Page 70 of Alpha Hunt

I should be out there with them, not stuck here like some useless damsel in distress.

I pace the length of the room, my mind racing. I know Jagger thinks he’s doing the right thing by keeping me here, but he’s wrong. I’m not some delicate flower who needs to be protected. I’m a warrior, like they are.

And more than that, I’m Edirn’s mate. The thought of him out there, possibly hurt or in danger, makes my stomach twist with fear and rage. I can’t just sit here and do nothing. I won’t.

My resolve hardens, a plan forming in my mind. Jagger may have given me orders to stay put, but I’ve never been very good at following orders. Especially not when the people I care about are on the line.

That thought stops me.

Do I care about Edirn?

Yes, dammit. I don’t want to admit it, but I do. And I can’t just sit here.

I’m going out there.

Alone.

Chapter 26

Casey

Stay behind?

As if Jagger would stay behind if it was Sierra out there someplace. Never in a million years.

Asshat.

Not to mention that he and the others are just going to waste time by going over territory we’ve already covered. I could have saved them the time. I just wish Jagger had trusted me.

Fuck.

Do I trust me?

Of course I do! I know what I have to do next.

I throw on my gear, shrugging into my tactical jacket and strapping my knife to my thigh. My fingers tremble slightly as I lace up my boots, but I grit my teeth, pushing down the anxiety that threatens to overwhelm me.

I slip away from the command room, keeping my head down as I make my way through Steel Lakes. The narrow streets surrounding the barracks are bustling, most of the pack going about their daily business and not paying attention to me. Why should they? I’m out here all the time.

I’m never defying a direct order from my Alpha, though.

I may have pushed the limits with Jagger, but this is the first time I’ve ever done something so outrageous. It feels wrong…but so does ignoring the call of the bond.

I pause at the edge of town, my heart hammering. Jagger’s instructions echo in my mind – don’t go out alone. But I can’t just sit here and do nothing. That’s not how I’m wired.

I take a deep breath, centering myself, and then I’m moving, my feet carrying me forward with a purpose I can’t ignore. It’s like there’s a tether pulling me, an invisible force guiding my steps. The mate bond, I realize yet again. Sierra and Savannah were right – I have to trust my instincts.

I can do this.

Picking up the pace, I break into a jog, covering the ground in smooth strides. But soon, it doesn’t feel like enough. The anxiety that was swirling comes surging to the fore.

I push myself harder, my legs eating up the ground as I race ahead along the path we took previously. It feels like a lifetime ago. And there’s a strangeness to it. My life seems to have been divided into two parts – before the bond and after. The pull grows stronger with every step, urging me onward.

I pass the sign for Sweetwaters without pausing, my stride still steady. I’ve trained my entire life to keep up this level of physical exertion. I’m not slowing now. Nor am I going to head into the small town we stopped in previously.

I keep moving. Following the thread.

Finally, I break through a treeline and stop.