Page 62 of Sold to the Alphas

I stayed quiet, my heart pounding at the thought of August facing Raol—or worse, Raol’s pack—alone. He was capable, but he wasn’t invincible.

“So we go after him,” I said, breaking the silence. “We find him before Raol does.”

Finn raised an eyebrow at me, a smirk tugging at his lips despite the serious conversation. “And here I thought I was the take-charge type.”

Marshall ignored him, his focus entirely on me. “It’s not that simple, Elisabed. Raol has resources, and we don’t know exactly where August went. If we just charge in blind—”

“We’ll lose him,” Finn finished, his smirk fading. “Or worse.”

“Then what do we do?” I asked, my frustration bubbling to the surface. “We can’t just sit here while he’s out there.”

Marshall’s jaw tightened, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “We need information. If Raol’s involved, he’ll have left a trail—subtle, but it’s there. Raol likes to send messages, reminders of his power.”

Finn leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You think one of the outpost scouts might have seen something?” he asked.

Marshall nodded. “Exactly. Raol’s pack has a network, and August would have been careful not to leave too obvious a trail, but someone might’ve noticed movement—either August’s or Raol’s people.”

“Let’s go check with them, then,” Finn muttered, standing abruptly.

“Finn, wait.” Marshall’s voice stopped him mid-stride. “Let’s work out how best to approach this.”

Finn grunted and mumbled something under his breath as he sat back down.

“We don’t have time to gather our packs for a search, so we’ll split up,” Marshall said. “Finn, you head west toward the main roads—if August ran into trouble, it might’ve been there. I’ll head east toward the river. Raol’s pack uses that area to avoid patrols.”

“And me?” I asked, bracing myself for the answer.

Marshall’s lips pressed into a firm line as he spoke. “You stay here, Elisabed. You’ve been through enough, and you’re in no condition to be running after us. Especially not now.”

I stiffened, already knowing what was coming. “No.”

Marshall blinked, clearly not expecting my refusal. “Elisabed, this isn’t a discussion. It’s not safe—”

“I don’t care if it’s safe,” I interrupted, my voice steady despite the emotions churning inside me. “I’m going. If you try to leave me behind, I’ll just find a way to go after you alone.”

Finn tilted his head, his expression torn between concern and exasperation. “You’re stubborn, I’ll give you that. But this isn’t just about you, Elisabed.”

“And I’m not just sitting here, waiting for you to come back or not come back,” I shot back. “I’ve already lost too much. I won’t stay behind while the people I care about put themselves in danger. I can’t.”

Marshall’s jaw clenched, his frustration evident, but he didn’t interrupt.

I softened my tone, trying to appeal to them. “If I go with you, you can keep an eye on me. Protect me. But if you leave me here, I’ll go anyway. Alone. And then you won’t know where I am or what might happen to me.”

Finn closed his eyes and exhaled, irritated. “She’s got us there.”

Marshall glared at him before turning his attention back to me. “You’re not making this easy.”

“I’m not trying to,” I said firmly. “I’m trying to help.”

Marshall sighed. “Fine. New plan. We’ll head east together first, but you do exactly as we say. No wandering off, no taking risks. If things get dangerous, you let us handle it. Understood?”

“Understood,” I said quickly.

I followed them out, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and determination. Despite the risks, I knew this was the right choice. I couldn’t sit idly by while my alphas faced danger alone. We were stronger together—no matter what lay ahead.

34

August

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