Page 21 of Wolf Sacrificed

I swallowed hard. “Before his death, my father named me alpha. I’m reaching out to you as a friend, as I believe that Pack Wolf Blood may be turning their attention to you.”

The phone crackled in my ear. His breathing grew heavier. Good. I had his attention.

He let out a sigh. “You are not the first person I’ve spoken with about Pack Wolf Blood. The Hamptons mentioned something as well.”

I spun on my heel for another lap across the room. “You’re aware of how dangerous they are, then?”

He grunted. “Yes, I have heard nothing but horror stories about them.”

I pursed my lips. My mind raced with what to say next. I reached for my hair again, catching a loose strand and twirling it around my finger. I curled my toes in my shoes and tried to swallow down the panic bubbling up.

“I think that we can both agree there is safety in numbers, Alpha Charles. We have had several packs come to our house to help assist. Several of them were driven from their homes and left with no place to go.”

He didn’t say anything for a long moment. I glanced at Sawyer and Lincoln, wondering if I should say something else or leave him to his thoughts.

I didn’t have to wait long.

His voice sounded strained and grave when he spoke up again. “By your own admission, Pack Wolf Blood has dealt you a deafening blow, taking your alpha from you. How do you think that joining you would benefit my pack?”

My heart jumped into my throat. I had never been much of a salesperson or a public speaker. I wouldn’t be lying if I said I was completely out of my element right now. But I had to try.

“We’ve seen firsthand what Alpha Dane and Pack Wolf Blood are capable of. We know who his contacts are and who he is likely to reach out to for certain things. I’d be more than happy to give you even more specifics if we could meet in person.”

I glanced at Lincoln and Sawyer. Sawyer motioned with his hand, urging me to continue.

I let the hair unravel from my finger and dropped my hand to my side as I tracked another trail across the room. “I think we can both agree that there is safety in numbers. My pack has the land, and our numbers are growing. The more of us who come together now to make a stand, the better. We have already had several alphas join us.”

“And they’re following you? You sound young. How old are you, girl?” he asked.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek. I would have to convince him that even though I was just barely in my twenties, I was more than capable.

I flexed my fingers and patted them on my thigh as I twirled and started another lap. “I’ll be twenty-two in a few weeks. Alpha Charles, I know I may sound young, and I don’t have experience, but I have been to Alpha Dane’s pack. I know what he’s capable of, and I know how he thinks.”

I blew out a breath and moved faster to the other side of the room as my conviction grew. “His son Lincoln is my mate, and he’s here with me. He’s turned against his father. Not only that, but he is the founder of the DarkSide website.”

Charles breathed, the only sound I could hear on the other end. It sounded loud, almost like he was having a panic attack. Maybe he was. I would be if I knew Alpha Dane was coming for me. Well, maybe not because he was always coming for me. Or maybe that was why I felt exhausted and like I’d been beaten up a thousand times. Because of the worry churning in my stomach.

Alpha Charles sighed so hard into the speaker that it cut out and crackled. “My youngest son speaks very highly of the DarkSide website. It’s something that we’ve used. It’s how we found out about Alpha Dane and his tyranny to begin with, even before the Hamptons. I must say though, meeting with you does present some risks.”

I stretched up onto the tips of my toes as a burst of excitement washed through me. He was considering meeting with me, which meant I was on the right path.

“Of course. I wouldn’t expect you to invite us onto your pack land with such tentative circumstances involved. Perhaps we could meet in a neutral location, someplace public and safe for both of our packs.”

He made a humming noise. “Yes, I do think that would be acceptable. I get the sense time is of the essence. Is that correct?”

I bobbed my head up and down and then realized that he couldn’t see me. “Yes, sir, the sooner we can meet, the better.”

“Very well. Let me assemble a team, and I will text you the location we can meet tomorrow.”

I put my free hand in the air and did a fist bump. A smile slid across my face, and the weight lifted from my chest so I could breathe again. We were one step closer.

“Thank you, Alpha Charles. I look forward to hearing from you and meeting with you later.”

He hummed again. “Yes, I look forward to meeting you as well. Goodbye until then.”

My fingers shook so hard as I hung up that I feared I might drop the phone. I let out a squeal of excitement and clasped my cell between both hands. Then I let out a long breath and laughed out loud.

Sawyer pulled me in for a hug and kissed my temple. “You did great, just like I knew you would.”

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