Chapter 59 — Bree

I can see in his eyes that he recognizes me. Pain flashes in their familiar depths and I blink back tears.

“Dad,” I repeat. “Stop.”

Silence fills the forest around me. Shock emanates from the gathered wolves in waves. And Rainn is as shocked and silent as the rest. Frozen in place. Now, more than ever, I want to open my mind to him, to show him everything I know, but our connection is still broken.

Behind my dad, Hugo twists something around his wrist.

My dad’s body jerks in pain, and his eyes redden and tear away from mine. He roars, and the sound shakes the entire forest.

“Bree.”

I turn to see Rainn moving again, running toward me.

“Bree. Get away from it.”

My dad focuses on Rainn. An outraged snarl sounds from his slathering jaws.

“Don’t hurt him,” I beg. “I love him.”

The words seem to reach my dad. The snarling stops. He turns to me again.

“Get away,” Hugo yells, cursing and twisting harder at the thing around his wrist. Pain takes over my dad’s eyes. I see the recognition fading from his gaze. Stepping forward, I hold out one hand.

“You won’t hurt me,” I say softly, even though I’m afraid that he might. “I love you, dad. I miss you.”

Hugo twists his device again. My dad roars and slashes a paw with long, sharp claws extended. Rainn pushes me out of the way and, for a moment, it looks like my dad is going to skewer him.

“No,” I scream.

I land on the ground with a soft thud. Rainn is on top of me, unhurt. I look at my father and see a sad look in his eyes. He makes a sound, and I see that he’s pushed his claw into his own chest.

Hugo bellows with rage. Screaming, I try to get up, but Rainn is holding me, and I can only watch as the creature that is my father screams in pain. Then he draws his claws across his chest, leaving four jagged wounds.

I watch him fall to the ground, tears blurring my vision.

“No,” I cry. “No.”

Rainn is still holding me. “I’m sorry,” he whispers softly. “Bree, I’m so sorry.”

A large wolf steps toward Hugo. “It’s over,” he says. “Your weapon is dead. There’s nowhere for you to go. Nothing to do but surrender.”

“Never,” Hugo replies. He turns and sees me in Rainn’s arms, his eyes full of venom. With a growl, he lunges for me. Rainn blocks him with an upraised arm. With a cry of anger, Hugo shifts and lunges for Rainn. Rainn shifts and meets him mid-lunge.

They tear at each other, then separate, circling each other with low growls. After a moment, Hugo turns his back to Rainn, and lunges for me again. I see the hatred and murder in his eyes just before Rainn pounces on his back and throws him halfway across the clearing.

Rainn covers me with his body and Hugo attacks again. Another wolf pounces on Hugo’s side. Derek.

“Give it up, Hugo,” Derek says. “It’s over. You can’t hurt any of us anymore.”

With a roar, Hugo pounces. Derek is faster and rolls away. Hugo slashes at his throat, but Derek is quick, darting out of the way and tearing at Hugo’s sides with his fangs and claws.

The other wolves stand back to let them fight. They roll across the clearing, tearing at each other. Finally, Derek has Hugo’s neck in his jaws, ready to snap.

Hugo whimpers his surrender. Suddenly, he doesn’t look so menacing or strong anymore. He looks pitiful. Derek steps back, accepting the surrender.

“He’s yours,” he says to the remaining alphas. “Take him away and do whatever you want with him. We never want to see him again here in Falling River.”

A group of wolves surround Hugo. When he shifts back, they bind him and pull him to his feet. I ignore his glare of hatred as they lead him away.

It’s over.

I take a deep breath, thinking of my father’s suffering and his sacrifice. Rainn pulls me closer and as his warm arms enclose me, it finally dawns on me that for now, I’m safe. My body starts to shake, and Rainn’s arms tighten around me.

“Are you okay?” he whispers.

I nod. “Oh Rainn.”

“I was so afraid,” he whispers. “I was out of my mind. I was so scared I’d lost you.”

Despite everything, I chuckle. “That’s not alpha talk,” I tease.

“I don’t care.”

I meet his gaze, loving him even more than I ever thought was possible. Somewhere deep inside, I feel my wolf stirring. “They did something to my wolf,” I tell him. “She was gone for a long time…”

Rainn nods. “I couldn’t find you, or feel you…”

“Yes.” I sigh. “But even then, I knew I would die if I lost you, Rainn. I love you. Wolf or no wolf, bond or no bond. I love you with all that I am.”

His chest rises. “I love you too, with every part of me.”

A wolf approaches us and shifts. It’s Zack. He looks solemn as he walks up to Rainn.

“How’s your father?” Rainn asks in concern.

“Healing. But he’ll have to go home on one of the planes, however. He can’t run for now.”

“I’m glad he’s alive.”

Zack nods. “Even though there wasn’t much of a fight, I’m glad to have been here with you. Maybe one day we’ll find a better fight.” He grins.

“I couldn’t ask for a better ally,” Rainn replies.

Zack shifts back to his wolf and bounds to his fighters. As a group, they disappear into the trees. As the clearing empties, I turn to the body on the ground, and I notice that it’s slowly shifting back into my father’s familiar form.

I wipe tears from my cheeks. “Hugo turned my father into a monster and made him do his dirty work.” I close my eyes. “He killed your mom, Rainn.”

“No.” Rainn shakes his head. “Hugo killed my mom. It wasn’t your father.”

Across the clearing, Derek is talking to the people from Falling River. He crosses the clearing with some men. His eyes fall on my father’s body, and he bows in respect.

“We want to take him home and bury him on our land,” he tells me.

“Of course,” I reply.

“Will you stay?” Derek asks Rainn.

Rainn nods. “As long as Bree wants, alpha.”

I look from Derek to Rainn in surprise. Rainn sees the look on my face and shrugs. “He defeated Hugo. He’s alpha now. And I can smell it on him.”

Derek doesn’t meet my gaze. Suddenly, he looks like the shy boy I grew up with. Now, an alpha.

As I watch, his confidence returns, and he directs the other men from the pack to carry the body. As they walk away, he turns to me.

“Where’s…Where’s Emily-Rose?”

“She’ll be in town,” I reply. “With Sheri. She’s probably waiting for you.”

“You don’t think she’ll mind that…” He stops.

“That you’re alpha now?”

He nods.

I shrug. “I doubt it, but there’s only one way to find out.”

He nods and turns toward the town.

“Hey alpha,” I call out.

He turns to look at me.

“Don’t forget to put on some clothes.”

He laughs, “Thanks, Bree.”

As Derek shifts and heads toward Falling River, I turn back to Rainn. The clearing is almost empty now, just me, Rainn and the wolves from his pack.

He touches my face. “So, what now?”

I tell him about Hugo’s lab. “We still have to make sure it’s totally destroyed.”

He nods. “I hope your pack will help us do that after the funeral.”

I raise a brow at him. “My pack?”

“Yes.”

“I think you mean Derek’s pack,” I murmur. “You and I belong to the same pack now, Rainn.”

As realization suffuses his features, he exhales and places a kiss on my forehead. “I love you so much, Bree.”

Resting my head on his chest, I close my eyes. “I love you too.”