Page 56 of Alpha Wolf's Arranged Bride
“Why haven’t my scouts reported this?”
“Because the Eccles scouts are deliberately staying out of your range. It’s stealthy as fuck.”
“Shit!”
“Yeah. These aren’t just lower ranks, either. They’re warriors. Killing machines.”
“I thought our marriage was supposed to be an alliance,” I ponder. “Why are they planning to attack us?”
Brad sighs, shaking his head. “It appears that the marriage deal was a complete fabrication. They wanted you off-balance. Relaxed and unaware.”
I repress a shudder. “If you guys hadn’t been watching…”
“I know. They could have cut through your defensive line without you even knowing.”
“Is it a full-scale attack?”
“Uh-uh,” Brad shakes his head. “It’s seven warriors in a stealth formation. This is targeted. They want something in particular, not just to create carnage.”
My heart literally constricts in my chest as I think of Jarrod. The idea of something happening to my son fills me with dread—and incandescent rage.
“We’re going to need to work together,” Brad says. “I think it’s lucky in a way that Eccles have focused on this place right now. We need an alpha that understands military strategy, and we couldn’t ask for better than you.”
“Do you think it’s going to come to a fight?”
“We aren’t sure, but we need you to be ready. The rest of the squad is spread out through the forest, with another unit over at Eccles watching the excavation and anything else that changes in town.”
“Where are these warriors from Eccles now?”
“I’ve sent you their locations in our encrypted chat. They are stationary right now, but they’re clearly watching Rose Hollow, waiting for a sign.”
“Anything else to report?”
“No,” Brad answers, shaking his head. “Not right now. We’ll get back to you immediately when something changes.Mission priority right now is these warriors stalking your town. Next is the excavation and how far along they are. Almost as important as the first two is deciphering those runes to figure out what the stone is for.”
“Okay,” I say. “I'd better get back. I’ll have my phone on. Message me when you have something.”
“Will do, boss.”
“Be careful, Bradley.”
“You too, Rex.”
We shake hands, then walk in separate directions. As soon as I hit the tree line, I shift and race back to the car, covering the distance as fast as I can.
I’m driving away from the campsite when my phone buzzes again. One of the messages is from Delia, wanting to know about stall sizes at the upcoming fair, and another is from Bec, letting me know she’s decided to join her mother on her holiday. It’s selfish of me, but I’m happy to know my mother and sister will be well out of the way of this conflict
The people of this town are so innocent. They are just sitting here, going about their peaceful lives, and Eccles is hanging over our heads, waiting to come down and crush us.
The evil it would take for a person to extend a branch of peace under false premises is beyond my ability to comprehend. As I drive back to the school to pick up Scarlett and Jarrod, it makes me think very hard about Azarian and what else he might be capable of.
Chapter 19 - Scarlett
From the moment I get in the car with Rex, I know he’s upset about something. It isn’t just a change of mood from this morning, either. I can tell by the look in his eyes that this is serious, and it appears to be taking up all his attention.
I keep the conversation light as we head home. Once we’re settled in at the house, Jarrod and I prepare dinner with Rex’s help. Even though he started to relax once we got home, I can still see a slight hint of tension in his jaw and trouble lurking deep in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Jarrod hasn’t stopped talking for a single moment.
