Ryleigh could see the pride Bas had for his sister on his face she wanted to shut up but to many things had happened recently.
Tightening his fists on the table he snarled “If you don’t believe me you can ask Wy. He knows about her. Shit this whole team has worked with her for years well before you came along Ryleigh and I’m sorry but she has done more good for NAC and the Alpha Team than you or The Holly Group ever have. My word has never been a problem before and I don’t appreciate you questioning it now. No disrespect Jacks but What the fuck?”
Jacks knew he needed to get the meeting back under control and he knew that Bas was right the team had never questioned Bas about his hacker friend until right now. He knew Ryleigh was being influenced by her childhood and what had just happened a few short months ago, but he couldn’t have the dissension within his team. He just hoped his mate would get the hint and stay quite or at least not piss anyone else off, taking her hand he squeezed it lightly hoping to get the message across.
“Listen man we all are running at high alert right now. With the discovery of shifter females and the threat from Pandora, Davis, and the Affiliation. Not to mention Eli’s betrayal tension are high. I knew you and Wy vetted your sister and that is good enough for me and we would be happy to bring her into the fold. “Jacks was thankful when Bas leaned back in his chair visibly relaxing.
Happy with what his Alpha just said Bas replied “If you want her help you had better start building some kennels because she will not leave her dogs behind. I also think if she does agree to come you ought to check her DNA as well. Like I said before her mom was shady. I overheard a few conversations her and my dad had and I think Peyton was actually and IVF baby. Judy her mother got a huge payout for getting knocked up. I believe she was supposed to just be a surrogate but took off with Peyton thinking she could get more money by not giving her up right away. The woman always had an angle. Her plan didn’t work out the way she wanted and she got spooked somehow. She would sell her soul to the devil if the payday was big enough. I know that both she and Peyton had papers because I checked it out when I got older. Peyton’s started from birth but Judy’s only started from about two days before Peyton was born whoever drew them up was good because I still haven’t been able to find out anything about Judy before the papers showed up. Judy took off when Peyton was about thirteen and she spent five years in the system. Peyton hasn’t heard from her since then, at least that is what she likes to tell me. I don’t think she wants to worry me. We can only assume that Judy changed her identity again because we haven’t been able to track her down.”
Jacks started laughing “Shit our lives are turning into a fucking soap opera. Mysterious Hacker, shifter sisters, and pregnant damsels in distress. What's next?”
It was Ryleigh’s turn to laugh “Babe don’t ask questions you really don’t want answers to.” Then everyone kind of laughed. “Okay Bas give your sister a call if she is willing to come here I 'm prepared to let her help. Just how many dogs does she have? Why do we need an entire kennel?”
It was Bas’s turn to laugh he loved the confused look on Ryleigh’s and the others faces “Oh.” Bas said proudly “didn’t I mention Peyton is the best service dog trainer in the country.”
Ryleigh sat straight up in Jacks lap and exclaimed “Oh my god are you telling me your sister is Peyton Carlton? The Holly Group has been trying to get one her dogs for three years now. She has a waiting list for the next five years. She only lets in five dogs a year, training them for a minimum of two years before she will even consider adopting them out. She even makes the people adopting her dogs do an intensive six-week training course. If you don’t pass you don’t get the dog. Shoot the interview process just to be considered was more difficult than getting top secret clearance with the government.”
Bas was proud of his sister’s accomplishments and he also liked the excitement Ryleigh was showing bouncing up and down in Jacks lap. He also liked the discomfort all the bouncing was causing his Alpha, served him right. The fucker was always so composed and sturdy. The little minx was good for Jacks. “Yep that is my other little sister.” Bas grinned looking every bit the proud brother.
Cash spoke up then “We might have more problems than that. I have heard of your sister too, she trains military, government, and police dogs. She is pretty well known taking her away from her normal routine might raise some eyebrows. We all know how the government likes to watch their assets. Not to mention we are bear shifters and all dominate, her puppies might have a problem with that. Have you been around her dogs if so how did they act? Sorry man but I have to ask does Peyton know you are a bear shifter?”
“No man Peyton doesn't have any idea shifters exists. Dad never told her mom and I didn’t want to freak her out although I doubt she would have, she isn’t the type to overreact. As for her dogs, she has trained them to know my scent.” Bas laughed “When she got her first litter and I came out for a visit the dogs freaked out. She couldn’t figure out what was going on and decided that it was just better to train the dogs to know me. She said something about Alpha vibes but she never pursued it.”
Even more interesting, Ryleigh asked “it seems as though none of the guys know your sister with the exception of Wyatt. Why would you have kept her so hidden? You have all known each other since you were children? Why wouldn’t you introduce your team to your sister?” Ryleigh asked perplexed.
Ryleigh’s questions made Bas realized how separate he had kept Peyton from the group. He didn’t have a good explanation for give her. Shit Peyton didn’t even know his blood brothers. They had been staying with their mom when his dad was with Peyton’s mom. He was proud of her and he loved her like she was his blooded sisters but when faced with the facts he realized that he did keep her all to himself and it was kind of sad. She was always there to help but he never had once thought of introducing her to the guys. She had always been reclusive but he wondered about his own actions. He was far from ashamed of her why didn’t he ever introduce her to the guys. Why hadn’t he taken at least one of them to meet her in all these years? Who was he protecting Peyton or himself? Bas honestly didn’t know the answer to that question.
Wyatt knew her from her work but not once during all these years had he tried to introduce them. When his Dad married Peyton’s mom they hadn’t been living in the same area so none of the guys had met her then and after that he didn’t even mention her to them it was pretty fucked up now that he thought about it. His sister wasn’t a dirty little secret she was an amazing young woman and he was proud of her. During his time in the service he would visit when possible and he still did at least twice a year but he had never once asked anyone from Alpha to come with him thinking about it now it bothered him.
Answering Ryleigh, he said “She has me to send her my unwashed clothing every time she has a new litter. She trains her dogs to recognize my scent so that when I visit they are already familiar. If she agrees to come I could do the same with you guys.” Bas had remained seated at the table but he was far from calm he wanted to yell at Ryleigh because she was making him do something he genuinely didn’t want to do. Expose his sister. Maybe that was the answer to his earlier musing Peyton hated attention keeping her separate gave her the solitude he thought she wanted or maybe he had just been an ass. Fisting his hands, he was ready for this conversation to be over. He would ask Peyton to come but he was fairly sure she would decline the offer. Shaking his head, he continued on with what was asked of him.
“The last time I was there they just acted like normal dogs. My bear didn’t bother them. They sense my bear and act accordingly but exhibit minimal fear. As for her prospective clients, she just held her training class last month and she only does them every two years so I don’t think we will have a problem with Big Brother. Like I said she is reclusive.” What Bas didn’t say is that if she wanted to stay that way he would move heaven and earth to make it happen. Peyton had already dealt with way too much in her short life. Her mother was a
menace. He would go to Peyton himself and draw the blood then he would explain everything to her. If what he suspected was true than his sister would be in even more danger and he didn’t want that for her.
Dalton had reached the end of his patients. He didn’t care about his buddy's sister he wanted to get back to Emma and the baby. Standing up from his seat he said “Listen guys we have been in here for about an hour and I need to go and check up on Emma and the baby” Dalton interrupted hoping Jacks would finally let him leave. He needed to make sure both of them were okay and even with sight and sound in the conference room he felt panicked by the distance.
“Yeah everyone has their orders go take care of your girls Dalton but remember you and I are going to have a sit down soon.” Dalton knew that conversation wasn’t going to be a comfortable one. Jacks had a look on his face that would freak a lesser man out. Dalton wasn’t a lesser man and the sooner Jacks realized that the better his priorities changed. Jacks and the Team weren’t number one anymore and the sooner they realized the better for all of them. It sucked but it was the truth. He still wanted his team safe and happy but now he wanted a little piece of that for himself. Deciding that antagonizing his Alpha any further was a sure way to prolong this conversation Dalton gave a curt nod towards his Alpha and said “Understood?” and walked out of the room.
Chapter 27
Emma woke up with a start but couldn’t get her mind and body to work. She had no idea where she was or what she was doing there. It had taken a full five minutes before the fuzziness began to abate enough for her to remember where she was and what had happened. For a few seconds, she had actually thought she was back in that awful lab and almost panicked. Her heart rate was out of control and she was sure that if someone walked into the room at that moment she would have looked like she had just seen a ghost. Dang her ghosts or rather nightmare was in her past possibly her present and future as well and wasn’t that just an awful thought. Dalton wanted her trust but could she truly give it so freely after everything she had been through? She didn’t know.
She was still in the exam room where she had given birth a while ago the room had first put her off. What type of people had an actual exam room in their home it was kind of creepy? Sure, they had explained it away but it all seemed so out in left field to her. A small part of her was grateful these people seemed to have such great resources she had needed them and then some, but another part was still leery she had been fooled before maybe she was being fooled again.
Taking several deep breaths Emma tried to get her erratic heartbeat under control Emma looked around the room turning her head she noticed the isolette just out of reach and the little bundle within it, swaddled tightly and seemingly sleeping peacefully. Her baby the little baby girl with the tuft of dark hair and the little pixie nose that was a mirror image of her own albeit on a smaller side. The thought made her smile she had doubted the baby’s parentage until the moment she saw that nose. She had never let herself think beyond the next minute while in captivity she also didn’t allow herself to want or need the baby to be her own. That changed the moment she laid eyes on her for the first time. Her daughter was perfect in every way.
She was a mom she only wished she could be as perfect as her infant she knew the thought was an impossibility. She had no idea what to do or how to act or even how to react to everything that had happened in the last six months of her life let alone all that she had learned in the last couple of hours. The only thing she knew for sure was that little bundle created a warmth inside her chest and she wanted to the feel of her baby’s weight in her arms and to bury her nose into her sweet smell.
The isolette was close but not close enough for Emma to touch it and she craved the contact. She was a mom she could hardly wrap her mind around it, she didn’t know if she wanted to cry or laugh. She was also scared. That little bundle was so precious to her she wanted to feel her child within her arms again but just like everything she was just out of reach. Her entire life everything was just out of reach the closeness she craved as a child to have a family the ability to make a good life for herself as she got older and now her child. The child she dared to think wasn’t even her the child she never excepted as her own until she had seen her face. She hated everything that had happened to her but that little girl so close but so far away was special. It didn’t matter how she was conceived it didn’t matter if she was deluding herself into thinking she was of her blood the little girl was hers.
Then the other stuff came back. Her heart was pounding and she had broken out in a cold sweat. Shit she was in a house with a bunch of people she did know, that turned into animals no they were called Shifters and her daughter could be one of them too she didn’t honestly know. Her little girl could be the first and only female Shifter in an undoubtedly long time. The ramifications were huge her child would never be safe shoot she didn’t even know if she was safe now. The one thing she did know for certain was that she would fight tooth and nail to make sure she was protected.
Noticing her pillow was getting wet Emma hadn’t realized she was crying, wiping the evidence from her face she continued to stare at her daughter’s shape in the tiny bed thinking about all the possibilities. She needed to accept that her baby could turn into an animal how was she going to deal with that. She also needed to examine all the feelings on Dalton Hayes inspired in her. She felt safe with him trusted him in a way that she had never trusted another human being in her life. She didn’t understand the feelings she was having towards the virtual stranger but her gut was telling her to just go with it no matter how scary it was. Maybe she was more messed up then she thought.
After another brief moment of panic and her heart stopped ceasing she realized, if her little girl was going to shift then wouldn’t it be better to be around people who actually understood and could help her? Wouldn’t it? Because she had no clue how to help her daughter with that part of her life shoot any part of her life it might be nice to have some people help. Her thoughts and feelings were all over the place maybe she was more broken then she thought.
But Dalton Emma thought my lord the man was amazing. He was so kind and caring it floored her. If eyes were windows to a person’s soul, then Emma knew this man was good to his core. He looked at her and her daughter with those Caribbean blue orbs and Emma wanted to melt into the safety they promised. Those thoughts knocked her on her ass she was attracted to him in the most primal way. She wanted him when she shouldn’t have been able to even have those thoughts. When she had never trusted another person like that before with her heart mind and soul the answer was never. She had a feeling that those things would be safe in the big man’s hands. She had so many doubts and fears was this all a big hoax? Did they give her something? She didn’t think so but why was she being so unlike herself?
The dream that she had been having when she woke, was the initial cause of the sweaty sheets wrapped around her was disturbing, but not in a gross way. She was pretty sure that if it weren't for the fact that she had just given birth her panties would have been wet and her lady bits would have been throbbing and that mortified her. He inspired thoughts and dreams in her that had no place in her life as it was. The man made her think of sweaty nights tangled hair and limbs along with pure pleasure. Sighing she had to turn away from her baby she couldn’t think about these things and look at her daughter at the same time.
In the dream, she had been doing things she had never done before and allowing him to do things to her as well. Primal kisses and control in all ways. She could see him holding her hands above her head while he ravished her body. Being so desperate for a kiss that he gripped her hair hard and pulled her to him. Angling her body to deepen and increase the pleasure. God should a woman that just gave birth not to mention just escaped captivity be having sex dreams? Even the thought of those erotic dreams were having an effect on her. She longed to feel his muscled back under her nails. She also wanted to feel all that silky-smooth skin that hid the hard muscles beneath
. What was wrong with her?
Shouldn't she be freaking out about a man touching her after what she had been through? Not wishing she could pursue the man, making that dream a reality. Christ, she didn’t even know if she had been raped. There had been discomfort, like she had told Ryleigh, but for some reason she didn’t feel as though a man had penetrated her. Well actually if she thought about it, regardless if a man forced his penis or something else inside her, she was still raped. They didn’t have her consent. Shit, she wasn’t even conscious. But for some reason she really wanted it to have been a violation of a medical procedure. She would rather think that she had been artificially inseminated to that of having been sexually assaulted by a man while she was drugged and unconscious. Even if that thought was messed up. She needed something to calm her thoughts; they were all over the place. Maybe she needed medication or massive amounts of therapy. Nothing was making sense at the moment. She just couldn’t wrap her head around her thoughts. Perhaps some psychotropic drugs were the answer. Dang it, she had never taken drugs in her life and here she hoped something as simple as Prozac was the answer to her problems.
She could possibly talk with Ryleigh or Mia about it. Mia was a doctor, but Ryleigh seemed like she could become a good friend. She needed a woman’s perspective. Dalton had been great to her, but would he honestly understand how she felt? He was a big strong man and she doubted that he could ever be in a position to have been harmed sexually. She had been violated no matter what she found out. Maybe she could tell these people where she had been held and they could go and check out the facility. They could get some answers that way. It was a catch twenty-two; the answers might help them, but would they truly help her?
Dalton: NAC & The Holly Group (Alpha Team Book 2) Page 18
