Chapter 2

JODY

I gulped back the acid riding my throat.

Throwing up was not what I wanted. It took me ten minutes the last time we stopped to get my stomach to calm down. I eyed the guy to my left. He pushed at the door like I was made of snakes.

Ugh. They should have just let me drive.

That was the only way I didn’t get car sick.

I started to have a feeling my abduction had nothing to do with looking for Nola and plenty to do with my father and the money he owed.

Fucking hell!

I wished he were around so I could kick his ass into next week for being such a piece of shit father and pushing his problems on me.

I cleared my throat for the thousandth time. The guy next to me right handed me a water bottle. A quick glance showed he was still looking forward.

“Take small sips,” he said softly.

I nodded, my stomach warning me that if I put water in there, it wouldn’t end well.

Ugh!

I took a tiny sip and was grateful it didn’t come right back up. The cool water was refreshing and the bottle gave me something to hold on to other than gripping my knees.

Glancing out the window, I saw a massive iron gate with initials. Guards stood at the gates and once they verified the driver and the other men, they opened the metal bars.

It was another ten minutes before I finally saw a castle.

Wait, what?

I blinked... hard.

Holy fuck! A real castle?!

We had driven from my house for almost an hour, but I hadn’t seen any strange signs. Of course, I’d been focused on breathing and not spewing all over the suits in the SUV.

When we reached the front of the castle, we all got out. My legs felt like jelly and I worried I might pass out.

Oh not from fear, hell no.

From nerves.

Why was someone sending people to escort me here and what did they want from me?

I took a deep breath, grateful my stomach was now calm and followed the guy guiding me inside. Two others flanked my sides and one at my back, like I might try to escape, and they were ready to chase me.

It was laughable. I was a midget compared to them. I had short legs and was so out of shape, it was sad. Just the thought of running made my lungs burn.

The castle was magnificent. Not that I’d ever been in a castle before.

If you donʼt count the ones at Disneyland.

But this was gorgeous. Something straight out of a fairy tale.

I glanced around, wishing I would see a phone, but of course, there wasn’t one.

Who the hell has landlines nowadays?

Everyone had cell phones. Unfortunately, I hadn’t gotten a chance to grab mine before the men at her door were rushing me to puke all over the state.

I steeled my back and squared my shoulders. I wasn’t a wussy. My mother had taught me to face things head-on, even if I didn’t like the results.

We went down a hallway and stopped in front of a door. Three of the guys walked away, leaving me with the cutest one who had offered me water.

Glancing up at him, I caught the press of his lips into a thin line before he met my gaze.

“My name is Tristan. I’ll be around.”

Okay, now Iʼm worried.

What the heck does he mean by that?

He opened the door and motioned for me to go inside. My palms slicked with sweat but I made my legs carry me into the room. I blinked a few times because I could hardly believe what I was seeing.

“Oh sweet Moses!”

It was the most amazing library I’d ever seen. Books from three floors up came all the way down. Some were in different languages and some looked really old.

Is this how Belle felt?

I gaped around me, turning in a full circle while staring up the walls. The ceiling was a dome shape of glass. I wondered why there was glass if it was covered.

I mean it would make more sense to only have glass so a person could have sunlight streaming in.

A soft growl made me stop dead in my tracks and glance around until I stared at the desk. There was no one there. Then I continued around the room as if looking for a predator.

A man stood by one of the windows. His back to me.

“Um... hello?”

He turned slowly, pinning me with a strong golden glow.

Holy hot tamales!

My throat went dry and I begged my knees to keep me upright.

“Jody.”

He said my name like a dirty word. It went perfectly well with the look he gave me and the tense set of his body.

His very large body.

A body that appeared to be so muscular and sexy under his black T-shirt and jeans.

I gulped and took a quick step back. His features looked familiar but I couldn’t be sure. There were scars on his face. Lots of scars. But they didn’t detract from the powerful alpha standing in front of me.

Oh, I knew he was the Alpha. I’d learned about them from Nola and in college, I even had one for a friend once.

No one like this... imposing figure though.

His looks sucked the breath out of my lungs.

“Sorry. Do I know you?”

“Your father, Ivan Swinson, has a problem only you can solve.”

I frowned at the ghost of a smile on his lips.

Is this man actually happy my father is in trouble?

“Look,” I started, my anger suddenly rising. “I donʼt know what kind of deal you have with my father, but I am in no position to get him out of anything. Trust me.”

“Oh, I do trust you. And I know you can,” he said in a low rumble. “You will, Miss Swinson.”

I wasn't known for having the patience my mother did, so his words only pushed my fury further. As he walked toward me, his pace intimidating, I stood my ground.

“Who the hell do you think you are? You canʼt kidnap me and then tell me what to do!”

“Your father may be a piece of shit, but you wouldn’t want his death on your hands, now would you?” he asked, only a few feet away.

He was even bigger than I realized, but that didnʼt make me move away. I met his gaze full on, my heart thudding painfully in my chest.

No, I donʼt want my fatherʼs or anyoneʼs death on my hands.

It took all I had to learn to stand up for myself once my mother passed away. Especially to the likes of my father. Seeing as how he still got money from me whenever he needed it, I was clearly doing a fucked-up job of saying no to him.

“Look, Mr—”

“Ulysses,” he said, the softness of his voice making my arm hairs raise. “But just call me Lux.”

“Ulysses? Got a last name?”

“Galligan.”

Nothing.

Thereʼs nothing familiar about it.

“So, what are you, like royalty or something?”

He gave a sharp nod.

“The Galligans are werewolf royalty. My father was king of our kind, and now, I’m in charge.”

I gulped.

A real king? Oh God.

And he was so good-looking, it was scary.

“What exactly do you want from me, Lux?”

He raised a hand and picked up one of my long brown curls and rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger.

“A child.”

My heart stopped.

Is that a royal secret code for something?

“A what?”

“You heard me, Jody. I want a child. I need a child. And youʼre going to give it to me.”

Maybe he was one of those single men who wanted a woman to donate her eggs so he could have kids.

God, please let that be it.

I might not want to do it, but I could handle that a lot better than the other implications.

“You want me to be an egg donor?”

A wide, sinful grin spread over his lips. So devilishly sexy, I gasped at how good he looked.

“You are something else,” he said with amusement. “No, beautiful Jody. Try again.”

I gulped, my hands curled into fists at my sides.

“If not that, then you must want a surrogate. If thatʼs the case, I canʼt help you.”

He was shaking his head before I even finished talking.

“Not a surrogate.”

I groaned.

“Well, what the fuck do you want then?!” I yelled out of frustration.

“You.”