Page 28 of Kidnapped By the Alpha

My heart skipped as I heard Nile say the name of my mark. I wasn’t prepared to capture her right now, given the fact that April had disrupted my plan, but at least Penelope’s arrival would give me the opportunity to get more information about how to go about my next attempt.

I turned my attention to the doorway and was stunned when a young girl, no more than five, entered the room.

“Penelope, this is Jasper and April,” Nile said.

“Hi,” the little girl said, skipping over to the chair where Nile sat.

“It’s nice to meet you, Penelope,” April said, smiling at the child.

I kicked myself for not realizing that the alpha’s “precious loved one” could have been someone other than a girlfriend or a wife. How would I explain this to my pack? What would they want me to do, given these new circumstances?

“My daughter Penny here is the light of my life,” Nile explained.

The girl giggled as he tapped her on the nose. “Can I have a snack, Dad?” she asked.

“Of course, pumpkin. Grayson’s in the kitchen now if you need help,” he said.

She hugged Nile before leaving the room in search of a snack. If he hadn’t called her his daughter, I would have thought Nile was her grandfather, given his advanced age. I wondered what the story was there, but couldn’t think of a polite way to ask. Luckily, I didn’t have to. April was much better than me atconversations and was already encouraging Nile to speak about his family.

“You seem like a wonderful father,” she said to our host. “Have you two lived here long?”

“Yes, I’ve lived in this home since I married my late wife. That was over fifteen years ago,” he said.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” April said quietly at the mention of his wife’s passing.

“My mate was a wonderful woman,” Nile said. “Strong, beautiful, and intelligent. I’ve never met her equal. We tried for years to have a child before the wolf god finally answered our prayers. But the pregnancy was difficult, and my Odessa didn’t survive the birth of our baby girl.”

“That must have been so hard, raising a child and grieving your mate,” April said, compassion evident in her voice.

“It was,” Nile said simply. “It still is. But I’ve never been one to let the bad times wipe away all the good ones. The years I had with my wife were full of joy, and now that she’s gone, there is still so much to be thankful for. I may not have her, but I still have a piece of her.”

Nile had to be the most optimistic person I had ever encountered. The more he spoke, the more sick I felt. The thought of taking this man’s daughter—his whole world—from him was gutting me.

I needed to get out of this room. Now.

“Would you mind if I used your restroom?” I asked, standing up quickly.

“Of course, it’s just down the hall,” Nile said. “Cory can show you the way.”

The man standing by the door led me to the bathroom two doors down from the living room, and I shut the door behind me.

Get it together, Jasper,I told myself.This is what needs to be done. You promised your pack a home. This is how we get it.

I sat down on the edge of the bathtub and began to hyperventilate at the choice I was facing. I either needed to kidnap a child from a loving home—the very opposite of what I wanted to happen—or give up on presenting my pack with the home I had promised them. It was an impossible choice. No matter what I decided, I would be forced to go against a part of who I was.

Should I betray myself, or my pack?

I had no idea what to do.

A sudden knock on the door interrupted my thought spiral.

“Just a minute,” I said tersely.

No one could see me in this state. I needed to pull myself together, but I couldn’t get any air into my lungs.

“Jasper, let me in. It’s me,” April said through the door.

When I didn’t respond, she opened it and came inside, locking the door behind her.

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