Page 54 of Laken's longing

There was defiance pouring off the man in the middle—Laken’s biological father.

“Why not?” The man didn’t pretend to act dumb, so Derick gave him credit for that, just not for anything else. “He owes me for casting him out. Made him a rich man, didn't it? Even if it couldn’t change the fact he's divergent scum.” He shrugged powerful shoulders. “Those pictures proved what a cock sucker I always knew he was,” he spat hatefully.

Derick’s wolf wanted blood.

Oakland and his team wouldn’t stop him, though they were alert around the room, waiting.

“He was raped and drugged, you fucker.” His temper cut loose from the chains that usually held it confined, his voice strained and raw with pain. Pain at the things he couldn’t change for Laken. He didn’t want to feed off it like these motherfuckers. And they’d pay for that.

Except he needed answers first. Needed to know how these assholes had obtained the pictures to use against Laken before blood was drawn.

“When were you approached with the pictures?” Derick's gut said they were too cowardly to be involved in the sex ring Oakland had broken apart, person by person, all those years ago. But he couldn’t be sure, and there had been one misstep already. He wouldn’t allow a second.

“Those assholes thought I’d pay them to stop broadcasting thatthingis a whore. They sent pictures, and I told them to do whatever they wanted. He was dead to us, officially. I registered his death the second his ass hit the sidewalk,” he sneered.

Pride at what he’d done poured out the hateful fucker and made it impossible for Derick to let him continue to breathe.

“So you kept them to have secret jerk off sessions, I bet,” he taunted. Seeing the man's eyes bug out of his head was small consolation.

“How dare you!” Spit flew from his frothing mouth. His animal lurked there, but like its human, the thing was a coward.

“I fucking dare because that beautiful man ismy son, and you thought you could get a nice pay out now that Laken has made something of himself? Isn’t that right?”

Laken’s brothers were an unhealthy shade of gray, eyes continuing to skitter around at the men leaning against walls, arms crossed, guns on display.

Yeah, not so fucking brave now, are we!

The man spat on the floor. “He didn’t make anything of himself. Once a whore, always a whore. Probably sold his ass to you, you divergent cock sucker.”

To disrespect his pure of heart husband, the man signed his own death warrant. Derick let the pure white hot, fury burning through him seep into the dark place that were reserved for the demon that lurked inside him. He could no more have stopped his shift than stop the changing moon cycle. His wolf was a crazed beast, incensed at anyone talking about their mate in such a way. Their child, who it loved as deeply as Derick.

Sounds of clothes ripping and shoes shredding filled the air before the huge graying, wolf snarled, fangs dripping as it circled the three men. Screams and cries for help from Oakland’s team went unheeded.

The wolf didn’t take its terrifying gaze away from the figure in the middle. It made a guttural noise, pawing the ground.

Oakland came forward and cut the ropes from the center man. “You wanted to hunt. Here’s your chance.” He came lower and got right in the guy's face. “Only you’re the prey. Now run, motherfucker!”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Isley

Why was his bed moving?

Isley’s eyelids fluttered open as he mashed his lips together, sucking back the drool he could feel at the corner of his lips. Everything registered at once. The damp patch was not on his pillow. He wasn’t in bed, but lying on a body. A warm, familiar smelling body at that. He cracked his eyelids open further—in his living room. On the couch with his legs wrapped around Laken’s hips, with no top on.

It took a further couple of seconds for the throbbing at his temples to register and the sour wine taste in his mouth to say exactly what had happened.

What have I done?

Went unconscious on Laken when you were getting hot and heavy.

I did not… oh heck, I did.

Yep. Let’s hope you haven’t spoiled everything. Humans are so silly when they drink.

I…Isley didn’t have it in him to argue when his body was a smorgasbord of ailments.Pins and needles woke legs that went numb from sleeping crossed legged, his feet pressed into Laken’s back. His feet had to be digging into Laken’s lower back, and it had to be uncomfortable.

Why didn’t he put me down?Clairvoyance wasn’t a skill he’d ever developed, so Isley was in a dilemma. Pretend to remember nothing? Go straight to the apology and gloss over the whole passing out episode? Neither seemed great.