Page 16 of Kidnapped By the Alpha

I sighed, understanding what Killian was implying. Jasper wanted these young boys to grow up to be exactly like the rest of the men in the pack—strong and sexist. The girls were being trained to cater to the pack, taking orders without question.

“Everyone in the pack should do their part to help,” I pointed out. “Life here would be a lot easier if everyone pitched in. As alpha, I’m sure Jasper wants the pack to thrive, don’t you?”

Killian shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, knowing that I was questioning the alpha’s orders. “Look, April,” he began hesitantly. “I know that your situation isn’t… ideal. Butdon’t judge Jasper too quickly. There’s more to him than meets the eye.”

I raised an eyebrow and placed my hands on my hips. “You sure have a lot of nerve telling someone who was kidnapped not to judge their captor,” I pointed out.

“You have a point there,” Killian said as he smiled ruefully. “But I stand by what I said. Jasper and I have known each other since we were children, and we’ve been through a lot together. Get to know him a little, and you’ll see. He does care about the pack, I promise you that.”

As annoyed as I was about the girls’ situation, Killian had piqued my curiosity about my mate. He didn’t expand on their past, but I would certainly do my best to find out more as soon as I could.

Chapter 9 - Jasper

When I returned to the cabin, April was waiting for me. “I need to get some things from town,” she said as I entered the room.

“No, I don’t think so,” I replied with a frown. “Make me a list of what you need, and I can get it for you soon.”

“It will be much easier if I go with you. If you haven’t noticed, I didn’t exactly have time to pack before I came here,” she pointed out.

“If all you need is clothes and toiletries, just write down your sizes and preferences. I’ll get them,” I insisted.

She cleared her throat self-consciously, and I looked at her with a puzzled expression. “What is it?” I asked warily.

“It’s just…” she trailed off, looking at the floor to avoid making eye contact. She cleared her throat. “I do need clothes and things, but I also need some items of a more… personal nature. As a woman, you see, I need certain products to—”

“Got it!” I interrupted, holding my hand up to stop her from finishing her sentence. “You’re right. It’ll be better for you to come with me and pick out… what you need. Do you… um… need it right away?”

I was acutely aware of how hot my face was. Color had risen in my cheeks from my embarrassment at the topic. It wasn’t that I didn’t know that women had biological differences, but I had never been comfortable discussing it.

“No, but soon. It’s better to have it before you need it,” April said.

“Let’s just go now,” I decided. Best to get it out of the way.

I wasn’t worried about April trying to escape, but I did have concerns about being out in public with her. I was doing the best I could to gain intel on the Pinedale wolf pack, and I hoped that her sudden appearance wouldn’t raise any alarm bells if anyone had been watching me earlier today.

The trip to town was quick and quiet. We stopped at a general merchandise store, where April was sure to find whatever she needed. Unlike many women I’d observed, she was a well-organized shopper. She had already made a list of what she needed and made her selections without much fuss. After only fifteen minutes, we headed to the check-out to pay.

“Efficient,” I commented as she began piling her purchases onto the conveyor belt.

“No reason to dilly-dally,” she replied with a smile.

To my surprise, I found myself smiling back. The entire outing had felt comfortable, and I was slightly disappointed to be heading back to the cabin.

“Ninety-five dollars and sixteen cents,” the cashier said as he finished placing the items in a bag. April reached for her wallet, but I waved it aside.

“It’s okay,” she protested. “I can get them.”

“Don’t be silly,” I mumbled, swiping my card in the terminal. There was no explanation I could give for why I was offering to pay for her things, and I wanted to avoid a conversation about the gesture.

“Thank you, Jasper,” she said quietly.

After taking the receipt, I turned around quickly, accidentally bumping into someone walking through the aisle.

“Pardon,” he said. “Oh! I remember you! I was in the bar earlier, remember? I asked you about what you were working on?”

Shit, Storm growled.

It was one of the men I had spied on earlier—the one who had spoken of a wolf named Nile and the get-together he was planning. I felt my muscles tensing, and I narrowed my eyes at the man. His friendly expression faltered as he took in my reaction, and he took an involuntary step away.

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