Page 58 of Cruel Alpha Daddy

This is the final act. I should have cleaned the pack up the second I became alpha, but I was so sick of violence. Now, I know sometimes it takes a needle to remove a thorn.

“Is there anyone left in this hall who doubts me or opposes my leadership?” I call out.

Some of the people before me still look unsure, but no one speaks against me. For the first time, I feel the strength of the pack. What it truly means to be united.

Even once I became alpha, I thought I was alone. I’m not. Everyone is with me… all of them.

“What are your orders, Alpha?” Ryan asks. He stands just below me with a small smile on his face. There is a cheerful look in his eye that says,It’s about time.

“Search the village!” I yell. “Look for your luna. Find Fiona. Look for clues to where Tobias went and track those kids who just left.” I point at Donny, then Luke. “You, tail those kids. Make sure they don’t know you’re following them.”

My friends nod in agreement and quickly leave the hall. I jump down from the table and grab Ryan’s shoulder.

“Ryan, you’re with me. Let’s go through my cabin and the surrounding area. See if we can pick up a trail.”

“Rider,” Lilah says, pushing through the crowd to get to me. “What do you need from us, aside from searching for Fiona?”

“I want you to set up a safehouse for the children,” I say. “I can’t predict what Tobias will do, but it’s likely that he’ll come for the women, especially if most of the men are out searching the hills. Is Jen okay?”

“She’s passed out. She will be alright, but she was very badly banged up.”

“I was hoping to question her about where Bailey was going to meet Fiona.”

Lilah shakes her head. “No chance of that happening.”

“Okay, then. Get the women and children together and set yourself up in a defensible position. I want runners in place so you can communicate with us. It won’t do us any good to bring back our luna if Tobias has destroyed the rest of the pack while my back was turned.”

“That could be his plan!” Lilah gasps, shocked.

I nod in agreement. “I have to go. Tobias has a lead on me now, and I have no idea where he’s going. If Jen wakes up, question her for me and relay the information as quickly as you can.”

“You know, Rider, phones would be a great help in this situation,” Lilah says wryly.

“Agreed, but it’s not something I can fix right now,” I answer. “Maybe once we take out Tobias, we can go through his stash and see what he’s been hoarding. For now, let’s just kill the fucking bastard.”

Lilah nods and hurries away. She waves to the other women, gathering them together and hurrying from the hall. The place has emptied out, and I’m glad to see everyone followed my instructions without a whisper of protest.

Urgency builds inside me with every second that passes, because I know what Tobias could be doing to Fiona. But as much as it hurts, I have to rule the pack before all else.

Otherwise, all of this is meaningless.

“Okay, Ry,” I say, heading for the doors. “Let’s go.”

We jog over to my cabin and circle it, finding some footprints almost immediately. My wolf rises within me, fed by rage and newly embraced power. I give in to it, quickly shedding my clothes and running into the woods.

Immediately, I smell Fiona’s blood. Tobias must have hit her to knock her out. Even though the thought terrifies me and makes me even angrier, it would have slowed him down a lot to carry her, which means we might be able to catch him before he gets too far ahead.

I keep my nose to his footprints, the scent of Fiona’s blood like a hot, glowing trail. Occasionally, I stop, throw my head back, and howl to communicate with Ryan and the others. Ryan answers from the nearby forest, covering my flank and looking for traps.

Far off in the canyon, my loyal wolves howl back in response.

We are well. No attack yet.

No enemies found.

No sign of our luna.

I put my nose back to the ground and chase the scent of my mate. For the first time in my life, I’m filled with confidence and purpose. Even though I’m afraid for Fiona, I also feel a deep certainty that everything will be alright.

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