SAMANTHA POV
I shut my door with a sigh. I am completely and utterly exhausted. I had no idea my new acquaintances would be so happy to hear what I am having, but I truly enjoyed their reaction. It was as if I threw a gender reveal party and celebrated with close friends and family. That's how happy they were.
For a woman who grew up without a true place to call home, the celebration was heartwarming. I wish I had more energy to enjoy it because if I did, I wouldn't have had to call it a night so early.
I grin as I take my phone out of my back pocket. I see a missed call from Andrew and immediately press call. I didn't mean to make him wait so long, but stepping away was impossible.
"Hello," Andrew answers sounding excited, and I smile.
"Well, grandpa, are you ready," I ask, getting right down to business.
DANIEL POV "Emma, I don't have time to listen to your new boyfriend drama, okay. You should be waiting for your mate anyway," I growl while stirring the egg mixture I have going for scrambled eggs. "Oh shutup with that mate stuff. I don't even want to be someone's mate. Since you and the other two boneheads left me up here by myself, all the males are convinced that if they win me over, they will get the Alpha title. So thanks for that. My mate isn't going to love me for me. He will just see me as the ticket to being an Alpha. I hate being a female sometimes," Emma growls, and my eyes roll to the back of my head. "Whatever, Em, can you please allow me to talk to mom! She is the person I called," I snap, and Emma huffs. "Yeah, sure, miss you too," Emma says sarcastically, trying to make me feel bad. "I love you, but damn,
SAMANTHA POV "So why weren't you able to get a hay crop planted this year," I ask as Daniel puts gas in a spacey ATV. I try to keep my eyes off his toned legs and butt, but his fitted wranglers aren't helping me at all. "Well, umm. We had an issue with our previous property, so I purchased this one last month," Daniel asks while keeping his back to me. "Oh, what happened," I ask innocently, stepping closer so I can see what his hands are doing. He quickly stands up as if my presence makes him uncomfortable and places the gas can back on the shelf. "The title changed names, and we were no longer welcome. But I had saved, so moving wasn't an issue...Are you ready," he asks, quickly changing the subject. "Sounds stressful, I'm sorry. But I'm glad you purchase
DANIEL POV I snarl as I finally rip out the filthy scandral's throat and shift. His bloody dead body slowly shifts back to its human form, and I study his features intently. I need to find out who these men are and why they were targeting Samantha. I have a pretty good feeling they are from the Layne's original pack, but I have to be certain. "DAN," Finley roars, and I whip around to see my pack circling the first wolf who tried to attack my mate. Stanley has managed to pin him down in wolf form without killing him. Studying the dead body leaves my mind. The other males of my pack stand tense and ready in a circle around Stan and the attacker to ensure he doesn't try anything. I march towards him naked and bloody with one thought on my mind, "defending my mate." "Shift," I order loudly, and his body
DANIEL POV "Where is she," I ask as soon as I walk in the back door to see Lauren sitting in the kitchen by herself. Samantha's vanilla and jasmine scent isn't fresh inside like it is outside, and the fact makes my stomach sick. I hope I'm wrong. "She's gone, Dan. She ran right after I got her to the house...and she gave me a kick with shifter strength right to the gut before she did," Lauren says without getting up off the kitchen stool. I take in my member's hunched appearance as David rushes to her side. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you," David asks, sounding panicked, and I tilt my head to watch the exchange. Suspicions start to creep up as I watch his eyes dart back and forth from her face to her stomach. "No. I'm okay. It hurt when it happened, but everything is fine," Lauren says, soothing her panicked mate, and I sigh. "Lauren, if you're carrying a pup, you need to let me know so I can help with keeping you safe," I snap, getting irritated at wh
SAMANTHA POV "Well, Angelica, I think we might have to leave the house. Mommy is officially out of food," I sigh as I close the fridge I have opened at least a hundred times today. The basic supplies I had the cleaning ladies bring didn't last me long. I slowly make my way towards my bedroom, already dreading my first solo trip to town. As I go past the front door to get to the stairs, the doorbell chimes, and fear instantly fills me. My body immediately freezes, and my heart begins to pound. I even slow my breathing to try to keep whoever it is from hearing me. "Hello, I am looking for the granddaughter of Hazel Layne. My name is Marcie...My mom was an old friend of Hazel's," a woman's voice calls from the other side of my front door. My body's frozen state slowly defrosts, and I take a deep breath. My heart rate declines a little, and something within me says I shouldn't be afraid. I know I can't live in fear forever, and being fearful of every living, breathing per
SAMANTHA POV "It seems Hazel didn't want anyone reading these," Marcie huffs as we finish searching the last draw in her bedroom. Finding Hazel's diaries hadn't been hard, but finding them locked was definitely disappointing. Marcie had immediately begun searching the dresser draws, and I had followed suit. "Well, guess we will never know," I whisper, and Marcie laughs. "Oh, don't worry, honey. She might have made sure the latches were made of silver to deter a wolf shifter, but you are a cougar. Before you left the ranch the other day, you kicked Lauren hard enough to send her flying...a normal human can't do that, my dear. You are tapping into your shifter strength. Probably because you have met your mate, so don't worry, here one day soon, you will be able to pop those heavy latches yourself and get the answers you seek," Marcie says, and confusion hits me."My mate? I met my mate," I ask, completely bewildered by her statement. "Yes, my dear, you have. Why do you thi
DANIEL POV My cellphone rings for maybe half a second before I have it pressed against my ear. "How did it go," I ask, and my mother chuckles at my eagerness. "She said she will come over. She wants only you and Lauren in the house, though. She isn't ready for everyone. I don't know if she will want to talk. I tempted her over by mentioning shopping with Lauren. Your pregnant mate is out of food," Mom says, and I immediately growl. "I should have had one of us pick her up some supplies. I didn't even think about her food situation...But...she is willing to come over," I ask as my mind returns to the fact that she agreed to come see me. "Yes, but you need to keep calm and give her space. I have a feeling she wants the company but doesn't want a clingy mate jumping on her when she returns," mom says, and I groan slightly. "I know that. It will just be hard. I mean, I haven't seen my mate in three days, Ma. My bond is fresh and screaming for me to go to her," I growl, and
SAMANTHA POV I can feel his eyes on me...studying me and observing me...They are like heated laser beams on the side of my face and body. It's as if he is relearning what I look like. "You had food, right? You haven't been without this whole time, have you," Lauren asks me, and I raise my eyes to her's cautiously. She gives me a small smile paired with pleading eyes, and I instantly feel guilty. I remember the kick I gave her to the stomach, and I feel even worse before finally answering. "No. No, I had the cleaning service stock my kitchen with the basics before I arrived. But they didn't last me too long. Between pregnant snacking and bored kitchen raiding, I picked over what I had pretty..." I say before Daniel's sharp voice cuts in. "Are you hungry," he basically yells and my cheeks redden as I'm forced to look at him. "Umm, yes. I was just saying the meager supplies I had the maid service bring dried up yesterday," I reply, trying to sound calm before glancing at