ALPHA(51)

After three hours of continuous merriment, and walking around to talk to everyone, my feet had started to ache. I decided to sit down for a few minutes when a movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. There was a girl whom I did not recognise, limping from around the corner, and I gasped when she walked under the lights and I could see the bruises covering her face. I jumped up and ran over to her, catching her just as she fell on to the floor in a heap.

“Oh my god!” I shouted, and everyone looked over at me with equal shock. I noted the suspicion in each of their eyes, and knew they hadn’t gotten over their aversion to strangers yet. After recent events though, I couldn’t blame them.

“Are you okay?” I asked the girl, and she shook in my arms, looking up at me with fear in her eyes.

“Please…I need help.” She asked, before being violently pulled out of my arms and up off the floor. I looked up to see Isaac holding her up, with an angry look on his face.

“Who are you?” He shouted in her face, and she cringed back in fear. I understood Isaac being protective, and untrusting the girl, but I wasn’t going to stand by and watch his terrify the poor thing.

“Isaac! Stop it, you’re scaring her.”

“She could be here to hurt you, Laura.”

“Oh please, the poor girl has been beaten, she’s not in any positon to hurt anyone!”

“You trust too easily,” he said, and I felt Jackson come to stand beside me, watching the girl with equal distrust.

“Please!” The girl cried out, and Isaac let her go so she could stand. “I need help. I’m from the Grove Pack and I’m requesting refuge.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Isaac growled at her and I left Jackson’s side to go to the girl, worried as to how badly she had been injured. I smiled at her to show her I meant her no harm, and she gave me a tentative nod back. I noticed that all around me the guests were watching us with curiosity and a hint of trepidation on their faces. I noticed Jackson take a step closer to me, as if ready to snatch me away if the young girl tried anything. I was stronger now since the mating, and I knew I was capable of kicking ass if I had too. Not that this poor girl would be able to fight a feather right now, with the way she was swaying all over the place.

“What’s your name?” I asked her.

“Lori. Please, I don’t agree with what they are doing. I swear to you…”

“How do we know you aren’t just a traitor? Sent to us with a few bruises so we feel sorry for you, and then you can get all the intel on our plans.”

“How do I prove to you that I am no spy?” She cried, and I spun around when I heard Annabelle shouting out whilst in Jasmine’s arms.

“She helped me, Daddy!” Annabelle shouted, pointing at her father who was stood next to Jackson.

I looked at Lori, who was watching Annabelle with a smile on her face.

“I’m so glad she’s okay. The men left her in my care and I made sure she was fed and stayed safe. I wouldn’t have let any of the men touch her, I promise you. When I heard your pack arrive and start fighting, I left her on the bed and went to hide, knowing you would kill me on sight.”

“We don’t harm women or children, even from rival packs.” Jackson said, his eyes narrowed on Lori, still not trusting her. Lori’s eyes widened as if shocked at his words, and I worried about how badly the women were being treated in that pack.

“Please, you have to believe me. The pack was angry at losing the fight, and they took it out on me because they know I disagree with their views. I’ve been vocal on more than one occasion about how I feel, and they’ve shown me just how much my opinion will not be tolerated.”

Lori had long blonde hair and a tiny frame, but the bruises covering her hid her beauty, and it made me sad to think how badly she had been treated by those who should have been her family.

“I understand why you don’t want to trust me, but I swear to you all I am doing is begging for your help. They have no idea I’m here and I made sure no-one followed me. Even if I could have just a meal and a bed while I rest, and I can be gone in the morning.”

The whole group remained silent, and Isaac was still evil-eyeing Lori as if hoping she would just disappear. Or catch on fire. Whilst a part of me agreed that his could possibly be all part of an elaborate plan to get insider knowledge and break us from the inside, the rest of me just saw a young, injured girl begging for help. There was no denying that those brutes had hurt her, so would she willingly be on their side if they treated her in that way? I know I wouldn’t.