Page 92 of Alpha Chase

Fuck. FUCK!

My blood turns molten in my veins as Vienna’s words tumble from her lips. She tells me that her mom’s been dating some shitbag named Clint who leeches off of the monthly stipend that she receives for her mate’s death, and the sick fuck has tried to force himself on Vienna more than once. By the end of her confession, I’m seeing red, my body trembling with rage.

“I’m gonna fucking kill him,” I growl, winding my arms around Vienna’s small body and holding her tight to my chest. “Just wait till I get my hands on him. He’s never gonna hurt you again, baby. Fuckingnever.”

“You can’t,” she chokes out, pushing back against me, her eyes wide with concern. “It’d break pack law. I’m not going to let you risk your pack’s place in the alliance by going after one of Brock’s wolves, and you promised you wouldn’t tell him. Just… you have to let it go. I haven’t gone back there, and if Gray gets me a spot on the squad…”

“You can’t tell me that and then expect me to sit back and do nothing,” I interrupt, clenching my jaw. “He can’t just fucking get away with hurting you.”

“He won’t have the opportunity to do it again. I’ll go back there to get the rest of my stuff when I know he won’t be there, and then…”

I shake my head. “Not good enough. That fucker needs to pay.”

“Chase,” Vienna sighs, cupping my jaw in her hand. “Just let it go. Please. He’s not worth it.”

I grit my teeth, giving her a single nod, and she pushes back on my shoulders so that I’m lying down again, settling in against my chest.

I stroke her hair, my mind spinning out of control as she falls asleep on top of me. I know she wants me to let it go, but there’s no way in hell that I can do that. The thought of some asshole putting his hands on Vienna has my wolf all riled up, out for blood, and I won’t be able to rest until he gets his pound of flesh.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Chase

Vienna’ssleepingsodeeplythat she doesn’t even stir when I carry her upstairs and tuck her into my bed. At least one of us is able to sleep- I haven’t managed a wink since she told me the truth about her situation at home. My mind races all night combing over my options, and when the first rays of morning sunlight peek through the curtains, I give up my futile fight for sleep and sneak out of bed to put my plan into action.

I scrawl out a quick note to Vienna to let her know that something came up, leaving it on the nightstand with the key fob to the Jeep sitting on top, instructing her to take it to work since I won’t be back to give her a ride. With any luck, I’ll be able to execute my plan before her shift ends today and she’ll be none the wiser. On my way out the door, I cast one last glance in her direction, my eyes raking over her naked form tangled in the black satin sheets. Seeing her like this, so sweet and vulnerable, only reinforces my resolve for what I’m about to do. Nobody hurts my girl and gets away with it.

As I’m jogging down the stairs, my phone vibrates in my hand, Gray’s name flashing across the screen with an incoming call. I hit the button to answer it, bringing the phone up to my ear.

“Hey,” I rasp, my voice gravelly from lack of sleep.

“Hey,” Gray replies. “I got your text. Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” I breathe, striding toward the front door of the packhouse and pulling it open. “Can you do it?”

There’s a long pause on the other end of the line as I make my way to my truck, unlocking it and sliding in behind the wheel.

“Yeah,” Gray finally responds. “Now that we know she’s a tracker, it’s a no-brainer to put her on the squad. But are you sure you want me to do that? If she’s your mate, then…”

“I’m sure,” I interrupt. “This isn’t about me, it’s about her. She wants this. And if she’s… what you think she is… then I want her to choose that for herself, not be forced into it.”

I thought about this a lot before texting Gray to ask him to allow Vienna to join the six-pack’s security squad. While all of my instincts are screaming at me to keep her close, I know that our best shot at any type of future together is to let her make her own way, like she so badly wants to. If she joins the squad and moves up to the complex, at least I know she’ll be safe. We can keep seeing one another, and maybe someday we’ll both be ready to put our bond to the test under the full moon.

It's a solid plan. So even if it kills me to let her go for now, I’ll do it for the endgame. Knowing Vienna’s strength in her convictions, letting her go is the only way to actually keep her. To show her that I understand and respect what’s truly important to her.

Look at me learning to put someone else first.

Gray blows out a breath, and when he speaks again, I can almost hear the smile in his voice as he echoes my sentiment. “You’re thinking like an alpha, putting your needs second.”

I grit my teeth, fighting the urge to back out of this whole plan and selfishly keep Vienna in my packhouse for as long as I can. “Guess so. Is there a room in the squad dorms for her? I was hoping to move her stuff up there today.”

“I’ll figure it out and let you know,” he replies.

We say goodbye and I hang up, starting my truck and pulling out of the driveway. I’m halfway to Riverton when another call comes in – Callum this time. I answer it, the call coming in through the speakers of the truck.

“Got that address for me?” I ask, dropping all pretense and getting straight to business.

“Well good morning to you too, sunshine,” Cal grumbles on the other end of the line. “Yeah, I got it. Texting it to you now.”

---