’t get the words out. All I could do was hope he would finally register that I wasn’t interested.

Apparently, hope wasn’t enough.

“Aren’t you going to tell me your name?” he prodded.

Fuck off , I thought. Instead, the word that came out was, “Audrey.”

“Cute name,” he said. He paused, clearly waiting for me to thank him for a thing I had nothing to do with. When I didn’t give him the response he craved, he pressed on.“Need someone to show you around?” he asked. “There are some pretty cool places around here you probably don’t know about. Bars and things like that. Some of them are pretty exclusive, but I’ve got connections.”

“Good for you,” I said. I had been trying to remain polite, but anger was starting to seep into me. How the hell was he not getting the hint yet?

He moved to stand in front of me so rapidly that I nearly ran into him, only stopping myself inches from him.

“Is that a yes?” he asked.

“I’m good, thank you,” I said. I tried to move around him, but he moved, blocking my path yet again.

“What? You don’t enjoy having fun?” he asked, openly leering at me.

“Apparently not,” I retorted, then weaved around him before he could cut me off again.

At this point, I’d had my fill of town. All I wanted at the moment was to get out of here and go home. I walked up to the register and handed over the groceries.

“Aw, come on.” He materialized next to me, leaning against the counter as I handed my card to the cashier. “Let me show you a good time.”

“No thanks,” I said. “Please just leave me alone.”

His eyes narrowed, and a jolt of anxiety lanced through me as I saw a glint of anger flicker in his gaze.

“I—” he started.

“Hank, she said to leave her alone,” the woman at the register snapped. “Listen to her before I get George to kick you out.”

Hank glowered, first at me, then at her, before slinking outside, muttering something about “stubborn women.”

“Thanks,” I said to the cashier.

“Hank’s a bit of a creep,” she said, rolling her eyes. “One of only a few in town. Sometimes he just needs someone else to step in before he gets the hint.”

“I appreciate it,” I said.

“Us girls have to stick together,” she said with a wink and a smile. It almost took me by surprise after years of being more or less invisible in the Blood Moon pack. I smiled back.

As I gathered my bag, I considered how just a few years ago, I may not have needed someone to interject for me. My past self could tell creeps to knock it off without hesitation. Hell, I was the one who used to step in and help out other women. Now, I barely seemed capable of getting them to take me seriously.

I walked out of the store and made my way back to the car. Or at least, that had been my intention. It sort of got derailed when a familiar voice hollered after me.

“Hey, Audrey!”

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Hank trotting up toward me. I kept moving, speeding up, hoping that he would finally leave me alone without me having to confront him.

I heard footsteps trot up next to me. I kept my head straight, only increasing my pace.

“Hey, c’mon, wait up,” Hank complained. “Don’t be like that.”

I ignored him, but apparently, without breaking into an all-out sprint, I wasn’t fast enough. He came up next to me, matching my pace.

“What part of ‘leave me alone’ don’t you understand?” I snapped. The anger boiling inside me continued to rise.

“I get it. You like playing hard to get,” he said with a slimy grin. “That’s okay. I like a challenge. You’re cute enough for it to be worth it.”

“And you’re nowhere near worth playing hard to get for,” I shot back. I sped up, creating a gap between the two of us, hoping that I might be able to get away and he would lose interest. But his footsteps pounded after me as he continued to hound me.

Panic began seeping through me. This guy was moving beyond creepy and into disturbing. At that moment, all I cared about was getting away from him.

Ignoring his continued chatter behind me, I turned down a road, only to find myself facing a dead end and a completely deserted alley. I spun back around to find the exit blocked by Hank’s hulking figure.

“Leave. Me. Alone.” I said, but my voice wavered.

“C’mon,” he sneered. “We all know that you women don’t actually mean it when you say that.”

“I do,” I said as firmly as I could, glaring at him.

He gave a dismissive snort and kept strutting toward me. I kept backing up, trying to get away. But there was nowhere for me to go.

I gritted my teeth. There was no way in hell I was going to let myself get cornered. I had no idea what he was planning, but I had no intention of finding out.

I looked around, trying to figure out the best way of getting around him. My only hope was dipping around him.

Taking a deep breath, I darted forward, hoping that I could thread the gap between him and the wall. I skirted around him, and for a wild moment, I hoped that I had gotten away. Instead, fingers wrapped around my wrist, clenching it in a vice-like grip.

I snarled, baring my teeth as they lengthened to fangs. Equal parts panic and rage raced through me as I tried to jerk my hand away from him.

“Let me go,” I hissed.

“I’m just trying to talk to you,” he said with a creepy grin. “What? Just because you’re new, you think you’re too good for the rest of us here?”

I didn’t answer, instead trying to wrench my hand from his grip. He held on tight, continuing to crush my wrist as I tried to free myself. My wolf growled in anger, her fur bristling. She wanted to come out, to tear this asshole to shreds.

His eyes blazed as I remained silent, still trying to pull myself free. Terror flooded through me as I looked into his face, suddenly reminded of my father and Reacher. For a moment, I was transported back to my old pack, to being pulled into Reacher’s office and bullied relentlessly over and over again for ten years. My breath shallowed, growing ragged as fear rendered me paralyzed.

“Well?” he snarled. “Are you too good to answer me, too?”

“Let go of her, or you’ll lose your hand,” a familiar voice called out. It was full of icy calm.

Both our heads whipped around. My stomach lurched and my pulse quickened when I saw Jackson strolling toward us. His eyes blazed with fury as he kept his attention on Hank.

The pressure on my hand vanished, and the other shifter took several steps back. His face paled as he watched Jackson get closer and closer.

“Hey, man, we were just talking,” Hank said light-heartedly. “That’s all.”

“You sure?” Jackson growled. “Because it didn’t look much like talking.” Not taking his eyes off the other shifter, Jackson pushed his way between the two of us to stand in front of me. He turned to glance back at me. “This guy bothering you?” he asked. When I nodded, he added, “You want him to leave?”

“Yeah,” I said.

Jackson gave a short nod, then turned all his attention back to Hank, who looked small in comparison to Jackson’s looming presence, as if he had shrunk down several inches in the span of a few seconds.

“You heard my mate,” Jackson snarled. “She told you to back off. So, back off.”

The man’s brow furrowed as he looked behind Jackson to look at me, then looked back at Jackson. “Your mate?” he repeated.

“Yes,” Jackson snarled.

He scowled. “She didn’t say anything about having a mate.”

“She shouldn’t have had to,” Jackson growled. “Because when someone tells you to leave them alone, you should listen.”

“Would have made things a lot simpler,” the shifter grumbled. “Women don’t know what they want.”

Jackson growled. Before I could blink, his hand lashed out, grabbing the other shifter by the collar and slamming him against the brick wall of the alley. He pinned him there, stepping close until he was inches from the other man’s face. His eyes flashed wolf, his teeth lengthening to fangs.

“Apologize to her. Now,” he demanded.

“Sorry,” the shifter stammered. I could see the rage and embarrassment in his eyes, but his fear seemed to override any of those emotions.

Jackson gave a curt nod of satisfaction and released his grip. The shifter’s feet thumped to the ground, his collar rumpled.

“Get out of here,” Jackson ordered. “Before I change my mind.”

The man’s face contorted in disgust and hatred, but he scurried away. I should have felt relief, but something about the glower the man shot in my direction as he darted toward the mouth of the alley made me feel like this wasn’t quite over. My stomach churned.

The instant the man had rounded the corner, Jackson turned to look at me again. “Are you all right?” he asked, his voice gentle. His eyes looked me up and down, taking in everything about my appearance as if trying to catalog any new injuries or anything off about me.

“I’m fine,” I muttered, staring after the guy. “He’s just a creep.” The emotions running through me were a mix of adrenaline wearing off from the encounter, unease, appreciation that Jackson had helped me, and annoyance that he had stepped in.

Jackson’s shoulders sagged in relief as he assured himself there was nothing wrong with me, but I could still see the anger brimming in his features. “Doesn’t make it any better,” Jackson said. He glanced back at the mouth of the alley, still scowling. “I’m sure you had to deal with that pretty regularly at your old pack, though.”

Honestly? No. Most people tended to ignore me. But I didn’t think that was necessary to mention. Instead, I asked, “What are you doing? I thought you were at work.”

“I was, but there’s this novel idea called lunch. I was just heading back to the office, and I smelled your scent. So I followed it.”

Despite myself, I blushed. He’d noticed my scent and come to find me. It was sweet.

I pushed the thought away. I wasn’t going down that road. I wouldn’t let myself fall into that trap a second time.

“Well, thanks,” I murmured. “I should probably get going.”

I took several steps away, heading back to the main street. I had only gone a few feet when a hand rested on my shoulder, holding me in place. I turned to look back up at Jackson, raising one eyebrow in question.

“What are you up to?”

I shrugged. “Just running some errands.”

“Have you eaten yet?”

“Not yet, but I’m not hungry.”

As if on cue to prove how much of a liar I was, my stomach growled. Jackson’s lips quirked upward.

“Why don’t you come back with me to town hall? It’s high time you meet some of my friends, anyway. We can grab you some food on the way.”

“Oh, um…” I hesitated, even though I knew I had no excuse to say no. Besides, it might actually be nice to meet some new people. What was there to lose? “Sure,” I finally said.

He led me through the streets, pulling me into this tiny deli off the main road that he insisted had the best subs in town. After taking a bite of one, I had to admit he might have a point. I scarfed the rest of it down as we walked through the town toward the large stone building that made up town hall.

We reached the top floor, where a woman with perfect posture sat at a desk as she typed away at a computer. She glanced up when Jackson entered.

“Good lunch?” she asked him. “While you were out, Declan told me he wanted to talk to you about…” She trailed off when she caught sight of me trailing behind Jackson. She raised a perfect eyebrow, shooting Jackson a knowing look.

Getting the hint, Jackson stepped to the side and nudged me forward, one hand going to the small of my back and sending shivers up my spine. I tried not to think about how badly I wanted to lean into his touch.

“Rose, this is Audrey,” Jackson said. “Audrey, this is Rose. She’s the only reason things run as smoothly as they do around here. Pretty sure I and the rest of the Gold Wolves would crumble without her help.”

“And don’t you forget it,” Rose quipped, her lips quirking upward. She turned her full attention to me. “It’s so nice to meet you. You’ve caused quite a fuss, you know. Well, not you exactly, Jackson is the one who caused all the chaos.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said.

Rose flapped her hand dismissively. “None of it is your fault. If I had to blame anyone, I would blame Jackson. And based on everything I know about the situation, I can’t really blame him for anything he did.”

“Isn’t all of that supposed to be classified?” Jackson asked her, raising an eyebrow.

Rose gave him a pointed look. “I’m Declan’s assistant. I practically run this office. There isn’t anything that goes on around here that I don’t know about.”

He nodded, his lip quirking upward in a knowing smirk.

Satisfied, Rose turned to me. “Let me know if there’s anything you need, or if you want someone to take you around to all the fun places. No sense in being cooped up at home all day, now is there?”

“Rose is also friends with Mira, by the way,” Jackson said.

Rose’s eyes lit up. “You know Mira?” she asked me.

“She and I were best friends back when I lived in his pack,” I said.

Rose all but squealed, clapping her hands in delight as she beamed. “We should all get together, then! Any friend of Mira’s is a friend of mine.”

Her enthusiasm must have been infectious because I couldn’t stop my own smile. “That sounds wonderful,” I said, and was surprised by how much I meant it.

“The guys are probably finishing up their own lunch in the breakroom,” Jackson said. “Come meet them while you’re here.”

The instant I stepped into the expansive breakroom, five shifters, three of whom I recognized, all stopped their conversation to look at me with interest.

“Guys, this is Audrey,” Jackson said. To me, he added, “Don’t worry. They look tougher than they actually are.”

“We can hear you,” the red-headed one shot back.

“You already met Will and Trent,” Jackson said, nodding to the two other shifters who had come with Jackson to talk to Reacher. They both gave friendly waves. “The redhead is Nolan. The guy brooding in the corner is Chris.”

“Not brooding, napping,” Chris corrected, sitting up. “Or at least, I was.” He gave me a cordial nod. “Nice to meet you.”

“Hi,” I said.

“So you’re the reason Jackson got chewed out for a good hour after he reported back,” Nolan told me with a broad grin.

“Closer to two hours,” Trent corrected.

“I didn’t mean to cause all the commotion,” I said.

Nolan gave a roguish grin. “Not your fault. Jackson’s always liked doing things his way. He probably deserved to have his head bitten off at this point.” At Jackson’s glower, he held up his hands, still smirking. “I’m just saying. Remember that mission in the Catskills?”

“That was one time,” Jackson grumbled.

“Then there was the time in Newfoundland—”

“I get it,” Jackson growled.

“Oh, don’t forget the one in France,” Chris drawled.

“Oh, yeah.” Nolan grinned, then whispered conspiratorially to me, “One of the few times we actually get to go international, and we wind up in the Seine because Jackson—”

“She gets it,” Jackson growled. At the same time, Nolan and Chris began roaring with laughter.

“And I’m sure you remember Declan,” Jackson continued, clearly trying to change the subject.

“Hard guy to forget,” I remarked.

Declan gave a brief nod. “Good to see you again, Audrey. I hope you’re settling in all right.”

“It’s nice to see you, too,” I said. “I’m glad you and Mira are doing well.”

He barked out a laugh and gave a genuine grin. “Took me long enough to get the common sense to do anything about it. But yeah, we’re doing great.” He turned to the others. “Oh, by the way, you guys forgot about the time in California when Jackson thought he could ride a Cerberus and got bucked off so hard, he flew into the woods and landed in a swamp. Reeked for days.”

“Hilarious,” Jackson grumbled without any real ill humor as everyone else collapsed into peals of laughter. “You guys are all a bunch of comedians,” he added tartly.

I couldn’t help it. I smiled, too.

***

I sat in the living room, reading and trying to take my mind off the bizarre day—hell, the bizarre week. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. In particular, my mind kept wandering back to meeting the Gold Wolves at town hall. They had all seemed so friendly. I had worked at the Blood Moon pack’s town hall for years. None of them had been nearly as friendly as the guys I’d met today. They had made me feel included. I had never felt that way before, except for maybe a little bit when I had been in Jackson and Mira’s old pack.

For the first time, I wondered if I could actually find a life here. At the very least, I liked it here. And it wasn’t as though I could leave, not since I was tied to Jackson. But that was different than feeling like I could fit in after a lifetime of feeling like an outcast and being rejected.

I kept trying to read, but with every attempt, I only got through a couple of sentences before realizing I hadn’t retained a single word.

The door opened and closed, giving me a much-needed excuse to put down the book.

“Hi, Mom!” Claire called from the hall.

“Hey, sweetie!” I called back as she hurried into the living room.

“There are peanut clusters for you in the kitchen,” I said. At Claire’s suspicious look, I laughed. “No strings attached this time. I promise.”

Claire broke into a grin and hurried into the kitchen. I could hear the rustling of a plastic container. A minute later, Claire came back inside, her mouth already full, the container clutched in one hand as she stuffed another cluster in her mouth. Based on the shrinking level in the container, it had to be at least her third cluster already.

“How was your day?” I asked.

Her eyes lit up. “It was great! Ms. Lupine is really sweet, and really smart.” She beamed. “ And I got my test back, the one she gave me to see where I was at based on everyone else since I came in halfway through the year. I got a perfect score! She said she’s really impressed, especially after what I told her about my old school.”

I grinned, unable to hide my relief. Claire’s last teacher hadn’t been particularly kind to her, especially considering that she knew who Claire’s mother was. She hadn’t been cruel, but she hadn’t been particularly nurturing and had been fairly dismissive of Claire’s intelligence. Knowing Claire was in a more supportive environment was a relief.

“That’s great, Claire!” I said. “Not that I’m surprised.”

She grinned through a mouthful of chocolate and peanut butter. After she swallowed, she said, “I was wondering if I could go home with Jenna after school tomorrow.”

“Jenna?”

Claire nodded. “She’s in my class, and she has a huge movie collection. She wanted to show me some of her favorites, and we were going to make popcorn. She had a ton of movies I’ve never seen because Grandpa wouldn’t let me.”

I didn’t think I had ever seen Claire this excited about watching movies before. Dad had been pretty controlling and restrictive with her, so I wasn’t surprised. But seeing her now felt like seeing an entirely new daughter. It made me smile.

“Of course you can go,” I said. “I’m happy you’re making friends.”

Claire nodded enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling. “I actually really like it here. My teacher is great, and all the girls in class are really nice.”

I couldn’t help but smile. Seeing her happy—happier than I had ever seen her in the Blood Moon pack—meant that everything wasn’t an entire waste. I wanted her to be able to enjoy herself and make friends and get in trouble. To do all the things kids who came from a loving household should do.

What happens if this all ends? I wondered, a chill creeping over me. If Jackson uncovered the truth about Claire, would he decide he didn’t want to bother with us anymore? Would he kick us to the curb and leave us to fend for ourselves, the way he did to me all those years ago? Or, worse, would he send us back to Reacher? I didn’t think I could bear putting Claire back in that world, not when she was so much happier here.

My mouth had turned dry, and I swallowed hard. All I cared about was protecting Claire. Right now, that meant keeping the truth about her as far away from Jackson as possible. As long as he never found out, I would never have to worry about him rejecting her.

The doorbell rang, dragging me out of those thoughts. Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself from my spot on the sofa and went down the hall.

I had just gripped the doorknob, preparing to turn it, when I froze. A familiar scent had wafted up my nose, one I had known since I was born. And another equally familiar scent. Neither of them welcome.

I gasped, my body stiffening with terror. Panic raced through me, paralyzing me. What were they doing here? They weren’t supposed to be here. I was supposed to be safe from them.

Part of me wanted to walk the other way, to pretend I wasn’t home and ignore the entire thing. But that wouldn’t accomplish anything. They would hound me until I relented, dragging anyone they could into it if they thought it would get me to do whatever it was they wanted. The best thing I could do was minimize the damage and talk to them now.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled the door open. Reacher and Dad stood in front of me.

My stomach clenched and plummeted at the same time. I had hoped that I was wrong, that I had imagined it when I recognized their scents. Since moving here, I had hoped that, at the very least, the most I would ever have to deal with Dad and Reacher again would be their vaguely threatening phone calls. I had hoped that after a while, they might lose interest in the whole situation and stop bothering me altogether. I had hoped that I might actually break free from them.

Staring at them now, I realized how absolutely stupid I had been. There was no way they were ever going to let me go or relinquish their hold on me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my mouth dry. They could be here for any number of reasons. They could be here to threaten me, to figure out what I had learned, to just remind me what they expected of me, or—just the thought of it petrified me—they had changed their mind and were here to take me back. Or, worse, take Claire back.

Dad tutted. “Is that really how you want to talk to your alpha and father?”

“He’s not my alpha anymore, though. You made sure of that when you two married me off.”

The words were out of my mouth before I could think better of them. They surprised me as much as they did Dad and Reacher.

A low growl emanated from Dad’s throat. His eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward. Reacher raised his hand, stopping Dad from moving further. His cold eyes leveled their gaze at me.

“Seems the time away hasn’t improved your manners at all,” Reacher commented.

All those thoughts about feeling at home, about being free and maybe finally letting go of the past, flew out the window. Instead, I was the same timid girl I had been for the last few years, scared of my own shadow. Just seeing them again forced the weight of years of trauma back onto my shoulders.

“What do you want?” I repeated.

“What do you think?” Reacher said. “I want to know what you’ve found out so far.”

“I don’t have to tell you anything,” I said. I started to close the door, but Reacher stuck his hand out, pushing the door fully open and causing me to stumble back.

“I think you’re going to want to, though,” Reacher said, a sinister smile playing on his lips. “Tell me… have you told Jackson he’s Claire’s father yet?”

The air rushed out of my lungs. I froze in place, my mouth opening and closing in shock as I tried to get my racing thoughts back under control. They knew. How did they know? I had never told anyone. My parents had demanded I tell them on countless occasions in the past, but I had always refused.

I remained immobile as Reacher stared smugly at me. He raised his eyebrow. “Why don’t you come outside and have a chat with us? I’d ask you to invite us in, but I think your mate would start asking too many questions if he noticed other shifters’ scents in his house, don’t you think?”

My jaw worked, and my mind raced with panic as I scrambled to think of something I could say that would get them to leave.

“Just go,” I said. Then, trying to keep my voice even, “Please.”

Reacher’s expression darkened. “If you don’t talk with us now, then I’ll tell your mate exactly who Claire is and what a liar you are,” he threatened.

A dull, pulsating sound echoed in my ears as my mind continued to swirl and spiral, teetering on the edge of total panic. How did he find out? I never told anyone, even when Dad threatened me all those years ago. It was supposed to be a secret.

I searched Reacher’s expression, trying to gauge whether he truly knew or if this was all just a grand bluff. My stomach sank as I saw the truth in his expression. He knew. Somehow, he knew. And the worst part was, I knew he wasn’t lying. He would tell Jackson who Claire really was in a heartbeat if he didn’t get his way.

I couldn’t have that. Things were already complicated enough. I didn’t want Claire to get hurt if Jackson rejected her the way he rejected me, and I didn’t want Jackson kicking us out if he found out that I had been lying to him this whole time about who she really was. Things were complicated enough as is. The only thing I could do at the moment was exactly what Reacher wanted.

I glanced down, breaking eye contact. “All right,” I muttered.

The alpha gave a sleazy smirk, his eyes dancing with triumphant glee. “Good girl,” he said. “Now, let’s have a chat.”

“Just give me a minute,” I said.

“Keep the door open,” Reacher ordered. “I don’t trust you to not run off.”

I didn’t answer. I just obeyed and walked upstairs to Claire’s room.

“Claire, I have to step out for a few minutes,” I said, peering around the open door. She sat cross-legged on her bed, schoolbooks splayed out in front of her, the tub of peanut clusters open beside her. “I won’t be too far away. Don’t leave the house, and don’t open the door for anyone.”

My daughter tilted her head, giving me a quizzical look so reminiscent of her father that I nearly reeled backward in surprise.

“Is everything all right?” she asked.

“Everything’s fine,” I said, forcing a smile on my face. Why did she have to be so perceptive?

“Why do I smell Grandpa?” she asked, knitting her brow.

I tried not to wince, keeping my expression neutral. “Probably just something in the air. I’ll be back in a few, all right?”

She hesitated for a moment. “Okay.”

I walked back to the front door, head still swimming. This whole thing felt like a horrible dream. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t seem to even open my mouth.

“Come on,” I said to the men, pushing past them.

They followed me into the woods, where the only sounds were birdsong and our footsteps as we crunched across dry leaves and twigs. When I was satisfied we were far enough away, I turned back to look at them.

“How did you know?” I asked. I didn’t bother elaborating. They knew exactly what I was referring to.

“I didn’t become alpha for nothing,” Reacher said. “That Gold Wolf wouldn’t have backed down from his mission for just anyone. And I noticed the way you looked at him. It was clear you knew one another. The only time you would have met him would have been when you ran away and came back knocked up.”

“That doesn’t prove anything,” I said, keeping my voice low.

He gave another sinister smile. “No, it doesn’t,” he agreed. “But I was over at Saul’s house and saw a photo of Claire. When you look closely, she has more than a passing resemblance to your new mate. Honestly, I’m surprised he hasn’t figured it out yet.”

“I guess the Gold Wolves don’t look for intelligence when they pick their recruits,” Dad jeered. “He does strike me as the all-brawn-and-no-brains type.”

“How do you know he doesn’t know already?” I asked, trying to sound more confident and sure of myself than I actually was. “Maybe I told him already.”

It was obvious that attempting to lie and tell them they were way off the mark wasn’t going to work. This was the only bluff I had. I didn’t know what they wanted. All I knew was that I couldn’t let them have any leverage over me.

But Reacher laughed, and my stomach sank as I realized that my one line of defense wasn’t going to cut it. “If that was the case, then you wouldn’t have come out and talked to us.”

I winced. He was right. He had me over a barrel, and all I could do was go along with it.

“What do you want?” I asked, my voice hoarse, barely above a whisper.

“I want your help,” Reacher said. “You’re going to keep me informed about the Gold Wolves and what they’re up to. You’re going to let me know if they decide to move against me. In short, you’re going to be my eyes and ears here to make sure they don’t interfere with any of my plans.”

I knew more about Reacher’s plans than he thought. I knew the general gist of what he planned, and what would happen if he achieved those plans. I hadn’t told Jackson any of it out of fear, but that was different than actively helping Reacher with his plot.

I couldn’t do it.

“And if I say no?” I asked. “If I refuse to help?”

Reacher took a step forward. He was close enough now that the pungent stench of tobacco and oak filled my nostrils, blocking out every other scent.

“Then I’ll tell Jackson exactly who Claire is,” he said, his voice low. “And I’ll make sure he knows you’re helping me, anyway. How long do you think he’ll keep you and your daughter in that fancy house once he realizes you’re a liar and a traitor?”

I didn’t say anything. My jaw clenched as I stared at them, willing my hands to remain steady even as they threatened to tremble.

When I stayed silent, Reacher added, “If that isn’t enough, then how about your daughter? You don’t want anything to happen to her, do you?”

I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath, but already I could feel any lingering resolve crumbling to sand. I couldn’t let anything happen to Claire. Not as long as I had the power to save her.

Ever since I started living here these last couple of weeks, I had started building myself up back to who I used to be. Just being away from my father and Reacher had done wonders. But all it had taken to bring me straight back down to that meek, timid place was a few minutes back in his and Reacher’s presence. And their triumphant smirks told me they knew it, too.

“All right,” I said. “Fine.”