The Alpha and his Mate, page 21
“Well that was fun,” Hannah sighed as she pushed herself off from the back of the sofa. “Now all we have to do is make sure we survive the next forty-eight hours until they arrive and we’ll be home safe” she muttered sarcastically whilst she crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, her bracelets jingling as she did so. “I mean do the Elders seriously expect us to just sit here, twiddling our thumbs, until they arrive to save the day? I mean I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel particularly comfortable doing nothing, especially with Will still out there with them doing god knows what to him.”
I looked over at Hannah as she tapped her foot on the floor, staring at me expectantly, waiting to hear my plan.
“For now Hannah that’s exactly what we’re going to do.” I sighed as I looked down at my mate who was still standing by my side. “Until we can think of a better plan of action we are going to wait them out and call their bluff.”
“You can’t be serious!” Hannah exclaimed as she looked at me in bewilderment, her arms flailing wildly around.
“Yes Hannah I am being deadly serious. Will would not want us risking our lives to try and save him because we were too impatient to wait for backup. I hate the plan as much as you do, believe me, but my hands are tied here,” I sighed, feeling the weight of the pack on my shoulders.
“But Jax-.”
“We have no choice Hannah!” I yelled back, “we know nothing about the Rising Dawn pack or what they are capable of, I’d be an irresponsible Alpha to run into their pack lands without knowing what we are up against.”
The air deflated out of Hannah as I watched her shoulders drop and the fight leave her body. “Then what are we going to do?”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged, “but between us we can think of something.”
✽✽✽
We deliberated up until the early hours of the morning, all of us huddled round the coffee table in the living room with a map of the area spread across it. We had come up with a few options on what we could theoretically do, but none of them were particularly great. They all involved potential what ifs scenarios that were just too risky for us to take.
Annabelle was all for giving herself up as bait so that we could somehow sneak in, but I just couldn’t risk it. We didn’t know what these people wanted with her, not really, and I wasn’t about to risk her life or anyone else’s on a guess that they wouldn’t kill her.
The sobering news came just before we were about to break for breakfast and go for a short nap. I had gotten a mind link that our patrol had caught a suspicious scent close to the border and were waiting for their orders to engage.
Without hesitation the five of us dropped what we were doing and ran as fast as we could, making sure the pack warriors were being cautious and alert for any form of suspicious activity whilst they waited for our arrival.
When we arrived I caught the offending scent quickly, the smell of fake pine leaves and burnt plastic was pretty hard to ignore as we all followed the trail to see where it led. All pack members had been warned to stay indoors with their doors bolted and to not answer for anyone unless contacted through the pack link. The last thing we needed right now was for more pack members to be taken from right under our noses and used to further their leverage on us.
“You stay behind me at all times Annabelle, understand?” I warned her as we slowed our run to a brisk walk so as not to miss anything along the trail. Their people could have left anything whilst being on our land, it was important to stay vigilant and to not let our guard down.
“I know Jax,” she whispered back as she gripped onto my hand tightly, doing as she promised and staying a step behind me the whole time.
I was just about to respond when I caught a scent that made my stomach drop and my brain to freeze. Blood, dried blood.
“Stay here with the others,” I instructed her with a noticeable hard note to my tone of voice as I let go of her hand and walked towards it. Whatever was up ahead, I didn’t want her to see it.
“Jax what is it?” She questioned as she took a small step in my direction.
“Please little mate, just stay where you are,” I pleaded as I took slow, cautious steps to where the strong smell of blood was coming from.
I could sense a few of my warriors walking behind me, ready to back me up if this was some form of trap. Blood meant bodies and I couldn’t help but feel immense guilt as I took the remaining few steps forward until I came face to face with the dead body who had been causing the smell.
He had been a member of our pack, a tracker, who was in the scout hunt with Will when they had been kidnapped by the Rising Dawn pack.
I felt immense sadness as I continued to stare down at the lifeless body, his throat slashed open and covered with blood. If I had worked faster, harder, better, than maybe this wouldn’t have happened. I could have potentially saved his life if I had only gotten my head in the game.
“You can’t blame yourself son,” my dad muttered as he came and stood next to me. “You did everything you could, that’s all anyone could ever ask of you,” he sighed.
“But I could have prevented this,” I ground out; my eyes unwavering as I stared at the poor wolf at my feet.
“You couldn’t have prevented this anymore than the next person Jax, deep down you know that'' he sighed, trying to make me feel better. “This was no one’s fault but the person who dealt the final blow.”
“Jax what’s going- oh my god!” Annabelle exclaimed as she appeared next to me.
I looked up in shock to find her standing right beside me, her wide eyes glued onto the dead body in front of her with her hands covering her mouth. “What h-happened to him?” She exclaimed as she continued to look him over.
I quickly stepped in her way before she could see anymore and forced her backwards slightly so that she was further away and no longer able to see him. “Annabelle, I need you to look away okay? Just look at me and not behind me,” I instructed her as I quickly linked Xavier so he could get down here and help me deal with the situation.
“Is he..?” She muttered, looking up into my eyes as she stuttered out a question I knew she didn’t want to ask, her eyes glazing over with tears as she tried to hold herself back from crying.
I sighed before nodding my head and taking her into my arms, “It’s going to be alright Annabelle, everything is going to be okay,” I muttered. I just wished I believed my own words.
Chapter 21
Annabelle's POV
I hadn’t uttered a single word since we’d gotten back. I just couldn’t help but replay what I’d just seen over and over again until my head spun. That poor person had died because of me, because I was too stubborn and selfish to give myself up. I mean, I didn’t even know the man’s name, yet he had died because of the cowardly decisions that I had made.
I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t said much since finding out about the dead body, we had all been pretty quiet for the rest of the day up until everyone decided to leave and head back to their respective homes. The news had hit everyone hard, especially Jax and his family. That could have easily been Will lying motionless and cold on the forest floor and I shuddered to think about what that would do to them if it had been.
Jax had been on and off the phone all day, trying to rally allies so that we could have the numbers to comfortably form an attack on Alpha Parker, but so far no one was biting. It seemed no one wanted to get involved in an issue that didn’t involve them. It’s not like we could blame them though, I don’t think there were many people out there who would willingly put their lives on the line for someone that wasn’t from their family or pack.
I had been thinking about my options all afternoon as I sat quietly on the sofa, cuddled up under a blanket with a glass of water and some potato and leek soup in my lap. I had promised myself that I would wait until it was the last resort before giving myself over to them, that I would only sacrifice myself if I couldn’t see any other way of everyone getting out of this alive.
Now someone has died because of that promise I’d made.
Yes Jax had the Elders coming and he was currently trying everything he could to rally the surrounding packs for assistance, but for me it just wasn’t enough. The Elders weren’t coming for at least another thirty-six hours and even when they did finally arrive there was nothing set about what we’d be doing once they got here. For all we knew they’d take even longer to form a plan and for Will and the other three trackers who were still being held hostage, that wasn’t good enough.
I only had one clear option, one that would save the rest of the pack and keep those four wolves safe, not to mention my parents. I had to turn myself in. I just had to.
The more I thought about that dead body, lying motionless in the dirt and covered in dried blood, the more my stomach churned and my vision blurred. His blood was on my hands because I had been too much of a coward to give myself up. Well not anymore.
With a deep breath to help calm my racing heart I placed the untouched bowl of steaming soup on the coffee table and flicked the blanket from off my shoulders. I was already wearing something suitable to run in, just a pair of leggings and one of Jax’s hoodies, but I still needed to sneak on a pair of trainers and get out of the house without raising suspicions.
Jax was in the kitchen, using the island as a makeshift office desk so that he wouldn’t have to go upstairs to his office and stray too far from me. I also knew that Xavier was outside somewhere patrolling the house, making sure that we were protected just in case the Rising Dawn pack decided to try and take me right from under Jax’s nose. If I could make it past the two of them then I was safe.
As silent as I could I tip-toed towards the shoe rack by the front door and grabbed the first pair of shoes I could find before hiding them behind my back and walked over towards the kitchen where I could hear Jax mumbling down the phone to someone.
“I’m just going to the toilet,” I whispered to him, hoping he wouldn’t look up from the numerous papers he had littered across the countertop. I knew if he took one look at my expression, he’d know what I was up to.
Thankfully Jax’s only response was a quick head nod in my direction as he continued to mutter down the phone, too quiet for me to hear as he sifted through the seemingly unorganised mess in front of him.
I sighed in relief as I realised he wasn’t going to look up at me and backed my way out of the kitchen entrance and down the small corridor until I made it to the bathroom. Once inside I quickly slipped my trainers on my bare feet before locking the door and turning around so that I was facing the bathroom window. It wasn’t particularly big, meaning squeezing through the small opening was a slight challenge, even for my small frame. Thankfully though it wasn’t long before I was out on the other side of the glass and hiding in a shrub planted in the surrounding flower beds, keeping my eyes and ears open for Xavier.
When I was sure he wasn’t near, I burst through the bush and ran as fast as I could towards the meeting place where the stranger had told me to go.
I panted as I willed my legs to carry me further, further from my mate and further from my new home as I made my way into the forest and towards my potential ending. A tear escaped my lash line as I thought about what I was leaving behind but I quickly swept it away angrily, I had no time to feel sorry for myself, I had a mission I had to focus on.
After a few minutes of sprinting, I leant against a nearby tree as I doubled over from the stitch that was currently stabbing my side. Even though I was a lot stronger than when I had first escaped the Leftens, I still wasn't completely healed. My muscles were screaming at me to take a break, to rest so that they could get the oxygen they desperately needed, but my mind was telling me I didn't have time, Jax would have found out that I was gone by now and sent a search party out to look for me.
I took one last deep breath before I straightened back up and carried on towards the meeting point. I don't know how I knew where I was going, I hadn’t gone this far out of Jax's territory since I got here, but somehow I just knew I was heading in the right direction, as if someone or something was leading me there. It was like a golden line had been drawn on the grass, stretching out in front of me and all I had to do was follow it.
All of a sudden, I heard a twig snap behind me and I froze in my tracks, had Jax and the pack found me already? Or was this Alpha Parker's pack following me and making sure I went through with the exchange and that I had come alone?
I got my answer when I saw a faint figure sprinting after me in the distance, quickly recognising it to be Xavier as he ran after me at full speed. He had found me.
I cursed in my head before turning and putting all the reserved energy I had into making my legs go faster, as much as my newfound wolf hated the idea of leaving our mate, she agreed with my decision to save our pack and so helped me as my feet pounded against the ground faster and harder. Her Luna instincts had fully kicked in and she wanted to do everything she possibly could to protect her pack.
"Annabelle!" Xavier yelled behind me, willing me to stop, but I ignored him and carried on going.
"Annabelle please... think about this for a second, this is not a solution!" He sounded closer than he had been earlier and I cursed at his speed. Thankfully though he wasn't fast enough because before I knew it, I had reached my destination. The scent surrounding the scene made it obvious more than anything, the smell of Alpha Parker's aftershave, of fake pine needles and melted plastic, was everywhere.
The meeting point was a little clearing in the trees, wildflowers scattered across the grass offering flecks of colour against the bright green grass. This place was right outside Jax's pack territory, so close to the border that if I’d have taken five steps backwards, I would be re-entering his land. If it wasn't for the current situation I was in, I'd probably admire the beauty of this place, the pureness of it as I watched the blades of grass dance in the wind as they shifted colours in the sunlight.
I turned around to see Xavier skid to a stop in front of me, panting just as much as I was at the physical activity we'd just put ourselves through. "Annabelle you don't need to do this, there’s always another way that doesn’t involve self-sacrifice" he pleaded.
I shook my head and placed my hand on top of his as he tried to drag me back to the pack lands. "It's too late Xavier, I have made up my mind and I choose to live whatever short life I have left guilt free with Alpha Parker. I’d rather that then live a long life with Jax where the guilt of hurting all those people will eventually crush me. I can't live like that... please... just let me go."
He shook his head "it's not that simple Annabelle, as Jax's best friend and Beta of this pack it is my duty and responsibility to protect both him and you."
I looked into his eyes to see fierce determination in them, swirling around with the gold of his wolf as he fought to keep his control. The slight glazed look in his irises told me he was talking to the rest of the pack and if Alpha Parker didn't turn up soon, I’d fear he'd be too late. This was my one and only shot to buy Jax enough time to save everyone. All I had to do was keep Parker busy long enough for Jax to form an attack.
“Xavier, if I can get Jax just a bit more time, until the Elders get here, then maybe we stand a fighting chance against them,” I pleaded with him, trying to get him to understand why I was doing this. “Jax needs time to come up with a plan and save everyone, if I have to give myself up, even just for a little while, then I’m going to do it,” I stated.
“But what if he doesn’t get you out of there in time? What if Alpha Parker kills you before we can get you out?” Xavier questioned, seeing the obvious flaw in my not so full proof plan.
I shrugged, not having an answer to his question, “then at least I can die knowing I did everything in my power to save everyone.”
Before Xavier could protest any further a horrible, artificial smell of fake pine and burnt plastic entered the small clearing, Alpha Parker was close by. We both straightened our backs and turned to see him slowly emerge from the other side of the clearing, an amused smirk plastered on his face as he glanced briefly over at Xavier.
"Ahh Annabelle you finally decided to show up, a very brave and smart decision I must say," he sneered as he looked me up and down. "You seem to have brought an escort though... that wasn't part of the deal little prophet."
I stared at him, not knowing what to say... the mere sight of him freezing me in place. His face brings me back to the day when I first saw him, back to when I was only seven years old, when he was dressed in a police officer’s uniform and taking me away from my home. He had destroyed my life all those years ago and now he was about to do the same thing all over again.
"She is not going anywhere," Xavier growled as he took a few steps forward until he was in-front of me, blocking my path to Alpha Parker.
Alpha Parker just laughed at him and crossed his arms, not the least bit concerned with the fact that an angry Beta was currently staring him down, ready to fight.
"Is that so little Beta? Or do you prefer Rogue Killer? I’ve heard a few of my men refer to you as that, although if you ask me, I don’t see what all the hype is about,” he laughed with a shrug.
I frowned as I looked over at Xavier, hoping to find some form of explanation as to why he would be called that. I got nothing though as Xavier continued to stare down the Alpha in front of us.
Alpha Parker suddenly laughed as he continued his staring contest with Xavier, amusement shining in his eyes. “Enlighten me then, how are you going to achieve getting the both of you out of here when you’re so outnumbered?"
I frowned at his words, only seeing him in the clearing, but that soon changed as at least twenty men and women slowly emerged from the shadows, each looking as menacing as the next and all wearing the same stomach churning perfume as Alpha Parker.
