The Cost of Love

Chapter 26

"I've been very cautious with you, Connor," he said. "As you know, I'm very protective of Kiara. She's everything to me." You and me both, I thought. "But you've proven to be a valued member of the pack, a good match for my daughter." I couldn't help the pride that swelled within me as I fought a grin. "Lynn and I, we trust you with her. I don't want any more tension between us." 

"I don't want that either, si - James," I said, not really sure if what I was hearing was real. He trusts me? The Alpha finally trusts me? 

James gave me a real smile, and it brightened his whole face. No longer was he the dangerous Alpha. Just a concerned father who loved his daughter with everything he had. I met his grin with one of my own. 

As we stood up, we shook hands with more force than necessary. I thought that maybe we were both relieved that there wasn't any additional stress. We had hunters to think of. 

And I thought of maybe telling him right then. Telling him of the plan, and what my part in all of it was. That I was so unbelievably sorry, and that ever since I met Kiara I knew I wouldn't be able to go through with it. I could warn them before anything happened. 

I opened my mouth to get his attention. "James," I started. 

But before I could speak further, the large office door was slammed open with a bang. 

Chase was in rare form, sweating and out of breath as he panted in the doorway. "Alpha," he said. His eyebrows were wrinkled in concern. "I ran as fast as I could. Kiara, she-" 

That was as much as he got out before I had shot up from my chair and shoved him out of the way. 

I was running faster than I had ever run in my whole life. I couldn't even hear anything - just the blood pounding in my ears as I ran and ran. I didn't even know where she was. I didn't have to; her scent was so clear to me now that I could follow it to wherever she was. My wolf was raging to come out, but I managed to keep him at bay. James was running not far behind me, trusting my ability to find her scent. 

Oh god, something had happened, I thought. I wasn't fast enough. I couldn't protect her. The thoughts were almost eating me alive as I pumped my legs. How could I have been so stupid? How could I have thought that turning my phone off would keep Saxton away from her? I was seeing red, but I was mostly mad at myself. I thought I'd always be there to kill anyone who tried to hurt her. How could I not have been there? 

In what felt like centuries but was probably only a couple of seconds, we finally reached the front lawn of the pack house. There was a crowd, much like there was with Savannah, of concerned pack members. But I didn't care who they were as I shoved them away, until I finally made it to the center of it all. 

"Connor," Kiara breathed, and my shoulders actually sagged with relief. She wasn't dead. Not yet, a nagging voice teased inside my head. 

"Oh god," I heard myself say, and I immediately had her in my arms, bridal style. I was so relieved to find her alive that I didn't care who was watching as I buried my head in her hair, holding her so tight to me she was practically out of sight. She smelled so good, so fucking good, and she was mine. She was alive. Thank God.