Jace
Jordan and Patrick burst into the main house panting and puffing. Jose and I are startled from where we are sitting on the couch in the living room. I immediately dash to the door where they are standing.
“We have spotted shifters from the Redclaw pack roaming around the forest,” Patrick says. His face is a mess of sweat an uncountable evidence that he has been running.
“What are they doing here?” I shout at nobody. I clench my fists in rage, and fight the urge to punch holes into the wall.
“We have no idea. We have been chasing them around the forest but I think they want us to just run around with no clear intentions,” Jordan says.
“Did they go away?” Jose inquires from behind me.
“We don’t know if they are gone. They just disappeared into the darkness of the thick woods and we couldn’t trace them,” Patrick replies.
“Damn it! What game is Dwayne playing at this time?” I growl through clenched teeth.
“We just have to be alert. He might strike any moment and we have to be alert when that happens,” Patrick says.
“Where is your wife?” I ask Patrick. Alexa is heavily pregnant and any kind of shock might be a big problem for her and her unborn child.
“She is sleeping in the house. I want to cause her any stress at this moment,” Patrick says with worry in his voice.
“You are right. We have to keep the women safe all the time,” Jose says with a slight nod of his head.
“What is wrong with the women?” Sophia asks as she walks into the living room with her hands on her hips.
Jose walks towards her and her face frowns when everyone turns to look at her.
“What is going on?” she inquires with a confused look on her face.
“Patrick and Jordan have spotted some wolves from the Redclaw pack roaming around the forest,” Jose replies, trying to remain calm.
“What! Those monsters came back? Did anybody get hurt?” she looks around to make a quick check on everyone, probably looking for burst lips and noses.
“No, we are all fine but we still have to know what Dwayne means by all of this. He can’t just be playing around sending his followers to roam our territory,” I respond. I run my hands through my hair in frustration. Who knows what he could be planning.
“This is bad,” Sophia says while pacing around in panic.
“Have you informed Alexa and Elle?” she inquires.
“We haven’t talked to them yet,” Patrick replies.
“But we intend to. We need to keep our entire family safe. Dwayne cannot step over our heads this time,” Jordan says.
“I will go check on Alexa now,” Patrick says while walking to the door.
“I have to go too,” Jordan says following behinds Patrick. Jose walks to me.
“What are we going to do?” Sophia inquires.
“We can’t attack Dwayne. He is a strong alpha with many followers,” Jose says.
“We are not going to attack Dwayne. We will be crushed on our first step. He is the one who started poking us for no reason. He probably has his own stupid reasons for doing whatever he is doing, but we are not going to attack him. If he attacks us, then we will defend ourselves. We will defend what is ours because we are nolonger timid children to hide under tables,” I say.
“The pack does not belong to him. He stole the Alpha position from your father. You are supposed to be the Alpha,” Sophia says.
“I put my family way up higher than a mere political position. I don’t want my family to end up just as hurt as I was when my parents were killed,” my voice comes out louder than I intended.
“Your father was betrayed by the closest people around him, but you have people who are loyal to you now, Jace. I thought we were all going to defend what is ours, and that Alpha position is yours. The entire Redclaw pack belongs to your leadership,” Jose shouts back.
“I said I don’t want to be the Alpha of the Redclaw pack. Those guys are traitors. They just sat back and watched as my father was overthrown and murdered,” I can’t stop the shouting. I am fuming right now with fury and my knuckles are white because of clenching my fists too hard.
“Everyone feared Dwayne back then. He was just a ruthless rebel who lived for nothing but to revenge on your father. When he killed your father, every wolf in the pack had to obey him as the new ruler. That is what they had to do because they would have to face his wrath if they dared to rebel against him,” Jose shouts at me. We are now facing each other like fighting bulls. Sophia just stands behind her husband covering her mouth as we continue screaming at each other.
“That does not justify the fact that they betrayed their Alpha. The pack should be loyal to their Alpha all the time, but only three families had the heart to stand by his side and save me,” my eyes are now burning.
“Dwayne is never going to stop poking us. Maybe you have to be a man and take what is yours. You are the rightful Alpha of the Redclaws,” his eyes are now bloodshot. He shouldn’t be angry with me.
“I already said I don’t want to give up what I have now for a mere political position,” I threw up my hands in utter frustration.
“It is not just a mere position, and you know that very well. It is what you are whether you hide from it or not. It is what you are supposed to be,” Jose insists. I already have a headache listening to him and shouting over my head.
“I have said all that I have to say,” I say and turn on my heels. I am slightly relieved when Jose doesn’t add anything.
I walk to my room leaving Sophia and Jose downstairs. My head feels heavy just trying to figure out what Dwayne is playing at right now. What does he want from us? I don’t want to have the argument I just had with Jose over again. He should just give up trying to convince me to fight for being the Alpha of the Redclaws. I am better off living the kind of life that I am living now if Dwayne just quits bothering me and my family.
Dwayne has an entire pack of the Redclaws to serve him. Does he want to have complete victory over my father by ruining my life? I think that is his aim. He just wants to laugh over my tearstained face while he assumes complete victory but he is definitely wrong if he thinks I will let him.
I toss myself onto the bed and close my eyes. I had just started enjoying the thrill of having a normal life. I have just got Amy and now he is threatening her safety. I can’t even bring my mind to peace knowing that Dwayne’s followers could be lingering around Amy’s apartment waiting to pounce on her when Dwayne gives his order.
I had almost forgotten about Amy’s coming over tomorrow. What if she runs into them on her way here. I should pick her up from her apartment just to ensure her safety. I hope tomorrow will a good day. Amy will be around. The house will be cheerful, and I will definitely coax her to sleep over. Maybe this bedroom won’t be as gravely quiet as it is now.
I grab my phone from my pants pocket and my finger lingers on the dail button. I miss her so much. I just want to hear her voice. I know it will cool my troubled heart. She always brings my heart at peace.
“Hi,” my voice sounds very hoarse. I hope she doesn’t notice.
“Hi. Are you alright?” I can sense the worry in her beautiful voice. I lean onto the headboard for a comfortable position.
“I was just missing you. I am better now that I have heard her voice,” she chuckles lightly and all my tensed features relax on hearing her sweet voice.
“Surely there was something else bothering you but I will go with your false excuse of missing me,” my face breaks into a smile.
“You know me so well, baby.”
“Are you going to share with me what is bothering you?” she inquires. Someone is trying to take you away from me as well as my family, and he is such a dangerous shifter who won’t stop until he gets what he wants. I want to tell her all that but I can’t.
“Move in with me,” I say out of the blue. There is silence on the other side of the line. I think my unexpected response must have shocked her.
“What? Are you serious?” the shock is evident in her voice. I chuckle.
“Yeah. Why not?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because this is too sudden, and you have brought it up in the night,” she replies.
“It doesn’t matter, you know. As long as you have made up your mind, there is nothing stopping you from living with me. We’ve got plenty of rooms you can stay in. You can choose the one you want,” I don’t mention the fact that I would really want her to move in directly to my room. It could be our room.
“I have not made up my mind and I will not be choosing any rooms,” she says.
“Well, you could stay in my room,” I offer hopefully.
“Jace, whatever is bothering you right now should be taken care of instead of you offering me shelter in your house.”
“I just want you to be close to me. I don’t want you to be so far away.”
“I am not so far away. My apartment is just a few minutes drive from your house.”
“I know but I need more. I need you to be here where I can protect you. I want to take care of you,” I can’t stop the emotion in my voice.
“You don’t need to take care of me. I am an independent grown woman,” her response is not convincing enough to stop me.
“Baby, I wish I could make you understand,” this is so frustrating for me right now.
“Then make me,” he voice is soft and pleading.
“Amy,” I am lost for words.
“Jace, is everything alright at home?” she inquires.
“Yes, you don’t have to worry about anything,” I shut my eyes. I don’t like lying to Amy.
“Okay because I really don’t want to cancel my plans for tomorrow with Sophia,” she says and I open my eyes.
“No, it’s okay. You shouldn’t cancel your plans. Sophia would be heartbroken. She has been looking forward to tomorrow the entire week,” I tell her.
“Me too,” her voice is lighter now.
“I can pick you up from your apartment tomorrow. What time do you leave?” I need to make sure Dwayne’s followers don’t highjack her on her way here.
“You don’t have to I can grab a taxi,” she says.
“I insist,” I tell her.
“Alright,” she sighs. ” Pick me up at ten o’clock.”
“I will be there at nine,” I say.
“Why?”
“You’ll see,” I say with a silent smirk.
“I look forward to it,” her voice is low and seductive as hell!
“You should, baby,” my voice is equally seductive. I can imagine her teeth sinking into her plump lower lip.