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“Ridge, I—” Jaxon began, but was cut off by the sound of footsteps entering the room.
“Can we cool it with the flattery, Fido?” Tori’s cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. “I’m right here, you know.”
“Sorry.” I grinned sheepishly, unable to hide my amusement at her discomfort. “Every word of it is true, Tori. You are the most incredible woman I have ever known.”
“You two really are perfect for each other.” Jaxon laughed loudly, breaking the tension that had been building.
“Enough with the compliments. Let’s get down to business.” Tori’s determination was clear in her voice, and I admired her strength.
“Besides,” I continued, turning back to face Jaxon, “you should be proud of the woman your daughter has become. She’s amazing.”
“Thank you for saying that, Ridge,” he said quietly, thick with emotion. “I truly wish I had been there to watch her grow up.”
“It’s not too late,” I reassured him. “You’re here now, and that’s what matters.”
“True.” Tori’s expression softened as she regarded her father. “And we’ve got plenty of time to catch up, right?”
“Absolutely,” Jaxon agreed, his eyes shining. “I won’t waste another moment.”
“Good.” I clapped him on the shoulder. “Now, let’s talk about how we’re going to deal with those hunters before they cause any more trouble around here.”
“Agreed. So, tell me everything about you two. How did you meet? And what’s this hunter problem you’ve got going on?” Jaxon leaned back in his chair, eager to listen.
“Long story short, we met shortly after I took over the alpha post. Tori here is a hunter on the run from the hunter after she discovered she’s a wolf-shifter—my fated mate, to be exact.” I glanced at Tori, who rolled her eyes at my bold declaration but didn’t argue.
Jaxon smiled with his eyes and said, “Interesting. And the hunters?”
“Seems like there’s a faction within their ranks that wants to wipe out all shifters—us included. Dean mentioned you’re already up to speed on the situation?”
“More or less. But I’m here to help in any way I can. Just say the word.”
“Appreciate that, Jaxon. First, we need to find out who’s behind all this and put an end to it. The safety of our pack—and Tori—is my top priority.”
“Count me in. I may not have been around, but I’ll be damned if I let anything happen to my daughter now that I know she exists.”
“Speaking of which, I’ve got a few contacts who might be able to dig up some information on the hunters,” Tori said, her mind clearly working through potential leads. “I’ll get on it right away.”
We continued discussing the hunter situation, our voices low and urgent. My wolf was on high alert, every nerve ending tingling with the need to protect Tori and our pack.
A sudden buzzing from my pocket stopped our conversation dead in its tracks. I answered my phone.
“Ridge, you need to get down here now.”
“Clawson? What’s going on?”
“The Greenthornes’ followers are causing chaos at the jail, Ridge. You need to get down here and sort them out before the humans figure out what’s happening or a full-blown fight breaks out.”
“Fuck! I knew something like this would happen.” I slammed my fist into the kitchen counter. “Tori, we need to head to the jail.”
“Let’s go,” she said without hesitation.
“Make that three of us.” Jaxon stepped forward, his scarred face determined.
“Are you sure? There will be a lot of wolf shifters there, and you’ve managed to avoid them for so long. It could be risky for you.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m not staying behind when there’s trouble, especially when it involves my daughter.”
“All right, then. Let’s go.”
