Alpha Betrayed: A Dark Shifter Romance

Ford

We reach the SUV the tactical team loaned us earlier-clearly hoping we'd elect to stay in the vehicle and out of their hair-and I wrench open the door, grabbing one of the leftover towels from the Dollar Store. As Juliet touches down, shifting just before her feet hit the pavement, I'm ready to catch her and wrap her up in the soft terrycloth.

"There you are." I hug her so tight I summon a soft crack from somewhere in her spine. "Sorry. Are you okay?"

"I'm perfect." She wraps her arms around my neck and returns my embrace with one nearly as fierce. "Let's never do that again."

"Get kidnapped by a crazy person who wants to marry or kill one of us?"

"No, be apart. Turns out I'm pretty f*****g attached to you," she says, pressing a kiss to my jaw before she adds in a whisper for my ears only, "I love you. Only you. Forever."

Chest aching with emotion, I say in a rough voice, "Forever, baby. I'm going to make a safe place for you. For us. I promise. No matter how dirty I have to fight to make it happen."

She pulls back, gazing up into my eyes. "Which means Hammer's still alive, I'm assuming?"

"He's alive and in rare form, even for him, but hopefully we can get to him before he pulls off his latest shit plan," I say, nodding toward the SUV. "Let's get on the road. We'll fill you in on the way to Lost Moon."

Wrapping the towel more tightly around her chest and tucking it into place, she climbs into the back seat. I follow her while Layla hurries around to the passenger's side and Catherine fires up the engine. "Veggie burgers for the road anyone?" Catherine asks. “Layla has pineapple, but jailbreaks make me extra hungry."

"Sure, but let me call Hermione for an update before we leave the city," Layla says. "Get the full scoop on what's going on with Juliet and Ford's deadbeat dad."

"Stepdad on my side," I correct, wishing I didn't have to claim Hammer at all.

Maybe, someday soon, I won't.

Juliet glances my way. "You told them?" Before I can answer, she sighs, "I'm glad. They should know what they're getting into before they go any farther down this road with us."

"I already know I'm going all the way, Jules," Layla says, as she holds her cell to her ear. "I just want to-" She breaks off as Hermione picks up on the other line. "Hey, Hermione, it's Layla. We have Juliet, Jean-Paul and a bunch of his bad guys are dead, and Juliet's piece-of-shit cousin who double-crossed her is tied up in a bathroom at the front of the church. She'll need to be locked up somewhere, but somewhere not too awful because she's pregnant." A grin splits her face at something the other woman says. "Yeah, I know. What can I say? We get shit done. So, what's up on your end? Should we come back there or head straight to Wyoming? Because you know these two aren't going to sit around on their hands and wait for someone else to fight their battles. And Catherine and I are totally along for the ride."

Juliet leans closer, whispering, "Am I crazy or is Layla flirting with Maxim's second-in-command?"

"She has a crush," I whisper back, brushing her hair from her face. "You looked smoking hot in that wedding gown, by the way."

She smiles. "But hotter after I started spitting fire."

I return her grin. "Absolutely. Still, a big fan of you in white with your hair all fancy. Maybe I'll get to see you dressed that way again sometime soon? This time of your own free will because you can't wait to marry the guy who's crazy about you?" She curls her hand into mine. "If that was your way of asking me to marry you, the answer is yes. But I'm wearing red and orange, fire colors to remind anyone who's thinking about challenging my rule what happens to people who cross me." I squeeze her fingers. "I like your ruthless queen side."

"I won't be ruthless all the time," she says, her grin fading. "Only when people abuse my compassionate side. I just want peace, Ford. I want that for us and our people and our friends." She drops her voice back to a whisper, "And I want to ask Catherine and Alexander and Layla to join our pack if they want. I want Zion to be a place where anyone who wants peace, prosperity, and community can thrive."Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

I sigh, wishing I didn't have to tell her about Alexander. But she needs to know everything she's missed since the butt crack of dawn this morning.

This morning...

It's insane to think it's been less than a day since we learned we'd been betrayed by half the people who promised to help us reclaim control of Lost Moon.

"Okay, got it," Layla says as Catherine takes a left, pulling down a busier street. "Yeah, we can get to the airport, no problem. We borrowed one of the team's SUVs. I'll let you know where we park it in case someone wants to come pick it up later." A smile creeping into her voice again she adds, "And glad you're coming to Wyoming. It'll be nice to have a mission leader who knows we have something to offer on the battlefield." "Wyoming?" Juliet's brows lift. "Zion pack's part of Wyoming?"

I nod. "Hammer just got there a little while ago. He has your mom with him as his prisoner. We're pretty sure he's going to try the same thing Jean-Paul was planning with you." I explain to her about the spell and the sacrifice of a shifter with phoenix blood. By the time I'm done Layla is off the phone and turning around in her seat.

"We fly out at nine-thirty," she says. "Commercial because it was faster to buy tickets than to try to get Maxim's private plane up here from New York. Hermione's already on her way to Wyoming and will send someone to pick us up when we land. She bought tickets half an hour ago. She was that sure we'd make it out alive with Juliet in tow. Nice to know at least some of the wolves around here have faith in the little guys."

"Little schmittle," Catherine says, pulling up to the drive through at a place called Meatless Marvels. "How many veggie burgers each? I want two and a giant side of sweet potato fries." "Three for me," Layla says. "And normal fries."

"Same," I say, before turning to Juliet. "What about you?"

"Five, please," she says, bobbing a shoulder when I arch a brow. "Breathing fire burns a lot of calories."

"I fully support five veggie burgers," I say. "Just wasn't sure you had room in your stomach for that much at once."

"I'll make room," she says, glaring into the distance as Catherine rolls down her window and gives our order. "I don't want to run out of fuel before I give Hammer what's coming to him."

"I would ask if you're sure you can turn your own dad into a crispy critter," Layla says, "but Ford told us what he did to you. Both of you. I'm so sorry."

Juliet's gaze softens as it settles on Layla. "Thank you, but I'm not. If he hadn't been who he was, we wouldn't have become who we are now." She glances up at me. "And I like us. Especially you." "Aw, I ship you guys," Layla says, reaching a hand back to Juliet. "And I'm so glad you're here. Missed you."

Juliet squeezes Layla's palm. "I missed you, too. It's so good to be among friends again." She sits up straighter. "Which reminds me, there was a woman in the Montreal pack who risked her life to help me escape. Her name's Madame Duval. Can we contact someone to ask that she be treated differently than the rest of the Montreal pack prisoners?"

"Sure thing." Layla releases her hand and picks her cell up again. "I'll text Hermione. I'm sure she'll know who to reach out to about that."

Catherine pulls forward and points to the clock on the SUV's dashboard. "So, it's seven-thirty and we're about thirty minutes from the airport. I think we should head straight there so we have time to make it through security, but we'll need to stop at a store on the way and get clothes for Juliet and probably backpacks or small suitcases for everyone, so we don't look suspicious, travelling without luggage."

"I'll see what I can find that's open and on the way," Layla says.

Twenty minutes later, we've filled Juliet in on all the developments in her absence and put a serious pounding on our giant bag of food and Layla's three pineapples.

Juliet finishes her fourth veggie burger just as we pull up to a Canadian Tire not far from the airport.

"Apparently, they have clothes and backpacks and things other than tires," Layla says as Catherine cuts the engine. "But I'm not sure what kind of variety we'll find. What are you in the mood to wear, Jules?"

"Just something comfortable and easy to move around in," she says, since she obviously can't head into the store in nothing but a towel. "Sweatpants and a t-shirt maybe? And a sweatshirt, too. It can get cold in Wyoming at night, even in the summer." "Got it." Layla shifts her gaze my way. "What about you, Ford? Any preferences on what we grab for you for a bag and extra clothes?"

"Nope, I trust you," I say, wrapping my arm around Juliet and drawing her closer to my side, grateful for a chance to have a few minutes alone with her, even in a Canadian Tire parking lot.

"Got it," Catherine says, opening her door. "And we'll get more snacks, too. Just in case."

As they head toward the store, Juliet rolls up the top of her food bag and tosses her remaining fries and burger onto the seat beside her. Then she turns to me and asks, "How do you feel about mustard breath?"

"I feel really good about it," I say, wrapping my fingers around her waist as she straddles me in the back seat.

And then her lips are on mine and her fingers are driving into my hair and the world is right again.

She's here, she's mine, and I'm never letting her out of my sight again.