Her CEO Stalker and Her Second Chance Mate Chapter 148

**Briar**

Mazzie and Lana followed us inside, where Tucker and Rosie greeted me, and then I saw the mess still strewn throughout the house. Mazzie and Lana gave each other a look, but I just folded my arms over my chest and looked at him.

“This is not going to work,” I said, looking around. When within my own spiral, I had only noticed a glimpse of Carter’s house the last time I was here. He grabbed a cardboard box and started filling it with empty cans and water bottles as he made his way through the kitchen without me having to explain what I meant.

“So what’s the plan with this grade A douchebag alphahole?” Lana asked, grabbing a bottle of water and taking a seat on a stool as I wandered around, clearing off the surface of the counter while cuddling Tucker to my chest as he purred contentedly.

“I don’t know that we have a plan per se, but after Jake’s letter, I can’t just walk away from this place; that's a last resort.

“Oh! You finally opened it,” Lana asked, perking up. I nodded, I waved the paper I had tucked into my back pocket around, before setting it on the counter and sliding it to Mazzie and Lana. When I glanced at Carter, he just nodded his approval of my willingness to share my secrets with our friends. They were allies. They both bent over the letter, reading.

“Holy shit, Briar, Clyde is your father?” Lana blurted out as Mazzie sat back in her seat, digesting the information. I just nodded. I hadn’t noted the family resemblance when I first met him but the cleft chin and a few of my features couldn’t lie now that I knew the truth.

“If you're his daughter and he has undoubtedly figured it out, why wouldn’t he grant you the pack’s protection? I suppose he figured it out when he met you? He could probably smell it in your blood.”

“Your guess is as good as mine, wait, they can do that,” I said. “However, I’m half human and he seems to detest my breed,” I now understood what Latrisha had said in the conference room that day. Carter growled under his breath, setting the box and a bag of trash by the back door. Before wrapping his arms around me from behind and burying his face in my neck

“My guess from what he said is he’s testing her, but he's also bringing Creedon into the territory,” he said, looking at me. “While we were there, Briar’s dominance came out, and when Clyde pushed his out, Briar didn't even balk. He is either testing her or he wants her out of the way. Not to mention Creedon would pay a hefty price to gain access to her, he's already offered.” Carter pointed out. Both women balked at what that could imply.

“Keep reading,” I told them. And the two women huddled over the letter again.

It was Mazzie who spoke up now.

“Jake was going to challenge Clyde!”

I just nodded and motioned for her to keep reading. At the end of it I watched them both sit back in their seats, stunned.

“Jake must have found out something really bad about Clyde for him to suggest this. Briar, you haven’t even shifted yet, for Jake to even suggest you take him on means he sensed something about your wolf.” Mazzie suggested her expression grave.

“She’s an Alpha,” Lana said clearly. And we all looked at her in question.

“That day you almost shifted on me. I felt it, the waves of power. Jake knew you better than the rest of us; he must have recognized it.” Lana added.

 I brought that memory up in my mind. I was ten seconds from losing my shit that day.

“Martha told me Clyde was jealous of how much everyone loved and respected Jake, she said,  she thinks the only reason he pursued my mother was to get back at him. To say he could tame the more wild of the two sisters’ spirits.” I informed them. “I don’t remember her, my mom…my aunt wouldn’t talk about him,” I said as Carter turned me to face him in his arms. I looked up at him, and one of his hands brushed the hair out of my face. His look of adoration shifted to seriousness.

“Briar, he sees you as a threat, or he is testing you to be his heir, I'm not sure which, but Creedon is coming, and we might not have the warning we did this time.” Where the panic should have overtaken me, only resolve stared back at him as I realized they had coerced me out of the line of fire this time.

“So you all knew and didn’t tell me?” I asked, and Carter bowed his head in shame. I glanced over my shoulder to Lana, who averted her eyes. I wouldn’t have listened to Carter anyway. He pulled my chin gently to face him once more.

“I’m sorry, I’m a selfish bastard, and with things as they were, I thought you would run, but you're stronger than that, Briar,” he placed my hand over his chest. “You are not doing this alone. We had to keep you safe, even if it was temporary. You have a right to be here; don’t let anyone push you to the point of thinking otherwise. If this pack has any hope, it is with you. The way Clyde thinks is poisoning the pack. We can never thrive in this world with the way he thinks, the way he uses his people, the way I let him use me in his twisted way of protecting this pack.”

“You're going to have to stay out of town, away from people you can’t trust as much as possible, if word gets out that you're pregnant with Carter’s kid, Clyde will go after Carter if you haven’t been fully indoctrinated into the pack. I don’t mean keeping your mouth shut, Briar. One whiff of you and anyone can tell whose kid you're carrying. As excited as I am to be an auntie, right now the priority is keeping you and that pup alive.” Mazzie said gravely. I took in a deep breath, letting that sink in.

“No more secrets, guys,” I told them. “If you know something, you tell me. I have a right to know and decide what is the best course of action for myself. While I get why you all did it,” I said as I met each of their eyes. “You keep telling me how strong I am, but you can’t trust me with my own decisions? I’ll forgive you this time, but don’t let there be a next time.”

Mazzie and Lana nodded in agreement, and when I turned to Carter, his facade was full of grief.

“No more secrets,” he promised. Then he looked at Mazzie and Lana, who nodded in agreement.

“I need some time with my mate,” he said unapologetically.

They both pushed away from their spots at the counter.

“I’ll text you later,” Lana hollered to me as she waved over her shoulder while they made their way through the house and out the front door. I ducked out of Carter’s arms, and he was at my back as I moved to the back door.

“I’m just getting my bag. I dropped it on the lawn,” I reassured him.

“I’ll get it, he said, jogging past me and rushing out the door to go get it. I stood on the deck, my arms crossed over my chest, as he came back with my bag in his hand.

“You thought I was going to run?” I questioned. He bowed his head as he handed me the bag.

“I’m terrified you’re going to leave again, Briar. I don’t know if I can handle that again,” he admitted.

“I promised you that you had the opportunity to come clean to me today, and I meant it,” I reminded him. He nodded and held his hand out to me, and I took it. He led me to the living room and we settled down on the couch. He set the backpack at my feet.