Chapter 30

Tyler POV

Wright House

Rachel responded to my texts with a reassuring speed. I had never sent so many texts in my life. I was surprised the cellular company had yet to reach out to ensure my phone hadn't been stolen.

"Are you on your way?"

I knew she was finished for the day. Rachel had messaged me as soon as her morning cleared up following her recording session.

Dylan kept telling me they weren't pressuring her any more than another new launch artist. I didn't deal with the music side of the entertainment industry often. I trusted Dylan though. If he said they weren't pushing her, they weren't pushing her.

I just hated the idea of Rachel being forced to work for hours at a stretch when she was pregnant.

"10 minutes out!"

Children had never been a priority for me. I swore I wouldn't have any when I was taken from my birth mother to come live at Wright Manor with my father and his wife.

No one had cared I was only a boy. They had cared my brother William could no longer shift and thus the status of the family as Alpha House of Moonrise Pack was in jeopardy. If my father couldn't provide a blood heir to carry his claim for the Alpha line, our pack would put forth another candidate to take over the pack when it was time for my father to abdicate.

Or in the event he was killed.

Alphas didn't battle to the death on a regular basis the way they had in the past, but challenge claims did happen.

Old Alphas were rare to see in power. They could retire to a position on the Alpha Council, but actively leading a pack? Wolves honored strength; youth and vitality mattered more than the wisdom garnered with age.

John Wright knew he'd lose his personal control over the pack by the time he was in his mid-sixties. He had to put forth an heir while he had time to train them to take over as he wanted.

I knew all the reasons I was taken from my mother. Knowing why something happened and accepting the event was completely different---especially when one was a child.

I remembered endless lessons on family lines, inheritance arrangements, and investment agreements. Money drove most of the interactions among wolves the same as among humans. Everyone was so focused on making sure I learned how to lead properly no one ever asked if I was lonely, scared, or if I missed my mother.

No one hugged me.

I think the lack of contact was worse than the constant demands to learn more, faster, better.

Wolves craved physical affection even more than humans did as we were a social species. Our packs were the result of generations of inherited knowledge. Our nature encouraged us to form connections within our ranks to protect ourselves from outside threats.

My brother William had three boys who'd been raised to be his Beta officers. I hadn't met a Beta until I came to live with my father. I was sixteen-years-old when I finally made a lasting connection with Adam Adsit who came from a long line of Beta warriors.

I had been isolated until then---it was no wonder I trusted Adam more than my family. He had proved himself to be more loyal than my bloodline. He also cared more about my happiness.

"Sorry it took me a bit to get here! I finished recording the third track on my LP. We are doing six tracks total. Howard says six is more than standard, but I should push myself while I'm 'hot' whatever that means."

Rachel laughed and I felt my heart lighten.

I couldn't believe how much only the sound of her voice comforted me. How had I taken her for granted all the years we were together?

I'd come home every day to the knowledge Rachel would be home, waiting, ready with dinner and a smile. She projected contentment even though we only orbited around each other more than shared our lives. We'd always been together yet separate somehow.

I had never worked out how to climb over the barriers between us to form a lasting connection with her.

"You have to push while you're in the public's mind. A movie succeeds based on hype more than its budget. I can sell a film with two big names attached even if we have a shoestring budget. People want those stars. Right now? Camelot Records is trying to make you the star everyone wants."

I hated the drive to push Rachel forward, too. Every appearance she made resulted in losing more of her to the public. She already had fan sites popping up according to my marketing team.

We were invested in Rachel's success since my company had taken over the film her music was providing the soundtrack for and I knew I was going to make money on her.

I wasn't proud of profiting off my mate. I knew my father was though. He had a smug look every time I saw him in the office and he kept asking how "Our Rachel" was doing even though he'd made a point never to mention her in the past.

"You're the star I want."

Rachel blushed prettily in response. I was struck all over again by how lovely she was even after spending all day working. Any other woman would have been showing signs of strain from the punishing schedule Rachel was keeping, but my Rachel?

She radiated joy and loveliness and a kind of stylish elegance unique to her.

"Why now? Is it just because you've been cut off from Wynd?"

I didn't want to talk about the void left behind by my sleeping wolf. My connection to Wynd was in jeopardy because he mourned the loss of his mate which he blamed me for since it had been me Rachel had left.

"No. I want my wolf back, but I would rather have you back."

"Why? You miss all my steak dinners? You know I can cook chicken, too."

"Chicken? Exciting! I don't know if I'm ready to go so far as chicken on a first date. I have to save some excitement for the second one otherwise how would I keep you coming back?"

I was only halfway joking.

I wanted Rachel back more than I wanted my next breath of air. My body physically craved connection with hers. Being near her made me want to cling to her, bury my face in her neck where her scent was strongest, rub myself all over her until our scents mingled too much to separate.

Reaching for her arm, I tugged her close to me, "Any advice on keeping your attention? I accept suggestions from the peanut gallery. I have a healthy respect for the input of my creative team."

"Do you?" Rachel asked, her voice a low husky murmur, "I have a hard time imagining you taking advice from anyone."

"You're welcome to come visit Moonrise Entertainment any day. See how I work in person?"

I'd never asked Rachel to come to my office before. The times she'd shown up with lunch in the early days of our mating had been almost embarrassing for me. I didn't like the convergence of my private and professional lives.

I'd been an idiot who didn't know what he had and I'd lost it---but I was going to get her back.

Leaning down to indulge my instincts, I breathed in Rachel's scent at the conjunction between her neck and shoulder. She shivered in reaction to the phantom touch. Could my breath on her skin move her as much as her scent moved me?

"Tell me how to get you back."

"I don't know if you ever had me."

Trust Rachel to cut straight to the heart of the matter.

"I wanted to. Why did you lie to me?"

Rachel raised her eyes to mine. I wanted to kiss her more than I wanted my next breath, but I wanted her answer more.

We could have had something amazing together. Why had she started everything off with a lie? Why hadn't she trusted me enough to at least give me a chance to hear the truth? What was wrong with me to make my mate feel more comfortable lying than asking me for help?

"I was scared. Patrick owed money to dangerous men. I was only a teenager. Still in high school. Ethan was fourteen."

I knew some of the story she was telling. I had been there for part of it.

Rachel continued, reaching out to grasp my forearms as she kept talking.

"The men took me the night we met because Patrick promised them my virginity to settle his debt---I ran. I couldn't bear having a stranger touch me like that. You saved me. Took care of me while the drug they gave me ran through my body. I woke up sober. Humiliated. Worried about my little brother. I ran again to find Ethan, you know?"

"Why didn't you just call him?"

Rachel shook her head negatively. She looked so sad it was breaking my heart.

"I didn't think, Tyler. All I wanted was to get away from this huge mess Patrick had made for me. See my brother. Try to put my life back together."

"Why didn't you wait for me to wake up? I would have helped you. Why didn't you think I would help you?"

"I didn't know you, Tyler. I had a choice to make and I chose my brother over you. My mate. I regret it, but I can't change it. I got a ransom demand when I made it home. These men who had taken me? They had Ethan. They sent video where they were torturing him. I had to get the money they wanted or they'd kill him. Badly."

Patrick Flores was scum. It wasn't hard to believe Rachel's story.

"Why didn't you ever tell me the truth about it all? Why keep it a secret?"

Rachel smiled at me sadly, "Men don't really want a woman of mystery?"