Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 61468 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 307(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61468 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 307(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Dirk shrugs, completely unconcerned.
“You’re my wife, which makes those babies mine. My property. What’s wrong with selling my property?”
Tears sting my eyes, but I glare at him through the blur.
“Logan will never let you get away with this! He’ll never let you sell his child.”
Dirk laughs, harsh and ugly.
“Oh, I don’t think you need to worry about my big bro anymore. Where I’m taking you, Logan will never find you.”
He slams his foot on the accelerator. The truck rockets down the highway, the lights of town fading behind us. Mile after mile ticks away, each one putting more distance between me and the only man who ever made me feel safe.
Silent tears slip down my cheeks. My stomach knots tighter and tighter, not from nausea but from fear. My hands are cupped over my belly, over the tiny lives inside me, as though I could protect them. Dirk must have a place to hide—somewhere Logan’s PI couldn’t find.
I might never see Logan again. And my babies—our babies—are going to be sold to the highest bidder. I have never felt so vulnerable.
Or so utterly alone.
53
LOGAN
It’s been a week.
Seven days of rage.
Seven nights of prowling the roads, the woods, every goddamn back alley I can find, my Wolf half-crazed and my body running on fumes.
Every night, I hunt for Poppy, desperate for even a whiff of her scent. But the trail always goes cold. Dirk was careful—too careful. He covered their tracks, scrubbed her scent away, maybe even had help. She’s nowhere to be found.
When I’m not hunting, I’m driving. Miles and miles, circling the county, going farther each day. Every gas station, every back road, every cheap motel—I’ve checked them all. Nothing. Not a trace. Nobody has seen them.
And then I come home.
Home to the silence. To the nursery down the hall—the one we painted together in soft greens and whites. The cribs sit empty. The tiny onesies we bought hang limply in the closet, mocking me. I lean against the doorframe and it feels like my chest is caving in. My babies should be growing strong inside her, safe and protected. Instead… I don’t even know where she is.
At night, the bed is too big. Too cold…too empty. Every time I close my eyes, I see her—scared… trembling with Dirk’s filthy hands on her. My Wolf goes feral inside me, howling for blood, demanding we track him down and rip his throat out. And God, I want to. I want to so bad it hurts.
But I can’t—not yet. Not until I find her.
I bury my face in my hands, my whole body shaking with fury and grief. She’s out there somewhere—my mate, my kitten, the only female I’ll ever love. And those babies—our babies.
I swear to the Moon Goddess, I will find her. I don’t know how yet, but I will. Even if I have to tear apart the whole goddamn world, I will bring her home!
54
LOGAN
The phone rings while I’m pacing the living room like a caged animal. My Wolf is clawing at my insides, demanding we hunt, demanding we find her. It takes everything in me not to smash the damn phone when I see the caller ID.
Dr. Elizabeth.
I snatch it up.
“Doctor? Please tell me you’ve heard something—anything.”
Her voice is tight, troubled.
“Logan, listen carefully. I don’t know if this will help, but I think I may have stumbled onto something important. I got a call this morning from a couple, a few states over. They were asking about Poppy’s medical history—about the health of her pregnancy, even about the babies themselves.”
My heart fists in my chest.
“What?” I snarl. “Why the hell would they—”
“They told me,” she interrupts, “that they were given Poppy’s name by a man who’s helping them… adopt.”
She doesn’t elaborate further, but the pause says it all.
Adopt? No. I know exactly what she means. My vision tunnels red.
“Are you telling me Dirk is trying to sell our babies?” My voice is a growl, half man/half Wolf.
“I’m afraid so,” Dr. Elizabeth says quietly. “Were infants are rare, Logan. And in some circles, desperately coveted. There’s a black market for them. I played along and pressed for details. They gave me their address. So now at least we know the state Dirk must be operating in.”
I grip the phone so hard I’m afraid it’ll shatter.
“That little bastard,” I whisper hoarsely. “He’s not just a thief—he’s a fucking monster.”
“I agree.” Dr. Elizabeth’s voice softens. “That’s why I’m telling you. I don’t care what the Pack says about the Unbreakable Laws. I’ve seen the way you look at her—and the way she looks at you. You belong together, Logan. And Poppy needs you.”
I drag a hand down my face, fighting for control.
“She’s strong, but she’s still in her Second Heat. I’d been, er, helping her every night. How longer can she go without any help?” I know she knows what I mean by “help.”