Her response made him frown. "That easy?"
"I'm not going to fight you. How can I? I can't shift into a... a... werewolf."
"Werewolf is such an outdated term. Shifter is sufficient if you need to say anything. I suspect your resignation is more for the sake of your daughter's safety, and for that I commend you. Londyn will remain safe so long as you remain with me."
"Then let's go before any of the guys get back and start a fight." She was desperate to get Randall out of there. Her fear was for her daughter, but it was also for Ty. Her worst fear was coming to fruition that there would be some kind of showdown, and that fear had just been based on two men, not a dragon and a... dog.
He led her to a black car parked further down the drive and out of sight behind some of the cabins. Valerie had no doubt that Vinia was watching her right now, as well as Sarah, and they could rescue her at any time. But she had no idea how many men had come with Randall, so she hoped they didn't try. Keeping Londyn safe was good enough for her. She had to go back, face the consequences, and hopefully find her son.
Valerie stared out the window as they drove away from the ranch. She was almost frozen with terror at what Randall had in store for her, but she was also surprisingly calmed by the fact that the Hale family was at her back. Vinia wouldn't stay for nothing to be done, although Valerie wasn't sure what would be done.
She turned to Randall. Not standing up to him had done nothing for her. Maybe direct confrontation would produce better results.
"Why didn't you ever tell me that you weren't human?"
He barely gave her a glance. "Do I look human?"
"Okay. A human with shifting abilities. Is that why you were always gone on your hunts, so that you could hunt in a pack?"
"Valerie, what I do, or have done, is none of your concern. You knew anything that you needed to, and you still managed to screw that up."
"But what would it have hurt for me to know? You already had me where you wanted me. Why the big secret?"
He grabbed her face so fast that she never saw him move. His fingers squeezed her cheeks until the pain made her cry out. "Do not question me. You're just lucky that you had the right genetics to provide me heirs or you wouldn't be around right now to ask questions."
She gripped his arm and shook her head until he let go. "But you have your heir." She had never challenged him before, so she had no idea how far she could push.
"I have one heir, for a pack situation."
Horror froze her to her seat as his words sunk in. "Are you planning on more?"
He adjusted himself in his seat but didn't speak. She turned to stare back out the window. Certainly he couldn't expect her to have another of his children. She turned back to him. "Isn't it a rule or something that wolves only have one soulmate or something like that for life?"
He shrugged but didn't bother looking up. "I have no interest in a soulmate. I just need another heir since Londyn was flawed."
She hissed at him. "She is not flawed.
"She's also not a wolf."
Determination set in, despite the possibility of danger. "I am not having another child for you."
He sighed. "This is what happens when you spend too much time with the likes of them. You belong to me and the pack. We don't allow people to just walk away from their position in life, especially to live in the company of dragons. So sit there, shut up, and enjoy the ride. Your life will be more exciting soon."
She shivered as they passed the wolf center. All the times she had been there. She wondered if any of the employees were shifters.
His private jet was waiting in a special wing at the Denver Airport. They boarded and were cleared for takeoff almost immediately. She watched the ground get smaller and smaller as they lifted into the sky, and she sent a silent prayer to Tyson to be careful.
"You know he'll come after me."
She meant it as a statement, but it came out as more of a warning. The more she thought about it, it probably was. Ty wasn't going to be nice when he came after her, and she wasn't going to interfere. All she wanted was her little boy.
"I'm looking forward to it." Randall never bothered to look up from his newspaper.
"Is it worth it, Randall? Really?" Her voice wasn't much more than a whisper.
He finally met her gaze. "Is what worth it?"
"What he's going to do to you? You might have a wolf pack, but I don't see how you could possibly compete with dragons. And he'll bring his brothers."
