The Alpha 9: Protect. Procreate. Prevail., page 5
We’re on it, Alpha, Jackson replied.
If everyone can dig the holes, then I’ll drop the bodies into them, Azalea said as she circled the trees above my head. I haven’t had the chance to work out today, so this’ll do.
Yes, a nice gentle workout, Benji snorted. Whatever happened to stretches?
That’s a cool down, Benj’, Azalea retorted. Y’know, after you’ve put your body through that pain?
Oh, yeah, I totally knew that… Benji replied. I work out all the time. Didn’t you know that?
My laughter danced through the forest, and the happiness stayed with me as Marco and Harry came to join me to help dig a hole for the alpha.
But I instantly became distracted as I recalled something I desperately needed to do.
I needed to phone Hazel Wise, and I needed to know exactly why that alpha had targeted me this evening.
Plus, I may have had a few new betas to greet, and I wasn’t going to leave California without saying hello to my newest additions to the pack.
Chapter 3
As my small army worked together to dispose of the dead werewolves, I wandered back to the cars to retrieve my cell phone. Jackson and the other drivers had pulled the cars over, so at least they weren’t in the middle of the road anymore.
I made sure the coast was clear before I left the shadows of the trees, and then I shifted back into my human form and ran toward the cars. The drivers had even cleared up the mess from the ripped clothes, so I hoped we hadn’t left any evidence of the fight behind.
I threw on the first clothes I laid my hands on, and then I located my phone which had been abandoned on the passenger seat. Despite the fact that it was two in the morning, I desperately needed to talk to Hazel Wise, and I knew she wouldn’t mind being disturbed at such an ungodly hour.
I also needed to phone Arthur Mordaine, but that could wait until the morning. My avian lawyer was like a young child, and if he didn’t get enough sleep, then the entire world would have heard about it. He usually woke up before the birds anyway, no pun intended, so I could phone him in a few hours and leave it at that.
But calling Hazel Wise was vital.
So as I settled myself in the passenger seat, I located the number for Hazel’s burner phone, and then I pressed the call button as I held the device to my ear.
While I waited for the call to be answered, I shuffled over to the driver’s seat and powered up the car. I had no idea where we were, and I hadn’t spotted any road signs as we were driving along, so I needed the GPS to help give me a rough location.
The phone rang several times before the call shut off, so I waited about ten seconds before I tried again.
“Come on…” I muttered as I counted every single ring.
Finally, before it was shut off for a second time, the call was accepted, and I heard the gentle clearing of a throat as Hazel answered.
“He-hello?” she asked with a voice thick with sleep.
“Jessica Henderson?” I smiled.
Hazel sounded cute when she was asleep.
“Mhmm…” Hazel mumbled.
“Jessica, it’s me,” I said vaguely. “I really need to talk to you.”
“Yeah…” she sighed.
“Jessica,” I urged as I tried not to laugh.
“What… what time is it?” Hazel asked.
“It’s ten past two,” I told her. “I’m sorry for waking you up, but this is important. Like, really important.”
A muffled noise ran through the phone, like it had been dropped against the bed cover. But then I heard the springs of a mattress clanging together, followed by a loud sigh, so I assumed Hazel was sitting up in order to get into a more comfortable position.
“I’m sorry, that’s really embarrassing,” she said a moment later. “I just needed a second to wake up. But I’m here. What can I help you with? Are… Are you okay?”
I wanted to joke around and tease her, but I could save the gentle ridicule for another time. It was crucial that I received this information as quickly as I could.
“Firstly, I’m fine, we’re all fine, but there was an attack this evening,” I explained as I searched the GPS with the two fingers. “It was a pack of shifters that are the same species as I am, and they literally came out of nowhere. One minute we were driving along, and the next we were in the middle of a large fight.”
“Oh, my… I…” Hazel groaned. “For fuck’s sake.”
“Tell me about it,” I snorted.
It wasn’t funny, not in the slightest, however it always made me laugh whenever I heard buttoned-up Hazel curse.
“Do you know anything about them?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I muttered. “I have a rough idea of where they live, given where I am right now and the packs around me, but I don’t know any names or exact locations. Which is why I needed to phone you, because I need to know where they live.”
“Okay, give me…” Hazel paused for a second. “Give me two minutes to get my laptop, and then I’ll be right back.”
“Sure.” I nodded.
Hazel dropped the phone back on the bed as she stood up, and I could hear the gentle shuffles as Hazel wandered around her room. Given how tired I was, and potentially slightly delirious, I couldn’t help but wonder what Hazel Wise wore to bed.
Part of me imagined her wearing a cotton nightgown with long sleeves and a frilly trim. But the other part of me could imagine Hazel Wise wearing a silk chemise that held just enough material to cover her chest and hips, but it left enough for the imagination.
Or maybe she didn’t wear anything.
Perhaps Hazel loved to feel the softness of her covers against her naked body as she fell asleep.
“Hey, are you there?” the SDD agent suddenly asked.
“Y-Yep, yep, I’m here,” I coughed as a way of trying to remove those dangerous thoughts from my mind.
“Alright, can you tell me roughly where you are?” she queried.
“We’re about…” I paused to search the GPS once more. “Five miles out from Cliff Route, perhaps a little more than that. We’re headed north, but there’s just vast woodland around here, so that’s the only street I can find.”
I really didn’t like giving names of places over the phone, but there was no other option. To be on the safe side, we made sure that Hazel didn’t have access to my cell location, just in case the SDD were to snoop around her laptop for whatever reason. So the only way for her to know where I was, was for me to tell her.
“Okay, I think I’ve found your current location,” she said a minute later. “I know of the pack you’re talking about, because they are the only werewolf pack even close to that area, even though it’s a bit of a distance to be honest. But was the alpha there, too? Or is that why you’re needing this information, because you need to try and avoid the alpha at all costs?”
“No, no, he was there,” I sneered. “‘Was’ being the important word there.”
“I thought you might have said something like that,” she giggled. “In that case, let me just get his information.”
“That’s great, thank you.” I smiled.
“Alright, have you got a pen and paper at hand?” Hazel asked.
“I…” I muttered as I scanned the car.
There was a receipt from the gas station, and there were always random pens lying around the glove box, so it didn’t take long to find what I needed.
“Okay, I’ve got it,” I said.
“Perfect,” Hazel replied. “So, his name is Jayden Carver.”
“Jayden Carver…” I repeated as I scribbled down the name. “He sounds like an asshole.”
Hazel Wise laughed quietly, and then she proceeded to tell me his exact address, which I also wrote down.
We both knew the SDD could have recovered any deleted text messages from our phones, so we had to tell each other vital information like specific names and places over the phone.
Jayden’s pack lived near the outskirts of San Bernardino. It meant we had to retrace our steps, and the GPS said it would take us two hours to get there from where we were currently, but there wasn’t much else we could do about it.
These guys really had traveled quite a ways to attack us tonight.
“And…” Hazel paused as she typed something out on her laptop. “How many were there this evening, do you know?”
“I’d say about thirty, somewhere around that,” I replied.
“Okay,” she mumbled. “It says here that there are sixty-seven members in this pack, but no omegas. So I assume there are thirty-odd betas waiting for their alpha to return home.”
I wasn’t overly disheartened at the fact that the alpha didn’t have any omegas. It just meant I wasn’t going to tear through southern California as I went in search of them.
“Their alpha is definitely going to return home, but it won’t be the man they’re expecting,” I snickered.
“He may look a bit different,” Hazel giggled.
“Yeah, I’m much better looking.” I smirked.
“I think you need to get some sleep,” she said. “You’re starting to sound a bit delirious.”
“Ouch, Jessica,” I gasped. “I didn’t think you came with such a cold heart.”
“I wasn’t the one who woke you up from a lovely dream…” Hazel played along. “I’d say that’s something someone with a cold heart would do.”
“Hey, you told me to call you at all hours of the night if I needed to.” I shrugged. “And I can just imagine how pissed you’d be if this had happened, but I never told you about it.”
“Just remember where you’d be without me…” she said playfully. “I bet I was the first person you thought of when this happened, because you knew you needed my help.”
Hazel was one of the first people I thought about, but I wasn’t going to tell her that much.
“You were on the list…” I bit back my laughter. “I think at the bottom somewhere…”
“You just think you’re so funny, don’t you?” Hazel asked sarcastically.
“I know, I’m fucking hilarious,” I chuckled. “Anyway, Jessica, I think it’s time you get back to sleep. Thank you for the information, and I’ll call you tomorrow if anything else happens.”
“Let’s hope you have a peaceful day tomorrow,” she replied with a more serious tone.
“Goodnight, Jessica.” I smiled.
“Goodnight,” she replied.
The smile remained on my face for a few more minutes after the call had ended, but as my betas and omegas began to exit the trees and locate some new clothes, I knew I needed to get back to work.
It was late, everyone was exhausted, but we still had work to do.
I wanted to get to Reuben’s island and the Jansen home as quickly as we could, but I didn’t want to leave without introducing myself to the new werewolves. If the detour meant we had to go back the way we came and then add on more hours to reach the island, then that was exactly what we had to do.
Okay, I said as everyone loaded themselves back into the cars. Hazel was able to tell me that Jayden Carver was the alpha I faced this evening. I know where the werewolves live, but it means the night will be longer. So, are you all okay with making a detour?
That’s your decision to make, Jesse, Benji answered for the group. You know we’ll be happy to do whatever you want to do. So if you want to visit the werewolves, then you won’t hear us complaining.
Plus, we’re closer to them now than we’ll ever be, Nikita replied. You’ll have to meet them at some point, so it’s best to do it now instead of waiting until we’re back home and then having to fly out here again.
You’re right. I nodded. I just wanted to check with you all first. But before we leave, do any of the drivers want to swap over, or are you all okay to keep going?
I feel like I could run a marathon with the adrenaline I have right now, Marco chuckled.
Despite the fright I had at the beginning, I now feel better than ever, Gemma said. I can make it to the werewolves before Jackson has to take over.
Harry, Raina, and Zane all said the same thing, and I knew they would have been honest with me if they thought they’d find it difficult to concentrate on the roads.
So once that was sorted, and the satnavs were loaded with the new location, the drivers started their engines, and then they made U-turns in the road as we started our drive once again.
A few of the betas announced they were going to try and sleep, and Nikita, Arielle, and Hailey also wanted to sleep for as long as they could. Marco told me I was more than welcome to sleep, too, but I still had a few more things to do before I could close my eyes.
I needed to phone the rest of my pack to inform them about what happened this evening. I felt confident with the idea that any rival shifters were going to aim for me specifically, so they’d probably leave the rest of my territory alone, but I still didn’t want to take any chances.
I informed Serena and the other betas on Reuben’s island first, and then I phoned Connor and the werecoyotes. Both Serena and Connor were shocked to hear about Jayden’s sudden attack, and neither of them could quite work out why it had happened, or what I’d done to piss Jayden off that much.
After I’d finished those two phone calls, I rang Spencer back in Oregon, and he had the exact same reaction. Spencer was pleased to inform me that they hadn’t had any trouble with shifters in the month I’d been away, so he also couldn’t understand why Reuben and Jayden had aimed for me the way they did.
All three betas promised to inform the rest of the pack, as well as the group in Canada, and they’d make sure they kept a close eye on the areas in case anything happened. Spencer also offered to help me work out the reason behind everything, but I had a feeling I knew why the attacks had happened.
However, that still didn’t give me any solid answers.
It was pretty clear that the SDD were behind the random attacks, for reasons unknown to me. I hadn’t done anything to the Shifter Detection Department in order for them to target me like this, yet they clearly had it out for me for some reason.
Hazel Wise knew to keep a close eye on my file, so if Jayden’s death was instantly added to the list, then we knew it was an inside job. Usually, updates like that took weeks, but my file had been adjusted over and over again lately with much faster timing.
The question was, exactly who was responsible?
Reuben and the avians had been the spies when we first arrived in California. Hell, they’d been following me since before I even left Monroe. But now that Reuben was out of the equation, had the SDD found a new spy to take over from him?
And why?
If the werewolves this evening had taken anosmiacs and only stalked us instead, we would have kept driving without having any idea they were right beside us. Jayden probably wanted us to know they were there, otherwise they would have masked their scents as best they could. However, they must have been following us for a while, otherwise how did they know exactly which road we were on?
And how did they manage to do that without anosmiacs in their systems?
Was it that the werewolves had taken anosmiacs, but the pills had worn off right before they decided to announce their arrival?
Or did the SDD have someone else spying for them, so they were the ones to tell Jayden where we were?
Either way, we definitely had someone spying on us again, whether that was Jayden or not. There must have been a mole working for the SDD who had it out for me, and it was probably their job to inform enemy shifters and the department itself where we were, what we were up to, and the alphas I’d previously ticked off my list.
I wanted to locate this mole and put an end to their fun and games, and perhaps the werewolves near San Bernardino could assist me with that challenge.
The drive to the new location went by quicker than I’d expected, and it didn’t feel like that long before we only had five minutes left to go.
Apart from the drivers, I think I was the only one who didn’t get any sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, my mind would enter a vortex, and I found myself stuck thinking over every thought that entered my brain.
But at least I had some new distractions, and I was able to brush away those annoying thoughts as I took in our new surroundings.
We drove through some populated cities, but there were towering mountains and luscious greenery in the distance, which is where I knew the werewolves lived.
It felt strange to think that this was now my territory, especially as I hadn’t planned on adding new land to my collection. But the more I looked around the open area, the more comfortable I felt, and I knew my family and I could get used to taking trips to southern California to spend some time here.
Is it just me, or does anyone else feel a little on edge being here at four in the morning? Lily asked. It almost feels like we shouldn’t be here, and we’re entering private land.
It does feel strange, Zane replied. But you’re right, I think it’s more to do with the time of day. Had we been here at four in the afternoon, you’d probably feel more comfortable.
I think I’m also scared of the werewolves’ reactions, so that doesn’t help, the werecat added.
But remember, Lily, Aunt Eva said sweetly. The werewolves can’t physically hurt Jesse. They’re a part of his pack whether they like it or not. Plus, he’ll be able to tell by their scent alone if they’re okay with the situation, so you won’t be in any danger.
Exactly, I replied. If I sense any sort of hostility coming from the wolves, and I feel like it’s best to end the meeting early, then that’s exactly what I’ll do. I’ll make sure no one’s in any danger, and I know Frederick would jump in front of a train for you. Right, Fred?
Yep, Frederick mumbled.
The fact the silent werecat even said a word meant a lot to me. Apparently, when Frederick was around Aunt Eva, that guy could talk for the city, but I wasn’t sure how that worked, seeing as Frederick barely even laughed. As long as he continued doing his job as my beta, then I didn’t have any issues with the lack of words that left his mouth.
Our conversation came to an end as the cars pulled up in front of a set of solid black privacy gates which had been hidden by a thick copse of trees. A brick wall ran horizontally through the trees, so I couldn’t see what sat on the other side, and there was somewhat of a watchtower on the right-hand side.
