Chapter 4 - Rosa

"Get your fucking hands off me!"

I'm screaming. I know I look insane, but I don't care. I kick my legs and arms, squirming, trying to get free. The only thing I want is to be back on my own feet, in control of my own body. The last thing I remember is Bigby apologizing, panic coursing through my veins before I tried to reach Kaila but didn't make it in time.

The man carrying me jerks like he might drop me onto the cobblestone, and I still clinging to him so he doesn't drop me on my ass. The last thing I need is an injury, so I can't escape.

"Okay, okay," he says, and I'm even more furious when I feel a chuckle rumbling through his chest. "I'll put you down!"

After a moment, he manages to get me on my feet. I look around wildly for a moment before spotting Kaila, still sleeping, in Olivia's arms.

"Oh, thank god," I say, going to her and gathering Kaila against me. Several shifters are standing around us, and I step away until my back is against the Jeep.

"What is going on?" I ask.

"Rosa," Olivia says, "this is the Rosecreek pack. They're going to help us."

I'm looking around, and I see a bunch of men. One short, with thick black hair, his arms crossed. Another with bright blue hair. The man who was carrying me clapped his hands together. Instinctively, and by the way, everyone defers to him, I can tell he's the alpha.

"Well," he says, looking behind me. "She's feisty, huh?"

I whirl around to see Bigby standing behind the Jeep. He's just like I remember, even eight years later. So, so huge.

Even with his size, Bigby has an intelligent look to him, like you can tell his roots go deeper than most. When you ask him a question, he thinks about it before answering. He'll do research on any topic, just to know more about it. Every philosophical debate we had in college comes rushing back to me, and I remember the way it felt to connect with someone like that, to feel like our innermost selves were compatible in a way I'd never felt before.

His size is the first thing a stranger would notice about him, but I'm not a stranger. My eyes roam over his close-cropped hair, the new, white scar across his cheek. The stubble on his strong jaw.

He's wearing a t-shirt for Rosecreek Days and a pair of cargo shorts. His entire outfit is rumpled, which I realize is because he hauled the three of us all the way back from California in his car.

Bigby takes a step forward, and I hate how my eyes take him in, from his massive biceps to the slight flex in his calf.

When I first met him, his size was comical. And then, later, straddling him in bed…

I shake the thought from my head. I absolutely can't be thinking about him like that. This man just kidnapped my daughter and me. If he was someone I used to know, he isn't anymore. And my number one priority is making sure Kaila and I are safe.

"This is abduction !" I say, raising my voice. I feel Kaila shifting in my arms and drop my volume, not wanting to frighten her. My shoulders are starting to strain from the effort of carrying her, and I hope she wakes up soon so she can walk on her own. We need to get out here.

"Kaila," I say, tapping her cheek gently. "Come on, baby, wake up."

"Rosa," the Alpha says, stepping toward me. I try to step back, but my back is already against the Jeep. Luckily, he seems to register my discomfort and doesn't move closer. "We just want to help," he says, but I know better than that.

Kaila stirs again, but I can't wait for her to get on her feet again. I turn, moving as fast as I can with Kaila in my arms, which, admittedly, isn't that fast. I race for the line of trees behind the buildings, thinking we might make it if I can get out of their line of sight.

"Rosa!" Olivia calls after me, but I don't stop. I can't. The only thing that matters is getting Kaila and me to safety.

And then, suddenly, Bigby is in front of me.

"Don't make me grab you," he says, his knees bent like he's a fucking middle linebacker, and I'm a running back. That would make Kaila the football.

I force my brain to focus.

"Move," I say, trying to imbue my voice with as much venom as I can.

"Rosa," Bigby says, his eyes boring into me so intensely that I have to blink and look away. I can't stand to look at him.

He's a coward for leaving me the way he did. And I will never forgive him. I will never give his daughter the opportunity to forgive him, either. Kaila will never know about her dad—she doesn't need to. She has two strong women to look up to. Me, Olivia, and Kaila—that was enough. It's still enough.

"I said move ," I grind out, my grip tightening on Kaila's body. My whole body is shaking, and I'm not used to carrying this much weight. I'm in great shape—surfing does that for you—but there's a big difference between agility and strength. And my elbows are crying in pain with Kaila in my arms like this. Given the chance, I would re-position to a fireman's carry instead.

But there's no time. Bigby is staring me down, blocking my path.

"Rosa, I am not letting you put that girl in danger."

"Oh, fuck you, get out of my—"

"You forget that I've seen what Amon is capable of," Bigby says, taking a step toward me. His sheer size is intimidating to others but not to me. I lift my chin, twisting slightly so Kaila isn't between us as he continues talking. "I've seen firsthand the shit he's done to his own family just to prove a point. I know what he'll do to her if he finds her."

Bigby jerks his chin toward Kaila, and I want to run, I want to hide, I want to put her somewhere the world can never get her. Somewhere, Bigby can't lay his eyes on her. I wish I could go back and undo the moment he saw her.

"I don't need you to educate me on my own father," I say, "I happen to know him very well, you absolute ass."

"Well, I don't think you're thinking this through."

"Oh, classic! Bigby is the smartest man on this fucking planet—"

"That's not what I'm saying—"

"Just because I disagree with you doesn't mean I'm wrong. This is just like—"

"Do not say this is just like the Birch and Swinn—"

"This is just like the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture!"

There's a cough behind us, and Bigby turns, revealing the alpha standing there, grinning at us for some reason. He's tall and broad but still smaller than Bigby. He has a rakish grin that tells me he was popular in high school and i s used to getting his way. Most alphas are.

"You two know each other?" he asks, his eyes flicking between us quickly. He's still grinning, and I want to scream at him that this isn't a joke; it's my life. I'm not here for a reunion. I was brought here against my will.

"Are you kidding?" I ask, rolling my eyes, trying to appear calmer than I seem. Also, it seems unlikely that this man doesn't know who I am—unless Bigby has kept Kaila and me a secret. I stare between them, my eyes wide, as I realize Bigby hasn't told anyone here who I am and, more importantly, what he did to me.

"You remind me of my wife," the Alpha says, cutting off my train of thought. Then, to Bigby, he says, "Why didn't you tell me you knew her?"

"I've hardly had time to catch you up," Bigby mutters, rubbing the back of his neck, and I use the opportunity to turn, dashing away from them again. I make it to the tree line, breathing hard and desperately hoping the jostling wakes Kaila up. I won't be able to run like this for long, but I just need to put distance between myself and those guys.

Olivia can catch up with us, or I can send her a message later—I curse under my breath as the thought occurs to me. Olivia and I should have prepared a code language like my mother, and I have.

As prepared as I thought I was for this eventuality, I sure don't have a clue what I'm doing. I should have spent less time with Kaila on the beach and more time thinking through every eventuality.

Of course, I'd had dreams about Bigby returning and making him beg for mercy. For a while, I thought he would come for me. That thought quickly faded after Kaila was born. I had no time to wait for a man who would never come. I had to care for my baby.

And now, I'm running through the woods, wishing I had thought my escape plan through a little more.

That thought drives home when my foot catches on a root, and my body pitches forward. I twist to shield Kaila, already wincing with how much the fall is going to hurt, when two arms wrap around me, yanking me back up.

I fight against him, that scent falling around me, my body reacting immediately. I let out a disgusted growl and stumble back when Bigby gets me back on my feet.

"Don't touch me," I warn. I think about shifting—could I carry Kaila in my maw? Or would I hurt her? She hasn't had her first shift yet, and I'm not sure I can carry her in her human form without hurting her. Every cell in my body urges me to shift to run faster, but I have to be careful.

Obviously, my wolf form isn't faster than Bigby's, but I need any edge I can get.

"Rosa," he says, his eyes pleading. "Please don't make me do this."

"Do what?" I ask, taking a step backward. I glance away, trying to figure out which path is the best for getting away from him.

His face pinches, and then he lunges forward.

I scream as he grabs Kaila and me, walking us back toward the town.