The Missing Wolf
520 Words
The morning was crisp with the scent of frost heavy in the air. Chloe was pulling her boots when Jackson's phone buzzed. "What's up, man?" he answered, his face tightening as he listened. "Tonya's missing?"
Chloe froze. She had been supposed to meet Tonya to go wedding dress shopping in Nashville mid-morning. "She was working?" Chloe asked. "We were supposed to go with her to Nashville."
"I don't know," Jackson said, relaying the conversation. "Maybe she picked up an extra shift. Her cell's not answering, and her place is all tore up. Front door's been kicked in, and she's gone."
Chloe's stomach turned over. "What is that smell?" she asked when they pulled into Tonya's house; the air was heavy and sharp with musk.
"Testosterone," Jackson said beyond grimly. "Lots of it."
"What does that mean?"
"Rogue alpha," he said softly. "Cal just got a call from the pack leader down in Nashville. They lost a few women last week, tracked a rogue heading our way."
"Is Tonya...dead?" Chloe asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Only if she fought him too hard," Jackson said. "They think he's got a camp somewhere up here where he's taking the women."
Chloe's mind raced. A rogue alpha was a nightmare-a wolf driven by instinct, rampaging and out of control. "Let's track him," she said, her wolf telling her to act.
"Not so fast," Jackson said. "Cal's called in our best trackers. We are setting up patrols around the city in case he pops up while we are out."
"I want to track with you," Chloe insisted.
"You are too new," Jackson said, voice firm. "And exactly the kind of wolf this guy wants."
"What kind of wolf is that?"
"An alpha's mate. Rogues want to start their own pack, and they need a mate to do it."
Chloe's blood ran cold. "Why take Tonya then?"
"Because he thinks they might be a match. Rogue alphas don't play with a full deck."
Back at the cabin, Jackson handed her a shotgun. "You know how to use a gun?"
"My Daddy taught me how to shoot when I was 9," Chloe said, hands steady as she inspected the weapon.
"How good a shot are you?"
"Good enough."
Jackson pulled her close. "I'm an i***t, Clo. I was ready to run off and leave you behind. The most precious thing in my life is you, and I didn't even think to protect you."
"I had exactly the same instinct," she said, resting her forehead against his. "Why do you think Cal includes you on everything? So you can learn how to lead. Don't be so hard on yourself."
"I had to see your wolf, but you were too far away," he said softly.
"I've heard some packs are telepathic," Chloe said. "I wish we were."
"Yeah, that would be nice," he said.
She smiled, attempting to lighten the mood. "Did you just want to talk all night, Jacks?"
"Hell, no. I want my mate beneath me, screaming my name."
"Not screaming," she replied, laughing. "Not tonight."
"Okay, fine. I'll settle for a hoarse whisper then."
- Writer
