Stolen Birthright Ch. 26-29

"We're dispatching officers now, Ma'am. What does he look like?"

I looked back at the screen. "He's in his late thirties, tall, wearing jeans and a flannel shirt. Hurry, she's not moving and he's still kicking her!" I hung up the phone and we sat back and watched.

If Olivia wasn't a werewolf, she wouldn't have survived the beating he put on her. He picked her up and threw her onto the hood of her car, then as she tried to get up he grabbed her hair and flung her to the ground again. He was kicking her again when I saw everyone still, and then they all ran off to their own houses. The cruisers rolled into view, and the deputies advanced into the house, guns drawn, while Olivia lay motionless in the front yard.

Luckily for them, it was ingrained in werewolves to not expose themselves to humans. A few minutes later, Alpha David Lewis was being led out in handcuffs and put in the back of the squad car. An ambulance arrived and the paramedics swarmed around the unconscious Olivia next to the driveway. We watched until the ambulance left.

"I have to let Craig know." I closed my eyes and thought about how; we were very careful not to text each other or leave other traces, just our weekly video chat which wasn't until tonight.

"Yes, but we can't wait long," Moe said. "If we leave her in the hospital too long, her rapid healing will be noticed. We have to get her out of there today."

"Let's go then." I got up and started to move to the door.

"WHAT?" Moe jumped up and lightly grabbed my arm. "You don't mean..."

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. I can't let the Grand Forks pack get her back, and right now she's an important witness in a domestic assault case. We can use this, Moe. Drive me to Grand Forks, it's a five hour trip. I'll go in and talk her into coming with me. We bring her back here, and protect her from two threats."

He was mind linking, probably to his sons. "What threat other than Alpha Davis?"

"Her father," I said. "Look, it's pretty clear the engagement is off, and her father was counting on her to cement that alliance. He'll be pissed, and it gives me a chance to break those packs apart permanently. That advances my cause, too."

He finally relented, but only after getting Matthew and John to accompany us in their Excursion. It took closer to six hours with traffic and multiple stops for food and bathroom that a pregnant woman required, but soon we had pulled into Grand Forks Memorial Hospital parking garage. We didn't want to attract attention to the Greens as we were in another pack's territory, so I would do the fun here. I was carrying a cellphone in my pocket with an earpiece, and was talking with Josh back home. He had hacked into the security system for the hospital and would help guide us out without being seen.

I made my way inside and headed for room 326. I waited in the stairwell until Josh had disabled the camera feed to their security, then walked to the room when Josh said the nurses were busy. I slipped inside and locked the door. Olivia looked at me as I did, and I think both our eyes got equally wide at what we saw.

She looked like, well, shit. Her head was wrapped in gauze, she had butterfly bandages and stitches on most of her face which was otherwise a mass of bruises. Her nose was taped, her left arm in a sling with a brace on it, and she had deep bruises visible on her neck and shoulders. I could tell that her wolf healing was starting to kick in already, it was a good thing we were here.

"Ella?" Her voice was weak and scratchy. "Oh Luna, you aren't here to kill me, are you?"

I shook my head and tried to smile, my hands out and open. "No, Olivia, I could never do that to my mate's twin." It was her turn, it must have hurt when her jaw dropped because I could see her wince. "We've been keeping it quiet, obviously."

"Then why are you here?"

"We have to get you out of the human hospital before they pick up on your healing rate. I'm here because we are going to save you from the Grand Forks pack, which isn't done with you. Their Alpha is in jail right now, and you're the star witness at his trial. Not a safe place to be. So, you come with me or I can get you back to Brainerd and your Pack."

"NO!" She stretched her arm out. "My Dad will kill me if I go back there."

"I guess that settles it, then." I pulled some clothes, a pair of jeans, T-shirt, and hoodie out of a bag. "Come on, you need to get that crap off you and get dressed so we can sneak out of here." I helped her to her feet, she was obviously sore, and then helped her get dressed. After I took the bandages and gauze off her head she still looked beat up. She would have to keep the hoodie up and her head down.

When we were ready, Josh watched for a good time to make it back to the stairway. I opened the door and we walked out casually, like we were just visiting a friend. We made it to the stairway, and Josh helped us get to the car without being noticed. As we loaded up and exited the parking lot, we all let out a sigh of relief. We couldn't get out of there fast enough.

"How did you know what happened to me," Olivia said.

"We've had all three Packs under video surveillance for a month now," Moe said. "We saw what he did to you. What did you ever do to deserve that?"

She looked at the floor. "Ella, you know I told you that David and I have been intimate together for months, even though he wouldn't mark or mate me until I graduate school and move in with him." I nodded. "Last month I visited him, and when I went down on him, I smelled another she-wolf. I confronted him, and he just laughed. Said he was an Alpha and I should consider myself lucky to have him."

"Asshole." Matthew looked disgusted. "A real man doesn't cheat on his mate."

"Well, he isn't my mate yet, as he said. Anyway, I went home and told my father. He told me that it didn't matter as long as he still accepted me as his Luna when I graduate. Of course, the same rule didn't apply to me." She dried a tear on her sleeve. "There was this guy at school, a human. I like him a lot, and last weekend at a party he started to kiss me. I was a little drunk, and I was pissed at David, so I went home with him and I had revenge sex with him."

"And he found out?" Moe looked at her in the mirror as she nodded.

"He could still smell him inside me, even after this time. Stupid Alpha senses." She looked out the window. "He told me to get out of his house, then called my father and told him I was whoring around on him and I was not suitable to be his mate. He broke the engagement, and my father told me I was not welcome at home any more. He broke the Pack link with me, making me a rogue, and that's when David decided to beat me to death as an example to both Packs. He would have, too, if the police hadn't arrived."

I gave her a hug as she broke down. "You're safe now, Olivia. We're going back to my house, and tonight when Craig calls you can talk to him."

She fell asleep on my shoulder as the miles passed. We stopped near Minot for dinner and the video chat happened while we were still driving home. Craig's emotions were all over the place, I could tell, but he was happy she was safe. "It won't be long now, Ella. The Packs are falling apart, and soon they will be too busy surviving to worry about you. When I am done here, I will come to you."

"And then what," I said breathily.

"Oh, my mate, then I am going to do all those things I've been dreaming about since I met you. I'm going to mark you, mate you, and rule with you." I smiled, I honestly couldn't wait.

"But your mark may not take." I didn't know how it would work with me being human and not being able to be changed. "And I don't know if I can mark you without my wolf."

"Then we'll mark each other every morning so everyone can see you are MINE, Ella, and I am yours."

I couldn't wait.

Ch 29

It was late when we finally got home; Olivia had slept the rest of the way. She was already looking better, her wolf healing kicking in to heal the cuts, and her bruising had reduced quite a bit. She was nowhere near being healed, though. Moe carried her in and Mabel led them to a guest room she had prepared for her arrival. The Greens left for their own house while Mabel and I got her changed and into bed; she didn't even wake up.

Sunday was a lazy day, normally. The Green children and mates plus Mark had planned to be out on the ATV's all day, riding around the extensive properties I owned here. Moe and Theresa volunteered to run security while they were having fun.

Richard and Doris Darling had left on Saturday morning for their home pack; he only wanted a part time job and they missed their friends, so they would be gone a couple weeks.

Tom and Shelley had gone back to their old house to move some more things now that the cleaning crew had removed the bloodstained carpet and walls. Shelley still couldn't bear to look into Mark's room, even though he had cleaned out all his stuff. I was glad they were happy with the new house down the street.

The Spencers went to the Black Hills in South Dakota. Carl and Angela loved to travel, and they wanted Josh and Jane to see as much of the United States as they could. Angela worked the trips into her homeschooling plans for them, and she also thought it did Josh good to get away from the computer for a while. I made arrangements with allied Packs to allow their visit and to ensure their protection.

Melanie Schefter and Nadine Anderson had both stayed behind, so along with Marge, Mabel, Theresa, Linda and Katy, we decided to have a girl's day. Chick flicks, ice cream and homemade pizzas. We had originally planned to go shopping in Minot, but I was still tired and Olivia still sleeping.

We had let Olivia sleep in, and when she woke up at two in the afternoon she found us in the theater room, surrounded by junk food and watching Beaches. "Hey Olivia," I said as I got up awkwardly, my pregnancy belly making my balance off.

"You don't have to get up, Ella!" She moved over to me and gave me a hug. "Thank you for getting me out of there."

"You're welcome, and don't worry. I have to go to the bathroom anyway." I moved past her and down the hall as the other girls introduced themselves. By the time I came back, Melanie had her lying down on a theater chair and was starting to work on her nails. The group of us bonded quickly with her, we all had been damaged in one way or another, and we knew how important it was for her to find a Pack now that her father and fiancé had kicked her out. Ours wasn't conventional, but it was working for us. Even the ones who still belonged to other Packs could feel it.

By the time dinner rolled around, Olivia's nails and toes had been done and she was sleeping on the chair with Melanie tucked in with her. They had both broken down and shared their stories with the rest of us, and now were emotionally exhausted. We left them in the quiet room as we moved to the kitchen. Theresa and her girls commandeered my kitchen, turning it into a production line of dough and tomato sauce. As you might expect in a werewolf household, the toppings were mostly meat, and veggie pizzas weren't even considered. By the time the first pizzas were coming out of the oven, the boys had returned. Mark was meeting his parents in town, but the rest of us settled down around my big dining table as the food started coming out.

When I was done, I took a couple plates and a variety of slices back into the theater room and set them on the table next to their chair. My movements weren't those of a stalking wolf, I was human and pregnant and I may have bumped some things, and it was enough to startle them awake. "Hi guys. We made some pizzas, I didn't know if you were ready for the big crowd so I brought you some."

"Thank you, Ella," said Olivia as she rubbed her eyes. "I'm starving." She sat up and grabbed a plate as Melanie moved to the next chair over.

"Thank you, Alpha." I smiled at Melanie as she reached for the food.

"You're welcome. If you want more, come back or give one of us a yell. We've got the Green's over tonight. Olivia, if you are up to meeting the rest of Moe's family just come on in." I left them to think it over; Melanie was slowly warming up to the men around me, but needed encouragement. What she really needed, I thought, was to find her mate. I decided that I would start bringing her along when I visited other Packs to give her a better shot.

Actually, Olivia needed that too. Now that she was free of the bond her father pushed her towards, I wanted her to find her true mate as well. I guess it was a good thing my RV was arriving tomorrow.

I had decided we needed a more comfortable way to travel, and I had the money, so I went for it. I bought a 38 foot Fleetwood Expedition diesel pusher Class A in March. A friend of Moe's knew of a custom shop that would perform some specific modifications for cash and keep their mouths shut, and we sent it there. Some changes were simple, like the lockable "doggie door," while others required more discretion. These included false backs to some of the storage compartments, a "safe box" under the master bed that was armored and lockable from the inside, and a false tank accessible from under the carpet in the living room. Moe had convinced me that these compartments would come in handy when we had to transport stuff that wasn't so legal. The RV dealer had sent it to the shop and was delivering the completed rig to me, as I had bought it over the internet.

The next morning, I was sitting around my bedroom waiting for the RV to arrive and doing some of my homework. I ran outside when I got a text message from Luke who was manning the security center, the delivery was arriving. It was a thing of beauty. I had asked Moe, Mabel, Marge and Mark to be there as the sales representative walked through everything with it for the next few hours. He covered everything from operating the three slideouts to the microwave. Once we were comfortable with operating the gear, I invited anyone who wanted to come to go on the shakedown drive. Olivia wasn't feeling up to it yet, so she stayed home with Marge. Melanie, Nadine and Theresa all wanted to come, so we all climbed on board.

Mark, Moe, Theresa and I took turns driving the bus-like vehicle with him giving us tips. It was weird being so high, but I got used to it quickly. We drove the sales rep to the airport, then grabbed some pizzas and had a little feast at a scenic turnout over the Missouri River. It was a lot of fun, and I really liked the comfort I could travel in as I was getting more pregnant- even if it was tough to get out of those big chairs without help!

"You know," Mark said, "We don't have much going on next week. I'm off school, and you said you're almost done with your Internet schooling for the year. Why don't we take a road trip?"

I had to admit, I was itching to get this thing out on the road. "Where to?"

"Well, you said you don't want to see a human OB-GYN anymore because werewolf babies develop slightly differently late in the pregnancy, and you don't need a human to see that if they are wolves. We could drive down to visit your Aunt and Uncle and have the Doc check you out. We could stay there for a bit, then continue down to Yellowstone and Jackson Hole."

"That's a hell of an idea, Mark. I'd love to see some things before I get too big and uncomfortable to travel! What do you think, Moe?"

He nodded. "That wouldn't be a problem, your team is working well. I'd send some people with you, just to be safe. I need someone on this RV with you, and another watching at a distance." He looked at Theresa. "You know, we wouldn't mind that trip. It would be good to get back to the mountains and run for a while."

"We're not complaining," Theresa said, "but our wolves need the break. Plus, I want to visit some friends."

"It's settled then," I said. I made a phone call to my Aunt Remi, who was thrilled at the idea of us visiting. I told her Mark would be along, as he wanted to be there for the baby exam, and she said that would be fine- after all, he was the presumed father and he already knew about us. I told her there might be a few more, but that was fine too.

When we got home, we worked out the rest of the details. We decided to leave on Wednesday, giving us plenty of time to finish up projects and pack. I talked the girls into going; Nadine was thrilled as she hadn't been in big mountain country before, and Natalie was excited to meet other kids. Melanie was reluctant, but she didn't want to be left home either. Olivia needed a diversion, and this trip would be that.

Moe and Theresa were going to ride with all of us. Michael, Linda, Luke and Katy were going to trail us in the SUV. The unmated boys were going to stay behind and keep security going for everyone else. They were mad, but I told them there would be more trips, and they already knew their mates weren't back home.

All of our luggage had been loaded by the boys when Olivia, Melanie and I walked out of the house. We all gave Marge and Margo hugs, they were staying home to watch over the Green boys, and walked onto the RV. I had made it up the stairs and was turning towards the living room when I ran into the back of Olivia, who was frozen in place. "Olivia?" She didn't move. "What's wrong?" I moved a little to the side and saw she was staring at Mark, who was sitting in a recliner looking at his iPad.

"Mate." She said it so softly I could barely hear it, but every wolf in the area heard it loud and clear. I smiled as I watched her move towards him slowly, her wolf forward in her mind and her eyes darkening with lust. I started laughing a little; after all the weird turns my life had taken, to find out that my mate's twin sister was the mate of my baby daddy? It was too much for me to handle.

Mark glanced up at me from his screen before his eyes went back to the screen in his lap. He paid no attention as Olivia walked up to him, picked the device out of his hand, and leaned forward and kissed him deeply. He pushed her off, causing her wolf to growl in anger. "What the hell? Who are you?"

She moved back in front of him. "I'm Olivia Anderson, and I'm your mate. What is your name?" She was running her hands along his thighs and leaning forward, bending down to get a good sniff of his neck.

"Wait a minute." He pushed her off him again. "Olivia Anderson, as in the girl who betrayed my best friend and helped with her drugging and rape?"

She nodded, tears flowing down her face as she felt his anger through the beginnings of their bond. "Yes... I'm so sorry. I wish I had been strong enough to tell my father no."

Mark stood up. "You disgust me. I don't want anything to do with you." He stormed off the RV, leaving Olivia collapsed onto her knees and bawling, as he ran back and got in the SUV with the Green kids.

Melanie and I helped Olivia up on the couch, and I held her to me as she broke down completely. I felt horrible for her; to have the best moment of your life turned into complete shit in seconds. Moe looked back at me; I nodded, and he put the diesel in gear and started to drive. We all buckled in, Melanie doing the honors for Olivia, and we let her cry it out as we moved towards the highway.

When the tears finally stopped, she looked up at me and I could see the pain in her eyes. "He hates me," she said. "The only one who could truly love me, hates me."

"He didn't react well, did he?" I stroked her head and neck as she started to cry again. "He will get over it. You haven't lost him."

"But he said he didn't want anything to do with me!!"

Melanie squeezed her shoulder. "He's human, the mate bond doesn't work the same way, but it does work," she said. "He won't be able to keep hating you."

"Plus, I don't hate you, Olivia." I kissed her forehead. "I forgave you, and you're my family now. It's going to take some time, and you two are going to need a long talk, but he will come around. I'm sure of it." I was going to have a long talk with Mark myself. He should know better. "I need you to understand a few things about him, though. Mark is likely the father of my babies."