Love Thy Alpha Book 2

JENNESSA

The alpha headquarters was undergoing some changes. A fifteen-foot rock wall was being erected around the entire property.

Clay, the alpha, wanted it done before winter set in, hoping to restore a sense of security for the families living here. He was deeply concerned about the recent attack that had occurred too close to home and the fact that wolves had attempted to breach the pack house. He was determined to make the headquarters an unassailable fortress.

I wasn’t entirely convinced that a single wall could achieve that level of security, but I didn’t want Clay to think I doubted his ability to protect his pack. I just thought he was setting his expectations a bit too high. I hoped he wouldn’t be disappointed, now or ever. I hoped he was right.

The entrance to the property was at the bottom of the driveway, where a gate was being installed. It would be manned by four guards round the clock.

I understood the need for security, but it made the place feel more like a prison than a home. The guards even had guns holstered at their sides.

As we approached the gate, the guards recognized me and waved us through, pressing a button that caused the gate to slide open slowly. Lindsay and I waved back politely as we drove off.

We arrived at the Krates’ house fairly quickly. Despite the palpable sadness that seemed to seep out of the house, we were greeted with smiles.

“Hello, Claudine,” Lindsey greeted the woman at the door, wrapping her arms around her in a warm embrace. I had only met Claudine since we started these meetings. Despite the sorrow in her blue eyes and her blonde hair pulled into messy buns, she was strikingly beautiful.

Claudine was a year or two younger than my mother. She had lost one of her three sons to Andrew. He was only sixteen, and no one knew how he ended up at the alpha headquarters during the attack. He was the youngest victim that night. The entire pack was devastated to learn that he had been overlooked in the chaos and had tried to help Clay’s warriors. It was a heartbreaking tragedy.

“How have things been for you and your family?” I asked as we settled on her couch. The house was in disarray, with clothes, dirty dishes, and soda cans strewn about.

It looked more like a frat house than a home. I tried not to stare, not wanting to seem judgmental. Grief and depression manifest in different ways.

Claudine looked exhausted, as if she hadn’t slept since the attack. My heart ached for her and her family. I couldn’t begin to imagine what she was going through.

Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Lindsey quickly wrapped her arms around Claudine, while I took her hand. Her body was shaking, and the grief emanating from her made my own eyes well up.

“It’s okay, Claudine. Let it all out,” Lindsey said, rubbing her back soothingly. “I know it hurts, and it will always hurt, but you’re so strong. You’ll get through this for your other boys.”

Lindsey’s words triggered a fresh wave of sobs from Claudine. But Lindsey was right. Claudine was showing incredible strength, trying to recover from a loss that many wouldn’t survive.

“It’s j-just s-so h-h-hard without h-him,” Claudine sobbed, her words tearing at my heart. “N-nothing w-will e-ever be the s-same. My heart f-feels e-empty.”

“Your heart isn’t empty, Claudine, it’s broken,” I said, making her look at me. Her face was a portrait of a shattered woman. It was almost too much to bear. “You have your family, and I know the Moon Goddess is grieving with all of you. You will see your son again, Claudine. He’s with the Moon Goddess now, in peace.”

Claudine looked down at her lap, tears still streaming down her face. She looked back up at me and nodded. “I know. She’ll protect him like I couldn’t.”

Claudine started sobbing again, and this time I pulled her into a hug. “No, honey. Don’t say things like that. This isn’t your fault. This is Andrew’s fault. Blame him, not yourself.”

Her sobs continued for a while before they subsided into hiccups.

“I’m sorry, girls,” Claudine whispered to Lindsey and me.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” I said, giving Claudine’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Nothing at all,” Lindsey agreed, holding her other hand. “It’s why we’re here. To help you through this process.”

“We can’t even imagine the pain you’re going through, but we want to make sure you know you’re not alone in your grief. You don’t have to go through it alone,” I told her, giving her a reassuring smile when she looked up at me again.

After a few hours, Lindsey and I left. Claudine seemed a bit better. We had cleaned her house while she sat on the couch, curled up. Hopefully, that would make her feel a little better.

The next family lived only ten minutes away from Claudine’s home. We got out of my SUV and walked up to the porch. Before we could even knock, the door swung open. Mr. Miller, an intimidating man on a good day but even more so since the attack, greeted us. Both Lindsey and I instinctively took a step back.

“Hello, Luna,” Mr. Miller said, his voice surprisingly pleasant, but his dark eyes told a different story. When he turned to Lindsey, his eyes turned cold and hostile. “Get off my property, traitor.”

I was taken aback and glanced at Lindsey, who had turned pale. I stepped in front of her, shielding her from Mr. Miller’s harsh gaze. “We’re here to help, Mr. Miller.”

“You may be here to help my family, but she”—he pointed a long finger at Lindsey over my shoulder—“is only here to cause more harm to this family. I want her out of here, Luna. Now! Before I do something to hurt her the way my family hurts now.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Miller,” I heard Lindsey say from behind me. I kept my eyes on Mr. Miller and saw that Lindsey’s apology had pushed him over the edge.

Before I could react, Mr. Miller shoved me down onto the porch, my hands scraping against the wooden planks.

“Marcus, no!” I heard someone shout. Mr. Miller had charged at Lindsey, who was just as surprised as I was. He had her pinned to the ground, his hand around her throat.

A woman came running out of the house. I recognized her from previous meetings. This was Giselle, Mrs. Miller.

“Marcus, get off the poor girl!” Giselle screamed, rushing toward Lindsey and Marcus.

“She’s the reason why our only son is dead,” he growled, staring into Lindsey’s terrified eyes. Her face was turning purple, but she didn’t fight back. She believed she deserved this.

I got up and hurried over to them. It looked like Marcus was going to kill Lindsey. I had to get him off her without escalating the situation.

“Mr. Miller,” I called, trying to keep my voice calm and steady. “Mr. Miller. Joseph’s death was not Lindsey’s fault, it was Andrew’s.”

Marcus roared in Lindsey’s face at the mention of Andrew’s name. I flinched, fearing I had made things worse. Lindsey’s eyes were bulging out of her head.

“Did you help him get my son, huh? Did you!? Are you the reason my son was a part of it? Are you the reason our pack had to kill my son!?” He screamed in Lindsey’s face, his voice hoarse.

“She was manipulated just like your son was, Mr. Miller. You wouldn’t have blamed Joseph for all the pain and suffering if he was still here, would you?” I asked, raising my voice to be heard over the commotion. I was trying to break through his rage and thirst for revenge. With Andrew already dead, Lindsey had become his next target.

Giselle was kneeling next to Marcus and Lindsey, crying. She was trying to push Marcus off Lindsey, but he was too enraged to be moved, and she was too weak.

“Please, stop this, Marcus. You’ll only make things worse for this family. I can’t lose you, too,” Giselle pleaded with her mate.

I couldn’t tell whose words finally reached him, but his grip on Lindsey’s throat had definitely slackened. The sound of her gasping for air was a relief, a sound that was absent just moments ago.

Marcus, after a few more tense seconds, completely removed his hand from Lindsey and rose to his feet. He left Lindsey on the ground, still gasping for breath, and turned his gaze toward me. His dark eyes, once filled with rage, now seemed softer, and tears began to pool in them.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured to me, his voice filled with regret. Giselle rose to her feet beside him, her hand gently holding his arm, trying to comfort him.

“This is too much,” Giselle said, her voice shaky as she glanced my way. “My husband didn’t mean to hurt anyone, he’s just in pain right now. You both should go.”

I nodded in understanding. “I’m sorry for your loss, and if you need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out.”

They both nodded back at me, then silently retreated back into their house. As soon as the door closed, Lindsey let out a heart-wrenching cry.

I rushed to her side, dropping to my knees in panic. “Are you okay?” I asked, my hands fluttering over her, unsure if she was hurt anywhere else.

Lindsey attempted to sit up, but I gently pushed her back down. My hands rested on her shoulders, trying to keep her lying in the grass. “No, don’t move. Let me call someone—”

Lindsey growled, her eyes flashing gold. She grabbed my wrists and forcefully pushed my hands away. I was about to question her actions when she sprang to her feet and started yelling at me.

“Don’t touch me, Jennessa!” she screamed, tears streaming down her face. She looked distraught, and I’m not just talking about her physical appearance. “This is all my fault. I deserved his attack. What I don’t deserve is your help.”

I stood up, taken aback. I knew she felt guilty, but her anger toward me was unexpected. I understood that she was emotional, and her anger was misdirected, just like Marcus’s, but her words still stung.

“Lindsey, none of this is your fault,” I said, feeling helpless for my best friend.

“But it is!” she shouted back, her fists clenched at her sides. “I love you, and I know you’re just trying to help, but you love me too much, Jennessa. You’re blind if you don’t see that this is my fault.”

“But it’s not!” I retorted, defending her. “You didn’t know he was—”

“That’s the problem! That’s why it’s my fault! I should have known. I ~should~ have seen the signs, but I didn’t.” Her voice wavered on the last part, and I could see the pain in her eyes. She truly believed she was to blame, and it was tearing her apart.

“I neglected my pack, and people died because I foolishly fell for a man who wasn’t even my mate…,” she sighed, wiping away her tears. “What will my mate think of me? I’m a traitor, Jennessa. I wasn’t loyal to my mate. I fell for a psychopath instead. And this”—she gestured around her—“is my punishment.”

I knew there was no changing her mind, not with the way she was feeling, the way she was seeing things. Instead of trying to argue, I simply wrapped my arms around her and held her close.

“I hate how kind you’re being,” she whispered, her arms finally wrapping around me in return.

We stood there for a few more minutes, Lindsey grappling with guilt that wasn’t hers to bear, and me silently praying to the Moon Goddess for Lindsey and the rest of our pack.