****
"I want these fuckers dealt with!" I heard Jackson shout from inside the living room as I walked down from the bedroom. He had been struggling to sleep lately and I knew it was because he was worried about where this rival pack would strike next. It was a thought that was on all of our minds. This pack had no problems with breaking every rule that had ever been created in the shifter world. Although packs usually had to look after themselves, it was an unspoken rule that you did not harm those from other packs; else you could risk war between the shifters and the destruction of the entire race. Most shifters agreed that keeping themselves a secret was pivotal to their survival, but recently Jackson had heard murmurings through the grapevine that various packs were unsettled. If enough of them decided to ally with each other and go up against the humans, the consequences would be disastrous. It didn't even bear thinking about. I walked in to the living room, observing Jackson look at me at the same time as ending his conversation and hanging up the phone.
"Is everything okay?" I asked, even though I knew the answer.
"I don't want Annabelle to experience war," he said, he pain in his voice causing my heart to break.
"She won't. You won't let her."
"I'm not going to have much choice. How can I sit by while these people hurt my family? What kind of Alpha am I? I'm putting the needs of my pack above the needs of my own family. Terrified of the repercussions for everyone, I'm just letting them get away with it."
"No, you're not. You've have got your men working around the clock to look after everyone. You've barely slept these past few nights and keep waking to write down plans and strategies. I pretend I'm asleep so I don't distract you from whatever ideas you have, but I'm awake and I see you. How can you not see what an amazing alpha that you are? The fact you are putting the people's needs above your families is what makes you an amazing alpha, it's not a negative thing. These people look up to you and they respect you. They wouldn't do that if you were some crappy alpha who didn't know what he was doing."
"I'm trying to come up with something which will protect everyone, but if I have to get rid of the whole Grove pack to protect my family then I will. I'd give up my life to keep you all safe."
"I know." I threw my arms around his waist and pulled him in close for a hug. I didn't tell him what I was thinking, in case he became even angrier. But I wanted to agree with him completely. I'd give up my life to keep him safe, too.
LAURA
It was a couple of days later and I had arrived back at Jackson's after spending the afternoon laughing and drinking coffee with Logan. As soon as I walked through the front door, I knew something was wrong. I didn't know how to describe it, but it was like the air in the house had suddenly changed, like there was a negative energy surrounding me. My heart dropped and I picked up my pace as I heard the distinct sound of a woman crying further on through the house. I rounded the corner to the living room and found the room full of people, each with the same look of fury on their faces. I tried to focus on the men pacing the room, but my attention was diverted by the scene happening on the sofa. Jasmine was sitting on the sofa in Noah's lap, his arms wrapped around her while she sobbed on his shoulder, her eyes red and puffy. My eyes widened when I saw the various cuts and bruises covering her face and arms and I shrank back at the fury on Noah's face as he looked at her. Jackson was pacing by the side of the sofa, a matching look of anger on his face which if I didn't know him so well, would have terrified me. I rushed over to the sofa, kneeling down in front of where Noah and Jasmine were sitting, grabbing Jasmine's hand which was cold to the touch.
"Jasmine, what happened?!" I cried out, dreading what she was going to tell me. She looked at me and the desolation in her gaze caused tears to build in my own.
"They've taken her," she said, her voice hoarse from crying.
"Who?!"
"The Grove Pack. They've taken Annabelle." She moved her head back in to the crook of Noah's neck, wailing so loudly I felt my heart shatter in response. Noah remained silent, but his emotions played out clearly on his face; heartbreak, fear and rage.
"How did this happen?!" I jumped up, turning to Jackson who was looking at me with the same emotions in his gaze that were in Noah's.
"Jasmine took Annabelle out to grab some food shopping, and head to the soft play area. Two enforcers followed behind in a car, but the Grove Pack turned up unexpectedly. Four SUV's surrounded them, running them off the road. Jasmine was knocked unconscious and the precious minutes it took for my men to get out of their trapped, overturned car were enough for them to grab Annabelle and take her with them. We don't know at this point if she was unconscious when they took her." I heard a tremor in his voice and I knew he was about to lose it. Walking over to him, I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him, breathing a sigh of relief when his arms came up and embraced me back.
"We'll get her back," I said, with more conviction in my voice than I felt.
Jasmine started to cry harder from the sofa and Noah tried to comfort her by running his hand across her hair and kissing her forehead.
"We'll get her back, baby," he said, but it caused her to wail louder.
"We don't even know if she's alive! I couldn't protect her! The car rolled over and I was completely useless, I couldn't do anything!"
"Shhh, look at me Jasmine." Noah placed his hands on her cheeks and stayed silent until she looked him right in the eyes.
"I promise you, that I will get our daughter back. She's going to need her Mum when we bring her home so I need you to stay strong for me, okay?"
Jasmine stiffene and I saw her gathering every ounce of strength she had, to be strong for her family. I'd always admired her, but my respect had just grown tenfold.
"I know you'll get her back. Just promise me one more thing?"
"Anything."
"Make them suffer."
****
It had been four hours. Four hours of no news. Jasmine and I were currently sitting at the dining table, trying to eat the take-away that the boys had brought home. Jackson and Noah had left a while ago, running out with a few of their men to hunt for clues and figure out where the pack had taken Annabelle. My chest hurt when I thought about what they could be doing to her, so I tried to push it out of my mind. I needed to stay positive for Jasmine, who looked about five minutes away from having a mental breakdown. We both agreed that we needed to eat to keep our strength up, now sitting quietly reflecting on the nights events. Jasmine's face was still red from crying, but she was resolute in that she must stay strong, holding herself together admirably. I didn't think I would be as strong in the same situation. None of us knew why the Grove Pack would be so cruel as to snatch a child away from her mother, but I was praying that the boys would find out and bring her home back to her family. I was already planning on the huge ice cream I was going to buy her for when she returns. If she returns. Don't think like that! She has to return. After spending only five minutes with Annabelle on that first day, she'd wormed her way in to my heart and we needed her back with us. I trusted Jackson with my life and I knew that he would not sleep until he found her. The house was full of Jackson's men, but everyone was silent; lost in their own thoughts and fears for Annabelle.
****
Twelve hours. Twelve hours and still no word. Our optimism was waning, dread settling in my chest as we all feared the worst. Jackson and Noah had returned, with the house now full of men trying to figure out their next move. Jasmine had been beside herself, but with the injuries and the stress of the evening had managed to eventually fall asleep. I tried to sleep, but images kept bombarding me of what could be happening to Annabelle, to the point where I was scared to close my eyes. I was currently curled up on the sofa, trying to focus on reading my book while waiting for the guys to come back with any useful information. Jackson and Noah were in the kitchen, alongside Isaac, Ethan and Blake, plus about six more enforcers, coming up with a plan to figure out where the Grove Pack would take her. There were more enforcers guarding the house, some of them outside searching for any scent of a trail that would lead us to Annabelle. Shifters carried no scent to other shifters, but shifter children had a distinctive smell to wolves who concentrated hard enough. The pack wouldn't be able to scent the Grove Pack, but our fingers were crossed that they could catch a hint of Annabelle.