Page 26 of Her Grumpy Alpha

“I’m on the way. I’ll get this sorted in a moment.”

As soon as I raced outside, the scent of smoke, thick and acrid, hung heavy in the air. I knew that smell all too well, and it didn’t bode well. I could tell from this alone that this was going to be really bad. I couldn’t believe how far Brian was willing to go to ruin everything for me. He had a vendetta, and he wanted to destroy my whole life.

Instinct took over, and in a swift, fluid motion, I shifted into my wolf form. My senses sharpened, and my awareness expanded. The world was seen through a different lens, one that allowed me to pick up on the subtlest of scents and sounds.

Without hesitation, I raced toward the source of the growing unease–the sawmill fire. The rhythmic pounding of my paws on the earth was a steady beat in the night, a determination to confront whatever danger lay ahead.

The fire blazed in the distance, its orange glow painting a vivid picture of chaos and destruction. I pushed my lupine body to its limits, racing toward the inferno in a desperate attempt to protect our clan and those we held dear.

The wind carried the acrid scent of burning wood and a faint hint of something else, something sinister. The shadows danced around the flames, and as I drew nearer to the source of the fire, I couldn’t help but wonder what awaited me there. I had a horrible feeling that Brian was in the shadows somewhere, waiting to pounce on me and rip me apart. At this point, I didn’t know what he was going to do, and that terrified me.

As I arrived at the scene and I shifted back into my human form to face the terror in front of me, I was met with a chaotic tableau of flashing red and orange lights, the roar of the fire, and the shouts of firefighters and Park Workers. The sawmill’s storage yard was ablaze, a towering inferno that threatened to consume everything in its path. This definitely was a lot worse than the last one. This fire meant business. I wasn’t sure anything could survive this.

My pack mates and employees were doing their best to help the firefighters, but it was a massive, daunting challenge. The farmed lumber we stored here was worth millions of dollars, and its loss would be devastating to our community. Not just to me, but to everyone.

I shifted into action, coordinating efforts and ensuring the safety of those under my leadership. The fire was a force of nature, relentless and unforgiving, but we were determined not to let it win. Luckily, someone quickly yelled to me that no one was hurt, which made me feel a lot better, but I was still very upset.

Hours stretched into what felt like an eternity, and exhaustion began to take its toll. But we couldn’t give up. We worked side by side, a team united by a common goal.

As the first rays of dawn broke over the horizon, we finally gained control over the inferno. The fire had caused substantial damage, but our efforts had saved a significant portion of the precious lumber and at least the foundations of the building.

I looked at the scorched earth and smoldering remains, my heart heavy with the weight of responsibility. This was a setback, a costly one, but we would rebuild. We had faced challenges before, and we would rise above this one. We had to.

“Do we know who did this?” I finally asked Abe once there was a moment for me to speak. “Was it Emma and Lily again?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know at the moment. The blaze was really high by the time anyone realized it was happening. But Emma and Lily weren’t here. None of the female employees were, so I don’t know who could have done this. We will find out though, don’t worry.”

I sighed heavily. Of course, I was going to worry. How could I not? This was a living nightmare. As Abe raced off on his mission to find out who was behind this, I suddenly realized that Sadie might be awake, and she might be wondering what the hell was going on. I needed to call her, to explain myself. I longed for her presence, her calming influence, but I knew there was still much work to be done. I didn’t want to drag her into the middle of this.

Ring, ring… Ring, ring… Ring, ring…

I paced back and forth as I waited for Sadie to pick up, my impatience and concern mounting with every passing moment. But all I received was silence. The sense of helplessness weighed heavily on me, and I couldn’t afford to get lost in the worry about her safety. I needed to stay vigilant, to protect our Clan and those I held dear.

It was during my restless pacing that I noticed a group of women attempting to slip away unnoticed. Their movements were furtive, and their expressions revealed a mix of guilt and bewilderment. Something was amiss, and the unease I had felt earlier only deepened.

I approached the group, trying to be careful so I didn’t spook them before I could talk to them. The women hesitated, their eyes darting nervously, and they struggled to find their voices.

“What’s happening here?” I demanded, my deep growl carrying the weight of authority and concern.

One of the women, her voice trembling, finally spoke up. “We don’t know. There’s something strange going on. People are acting… differently.”

I detected the lingering scent of gasoline on their clothing, which only made me more suspicious. “Where are you going?”

“We need to get out of here. We can’t be here.”

I wasn’t about to let them go. “No, you need to tell me what’s happening. Otherwise, I won’t be able to get to the bottom of it. I won’t be able to save anyone else. It’ll keep on happening.”

The group of women before me, their faces etched with fear and confusion, revealed the harrowing truth. They had been coerced, manipulated by Brian’s insidious influence into committing a heinous act. Their admission sent shivers down my spine, and I knew that we were peeling back the layers of a dark and dangerous mystery.

One of the other women started, “We were forced to douse the lumber pile with gasoline and ignite it.”

“Brian’s control over us was absolute. We had no choice,” another one joined in. “I can’t even explain how it happened. It just did.”

The first woman piped up once more. “It’s like we were puppets. We had to do what he said.”

I felt a surge of anger and determination. Brian’s power over the minds of these women was a threat that needed to be extinguished. The arson at the sawmill again was just another example of the chaos he could incite and would keep on inciting if we let him.

“You did the right thing by coming forward,” I assured them. “We will ensure your safety and help you break free from Brian’s control. But you shouldn’t run away. We need to sort this out properly.”

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