The shrill ringing of my landline jerks me awake. I roughly shove at the wild strands of my hair, then rush into the kitchen to answer the phone. The corded receiver that’s probably older than I am slips from my grip and bangs against the floor.

Saying a little prayer it’s Rick calling, I snatch the phone as it bounces. “Hello?”

“Ms. Ammon?”

At the sound of the woman’s voice, my shoulders hunch. Not Rick. I look at the wall clock. I slept all morning. He said he’d call if he couldn’t come back to me.

My breath quickens as the scenarios play through my head. I can’t help thinking the worst. Anxiety has got to be a trait triggered by motherhood. I never used to be so paranoid, but I never had anything worth caring about before I had Peyton and Rey.

Now I have Rick too. One day with him and I’m ready to unleash my claws to protect him. Or pace the floor worrying about him. That’s what I did until exhaustion overcame me and I had to lie down or fall down.

Biting my lip, I twist the phone cord around my hand. I should never have let him walk away from me without explaining my words to him. What if he actually thought I’d never want to remember our bond?

No! No, I’m not going to let myself walk that path of paranoia. Rick promised to fight for me and for us. He’s not going to let a little misunderstanding stop him. The man is all alpha, full of determination and honor.

“Are you there, Ms. Ammon? Or is this a bad time? I can call back, but I admit this is important.”

Squeezing my eyes closed, I dip my head and focus on my breathing. This stranger doesn’t need to hear the panic in my voice. “Yes, this is Mya Ammon. Who are you?”

“Ella Montgomery from the West Virginia SA office. I’m assuming Josh told you about me?”

“He did.” Josh gave me a packet of information too. I never looked at it. Rick’s visit distracted me. I wish I had. Knowing I don’t have to go through this alone is the push I need to finally leave Todd. Now I’m anxious to get on with my life. “I was planning on calling you Monday morning to discuss things.”

“Waiting might not be the best. Our time and options are limited.”

My blood turns to ice. “Why’s that?”

“Is this a good time to talk?”

“Yes.” I grip the phone tighter. “I’m alone.”

“Good, then let me come up, and I’ll do this in person. I’m actually sitting in your apartment’s parking lot.”

Holding the edges of my robe together, I hurry to the window and peek through the blinds. The same blonde woman Rick was leaning over the other night in the bar gets out of her car. The lights flash. She drops keys in her purse and strides purposefully across the lot.

“Apartment 3B. Knock, please. The door’s locked.” I hang up the phone, buzz her in, and rush to my bedroom.

After slipping on the first outfit I see, I grab a hair tie, then hurry to the front door. The black, clingy turtleneck dress I’d planned to wear to a mating celebration next week isn’t the most appropriate thing to wear for this impromptu meeting, but it covers my nakedness and the scar on my shoulder. Hiding both gives me the shield I need around people.

Exposing any skin, even if it’s only my forearms, leaves me vulnerable. It’s Todd’s fault. He thinks I’m too pasty and freckled. Obviously, I didn’t have a problem being naked in Rick’s presence. Then again, why would I? Rick makes me feel good. I won’t lose that feeling or the man. No matter what my options are concerning Todd, I’m going to find the best one and take it.

At Ella’s knock, I open the door. The thin, beautiful woman dressed in black wool pants and a soft pink sweater doesn’t fit my expectations of a Shifter Affairs agent. She looks as if she should be waited on by butlers, not dealing with dominant shifters on a daily basis.

I push my judgmental thoughts aside. This woman holds my future in her hands. If I’m to get away from Todd legally, that is.

“Please come in.” I motion Ella inside, closing the door at her back. “And I hope you’ll excuse my appearance. I was getting ready to go out.”

I cringe at the lie, but Ella isn’t even looking at my outfit. Instead she stops halfway between the door and the couch and digs papers out of her purse. “I smuggled these out of your file.”

“My file?” I suppose I would have one since Josh initiated a case for me, but if Ella’s assigned to my case, I can’t imagine why she’d have to smuggle anything out.

“Yes.” Ella moves farther into the room and drops her bag on the couch. Holding several sheets of wrinkled paper, she glances over her shoulder. “Do you mind?”

“Not at all. Please sit.” The formality of this conversation strikes me as fake on both our parts. Ella has no problem making herself at home or leading this meeting. I can gather that aspect of her personality from the way she holds herself, and manners mean little to me in this situation. I want to get to the bottom of her not so subtle warning about why my time is limited.

Ella sits, bending her legs to the side and crossing her ankles in a pose I’ve seen human princesses and dignitaries strike whenever they sit in public. It appears as fake as her question to me moments ago. Yet, my instincts don’t warn me away from her. I want to know what she’s trying to accomplish by her act.

“Why are you here, Agent Montgomery?”

“Your social media posts from a few years ago have angered many members of the Shifter Council, and my contact there doesn’t think your bid to sever your obligation to breed with Todd Silverman will be met with approval. They think it’s best you remain under a male’s complete control.” Ella hands the papers to me. “For the good of the species.”

I look from the pages to Ella’s face. Here’s the reason for her veiled demeanor. She’s judging me. On what I don’t know. I glance at the papers again. The logo for one of the more popular social networks catches my eye. “I don’t have any social media accounts, except for email.”

Ella pushes the papers in my hands, obliging me to take them. “These were written in your name. There are dozens. Some more explicit ones that found their way onto blacklisted forums and websites.”

I scan the posts I apparently made. My nostrils flare and my skin itches as my anger stirs my wolf. Her pissed off growl echoes within me. I crunch the top paper, wrinkling it more. “I never wrote this. I didn’t even know I was allowed to have any social media accounts until a few months ago. Even then, I didn’t sign up for any. The less my name and picture are out there, the better. I’m going to look the same as I do now for centuries.”

“They were traced to your personal computer’s IP address.”

Letting the other papers fall to the floor, I stand. “Are you calling me a liar?”

Ella bends to pick up the papers I’d dropped, putting herself in a vulnerable position. If I’d wanted, I could hurt her. I wouldn’t do such a thing, but the woman has got to be foolish for exposing herself. It’s amazing she’s lived this long around shifters. Of course, maybe Ella hasn’t offended any of the dominants of our kind.

“No.” Ella straightens the pile of papers, then drops them unceremoniously next to her on the couch. “I’m explaining to you why you’re likely to be damned to remain with Todd for the remainder of your life. Or his.”

“Todd’s the one who committed a crime.” I fist my free hand to hide the trembling in it. Ella’s got to be lying. “Not me. He probably posted these things on purpose.” Though I don’t know when or how he could’ve made these posts. He’s never stayed overnight at my place or been alone long enough to access my computer.

“Your breeding mate didn’t make these posts. You weren’t even with him then.” Ella tilts her head to the side. Her features soften, lending her a compassionate aura. “But if he didn’t make you his breeding partner when he did, you likely would’ve died at an assassin’s hands like your human parents did.”

Blinking hard, I step back. “An assassin murdered my parents?”

“Yes.” Ella nods. “They were behind those posts. They wanted money at your expense.”

I take another step back and another before stopping. Memories skip through my mind. Instead of the happy ones I’ve clung to since their death, angry ones surface. My human dad commenting about how he’d like to live for a long time too. My human mom complaining about how they spent my trust fund and now they’re supposed to support me and put me through college.

“They loved me.” I sound as defeated as I feel.

“I’m not here to say they did or didn’t. What I will say is sometimes when people believe they have no other options, they’ll do things they normally wouldn’t.” Ella’s lips press into a hard line. “Unfortunately, their desperation and poor choices pushed you into the spotlight of the Shifter Council. If it wasn’t for the evidence uncovered, your life might have been sacrificed too.”

“But why? If my human parents were behind this, then I’m innocent.”

Ella jerks her chin in the direction of the crumbled paper I’m holding. “Those posts were made from accounts linked to your password protected computer.”

“I write all my passwords down,” I mumble.

“Well, you need to stop doing that.” Ella crosses her arms over her chest and leans against the back of my couch. “And you need to stop analyzing the past. Your parents did what they did. There’s no changing it. You should just be lucky the assassin assigned to your case hesitated long enough to uncover the truth. Few do.”

Ella’s right, and the reminder not to focus on things I can’t change is a sharp blow to my pride. I know better.

I join Ella on the couch. “You’re telling me I have no chance to get away from Todd. Aren’t you?”

“Legally, I think your options are limited. You have one witness who can corroborate your story.”

“It’s not a story.” The sharp bite to my words matches my mood. I’ve kept this to myself for so long because of the fear nobody would believe Todd forced me. That was even before I knew what he did was illegal.

“I believe you.” Ella rests her fingertips against my arm briefly before linking her fingers and resting her folded hands on her lap. “I’m sure many on the Shifter Council would too. Jenna Reynolds is known as an honorable dominant. Her word will carry weight. What I’m trying to get across to you is that it won’t matter.”

“Because I’m female?” I shouldn’t feel the disbelief reflected in my voice. Being with Todd has proven to me how little women are valued by many shifter men. Being with Rick, however, has shown me another side of our culture. It’s the one I want for my girls.

Ella’s shoulders slump just the tiniest bit. Had I not been watching her so closely, I wouldn’t have picked up on the detail. “Yes. I hate it, but that’s what we’re up against. My contact said one of the reasons they lifted the death sentence on you was because of the fact that you were claimed by a male from a strict shifter family who is known for following the old ways. They believed then and still believe that Todd’s too dominant of a male to allow you to disobey him.”

I grab the cushion I’m sitting on to avoid wrapping my arms around my chest. “I can’t stay with Todd any longer. I’ll kill him before I ever allow him to touch me again.”

Ella’s long sigh tightens the noose around me. “Just because my contact feels this is the most likely outcome for you, doesn’t make it a definite. If we can present enough evidence against Todd, you might be granted a legal separation, but…”

I wait a moment, but Ella doesn’t finish her sentence. Instead, she studies her loosely linked hands. Why isn’t she speaking? I’ve never felt more trapped in my life, and this woman is dancing around facts I need to know. “But what?”

“But a legal separation from Todd won’t necessarily stop him from coming to you, and if he does, there’s little that will be done about it.” Ella focuses on me. The sympathy in her gaze churns my stomach. “Many shifters will side with him. You are the only female he can breed with.”

Oh goddesses, no!

I can’t allow it. I won’t betray Rick. We might never be able to form the bond we should’ve but that doesn’t change anything. He’s my other half, the man who can complete me. I refuse to hurt him this way. “What about relocation? I thought we’d be granted a new life with new identities.”

“You would get both. Unfortunately, even if you are granted the separation, there will be some shifters on the Council who will side with Todd. I wouldn’t be surprised if your new location and name aren’t leaked to him. The Council members have an incredible amount of pull, even among the human government.”

Pressing my hands to my eyes, I voice the only conclusion I can come up with. “I need to run on my own, don’t I? Just pack up the girls and go.”

Silence greets my question. After a long moment, I drop my hands. Ella’s gnawing her lip. The weight on my chest grows a little heavier. I scooch forward. “That’s my only option, isn’t it?”

Ella gathers the papers she’d brought and shoves them into her purse before standing. “Assassins will do private jobs if given the right motivation or enough money, and then—”

I close my gaping mouth. “Are you suggesting I kill Todd? I don’t have enough money to put new tires on my van, let alone pay an assassin. I also don’t happen to know any. My friends are all too honorable.”

“I’m not saying you should hire an assassin.” Ella stares at me. The intensity in her focused glare doesn’t match her words. If I had to judge, I’d say that’s exactly what she’s telling me.

“Then what are you saying?”

“I’m saying you should take the rest of the weekend and decide how badly you want to get away from Todd, then come talk to me on Monday morning. I’ll do my best to make sure things work out in your favor.”

“I don’t need to think. I know my answer.” I stand, letting my determination show in my gaze. “I’m leaving with my girls.” I don’t need Shifter Affairs’ help. I have Rick’s support. He’ll follow me across the globe if that’s what it takes.

“If you run, you might be inviting more than just your breeding partner’s anger. The Shifter Council might look at your desertion and assume you’re going to betray your species.”

“I can’t stay here and allow Todd to touch me again. But I can’t run either? So what exactly do you suggest I do?”

“I’m suggesting you do exactly what I asked you to do. Think about how committed you are to escaping Todd, then come see me Monday morning.” Ella pushes the strap of her purse higher on her shoulder and strides for the front door. With her hand on the handle, she dips her head. “Your case is the hardest I’ve ever been assigned, Ms. Ammon. I won’t fail you. If that means we have to take an unorthodox route, we will.”

With those words, Ella slips out of my apartment. I stare at the door, but my decision is made. I’m running with Peyton and Rey. It’s my only option. Besides killing Todd myself.