Page 26 of Kidnapped By the Alpha

Her words left me feeling confused and vulnerable, so much so that when she knelt down and began to unbutton my pants, I gathered her hands in mine to prevent her from continuing.

“You don’t want me to return the favor?” April asked, looking up at me seductively.

“That’s okay, it’s not necessary,” I said quickly. “I’m actually feeling pretty tired. You should get some sleep, it’s been a long day.”

I didn’t want to ruin her good mood by explaining that I didn’t want to belong to her. I didn’t want to belong to anyone. As much as I would enjoy what she was offering, I couldn’t have sex with her right now. Not when I felt suddenly vulnerable and unsure of my own emotions.

“I’ll see you in the morning, then,” she said as she returned to her feet.

As she shut the door to her room, I readied myself for bed and turned off the light.

“Get a grip, Jasper,” I said quietly to myself. “It’s just sex.”

Chapter 14 - April

I had allowed myself to become distracted by Jasper last night, but in the clear light of day, I remembered what he had been planning when I had entered Killian’s cabin. He was going to kidnap another woman, and I needed to help her. I could never live with myself if I allowed another woman to suffer the same fate as I had—to be torn away from everything she had known.

From all of my interactions with Jasper, I knew that changing his mind about his plan wasn’t an option—no matter how ill-advised that plan was. He was far too stubborn to give in to my entreaties about what was “right” and “wrong.”

I was going to need a plan of my own if I was going to foil his attempt.

“Good morning, April,” Jasper said politely as I exited my bedroom.

“Morning,” I replied. “What are you up to today?”

“Not much,” he said with a shrug. “And you?”

I couldn’t let him know that I was going to intervene, so I decided to remain casual in my response. Any hint that I was trying to undermine him might land me locked back up in the cabin.

“I promised the children we would do some activities today,” I told him.

It wasn’t a lie, exactly. But I knew I was going to spend the rest of the day making sure those activities took place within earshot of Jasper and his wolves. The more information I had on how they were going to go about kidnapping Penelope, the better prepared I would be.

Jasper and I went our separate ways, and I watched him head for Killian’s cabin.

For the rest of the day, I bided my time, listening and watching for an opportunity as I played with the children. Just before dinner, my patience finally paid off.

“Alpha said he wants us to wait in a getaway car on the edge of town. He’s going to retrieve her himself,” one of the wolves said to his friend.

“Definitely less suspicious if it’s just him going in,” his companion agreed. “What time are we supposed to meet him there?”

“He’s leaving soon. Said he’s going on foot, and we should expect him to be back to the meet-up with the she-wolf in about an hour,” the first wolf said.

If Jasper was leaving soon, I didn’t have much time. I didn’t see him in the commons, and I hoped he was in his cabin. If he had already left, it would be much more difficult to track him.

I moved quickly to the forest, posting myself behind a tree where I could see the front door of my and Jasper’s cabin. Ten minutes later, he appeared and began to walk in the direction of Pinedale. I gave him a few minutes’ head start before following his tracks.

For nearly half an hour, I followed him surreptitiously, being certain to keep downwind so he wouldn’t get a whiff of my scent. As he approached the outskirts of town where the alpha lived, I heard shouting from up ahead. Two members of the Pinedale Pack came out of the trees to the right, heading straight toward Jasper. I moved quickly, staying out of sight but getting within hearing distance of the group by the time they got to Jasper.

“You shouldn’t be out here, this is private property,” one of the men said to him.

“I didn’t see any signs,” Jasper responded, and not too kindly.

That wasn’t good. The last thing any of us needed was for Jasper to have another episode and attack these men unprovoked.

“Honey, there you are!” I said cheerfully, stepping out from behind the trees and walking toward my mate.

Jasper’s face registered shock and anger before he quickly covered his emotions. He had realized I had disobeyed his commands to stay near the cabin and followed him the whole way here, but with an audience, it wouldn’t be helpful to address that issue right now. I smiled at him, trying to signal that I knew he was upset but that he should play along with my ruse.

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