Page 30 of Her Grumpy Alpha

“You don’t mind?”

“Of course. This is the right thing to do.”

I nodded gratefully.

“We have to act swiftly, James. The ring’s power must be neutralized, and the people under its influence need to be freed.”

From Helena’s office, I dialed Abraham’s number, the urgency of the situation palpable in my voice and the gravity of the news I was about to deliver.

“Abe, we can’t meet up at the pack headquarters right now,” I began, my voice conveying the seriousness of the matter. “Because here’s the crucial part–Brian has the Ring of Rasputin. Helena just informed me, her research has led her to that. We need to get to the daycare immediately to retrieve it from him.”

“What is the Ring of Rasputin?”

I took a deep breath, knowing that a quick and concise explanation was needed. “The Ring of Rasputin is a powerful magical artifact,” I began. “It has the ability to influence and manipulate the minds of others, particularly women. Brian has been using it to control people, including the women in our clan.”

I knew I could count on Abraham and the pack to respond swiftly to the urgent call. The Ring of Rasputin was a dangerous artifact, and in the wrong hands, it could bring unimaginable harm. Our mission was clear–retrieve the ring and protect our clan from the malevolent influence of Brian.

As I ended the call, I could feel the weight of responsibility intensify, but I was resolute in my determination to confront the threat head-on. Our pack’s unity and our love for Sadie would guide us through the challenges that lay ahead.

With the pack on my heels, we raced to the daycare where Sadie and the others were trapped, the atmosphere tense and charged with purpose. The night air was cool against my skin, a stark contrast to the heat of emotions surging within me. The adrenaline flowed through my veins as we approached the ominous gathering.

As we drew closer, I couldn’t help but feel a mixture of anger and determination. Brian was manipulating the ring’s dark power, and his sinister intentions needed to be thwarted. The safety of Charlene and the children depended on our success. That was why I was so glad to have Helena here with us. She would know what to do, even if the rest of us didn’t.

We reached the daycare, a silent unity among us, prepared for whatever we might face. The building loomed before us, its atmosphere heavy with dark energy. One that we needed to get rid of right away.

“We need to go in carefully,” I emphasized, the weight of our responsibility evident in my voice. “Brian has the Ring of Rasputin, and he’s a formidable adversary. We can’t afford to make any mistakes.”

My pack nodded in agreement, and Abe answered me. “We’ll proceed with caution and ensure that everyone inside the daycare is safe.”

“There are children in there and we have to keep them safe first and foremost.”

For a moment, my thoughts were pulled to the forefront of my mind–a reminder of the child I hadn’t had the opportunity to truly parent, my son, Gregory.

I couldn’t let Brian’s malevolent influence and manipulations take away my chance to be the father I had always wanted to be. The thought of protecting Gregory and ensuring his safety became a driving force, pushing me to face the danger that lay ahead. I understood how Sadie felt and why she hadn’t told me about Gregory for a while. I would do anything to protect our child, just as she would.

With our hearts pounding and our resolve unshakable, we took our first steps toward the rescue, knowing that our journey would be fraught with challenges, but also driven by the unwavering bond of friendship and a love that could not be manipulated by dark magic. Brian was about to face his worst adversaries, and this was a battle that he stood no chance of winning, even if he did have the Ring of Rasputin.

SEVENTEEN

SADIE

As the day wore on and the sinister events in the room continued to unfold, Brian’s demands became increasingly disturbing. He was starting to really get on my nerves. I was trying to stall, so Brian didn’t do anything silly, but I also didn’t want to give in to anything that he wanted me to do. It had gotten worse because his pack had joined us, circling around the whole room, so we literally were surrounded. Where the hell was James? He needed to hurry up or this would get ugly.

“It’s time.” Brian’s eyes gleaming with an eerie and unsettling intensity, handed me a phone. “Come on, stop messing around.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to kiss me and take photos of it for evidence. Then James can see that he’s lost you.”

My face screwed up in horror. “I’m not doing that.”

“Not only are you going to do that, but you’re going to disrobe as well, to make it more realistic.” He nodded and smirked at me. “Come on, the hour is up. I thought you didn’t want anyone to get hurt here? I thought you would do anything for these kids?”

Shit. What was I going to do? How was I going to play along with this without it getting ugly? I tried to back away from him, but he kept on coming closer.

“Stop resisting, Sadie. We need to do this.”

With each command, his words grew more insistent, and I knew my defiance would not go unpunished. But he kept trying to kiss me. He kept trying to take photos, and all the time, Charlene still had a gun to my head.

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