Forever Is Not Enough [Council Enforcers 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

something he tolerated. His father had taught him that lesson every day as he beat him up until Percival killed the man by ripping his throat out.
    “Your mother was human, but she knew about shifters. Adrian’s family had been attacked by rogues and all killed except for her. She was about thirteen at the time she came to live in my pack. The council had decided it was best for her to be raised by shifters rather than be put into foster care because she was too old to be convinced that she had been imagining things. That way they could keep an eye on her and make sure she didn’t reveal our existence. I wanted to argue with the council about letting a filthy human into our world, but I couldn’t. To do so would have given away my position and ruin all of my plans. I had to look like a sympathizer, so I befriended your mother and treated her like a daughter.” Edmund paused to let what he was telling Jacqueline sink in. “She grew up following me around, and I allowed it, but I hated it. I thought I had your mother wrapped around my finger until she fell in love with a human, and I started seeing her less and less.
    “The night I killed her, she’d come to me and told me she knew all about my plans, and she was going to the council to tell them. I have no idea how she found out about my plans, but she said the reason she was telling was because she was pregnant, and she needed to keep her baby safe. My ideas of a world where humans were basically slaves wouldn’t let that happen.” He laughed at the thought of Adrian thinking she could intimidate him. “All I kept thinking to myself was, ‘How dare this pathetic human think she can threaten me? How dare she think she can ruin everything that I’ve worked for?’ I proved to her that night that a worthless human would never get the best of me. I took the one thing from Adrian she was willing to betray me to protect. I took the precious child she was carrying.”
    Edmund looked over to Jacqueline as she silently sobbed with her face buried in her hands. “It seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. You betrayed me just like your mother did. It seems fitting your punishments should be the same.” When her head shot up and she stared at him with a confused look on her face, Edmund knew then she didn’t know. “He didn’t tell you, did he? Your mate didn’t tell you that you were carrying his pup.”
    Jacqueline wrapped her hands protectively around her stomach, causing Edmund to laugh. “Benjamin will never find you, and when it’s time, I’ll do to you as I did to your mother. As your eyes glaze over in death, you’ll watch as I cradle your pup in my arms.” He whistled as he headed toward the door to the room. It seemed things were looking up. He had lost most of his rogues, but the revenge he was going to get on the enforcers using his daughter was going to make it all worthwhile.
     
    * * * *
     
    Jacqueline realized she had made the dumbest mistake of her life the moment she climbed out the window behind the man she had thought of as her father. She’d been thinking only of saving Tessa and Nico at the time, but the minute the window shut behind her, Ben was the only person in her thoughts. She wanted to turn and run back inside to him immediately, but she knew there was no way. She’d given up her life to save three, and she was okay with that, but she knew Ben would be devastated. Now, she knew it wasn’t just her life she had given up. Jacqueline cradled her stomach. She had a tiny life growing inside of her, and there was no way she would sacrifice herself now.
    She had no doubt the man had been telling the truth about her being pregnant. Edmund Percival was a man who loved to hurt people in the most awful ways possible. Telling her he was going to kill her and take her child, exactly as he had done to her mother, was something he knew would destroy her.
    “I can fix the formula. I can give you the rogues you’ve always wanted.” Jacqueline shouted the first thing that came to mind to keep Percival from leaving the room. She didn’t have only herself to think about anymore.
    Percival paused at the door before turning back to her. “I’m listening.”
    “Not only did I do something to the previous formula to kill the rogues, but I also adjusted it to make them more docile.”
    “My dear, I already know everything you did. At this moment, I have a team of scientists working to reverse what you’ve done and give me the