Eleven.

Eleven.
Colt wanted to pace back and forth with frustration, but her lower back was too achy to do so. Instead, she had settled for rummaging in the desk drawers of her old office in the main hotel resort building. The chair was rather useful on that front, because although it wasn't in the least bit comfortable for her pregnant figure, it did save her having to get up and down repeatedly, as she searched.

As it was, she was still having to lean over to reach the folder she wanted at the back of the bottom drawer and the whole exercise was leaving her breathless and uncomfortable; her body was just too pregnant for this position.

Rebecca had the day to day running of the resort down like clockwork, and Colt had decided to wait until her daughter was older to start dipping her toe back in to the day to day running of the resort. But she was still often seen around the place, it was home after all, and Calum was happily helping out picking up odd shifts here and there when needed. However, it wasn't the accounts or rotas that were the reason she was hunting through desk drawers in her old office. No, Colt Macgregor had decided to stay busy by sorting though and reading all of the strange letters they had been receiving before she delivered them on.

True to form, Rebecca in her organisational genius had them all organised by date, with notations of what time of day they were delivered and to which area in the resort the letters were found in. This was all she could do to feel useful now that her Dad was signed onto light duties. Two days ago they thought they were losing him.

It turns out they still might.

Kalvin Merrier was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm when he got to the hospital, and it was a large and complicated one at that. He was going to have surgery. But, surgery on shifters was complicated at the best of times. To allow the surgeons to work he would have to be given certain drugs to slow his healing abilities. But, then if the aneurysm ruptures during the operation he definitely would bleed out. It was a miracle it didn't rupture at Scott's wedding when he hit his head, and Colt was worried he may have used up his miracle there. It was incredibly difficult to stay positive when her pregnancy hormones were constantly driving her to try and freak out about the worst case scenarios.

What was really annoying her though, and fuelling her mood swing amplified imagination, was Kalvin's push to see these letters again. A part of her hated that he seemed to be trying to get his affairs in order, wanting to push an investigation through his company before his surgery, on what was going on at her resort.

Kalvin had been removed from almost all his active accounts in the firm by Harris and Asher, but the one he was prepared to get violent with his boys over, was Colt's resort. Regardless of the hospital bed, that as of this morning was now his own bed since he was released, he would not be shut out from protecting his daughter. Not even Calum, as Colt's mate could attempt to stay his hand, and at everyone's request he did try. But, he was very quickly shut down on the basis of him not having security clearance at the firm.

Colt sighed in frustration at it all, before leaning back and beginning to flick through the letters to see if anything stood out to her. She had done it before, and came up blank each time. But still, she thought to try once more before handing them over; even if it were only a distraction technique.

Most of the letters were only repeating the same rhetoric over and over. Telling them they were fooling no one, total segregation of shifters and humans was the only logical way forward, how they were all only denying the inevitable by enforcing cohabitation between everyone.

But then there was one letter which today stood out to her. She had read it yesterday when it arrived, but for some reason today it was standing out even more.

She could blame the hormones for that too, damn baby brain.

For one, it was addressed to her personally, all the others followed a To whom it may concern type template.

Dearest Colt,

I cannot say I am pleased to see you have returned from Alba. You are forcing my hand in a way I did not wish.

If only you had stayed away.

The little peach had to go. She was a direct link. But you, had you stayed away the seed of the Mogert would have died away alone. But now you have returned, and it forces my hand.

You have shown too much ineptitude at how things should be. Your dream of co mingling between species is an abomination and you must be taught.

That is where my duty now lies.

I had hoped to do so without bloodshed, like that which was necessary before. But, you're return has forced me to endeavour to get my message across the only way you animals seem to understand.

Violence, pain and blood shall follow you now hybrid. And you have no one to blame but yourself.

At least with the loss of you the Mogert's fate will be sealed.

S.P.


Colt frowned, the direct threat to her personally was obvious, but there was something more in this letter than the previous ones.

She just could not fully fathom what that was right now. One thing was for sure. Her father couldn't see it, not until his health was on the mend. He could flip out later; when he was well again.

Colt removed the letter from the folder and tucked it into her purse. Then rubbing her temples for a moment she took a deep breath and heaved herself out of the chair. Grabbing her things she made her way out of the office, locking it behind her and heading towards the bar where she knew a certain handsome wildcat shifter was helping out today, by doing a shift behind the bar.

She needed her husband right now, and the warmth of his embrace.


Author's Note: I know I normally wait till I have 5, but I've been swamped lately and wanted to get something out to you all. The next update will be the following 4 chapters as normal. B x.