RED ROCK SHIFTERS

CHAPTER TEN

"I've come to a decision," I told her and she looked even more wary at that declaration. I couldn't blame her.

"It had best include me getting my daughter back or else you'll be losing a vital part of your anatomy," she warned.

"You'll get Luna back," I said and she looked relieved but I wasn't finished yet. "As soon as you agree to my demands."

"What demands?" she said through gritted teeth. I hesitated. I knew she wouldn't be happy about what I was about to say but that didn't matter. It was the best thing for our daughter and I refused to allow anything less.

"You'll get Luna back at our mating ceremony," I said and saw the stunned look that morphed in to rage.

"You think that I would ever agree to mate a psychopath like you?" she hissed. I shrugged the insult off; I'd been called much worse.

"I think you will if you want to see our daughter again," I said. That took the edge right off her rage.

"You said demands, plural?" she asked and I smiled.

"Yes I did."

"Get on with it then. I haven't got all night and I want my baby back," she snapped.

"After the mating ceremony you and Luna will be moving in to my home in Red Rock and you will never even attempt to take her from me again," I said. Her eyes widened at that. What? Did she think that I would seriously suggest we mate and then allow her to simply walk away with my daughter? The best thing for a child was for two parents to raise them and I wanted nothing but the best for our daughter.

"I can't stay in Red Rock," she said and there was fear in her eyes. I was suddenly intensely curious about my mate to be. What had put that fear there? It certainly wasn't anything that anyone in Red Rock could have done because they were the nicest people I knew.

"Why?" I asked curiously and all I got for my troubles was a blank stare.

"I can't tell you that," she said and my curiosity heightened.

"If you don't tell me then I can't decide whether it's a reasonable enough excuse," I said and she seemed to consider that for a minute.

"I can't tell you. All I can say is that you have to trust me because if you knew about my past then you wouldn't want me there either," she said. I still wanted to know what she was keeping from me but now wasn't the time for that. It didn't matter what grievous sins she thought she'd committed or what skeletons she was hiding in her closet. Once she was mated to me nobody would question anything about her past. She would be the mate of the future alpha and the mother of our child. Nobody would dare to question anything about her.

"You have nothing to worry about honey. You are the mother of my child and I will protect you. Luna is my number one priority and I won't let anyone hurt either of you," I promised. Finally she agreed though I could tell she wasn't happy about it.

"You're going to regret it," she said but it didn't sound like a threat. More like an observation.

(Izzy's Pov)

I couldn't believe that I had actually agreed to it. Becoming the mate of this man and allowing my daughter to stay in Red Rock, was I insane? I didn't want my sweet baby anywhere near the violence of the pack. The one good thing I had done as a mother was keep my innocent daughter away from any bloodshed. So what if I'd had to work as a stripper to provide for her? At least I'd known that she was safe and away from all the dangers that being a wolf bought.

"Get on," Jace said as he climbed on to his bike. I wasn't an expert on machines but even I could tell that this was a powerful piece of equipment. Reluctantly I accepted the helmet he gave me. He went without. It didn't really matter one way or the other for us as an accident wasn't likely to cause us any permanent damage unless we found ourselves beheaded, in which case it was unlikely that the helmet would have saved us.