The Alpha and Her Secret Mate

A Warrior's Plan

Another explosion sounds, and Sammy crouches down to lower his center of gravity. The ground shakes with the aftershocks of the bomb, and Alex tightens his grip on me, but now it’s for comfort, not for restraint.

In the quiet of his arms, I stop, and listen.

On the mindlink, I hear the pack communicating.

Sammy says, “I need back up here!’

“Medic to me. Three wounded, but stable.”

“The pups are secure in the cellar.”

“Four enemies down, two more restrained. Origin unknown.”

I’m in awe listening to them work like a well oiled machine. They’ve clearly practiced for this. Each wolf knows what to do except for me.

“Am I keeping you from your assignment?” I ask quietly.

“My assignment is to protect the Alpha,” he says, staring over me into the yard.

My breathing stills. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask. I cup his cheek in my hand, and he still doesn’t look at me.

“I didn’t need to. You’re my Alpha and it’s my duty to the pack.” He strokes his fingers through my hair.

“I’m not just your Alpha,” I tell him.

“According to the pack you are.” The muscles on his jaw clench when he says this, but he continues stroking my hair.

“Alex…”

“No,” he says. “We’re not talking.”

“Status on the Alpha?”

“Secure,” Alex says, finally looking at me. “Minor injuries. Non-urgent medical attention needed.”

“I’m fine! I promise!” I say to the mindlink.

“Stop it,” Alex says. “Let Molly clean you up after she tends to Dan. You’ll break her heart if you say no.”

I smile at that. “Fine. But only for Molly’s sake.”

“The threat is contained. Prisoners are being accounted for.”

“Casualty count pending.”

“Casualties?” I ask.

“Ours or theirs. Or any serious injuries.”

“What!”

“Relax, we don’t have the information yet. It may be none.”

I listen quietly to the reports of the battle, until Molly finds us. She cleans the blood off my neck and checks my eyes for a concussion. When she’s satisfied, she turns to Alex and cleans a scrape on his face. I’m worried that I was the one who put it there.

“Um, how bad are the injuries?” I ask her. “And am I allowed to go out there yet?”

Alex flinches when she pours rubbing alcohol on it, but Molly doesn’t hesitate. “There are a lot of injuries, but nothing I've treated will be permanent. Maybe a few days recovery? And no one was keeping you here?”

I glare at Alex, even as Molly is treating him.

“Well, I guess I can’t speak for the warrior’s plan,” Molly says with a laugh. “I don’t really know their contingency plans, so listen to them.”

I cross my arms. “I’ll be having a talk with Penny after this settles down,” I say coldly.

“Sure!” Molly gives me a cheery smile. “Call me if the wound doesn’t heal in the next two days. It should be completely gone, no scarring.”

“Thank you, Molly,” I say, and we walk together back towards the battle field that used to be my Grandmother’s garden.

“Taylor?” I call on the mindlink, but when I look to the porch she’s already sitting beside Sammy, cleaning a wound on his chest.

Her eyes light up when she sees me, and I nod back, knowing we share the same sentiment. I’m so glad she’s okay.

Alex is following me close as a shadow, and I look over our new prisoners. Timothy is among them, so Taylor was right about that. And–

“Jenna?”

The woman from the Bassette pack looks up when I say her name. I’ve seen her several times before, and she tried to kill Taylor at least once.

“Hello, blood traitor.” She spits on my feet and I grimace while I try to wipe it on the grass.

“This wolf is the Bassette Beta’s mate. I think we can assume this attack is from them,” I announce, and suddenly, I have to hope that there’s never a question of who’s attacked us because there are multiple options. “I don’t recognize all of them, but I’ve seen a few around Alan. He’s clearly behind this.”

There’s some muttering from a wolf in the crowd, and I turn towards the sound.

“What was that?” I ask, hoping one of them recognizes more of our attackers than I do. I only know Jenna and Timothy by name.

“I said, we wouldn’t be in this scenario if you hadn’t mucked it up in the first place.”

“Excuse me?” I cross my arms and narrow my eyes at the source.

“You heard me. We were under attack because you brought the rogues here to stay, and now we’re dealing with the consequences for you.”

I’m not worried until I see Alex and Sammy tense beside me. Penny joins them, braced for a hit. Then I’m completely on edge.