Forbidden Temptation My Mafia Fiance's Alpha Father (Brooklyn and Aden) novel Chapter 58

Chapter 58
Brooklyn

Hudson shifts back and stands over me as I try and catch my breath.

I shift back, too, still trying to get enough oxygen into my lungs.

“Please,” I pant, on my hands and knees, ignoring the spikes of old dry needles that press into my palms and legs.

“Please, Hudson,” I say, sucking air into my lungs “I just need…just one minute…”

“Okay,” he says, crouching down next to me, looking around warily. “I think we may be safe for now. We may have lost them.”

I’m not sure I believe him. After all, there were plenty of shifters in attendance tonight. They probably know these woods with their eyes closed.

I concentrate on the ground, on getting air back into my lungs, the sweet feel of it bringing clarity to my thoughts, to my panicked emotions.

My wolf works to soothe me, almost as if she’s petting me from the inside.

I’m so off-kilter that I don’t realize I’m naked until now.

Hudson notices that I’ve noticed, and holds his hand out. It’s then when I see that somehow in the midst of all that was happening, he picked up our clothes in his teeth and ran with them.

He’s holding out my dress, and I hurriedly pull it on.

“What was all that, Hudson,” I ask, horror on my face. He’s much calmer than me, both physically and mentally. “Why are you acting like this was a normal day in your life?”

He shrugs. “I’ve been through this before. Once or twice.” He puts a hand on my shoulder. “It doesn’t get…easier. But you stop being so shocked after your first time.”

I laugh ruefully. What Hudson means is that this won’t be the last time this happens to him, or to me.

This is part of the life. My life now.

I open my mouth to ask more when a dark figure comes into sight.

Both Hudson and I scramble back—

“It’s fine,” the figure says, coming forward and stretching out a hand. My fear subsides when I recognize Aden’s voice.

“Dad,” Hudson says, rushing over to him. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Aden growls, but I can see that he’s clutching his left arm with his right hand.

Hudson bends down to look at it but Aden flinches away.

And I start to shake even harder.

“With me, Brooklyn,” he says again, holding my gaze, speaking softer this time. “One,” he says, taking a deep breath in. I do the same, pulling as much air into my lungs as I can. When he exhales, I exhale.

Then, again. “Two,” he says, taking another deep breath. I do the same.

We continue like that for a while, until he counts to fifteen, when Hudson interrupts.

“Okay,” he says. “Lucas is here.” He points into the darkness beyond the grove of trees. “About five hundred feet that way, there’s a road. Lucas is on it. He says it’s clear.”

“Let’s go.” Aden stands up.

I stand up with him. He breaks my gaze to hold out the gun to Hudson, who hesitates and takes it.

With Aden’s free hand—slick with blood, I notice—he takes my own.

Aden nods to me as if asking for my go ahead. I nod back.

Then the three of us quietly walk through the night, Hudson running point, Aden walking next to me.

I look down at my hand joined with Aden Kenwood, and wonder, passingly, why it is Aden who holding my hand right now. And not Hudson.