Page 79 of Wolf Targeted
“It’s not, though. The stairs were cut. The person responsible looked for a specific time when my mate was alone and came into our home to cut the fucking stairs.” I flop into a chair, tilt my head back, and squeeze my eyes shut.
“What?”
I shush him. “Jara’s sleeping.”
If anyone wakes my mate before she’s ready, they will end up like Angela. Jara may be pretending to be fine, but she’s not. She needs sleep to heal.
He lowers his voice. “Someone cut the stair so she would fall?”
“That’s what it looks like, yes. And if Angela would have been where she was supposed to be, then Jara may not have suffered and nearly fucking died.”
“Alpha, we found fucking animal traps and cages in the forest. That’s why Angela was out there with me. We were figuring out how to keep the pack safe.” Patrick crosses his arms over his chest.
He doesn’t agree with me, but he will never outright disagree with me.
“Cages and animal traps?” I bellow before remembering I need to be quiet.
“Yes, and Angela and Alex are the only ones that would know what to do with you in the city, but Alex went with you.”
Fuck, it really is my fault. If I hadn’t taken Alex with me, Jara might have been fine. My stomach roils as guilt festers in me worse than ever before. Any small change in plans on my part could have altered whether she got stuck in the stair or not.
Patrick shakes his head and puts a hand on my shoulder. “No, Archer. You’re not to blame for this. Whoever did this would have just waited for a different time if Angela had stayed. They were opportunistic and watching.”
“Someone has been watching us. That means the other accidents were probably the same person, and they escalated when she was saved from the others.” I cover my eyes with my hand. “But it doesn’t mean I can’t punish Angela, Patrick. She disobeyed an order and failed me and my mate.
“I know, alpha.” He sighs.
Alex storms back into the house with his arms crossed over his chest. “What now, alpha?’
“Now, you stay here and guard my mate until I see the fucking traps and cages.” I clap him on the shoulder as I follow Patrick out the door.
This could be a terrible idea, but I need to know what’s going on in my pack lands. Hopefully, my mate won’t wake up until I get back, but since when are my hopes answered?
“Where are we going?” I ask as I follow him to the path that leads to the clearing.
“The traps are closest to the first surveillance cameras we found.” Patrick waves at me over his shoulder.
I stomp behind him. Did they see us out there and decide that we were animals that would be easily trapped? Honestly, it’s pretty insulting.
“I’m gonna tear their traps apart in front of their damn cameras,” I growl.
“Is that a great idea, alpha?” Patrick asks. “I thought we didn’t want to tip them off.
“By now, they know that we have figured it out. They’ve abducted five rogues and Jordan.”
Patrick turns to me with wide eyes and stops in his tracks. “What?”
“It may actually be more. I’m not sure. The apartment complex was empty.” I step over a fallen log.
“They may have all just been at work?” he offers, but I’m not so sure.
There should have been mothers with pups there at the very least. I didn’t see any. It was completely desolate.
Did they have an entire team take out all our people? Were they deemed easily attainable and people that no one would miss?
“Bill is finding out everything he can, but if they can take an entire community in the city, what hope do we have of getting out of this?” I scrub a hand through my hair.
“We won’t let that happen to the pack, alpha.”
