5
TALIS
Idon't see any of the pack on my way down the stairs, and I don't think too much about where they are and what they're doing since all I can focus on is Abel behind me.
And I know, without having to turn around that he's staring at my ass.
But even though my focus is to get from A to B as quickly as possible, it's impossible for me to ignore the state of the house.
There's more than a few smears on the windows, and the hardwood floors don't look like they've seen a mop since the day before mine and Dayne's moon-blessing ceremony, which, incidentally, is the day I did the cleaning.
It's like they were just waiting for me to get back and pick up where I left off.
At the thought of spending three-quarters of my day cleaning, I brace myself for my wolf to make her feelings known.
Only… there's nothing.
It's like she's not even there.
When Abel's hand lands on my ass, I jerk and start moving again, not realizing I'd stopped to consider what the fuck is going on with my wolf.
As I continue down the stairs, I fight the urge to rub at my ass to wipe away the memory of Abel's touch.
Ignore it Talis, anything else is just asking for trouble.
By the time we get downstairs, I'm practically running because there are some people I never want standing behind me if I can help it.
And Abel? He's number two on that list, right after Uncle Glynn.
At the door to Uncle Glynn's office, I turn to Abel since I'm not sure if he's expecting me to walk in, or if I have to wait for him to lead me in.
Abel seems to have been waiting for that moment because as soon as I do, his gaze drops to my breasts, and he licks his lips. In response, I jerk my head away and find myself knocking on the door more sharply than I intended.
"Come." Uncle's voice booms from behind the door.
It's also unnecessarily loud since with the benefit of shifter hearing he could have spoken in a normal voice, or even a whisper given how close I am to the door, and I would have heard him just fine.
Any excuse to give an order loud enough for everyone to hear him acting in the role of alpha.
I push the door open and step inside.
Almost immediately my eyes go to him standing in front of a window that looks like it's in serious need of a polish, with his hands folded behind his back.
Since it's a bright day and this room gets the bulk of the light, the rays illuminate his thick auburn hair, turning it from a dark red to more of a dark brown with red highlights.
I hate his hair since it's identical to my dad's hair. I remember playing with it when I was young. Or rather, tugging on it as he liked to complain. Loudly.
I wonder not for the first time how someone who's supposed to be family can take such pleasure torturing me.
It takes concerted effort to tear my mind away from the thought of my parents and focus instead on Uncle Glynn, attempting to look all dignified and alpha-like.
Since Uncle Glynn took over as alpha, it's been obvious-at least to me-that looking like an alpha is more important than him actually putting the work in.
He's nothing like Dayne. Even though I was with him for two weeks, I saw him do more than I've seen Uncle Glynn do in the nearly fifteen years he's been alpha.
"I've decided to be generous," Uncle Glynn says suddenly, still gazing out of the window.
I snap to attention, wrenching my mind back from thoughts of Dayne and to the danger in front of me.
Although the room we're in is spacious, with a wooden desk and chair that looks cheap and old compared to Dayne's set up, I can't afford to let my guard down even though uncle is clear across the room.
The fact is, I still have Abel somewhere behind me. Now is not the time to be caught daydreaming.
"Aren't you going to ask me why?" When Uncle Glynn turns his head and I see the darkness gathering in his eyes, and the hint of a smile on his lips, fear kicks in.
At the scent of it, his lips kick into a genuine smile. Because what could make him happier than the scent of my fear?
"I'm waiting for a response, Talis." His voice is pleasant, but I know better than to trust it.
I realize I'm going to have to say something or risk triggering a physical response in him.
"Why are you being generous, Uncle?"
Too late, I realize my mistake, and tense, waiting for him to launch across the room and remind me to call him alpha.
But when he doesn't, I get even more concerned. It makes me wonder if what he has lined up will give him more pleasure than his choking me or hitting me will.
"Because-" He pauses at the sound of a truck, and he shifts his gaze back to the window.
"Ah, the courier has arrived."
Even though I'm desperate to know why he'd need a courier, I don't say a word.
"Reece!" Glynn calls out.
"Yes, Alpha," a voice responds from somewhere in the house.
"Go tell the courier I'll be with him shortly. Ensure he does what he's told and stays away from the house."
In seconds, I hear the tread of steps moving down the hallway and to the front door as Reece leaves the house to follow Uncle Glynn's instructions.
"You see, Talis," uncle says, turning his attention to me as he leaves the window and crosses over to perch on the front of his desk where I'm standing.
It puts him a whole lot closer to me than I want him to be, and instinctively I tense. There are still a couple of feet between us, but still, it makes me nervous.
"That mate of yours has been doing something he really shouldn't have. Something he's going to fix."
Since this conversation isn't going the way I expected it to, I blink at him in surprise.
"Ah, you look confused." Once again, he looks delighted at the prospect of telling me something I don't know. "Could it be you don't know what he's been doing?"
The silence extends so long, I realize too late he was waiting for me to respond, and just as I'm opening my mouth to speak, his hand lashes out so unexpectedly, I don't have the slightest chance of evading it.
The force of it sends me to the floor, and I raise my hand to probe my cheek gently. I count myself lucky he didn't break my cheekbone because he's hit me like that before and it took two days for it to heal.
It had hurt so much I could only eat on one side of my mouth.
Just as I start to get up, Uncle Glynn rests his boot on my belly and I freeze.
With one stamp, he could kill my baby.
The terror spiking through me at the thought leaves me a trembling mess, and in less than a minute, I'm covered in a cold sweat.
"I asked you a question," he says mildly, as he gazes down at me with a gentle smile.
I frantically shake my head, but I don't move. I'm so terrified of what will happen if I try. "No… no, I… uh, I don't know anything, Alpha."
"So other than putting this thing inside you." He presses his foot down the tiniest degree, and I tense as the scent of my fear nearly chokes me. "What has he been doing?"
It's impossible to concentrate, to think clearly enough to answer him, but I force myself to. I know if I don't it'll be my unborn baby that pays the price.
"He's always in his office with his beta. I don't know what he does in there."
"You don't know?" Uncle's voice is low, and his eyes narrow.
I can see he doesn't believe me, and when he presses down even harder, I'm proven right. "No, I promise, I don't know anything."
"So, you've never been in his office? You've never heard him talking about what he's doing? Am I supposed to believe in the two weeks you've lived under his roof you know absolutely nothing?"
This is the reason I'm back.
I can see the intensity in his eyes, and I know I'm not back because he had an overwhelming need to have someone do the spring cleaning or to beat on me some more.
No. I'm back because of whatever Dayne was doing in his office. Something involving Uncle Glynn.
That he invaded the cold-blooded alpha's pack means whatever Dayne did, or was doing, it must have really pissed Uncle Glynn off to make the risk worth it.
Since Uncle doesn't look like he's about to let me go unless I give him something, I try desperately to think over everything I've heard, anything that might be enough to have uncle not stamp on my belly.
"I only ever heard him talk about money," I blurt. "About investments, or something."
The pressure of his foot on my belly eases a touch. "What investments?"
I think back over the last time I was in his office and recall the housewife fantasy that turned into my giving Dayne a blowjob. It takes me a while to focus since I wasn't exactly paying attention to his conversation with the accountant, or whoever it was on the phone.
"Uh, something about Canada… and other places. I think he was on the phone to his accountant."
Uncle's eyes darken.
Uh, that doesn't look good.
"Canada? Where else?"
I remember the laptop on Dayne's desk.
"There was a picture of a wood cabin on his laptop. I don't know where it was."
Uncle waves his hand. "I'm not interested in a fucking cabin. What other investments was he talking about?"
"I don't know. I don't know if he did either," I say, remembering Dayne's words.
Uncle Glynn tips his head. "Explain."
"He sounded annoyed. He said there must be something else, that the guy on the phone wasn't looking enough and he should get investigators or something. That he didn't care how much it cost. I promise that's all I know."
For a long moment, Glynn stares down at me, completely without expression. And then he grins. It's so sudden, and so genuine, immediately my fear ramps up again. "You know what, Talis. I believe you."
I can't help but sag in relief.
"You see, Talis, I want something that your mate took from me, and I'm willing to do anything to get it. Only, while I'm sure you know what I'm capable of, I don't think that mate of yours does. So, I think he's going to need a message, and you're going to help me with that. Abel."
While I'm distracted trying to figure out what he's talking about, Uncle lifts his foot from my belly. But before I can even think about moving, Abel is dropping onto my chest and pinning me to the ground.
Even though I know it's too late, it doesn't stop me from struggling.
It's impossible.
Abel's weight presses down on my chest like a fucking mountain. There's no moving him. I'm trapped.
Then when Abel removes a small sharp knife from his jean pocket, my struggles get desperate.
With a wide smile stretching across his face, he reaches down and grabs one of my arms from where he has it pinned beneath him.
His hand on my wrist tightens.
At the first touch of the knife on my skin, I start screaming.
And then uncle's foot connects with the side of my head and everything goes black.