ALPHA(47)

“You think you can outrun a wolf? You’re not only annoying, but you’re fucking dumb too!”

It wasn’t until I heard a growl, that I realised Tyler had shifted and now I was being chased by an injured, very pissed off wolf. My situation seemed dire and my strength was waning. I knew there was no way I was going to be able to outrun a wolf, so I needed to think smart.

I was trying to come up with some grand plan, when I heard Tyler’s growls turn to whines but I didn’t have the time to turn around to see what was happening to him. I kept running until I thought my lungs were going to burst, and my legs gave out underneath me causing me to crash down to the floor. I sat and tried to breathe but it was so fucking hard, and I made a mental note to join a gym and get fit as soon as possible. I heard footsteps behind me and I stood up so quickly I thought I was going to pass out, but I readied my body for a fight against Tyler. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Jackson stood in front of me, completely naked and covered in bruises. Unable to hold myself up any longer and knowing that I was finally safe, I fell in a heap on the floor and started to cry.

I heard Jackson as he ran over to me. He sat down next to me, picked me up and deposited me in his lap. I curled up against his warmth and sobbed as all the terror and panic of the past few hours released, and I clung on to him as if were anchoring me to the very floor beneath us.

“Shhh, you’re okay sweetheart,” he said in to my hair, gently rocking me back and forth.

“It was Tyler! He was a traitor,” I sobbed, burrowing myself further in to his body.

“I know. Don’t worry about him; he’s dead.”

I know I shouldn’t, but I felt immense relief at hearing that Tyler was gone. The thought of him killing Jackson and taking over the pack was horrifying.

“Annabelle? Is she okay? Did you find her?”

“She’s fine. She’s shaken up but Jasmine’s feeding her ice cream as we speak. I’ve got a feeling that girls gonna be even more spoiled now.”

“He sent you all in to a trap.”

“Look at me,” he says, before cradling my face in his hands and wiping the tears from my cheeks. His eyes narrowed as he took in the bruises on my throat and face. Shit, I must have looked terrible. “If I could kill Tyler more than once, I would do for what he did to you.”

“It’s really over?”

“For now. We arrived to find the Grove bastards ready, but they were foolish and only sent half their men. We managed to take them down fairly easily, with just a few casualties. For a minute it looked like we were going to lose Ethan, but the doc says he’s going to be fine. Thank god my men have hard heads, that’s all I can say. The bastards that we left alive ran back home to lick their wounds, but we know this isn’t the last we’ll hear from them. They were lucky before because Tyler was giving them inside information. Next time they won’t be so well informed.”

My heart hurt at imagining my family and friends fighting for their lives, and I was so relieved that everyone had made it back in one piece.

“How did you find me?”

Jackson kissed my forehead, and pulled me in tighter to his body.

“Something felt off with Tyler’s plan and I knew I wanted to send more men with you. As soon as you left I sent Max and Liam after you. They followed you and reported the location, which I noticed was different to where Tyler had sent us. We had a feeling that something was going down, so we went to the original location in case they’d split you and Annabelle up. We had a feeling they were sending us in to a trap, so I prayed that there would be more men to fight us than to meet you, and Annabelle would be with the larger group, which she was. As soon as we had Annabelle I contacted the guys, who’d had a run-in with Grove Pack members who were hanging around near where you and Tyler were. Apparently, they were stationed to help Tyler dispose of your body when he’d killed you.” A shudder went through him as he said the words. “When I knew my pack were safe, I rushed down here to find my guys just finishing up with those bastards. I heard you screaming and followed the sound. God, I’ve never been more scared in my life.”

“You saved me.”

“I wouldn’t say that. Bastard could barely walk and was screaming like a little girl. Did you have something to do with that?”

I snorted quietly and nodded, feeling his chest move as he chuckled darkly.

“Remind me never to piss you off. I’m fucking proud of you, babe.”

I looked up at him, before closing my eyes as a wave of exhaustion hit me.

“Come on,” he said, as he started to move underneath me. “We need to get you to doc, you’re hurting.”