midnight. He said she w as asleep when he left. The bar called me when she didn’t show for the breakfast shift.”
I frowned at that. “She was working? We were supposed to go to Nashville together at nine.”
Call just shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe she picked up an extra shift or was planning to cut out early.”
“What about her cell phone?” Jackson asked.
The alpha’s mouth thinned out into a grim line. “No answer. So I went out to her place and it’s all tore up. Front door’s been kicked in and she’s gone.”
Jackson stiffened and his eyes narrowed. He was wide awake now. So was I and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Huntsville didn’t have crime. Everyone here was pack and you didn’t turn on pack unless you wanted to die. Either something had gone really badly between wolves, or a stranger was on our land.
“Let me put on some clothes and I’ll meet you there,” Jackson said.
“You do that. I’m going to round up some of the boys, see if they can sniff out a trail.” Cal turned and headed back to his truck.
Jackson wasted no tim e getting dressed and I followed suit. For a second day in a row, it looked like my plans to shop for a wedding dress would fall through. I tried not to read any bad omens into the pattern, but couldn’t quite shake a sense of foreboding either.
Tonya had m ade an overture last night. What if someone wanted to punish her for that? My thoughts went right to Vicki, but I dismissed the idea. Vicki was nasty, but I failed to see how hurting Tonya would further her agenda. She wanted me gone, not Tonya.
Shrugging off my suspicions , I followed Jackson out the door. He stopped short, aware of me following him. “Not a good idea, Clo,” he said, putting a hand up to stop me.
“What?” Cal’s wife, Betty, died when I was nine, but I remembered how she often stood at her husband’s side. On the rare occasions he was out of town, she led the pack in his place. Because of my rank as alpha’s mate, I had a responsibility to the pack. I wasn’t about to stay home. That’s not what an alpha’s mate did.
Jackson didn’t have that memory, thou gh. Perhaps in his pack things were different, I didn’t know.
“Stay here,” he said .
“And do what? Twidd le my thumbs.” I tapped my nose. “I can help track her.”
He frowned. “I want you safe which means you stay home.”
I huffed at him and crossed my arms. “You can leave me behind, but I’m not a do g. I don’t sit and stay.” I shrugged. “Either take me with you or I’ll go on my own.”
He gripped my shoulders and shook me. “ I’ll take your truck keys.”
I lifted my chin and stared into his eyes. How dare he think he could tell me what to do? “I’ll change and pitter-patter over there on four feet. Seriously, Jackson, I’m not a child. Don’t treat me like one.”
“ I’m your alpha.” His voice carried a growl now. He was mad. Good, so was I.
I gave a sigh of exasperation . “First of all, Cal is my alpha, not you, not yet. Second, the pack sees us as a unit. You leave me behind often enough and no one else will value me either.” I pushed his hands away. “Is that what you want for me? Is that what your mother did?”
“No.” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “I just want to keep you safe, away from whoever kicked in Tonya’s door.”
The sincerity of the concern in his voice softened my anger toward him. I understood the desire to keep me safe. I felt the same way about him. More gently, I said, “We won’t be alone and if you can’t protect me there’s no hope for anyone in this pack.”
My logic finally prevailed and he gave a curt nod. “A ll right. But do what I say.”
I snorted. “Come on, Jacks. That’s over the top.”
“Hey, remember you’re a new wolf, babe. Running wild is a fast way to get hurt. Just listen to me, okay? It’s for your own safety.”
“Okay,” I said after a long pause where I tried to find
I frowned at that. “She was working? We were supposed to go to Nashville together at nine.”
Call just shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe she picked up an extra shift or was planning to cut out early.”
“What about her cell phone?” Jackson asked.
The alpha’s mouth thinned out into a grim line. “No answer. So I went out to her place and it’s all tore up. Front door’s been kicked in and she’s gone.”
Jackson stiffened and his eyes narrowed. He was wide awake now. So was I and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Huntsville didn’t have crime. Everyone here was pack and you didn’t turn on pack unless you wanted to die. Either something had gone really badly between wolves, or a stranger was on our land.
“Let me put on some clothes and I’ll meet you there,” Jackson said.
“You do that. I’m going to round up some of the boys, see if they can sniff out a trail.” Cal turned and headed back to his truck.
Jackson wasted no tim e getting dressed and I followed suit. For a second day in a row, it looked like my plans to shop for a wedding dress would fall through. I tried not to read any bad omens into the pattern, but couldn’t quite shake a sense of foreboding either.
Tonya had m ade an overture last night. What if someone wanted to punish her for that? My thoughts went right to Vicki, but I dismissed the idea. Vicki was nasty, but I failed to see how hurting Tonya would further her agenda. She wanted me gone, not Tonya.
Shrugging off my suspicions , I followed Jackson out the door. He stopped short, aware of me following him. “Not a good idea, Clo,” he said, putting a hand up to stop me.
“What?” Cal’s wife, Betty, died when I was nine, but I remembered how she often stood at her husband’s side. On the rare occasions he was out of town, she led the pack in his place. Because of my rank as alpha’s mate, I had a responsibility to the pack. I wasn’t about to stay home. That’s not what an alpha’s mate did.
Jackson didn’t have that memory, thou gh. Perhaps in his pack things were different, I didn’t know.
“Stay here,” he said .
“And do what? Twidd le my thumbs.” I tapped my nose. “I can help track her.”
He frowned. “I want you safe which means you stay home.”
I huffed at him and crossed my arms. “You can leave me behind, but I’m not a do g. I don’t sit and stay.” I shrugged. “Either take me with you or I’ll go on my own.”
He gripped my shoulders and shook me. “ I’ll take your truck keys.”
I lifted my chin and stared into his eyes. How dare he think he could tell me what to do? “I’ll change and pitter-patter over there on four feet. Seriously, Jackson, I’m not a child. Don’t treat me like one.”
“ I’m your alpha.” His voice carried a growl now. He was mad. Good, so was I.
I gave a sigh of exasperation . “First of all, Cal is my alpha, not you, not yet. Second, the pack sees us as a unit. You leave me behind often enough and no one else will value me either.” I pushed his hands away. “Is that what you want for me? Is that what your mother did?”
“No.” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “I just want to keep you safe, away from whoever kicked in Tonya’s door.”
The sincerity of the concern in his voice softened my anger toward him. I understood the desire to keep me safe. I felt the same way about him. More gently, I said, “We won’t be alone and if you can’t protect me there’s no hope for anyone in this pack.”
My logic finally prevailed and he gave a curt nod. “A ll right. But do what I say.”
I snorted. “Come on, Jacks. That’s over the top.”
“Hey, remember you’re a new wolf, babe. Running wild is a fast way to get hurt. Just listen to me, okay? It’s for your own safety.”
“Okay,” I said after a long pause where I tried to find
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