Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 55491 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55491 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
“How have you been teaching her anything these past four years?” he countered.
“I’m starting now.”
“You’re not taking her.”
“You’re shacking up with a human. I am taking her. I already have the council behind me. I’m the mother, and it’s agreed Remington isn’t in an environment where she can thrive.”
Wes' eyes widened, and he tugged at his hair. He spun in a circle and stopped right in front of the back door, so he could stare at his child.
This was heartbreaking to watch. To hear someone ready to rip Wes' daughter from him. God, he’d told me last night that losing Remy was his biggest fear.
I couldn’t let that happen.
“I’ll be there tomorrow morning at ten. Someone from the council will be with me to ensure you comply.”
With that, the call ended.
Wes threw his phone onto the granite counter, and it skidded across the surface with a clatter.
Soraya was a bitch. I didn’t like to use that term too often, but like the swearing, this was the appropriate time. The reason swear-words existed was for the purpose of catharsis. I never expected everyone to be my friend. That was fine. But she hated me. I’d said only a few sentences with her, and with one sniff, she hated my guts.
She was forcing Wes to choose between me and his daughter.
It was horrible.
I was afraid to touch him; he seemed like he was ready to erupt. As if his wolf needed to come out and run or fight or something.
“Can she do this?” I whispered.
He stared at Remy, scrubbing a hand across his red beard. “Yes,” he spat. “If she really has the council involved.”
“What is the council?” I wondered, my shaky fingers going to my lips.
“It’s like a governing body. Judges, with members from the biggest packs in the region. They hear intra-pack issues or things that affect our kind as a whole. Their rulings hold. Punishment is dealt with by council enforcers. One of our pack members serves the council as an enforcer–Johnny.”
“Johnny?” I asked, stunned. “He’s like… twenty-two.”
Wes nodded. “It was Clint before him, but he gave up the role after Lily was born.”
“So if she’s bringing a council person with her, then–”
“Then it won’t be Johnny. It will be someone who can speak for the council and whose ruling holds. It means she’s taking Remy, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”
“Take her. Run!” I suggested, starting to panic for them. No way was he letting her go with that psycho bitch.
“Rob would have to send Johnny after me. He’d have to” –Wes swallowed hard– “kill me, and he’d be forced to take Remy to Soraya.”
“What? All of this because of me?”
Wes’ face contorted into a dangerous scowl. “Not you. Her.”
“Then I’ll go. We break up. If I’m the problem, we eliminate me from the equation. If we’re no longer together, then there’s no reason for Soraya to give to the council to take Remy away.”
Wes spun around to face me. “You’re my mate,” he growled.
I pointed out the back door and let the tears fall. “She’s your daughter.” I swallowed hard and tried to breathe them back, but it wasn’t working. “We’ve known each other less than a week. This–” I waved my hand back and forth between us, “–isn’t enough. I won’t let Remy suffer between warring parents like I did. And I certainly won’t let her be taken from you. I won’t be the reason you’re ripped apart.”
“No.” His growl was ferocious. If I didn’t already trust him to my bones, I might have been scared.
I shook my head. “No. It’s over. You told me last night you’d let me go if I asked. I’m asking you now.”
“Joy,” he pleaded.
“Just grab the things of mine I have over here and throw them into my yard. That way, when they come, they won’t smell me.”
“Your house has holes in it!” His hands clenched into fists.
I shrugged. “I’ll go to my mom’s.”
That was the last place I wanted to go, but there was no choice here. This wasn’t about me. Remy deserved her dad. Needed him.
I went to him, kissed his cheek, then fled, sobs choking my throat.
I wouldn’t risk her for anything. Not even love.
28
WES
Joy left. She ran out the front door. Crying.
My wolf raged. I wanted to beat the walls of my house down. To rampage. To fight for her.
But I had my daughter to think of, too.
Joy or Remy.
Soraya was giving me that choice.
Except Joy had decided for me.
My wolf was freaking the fuck out with her being gone.
Ached. Howled. Prowled.
My vision was shifting between wolf and human, like I was about to spontaneously shift and fight off the threat to my pup and mate.
“Daddy, I got gurt on my shirt!” Remy called, running inside with a dirty spoon and fingers covered in white yogurt.