ALPHA(43)

We want to trade. You for the little girl. Follow the GPS coordinates below deep in to the woods to where we are located. Come alone, and within the next hour, or she dies. Painfully. You have until midnight.



I checked my watch, and looked in horror to find that the time was already ten past eleven. I had 50 minutes to get to this location and save Annabelle! But what would happen to her when I got there? I didn’t care about what happened to me, but how could I let them just release Annabelle in the middle of the forest and hope that she found her way home? I didn’t know what to do!

Tyler called to the guys to come in to the room, and Jackson rushed in, a panic stricken look on his face. He took one look at the text message, and it was like the careful control he had managed to keep just shattered everywhere. With a hoarse yell, he spun around, overturning the coffee table and everything on it. He punched the wall ferociously twice before regaining his senses, and turned back around to face me. The fury in his eyes was warring with the desolation, and I could physically see the hopelessness of the situation in his gaze.

“I have to do this,” I whispered, my heart breaking when Jackson let out a devastated moan as he walked towards me.

“We can come up with a plan. I won’t send you to them like a fucking gift, I’m coming with you and we are going to end this.”

“No! Jackson, you can’t. We have no idea where they are holding Annabelle, they could kill her as soon as they see you! We can’t argue about this, there’s no time!” I forced myself to leave the safety of his arms, and rushed towards the door, no plan in my mind other than getting Annabelle back.

Pandemonium broke out behind me as everyone threw ideas in at once, and I felt Jackson right behind me as I hurtled towards the front door. He grabbed my arm before I could leave, and Tyler stepped up in front of us, a smile on his face.

“I’ve got a plan.”

“Make it quick,” snapped Jackson; the stress of the situation clearly getting to him.

“I’ll go with her -“he started, holding up a hand when the guys started to protest. “Look, they’re not stupid. They know that Laura would be an idiot to go walking in all alone, so will be bringing someone with her. If I go with her, they’ll presume I’m the only back up and write us off as a threat completely. I’ll tell them I’m just there to bring Annabelle home, and I’ll leave Laura with them. You guys follow behind us but stay out of sight, then come storming in to the rescue.”

“Surely they must know that these guys will have seen the location on my phone? They have to know they are inciting the wrath of the whole pack?”

“These guys aren’t that smart. Seriously, this plan will work. All they are focusing on is having Laura, they won’t be thinking about anything else. We’ll take them by surprise.”

“It’s not the best plan but it’s the only one we’ve got,” Jackson agreed half-heartedly. Turning towards me, he grabbed me and pulled me in to a hug, squeezing the breath out of me.

“Stay safe, I’m right behind you,” he whispered, before opening the door. I rushed through with Tyler on my heels, and I just prayed that we made it there in time.



JACKSON



“Max! Liam! Follow right behind them, don’t let them out of your sight. Message me the location too.”

“Yes, sir.”

Watching Laura get in to that car and drive away, had been the hardest thing I had ever had to do. Laura and I may have had a whirlwind romance; but I knew in my heart that she was the one for me. There would never be anyone else that I would love as much as I loved her; I just prayed I got a chance to tell her that. There were so many emotions waiting to burst out, I could barely think straight; rage, despair and ice-cold terror. I could barely see through the red haze that had descended after finding out about Annabelle. The thought of sweet Annabelle in the clutches of that disgusting pack, made me want to find every member and kill them in the most hideous ways. However, I needed to get my emotions in check. As alpha, everyone looked toward me for support and guidance, and I needed a level head if this plan had any chance of succeeding. Trying to put thoughts of Laura out of my head, I focused on the next part of the plan. I had sent two of my best men to follow Tyler and Laura, because something felt off. I always taught my men to trust their instincts, so that’s what I did. Tyler had sent the text message through with the location for where to find them, but at the same time I received a message from Max, advising they were heading in a completely different location. Shit, we were being sent in the wrong direction deliberately. Tyler. After gathering my men, I told them about the most recent developments, and everyone started to shout at the same time.