Page 93 of Alpha Chase

“Thanks,” I grunt. “Grab the boys and meet me there.”

I disconnect the call, fingers flexing around the steering wheel as I speed down the forest road toward Riverton. Ten minutes later, I’m pulling up in front of the packhouse there, rushing up the front walk and pounding my fist against the door.

Astrid answers with a bright smile on her face, pulling it open and gesturing for me to come inside. “Chase! To what do we owe the pleasure?” she asks, sweeping her unruly curls out of her face.

Brock’s standing in the kitchen just off the entryway, looking particularly surly this morning. He’s shirtless with a pair of sweatpants riding low on his hips, his long hair pulled back in a messy man bun. I ignore his menacing stare for the moment, turning back to his mate.

“You’re a psychic, right?” I ask, desperately hoping that she can help me get around the promise I made to Vienna last night.

Astrid nods slowly, assessing me. “Kinda. I’m a seer, but I’m still working on honing my gifts.”

Brock approaches the two of us and I turn to face him, shoving my hands into the front pocket of my hoodie and balling my fists. “I’m here to ask for permission to go after one of the wolves in your pack.”

His eyebrow ticks up in amusement and he raises his arms to fold them across his broad chest. “Who and why?”

“I can’t say,” I mutter, shaking my head. I look back to Astrid anxiously. “Maybe you can? Can you like, read my mind or something and tell him?”

Astrid giggles. “That’s not how it works, sweetie.” My face falls and when she sees it, she reaches out for me, her eyes sympathetic as she sets a hand on my arm. “Give me your hand. I might be able to pick up on something if you focus your mind on it.”

I nod, tugging my hands out of my front pocket and offering one to her. I’m not completely sold on this hocus pocus, but if it can help me skirt around the promise I made to Vienna, then I’m all for trying.

Astrid wraps her small hands around mine, closing her eyes and blowing out a slow breath. “Focus,” she instructs, and I squeeze my eyes shut, doing my best to hone in on the memory of last night. My mind’s such a jumble right now that it’s difficult to do- my thoughts jump from the rogue at the lodge, to bending Vienna over the back of the couch, to that fucking stellar blowjob, to her naked body on top of mine under the cocoon of the blanket. I try to clear all that out, focusing instead on her confession, my wolf rising to the surface as I recall the anger that arose in me with every pained word that left her lips.

Astrid draws a sharp breath, dropping my hand and whipping around to face Brock. “It’s Vienna Vega. Her mom’s boyfriend has been abusing her. Clint Ridgeway.”

I sigh in relief, my shoulders slumping. I can’t believe that actually fucking worked- but more importantly, now I need Brock to give me the green light to deliver justice to this prick.

He scowls as he swivels to face me, dropping his arms to his sides and clenching his fists. “Why didn’t she report this?” he growls. “I’m her Alpha, she should’ve come to me.”

I scrub a hand over my face, shaking my head. “I don’t know. But she’smine, so I should get to punish the fucker for what he did to her. I’m trying to do the right thing here by coming to you rather than just going there myself and causing a rift in the alliance, so do I have your blessing to kill this piece of shit or what?”

Brock scoffs, turning on a heel and striding away.

“Wha…” I start, but Astrid sets her hand on mine again, giving a little shake of her head.

“Let him think for a second. This is what he does.” She squeezes my hand encouragingly and I nod, watching Brock pace back and forth angrily.

Astrid leans toward me, dropping her voice to a whisper. “Next time you want me to try to catch a vision, maybe leave out the porno,” she teases, winking.

“What?” I snap, my face heating with embarrassment.Shit, was she able to see everything I thought about from last night?

“Fine,” Brock grunts, stalking my way again.

My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline. “Really? Fuck, thank you, man, I really appreciate…”

He cuts me off with a tight shake of his head. “You can rough him up, but leave him breathing. I’ll dole out my own punishment as his Alpha, according to pack law.”

I nod slowly, a fission of irritation prickling up my spine. According to pack law, I have to defer to Brock as the leader of his- but if I can’t kill this Clint asshole, at least I’ll still get to beat the daylights out of him; show him what’ll happen if he so much as dares to breathe in Vienna’s direction again. That’s if his own Alpha doesn’t kill him for what he’s done. There’s a fury swimming in Brock’s eyes that I haven’t seen before, mixed with pain and regret like he’s beating himself up over the fact that this happened in his pack without his knowledge.

“I’ll come with you,” he continues, stepping up to me and clapping a rough hand on my shoulder. I swear I see the ghost of a sinister smile cross his lips as he leans in closer, his green eyes boring into mine. “Just to make sure you don’t fuck around and kill him.”

“Okay, that Jeep is sick,” Nessa announces as she lets herself in the front door of the Norbury packhouse. I toss the core of the apple I just finished eating into the trash, swallowing down the last bite as I stride in her direction. Her eyes meet mine and she throws a thumb over her shoulder toward the still open door behind her. “Remind me again why we’re not driving that to work today?”

I roll my eyes, shaking my head. “Because I’m not accepting a car as a gift from my sort-of-boyfriend that I’ve known for all of what, a month?” I chuckle wryly. “It’s sort of ridiculous.”

“Yeah, ridiculously nice,” Nessa quips. She leans a shoulder against the doorframe, glancing over her shoulder toward the driveway wistfully. “I’d kill to have a car like that. Can’t we at least take it for a spin?”

“Maybe some other time,” I laugh, grabbing my coat off the rack by the door and stuffing my arms into the sleeves. “Can’t be late for work.”

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