I looked at the letter again. At the careful, elegant handwriting.
"If I go, you're coming with me," I said. "And Kira."
"Obviously," Kellan said. "We're not letting you out of our sight."
"Whenever you're ready." Rowan confirmed.
I took a breath. "Okay. Let's do it. Before I lose my nerve."
The pack lands were two hours north, vast, sprawling estates hidden behind walls and security gates that made our brownstone look quaint.
The main house was a mansion. No other word for it. Stone and timber construction that looked like it had stood for centuries, surrounded by forests and mountains that stretched as far as I could see.
"The Gods," Kira breathed beside me. "You're rich-rich."
"I'm not anything," I muttered. "They're rich. I'm just me."
But even I had to admit, the wealth on display was staggering. We were greeted by staff, Betas, who showed us to our separate rooms, I noticed. One for me, one for Kira, one for Rowan and Kellan to share.
"Your parents wanted to give you space," the Beta who escorted me explained. "They'll meet you for dinner. Seven o'clock in the formal dining room."
"Okay. Thank you."
She left, and I stood in the center of a bedroom that was easily twice the size of my entire apartment. This was my heritage. My birthright. And it felt completely alien. I was unpacking when the door opened. A guard stepped inside. Alpha, based on his scent. Tall, broad-shouldered, with dirty blond hair and cold blue eyes. Eyes I recognized. My blood turned to ice.
"Hello, Naomi," he said quietly, closing the door behind him. "Or should I say, hello again?"
It was the Alpha who'd been the example of everything I hated. Simon.
"What are you doing here?"
"Working here? Isn't it perfect?" He smiled, and it was the cruelest thing I'd ever seen. "I've been with your parents for a long time. Rose through the ranks. Became their head of personal security. They trust me completely. Isn’t that ironic?"
"It’s something." I said, refusing to play into his game.
"It is." He took a step closer. "But they do. And that's all that matters."
"What are you going to do, kidnap me again?"
"Better yet," another step, "if you open your mouth about who I am, I'll kill both of your parents. And then I'll kill that baby you're carrying."
My world stopped.
"What?"
"Oh, you didn't know?" His smile widened. "I can smell it. Faint, but there. You're pregnant. Probably only a few weeks along. Your useless mates couldn’t smell it?” He leaned in close. "I can. And I promise if you say one word, I'll make sure that child never takes a breath."
I couldn't move or do anything except stare at him in horror.
I’m pregnant.
"You're going to play the perfect lost daughter," he continued. "You're going to smile and hug your parents and pretend everything is wonderful. And when the time is right, when I've gotten what I came here for, you're going to disappear. Again."
"What do you want?"
"What I've always wanted. Your bloodline." He straightened. "And this time, no one is going to stop me."
He left as quickly as he'd come, the door clicking shut behind him. I stood there, shaking, one hand pressed to my stomach. Pregnant with Rowan and Kellan's child. And Simon knew. The monster who'd killed my mother knew. I had to warn them so we could figure out what to do next.
