Thankfully Cam moved things along. “Ten minutes tops.” He met Rachel’s gaze and she nodded. “See you inside.”
Sara didn’t even wait for them to leave. She darted around the cars and jumped at Rachel while Daryl locked the car.
“Public place,” Alpha Cornell hissed as Rachel caught Sara in her arms and Sara wrapped her legs around Rachel’s waist.
Heavy-soled boots dug into the small of her back, but Rachel didn’t care. Holding Sara tight, her hands clasping jean-clad thighs, Rachel relished the feel of the warm strong body pressed against her.
“Hey,” Rachel whispered, looking up into dark brown eyes.
“Hey.” Sara ducked her head to kiss her.
Although it was over far quicker than she would have liked, that brief touch ignited a fire within her. “I missed you.”
Sara smiled. “I missed you too.”
“I want to get in the car and drive until we’re far away from all of this shit.”
“I know. Me too.”
Rachel growled, low and deep, and gripped Sara more firmly. “Maybe I should’ve stolen Daryl’s keys.”
Sara sighed and rested their foreheads together. “As tempting as that thought is, we’d have to come back sometime, and we’d be in so much trouble.”
“Yeah, we would.” And as nice as it sounded right then, she’d never do that to Cam, and Sara would never do it to her grandmother either. Still, it was a nice daydream.
Rachel closed her eyes, smiling as she pictured the two of them running through the fields of her father’s territory. She wanted to show Sara all of it. The sudden pang of homesickness took her by surprise.
A car pulled into the car park, braking sharply, but neither of them paid it any attention, too caught up in each other.
Carefully letting Sara’s legs drop back to the ground, Rachel cupped her face with both hands and leant against Cam’s car. The sound of a door slamming shut barely registered, as Rachel whispered, “I’d like to bond under the Cornish skies—”
“Rachel—”
“Shh.” She moved her thumbs to cover Sara’s lips. “I want to show you where I grew up, take you to the edges of our pack lands where the sea air—”
An all too familiar pack scent drifted over to them on the soft breeze, and the look on Sara’s face said it all.
Oh fuck.
“Miss Tregarrak, get your hands off my daughter!” The words were slurred, said around shifted fangs, and they gripped Rachel’s insides like a fist. She spun around to see Alpha Simon Gallen marching towards them across the car park.
“Dad,” Sara tried, but his focus zeroed in on Rachel.
“I warned you to stay away from her,” he snarled. “I told you and your alpha what would happen if you disobeyed my explicit request, and yet here you are.” He stopped a few feet in front of them. His six-foot-four frame towering over them both. With his cold grey eyes, and teeth and claws fully extended, Rachel had never seen a more terrifying sight.
Reaching blindly for Sara’s hand, she squared her shoulders and willed her voice not to shake. “My father knows nothing of this. I’m here as beta to Alpha Cameron Harley of the Regent’s Hill pack.”
“And I’m here as Alpha Cornell’s assistant,” Sara added, squeezing Rachel’s fingers so hard it hurt. “We haven’t contacted one another, haven’t broken your stupid rules—”
“You expect me to believe that?” He roared the words, and all the hairs stood up on the back of Rachel’s neck.
Her wolf was desperate to come out. The change lurked under the surface, waiting for her command. But challenging Sara’s father, an alpha, would be a huge mistake. Her beta strength was no match for his, not to mention it would be the end of any bond prospects. She gritted her teeth against the pull of the shift and forced the words out. “It’s the truth. I wouldn’t put my father’s life or any of his pack in danger.”
Gallen ignored her, as though she’d not even spoken, turning his rage on Sara. “If I’d known this is what you were doing here, I would have insisted you come home with me this morning. I trusted you,” he hissed, his voice heavy with disappointment and disdain.
“I didn’t know she’d be here until grandmother told me about it. I didn’t arrange any of it.”
He scoffed. “But you came anyway, knowing I’ve forbidden you from seeing her.” He cast a look of distaste Rachel’s way. “And you,” he spat, taking a step towards Rachel. “I heard what you said. If you think there’s any chance of you bonding withmydaughter, then you’re insane. Over my dead body will the two of you be together.”
