It had been a perfect moment on a perfect day, and my heart was soaring as I pulled back into the farm, my hand on Scotty’s thigh, gazing out at the fields I’d helped dig, fertilize and irrigate. Compared to a day ago, I was in heaven. But all that changed as I pulled up to the farm house.

“Oh, no…” Scotty whispered as we saw them. Three SUVs, all black, parked out front. The sun was just beginning to go down, and the bright blue headlights cut through the shadows like spotlights aimed at our home. It was like a terrifying scene out of a movie.

My pack was on the porch, standing beside Preston who was seconds from shifting. I felt my bear stir within me, but when I saw the number of men Brad had brought with him, I knew it was hopeless.

I counted eleven as I parked the truck, with one standing in front, clearly the leader. And it wasn’t Bradford.

“Oh, no,” Scotty groaned as I shut off the engine.

“What?” I asked him.

“It’s…it’s my father.”

Charles Vanderton, one of the most powerful men in Austin. And he was on our farm, staring down my pack with ten men on his side.

I pushed open the door, but before I could get out, Scotty grabbed my arm.

“Terry. Let me talk to him,” he pleaded. “You—you can’t fight these odds.”

I wanted to argue with him, but I knew he was right. There were five of us, not counting Kenneth or Scotty. Those were bad odds, even if we fought harder than Charles and his men.

He opened his door and stepped out, and I felt my blood pressure rise. I knew he wasn’t in any danger. It was his family after all. But I didn’t like the whole thing being out of my control.

If only we had more men! I thought as I got out of the truck, my body tense and ready for anything. Just a few more guys on our side and we’d definitely be able to put up a fight. But we were outnumbered—and that was that.

“Dad!” Scotty called out. The alpha in front turned and I laid eyes on Charles Vanderton.

He wasn’t as tall as I’d expected. I definitely had a few inches on him, but there was something burly about him, something fierce. He was compact, muscular, and stuffed into a black suit that seemed to soak up the light from the beams of the SUVs that were blaring down on him. His eyes flickered from Scotty to me and back again.

“What the hell are you doing, boy?” He growled. I could tell by the tone of his voice that this was a man not used to being defied. His grey hair was cropped short and he wore a few days of stubble. His eyes were strong, hard like metal. “Is this him?”

When he pointed at me, it felt as though he were aiming a gun in my direction. I knew that the ten men at his side would shift and attack if he told them to. I opened my mouth to respond, but Scotty, to my surprise, moved in front of me.

“Yes,” he said firmly. His voice was strong, but I could see his body quivering. “This is Terry, my fated mate.”

Charles scoffed, then burst into laughter. “Surfer cowboy here? The first alpha who shows you any attention and he’s your fated mate?!”

“He is!” Scotty yelled back.

“Drop the bullshit,” Charles replied, waving a hand dismissively. “I get it, okay? He’s a good looking guy, he swept you off your feet and now you think you’re in love—”

“I am in love!” Scotty cried out.

“Stop it!” Charles roared, pointing his finger again. “I don’t wanna hear any more of this shit. Now get in the fucking truck.”

“No!” Scotty snapped. I glanced across the men and recognized Bradford and Greg. They were both wearing sweatpants, tank tops and gold chains, looking like a couple of wannabe gangsters.

“Get over yourself, little brother,” Brad chimed in. “Enough is enough already.”

“You can shut up too!” Scotty replied. His anger startled me, but also made me smile. “I’ve had enough of this! Enough of you guys telling me what I can and can’t do! I’m not going to take it anymore!”

“As long as you are part of this family, that’s exactly what we’re going to do!” Charles bellowed. He looked like he was ready to explode, and I put a hand on Scotty’s back to try and calm him down. Getting everyone upset and unhinged wasn’t going to help the situation.

He turned and looked up at me. I could see the anger in his eyes and I didn’t blame him. I didn’t fully know everything that had gone on with his family, but I knew how he felt, and that was all that mattered.

He gave me a half smile then turned back to his father. “Then I’m no longer part of this family,” he said simply. “I’m pregnant. And I’m going to start my own family.”

Charles didn’t respond immediately. He just looked at his son for a long time. The tension was at a breaking point. There were only two ways the situation could go, and I could see him running them both over in his mind.

“You’re pregnant…?” Charles repeated.

“Yes,” Scotty said firmly. “Terry is the father.”

“Jesus Christ…” Brad groaned.

I glanced at my pack on the porch—saw Preston ready for whatever was about to come. I couldn’t help but feel terrible about the position I’d put him in. This wasn’t technically my fault, but that didn’t change the way I felt. The pack was in danger because of me. If anything happened to them, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to forgive myself.

“What are you saying, Scotty…?” Charles finally replied. His voice was calmer, quieter. I sensed the tension begin to subside and was able to take a deep breath.

“What I’m saying is that if you do anything to hurt anyone here, you’ll never see me again,” he replied. “I’ll run away the first chance I get. I’ll go so far that you’ll never find me.”

“Is that right?”

“And if you take me home now,” Scotty continued. “If you take me away from my fated mate, you’ll never see me again.”

“Like you could do that!” Brad scoffed. “You think you could get away that easily?!”

“Is that what you want!?” Scotty screamed. “For your little brother to be your prisoner? Living miserably in the family prison!?”

Brad didn’t reply, but I saw no understanding in his eyes—only hatred. Brad was a spoiled little cunt and had never been put in his place before. Not by anyone.

“Is that what you want, father?” Scotty asked, tears welling up in his eyes. I reached out and took his hand and held it tight. Charles saw and I caught a glimpse of understanding in his expression. He looked at me, at his son, then back at me.

“No,” he said simply. “I do not want that.”

I was shocked. I hadn’t expected that.

“What are you saying, dad—?” Brad started to protest, but Charles held up a hand to silence him.

“We are a family,” Charles said firmly. “At the end of the day—that’s what we are. If Scotty wants to make this decision, then it’s his decision to make.”

“But—” Brad started in again, but Charles spun around to face him and silenced him with a threatening stare. He turned back to Scotty.

“If Scotty wants to stay here…” he said slowly. “Then that’s his decision. But understand, Scotty, we will no longer be supporting you. You can come to us in an emergency, but your apartment will be gone, car service and everything else you’ve come to rely on.”

“That’s fine,” Scotty replied instantly. He squeezed my hand and looked up at me. “I’ve got all I need right here.”