“I promise, little mate,” he growled.
I shuddered hard.
He turned me around and slapped my ass hard.
“Time to go now,” he instructed, and I nodded.
I walked away from him and couldn’t help myself as I turned back to face him. He smiled and I did too, but it was time to get to work.
When I strode inside this time, I entered through the front door that Amy had brought me into so very long ago, only this time it was on my terms and no one else’s. I was quickly whisked away by security and not long after, Amy walked in. Her bun was just as tight as that first day when we’d sat across from each other on the plane.
My interrogation began as soon as she arrived. She questioned where I’d been for so long, what I’d been doing in the woods and who had taken me. I answered her questions truthfully for the most part, informing her that the shifters were instinctually programmed to come together to breed after a certain amount of time. I didn’t tell her that an alpha had risen, nor did I tell her that he had taken me for his mate. I didn’t tell her that every once in a while, he stripped me bare, forced me over his knees and spanked me. None of that was important, at least not to her anyway.
What was important was the future of my children and of my newfound family, my pack. I had to ensure their safety and their wellbeing.
“The shifters want their freedom, that’s why they’ve been behaving more aggressively over the past several months. They’ve felt trapped and unable to carry out their basic instinct to breed, so that’s made them both uneasy and more hostile than you’ve ever seen before,” I explained, and she looked back at me with a certain amount of doubt.
“How do I know what you’re saying is true? They killed people here and it’s rumored on the upper levels that they attacked another government black site. How can I believe you when the shifters already have blood on their hands?” she pressed.
“They took me captive as collateral. I was their bargaining chip, should they need one, until every last shifter was freed from government captivity. They’ve gotten what they wanted. There will be no more attacks or bloodshed. Hold off on any further confrontations and you’ll see no more aggression from them,” I continued.
Her nails drummed on the table, clicking loudly in the silence between us.
She studied me intently, but I gave away nothing. Everything that befell us now was dependent on the success of this conversation. The pack and I would never be safe if the government continued searching for us. To be truly honest though, the humans would only be hurting themselves if they went after the shifters.
The wolves were powerful, practically immortal and weak to only one thing. They were the stronger predator and were far above humans on the food chain.
If they came after us, more of them were going to die.
Many of them.
And this time, I’d protect what was mine.
My future. My pack. My children.
I’d protect my alpha.
Amy cleared her throat, carefully considering what she was going to say next.
“If what you say is true, then we should reevaluate our strategy of how we deal with the shifter population. But as I understand, aren’t the majority of them infertile? How could they come together to breed then?”
I licked my lips as I thought about how I would respond.
“As a biologist, I’ve been taught to question everything. I’ve always thought that there is a rational explanation behind every unexplained phenomenon; we just haven’t discovered the true cause behind it yet. This feels different though. The wolf shifters feel intricately tied to nature, almost in a magical way. Maybe it’s the timing of the lunar cycle. Maybe it’s the coming red moon that’s reawakened their birth cycle for the first time in hundreds of years. I’m not sure of what it is, but I’ve seen them in their natural environment. I’ve seen that magic and I believe it to be true,” I finally replied.
“Perhaps it is as you say and it’s possible that we just haven’t figured out the scientific explanation yet,” she said carefully, although there was an air of disbelief in her tone.
“Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, perhaps it’s better to let them be. There hasn’t been a record of this kind of occurrence ever. I could continue to study them for your department and possibly, I could come up with a scientific explanation of how their infertility has been seemingly reversed,” I offered.
Her expression turned to me with interest.
“You would continue your work for us, even after everything you’ve been through?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I would, but I want access to everything. I also would like clearance to come and go as I please. I don’t want to remain trapped underground. I need to feel the sun,” I demanded. I remained strong, kept my voice steady and calm. Lifting my chin just the slightest bit, I sat back in my chair, keeping my spine straight and sure and as confident as I could manage.
I was a very strong woman and even though I was alone right now, I had the power of my alpha and the pack behind me.
That made me feel invincible.