Page 3 of Kidnapped By the Alpha

But for now, I needed to see how many wolves we would be dealing with and what kind of defenses they had against packs like ours. I had just left my car parked on a side street and walked a block over when I saw a familiar face.

Luna Madi is pretty far from home, my wolf remarked.

Indeed, she was. She and two other women were leaving a patio across the street. It appeared they had just finished brunch. I wondered what would make Aiden’s mate travel so far from home for a simple meal.

I’m going to follow her,I said. My wolf, Storm, growled in anticipation. I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but I couldn’t let an opportunity like this pass by.

Madi had been the cause of all the misery I had experienced over the past two years. She was the one who had taken Aiden from me and forced me to take things into my own hands when I left the Moonstone Pack. It was her fault that I had lost my home and my friend. She—and all of Sparkle Hollow—would need to pay for the wrongs they had done. Maybe today, I would finally get the chance to get my revenge against them.

The three women had begun to walk away, so I followed them as surreptitiously as possible. Luckily, the streets were pretty full at the moment, so I had no trouble blending in. They walked for a few blocks until they arrived at a bridal store. One of the unknown women entered while Madi remained outside with the third. After a brief conversation, Madi went inside as well.

Luna Madi is already married,I said to Storm.One of the other women must have a mating ceremony soon. Maybe that will be our opportunity to get back at them. Nothing like a spoiled ceremony to wreak havoc.

When the third woman finally turned around, she seemed vaguely familiar, though I couldn’t place why. Storm instantly perked up when he saw her face, and I could sense his overwhelming desire.

You need to go to her,he told me.

Go to her?I repeated.Don’t be stupid. Why would I pursue an enemy? She’s just a shrew from Sparkle Hollow.

Jasper, please,my wolf was practically begging.Just move closer. I want to see her.

My irritation at him was still on the surface, but there was no harm in getting a closer look. I could hardly believe that the women dared to be out and about, having a day out after all they had done to destroy the Moonstones. What right did they have to enjoy their lives when they had caused me to suffer?

Maybe this was fate intervening, giving me the chance to hurt them for what they had done to me. Aiden Moonstone had plenty of faults, but his kidnappings had done quite a bit of psychological damage to our enemy packs over the years. If Aiden had been stronger, he could have withstood the lure of his luna and done what he should have done with his forced mate: torture her for all eternity.

I could easily do what Aiden had never been able to. This she-wolf had no right to plan a celebration when she and her people had caused such destruction in my life. Someone needed to pay for their crimes, and she was perfectly poised for me to make sure that happened.

As I plotted my revenge, I noticed that the alley next to the woman was all that stood between me and my vehicle. Moving as casually as possible, I walked to the end of the block and crossed the street, continuing around the block to reach my car.

In the glovebox was a syringe of wolfsbane, prepped and ready for use. I hadn’t planned to use it today, but I had learned long ago that it was better to be prepared. I grabbed it and closed the door quietly. If all went well, I would have a mate by the end of the day.

Chapter 2 - April

After nearly a decade, Mila and Ben finally decided to have a mating ceremony and end the tumultuous ups and downs of their relationship. It was at the urging of Luna Grace that Mila finally decided to say yes to a stable future with her mate.

The alpha and luna were not against having fun, of course, but after Madi’s kidnapping last year, Lex had brought Ben in for a conversation about distracting the twenty-something wolves—especially Mila—from their duty to the pack. Ben had assured the alpha that he wanted to settle down with her, but that Mila had been resistant to the idea.

It took a little convincing from Grace, but since it was clear that Mila and Ben had true feelings for each other, she was heavily encouraged to accept his proposal and leave the partying behind.

Once Mila had accepted Ben as her mate, they both became model citizens in Sparkle Hollow. Everyone was thrilled with their match and excited for a mating ceremony where they could celebrate the future. Luna Madi from the Moonstone Pack had even offered her services as a party planner to the happy couple. Madi had hoped that involvement between the packs for milestones like this would be the key to building a stable alliance, and Luna Grace had agreed.

Mila, thrilled by the new luna’s attention to her, had accepted without any hesitation. Which was why I now found myself sitting at an outdoor café in Wyoming, holding the remnants of my second mimosa, planning a wedding with the two of them.

“There’s only one thing left to decide,” Madi said.

Fresh spring air teased their hair and fluttered a few pages from Madi’s binder as the bees buzzed in the flower boxes hanging from the patio railing.

“The dress!” Mila squealed, setting down her glass. She hadn’t been excited about many of the plans up until now, but I could tell this was one choice she was passionate about. The entire reason we had left Sparkle Hollow today was to visit a specific bridal shop that Mila had scouted ahead of time.

I smiled at her enthusiasm, ignoring the pang of jealousy that sprang up.

“Do you know what you’re looking for?” I asked.

“Something fitted, obviously,” Mila said, indicating her hourglass figure.

I forced a laugh, but another pang of jealousy came to the surface unbidden. My body type was a little more full than Mila’s, and hearing her praise her looks brought my attention back to my own perceived shortcomings. While I tried to love my shape, I had to admit that it was sometimes hard to do.

“I think a mermaid style would look great on you,” Madi said.

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