Chapter 14 - April

I had allowed myself to become distracted by Jasper last night, but in the clear light of day, I remembered what he had been planning when I had entered Killian's cabin. He was going to kidnap another woman, and I needed to help her. I could never live with myself if I allowed another woman to suffer the same fate as I had—to be torn away from everything she had known.

From all of my interactions with Jasper, I knew that changing his mind about his plan wasn't an option—no matter how ill-advised that plan was. He was far too stubborn to give in to my entreaties about what was "right" and "wrong."

I was going to need a plan of my own if I was going to foil his attempt.

"Good morning, April," Jasper said politely as I exited my bedroom.

"Morning," I replied. "What are you up to today?"

"Not much," he said with a shrug. "And you?"

I couldn't let him know that I was going to intervene, so I decided to remain casual in my response. Any hint that I was trying to undermine him might land me locked back up in the cabin.

"I promised the children we would do some activities today," I told him.

It wasn't a lie, exactly. But I knew I was going to spend the rest of the day making sure those activities took place within earshot of Jasper and his wolves. The more information I had on how they were going to go about kidnapping Penelope, the better prepared I would be.

Jasper and I went our separate ways, and I watched him head for Killian's cabin.

For the rest of the day, I bided my time, listening and watching for an opportunity as I played with the children. Just before dinner, my patience finally paid off.

"Alpha said he wants us to wait in a getaway car on the edge of town. He's going to retrieve her himself," one of the wolves said to his friend.

"Definitely less suspicious if it's just him going in," his companion agreed. "What time are we supposed to meet him there?"

"He's leaving soon. Said he's going on foot, and we should expect him to be back to the meet-up with the she-wolf in about an hour," the first wolf said.

If Jasper was leaving soon, I didn't have much time. I didn't see him in the commons, and I hoped he was in his cabin. If he had already left, it would be much more difficult to track him.

I moved quickly to the forest, posting myself behind a tree where I could see the front door of my and Jasper's cabin. Ten minutes later, he appeared and began to walk in the direction of Pinedale. I gave him a few minutes' head start before following his tracks.

For nearly half an hour, I followed him surreptitiously, being certain to keep downwind so he wouldn't get a whiff of my scent. As he approached the outskirts of town where the alpha lived, I heard shouting from up ahead. Two members of the Pinedale Pack came out of the trees to the right, heading straight toward Jasper. I moved quickly, staying out of sight but getting within hearing distance of the group by the time they got to Jasper.

"You shouldn't be out here, this is private property," one of the men said to him.

"I didn't see any signs," Jasper responded, and not too kindly.

That wasn't good. The last thing any of us needed was for Jasper to have another episode and attack these men unprovoked.

"Honey, there you are!" I said cheerfully, stepping out from behind the trees and walking toward my mate.

Jasper's face registered shock and anger before he quickly covered his emotions. He had realized I had disobeyed his commands to stay near the cabin and followed him the whole way here, but with an audience, it wouldn't be helpful to address that issue right now. I smiled at him, trying to signal that I knew he was upset but that he should play along with my ruse.

"I told you I wouldn't be long," I continued. "I just needed to tie my shoe."

Jasper picked up on my ploy. "Sorry, sweetheart, I thought I saw the path down here," he replied.

"You two lost or something?" the second wolf asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," I said apologetically. "We're on our honeymoon and were just doing a bit of exploring in the woods. I told my husband that I knew where I was going, but I think I took a wrong turn away from our cabin."

The men looked at each other, trying to decide whether we were a threat. They obviously knew that we were wolves from our scent, but none of us had commented on that fact yet. I moved closer to Jasper, smiling up at him as I reached for his hand. Jasper squeezed my hand back harder than was necessary, communicating his displeasure at my interruption.

"If you need help, we can take you to our alpha," one of the wolves said after a moment. "He is always willing to offer hospitality to traveling wolves in the area."

There was the acknowledgment I had been waiting for. They had assumed we were rogues just passing through their territory. This was the moment we all had to decide if we trusted each other. I turned to face Jasper, waiting to see how he would answer them.

"That would be most welcome," he said. "I think a brief rest from our walk and a glass of water is exactly what we need before we find our way back to our lodgings."

"We'd be more than happy to have someone drive you as well," the wolf replied, leading us toward a house that I recognized from the previous night.

"That won't be necessary," Jasper answered. "We can call a friend to come and get us."

The closer we got to the house, the more anxious I became. I hadn't met the local alpha yet, and despite the kindness of the wolves we had met so far, I worried that he would be as ruthless as Jasper was. If we were heading into danger, I was glad that Jasper was here to keep me safe.

The men entered the alpha's house without knocking, inviting us to follow them. In contrast to the previous night's festivities, it was very quiet inside. Instead of party lighting and loud music, we found ourselves entering a serene, well-lit space.

"Alpha," one of the men called. "Are you home? We found some travelers in need of a respite."

"Through here," a deep voice said. It was coming from the living room to the right of the entrance.

We entered a comfortable lounge filled with growing things. Ferns in pots stood by the picture window, obscuring the bottom half completely, while pothos and other hanging plants trailed from the ceiling. The walls were lined with bookshelves, surrounding an overstuffed loveseat and two armchairs.

Upon one of the chairs sat a man who appeared to be in his late fifties or early sixties, with a head full of mostly gray hair. Bits of black peppered it, and I could tell that he had been a very attractive man in his youth. His features, though wizened with age, were symmetrical, and his eyes belied a lifetime of knowledge. He held himself with confidence as he smiled at us in greeting.

"Welcome to my home," the man said. "My name is Nile. Please, have a seat."

"Thank you," I said, sitting down on the loveseat with Jasper following suit. "I'm April, and this is my husband, Jasper."

"It is very nice to meet you both. Grayson, can you get some drinks for our guests, please?" Nile directed his question at one of the men who had brought us to the house, who nodded and left the room. The other man remained standing near the doorway, acting as a bodyguard for his alpha.

I was pleasantly surprised at Nile's impeccable manners. He didn't seem at all like the other alphas I had met. There was no haughtiness or a feeling that he felt himself in higher regard than those around him. He seemed to be nothing more than a pleasant retiree, happy to have the company.

"Thank you for having us in your home," Jasper said. "We got a little lost while we were out walking today."

"It's no trouble at all," Nile replied.

"You have a beautiful home. There's so many books, I bet it would take a lifetime to get through them all," I said in wonder.

Nile smiled at my compliment.

"They're my wife's, actually," he said.

"I'm sure she enjoys them immensely," I said.

I hoped that by drawing attention to the happy home of our hosts, I might get Jasper to see that they didn't deserve to have their lives disrupted, but his expression remained impassive, and I couldn't tell if my plan was making any headway. For all I knew, he was calculating escape routes after taking Penelope right out from under the alpha's nose.

At that moment, I heard soft footsteps coming down the hallway. Thinking it was Grayson returning with the water, I turned my head in anticipation, but Nile spoke before anyone came into view.

"Ah! I hear my baby coming now," he said. "Penelope, darling, come meet our guests."