Chapter 23 - Jasper

Words could not express the joy and satisfaction I felt to have April in my arms while our pack cheered and howled into the night sky. Her kiss had surprised me, but I leaned into it, knowing that the pack was taken care of. Her lips were soft beneath mine, but her grip on my shoulders was firm. I felt desired and worthy for the first time in my life. Where once I would have felt embarrassment at the public display of affection, I now felt pride and satisfaction.

In this moment, I was more complete than I had ever dreamed would be possible.

Throughout the entire day, I had realized more and more how much of an asset April was to our pack, and how much her leadership style complemented my own. She had changed our lives for the better, and I couldn't wait to be alone with her.

I had been dreaming of seeing her naked body since I had pulled her onto my lap at the fireworks show. As soon as we got home, I was going to make love to her.

And that was exactly what it would be: making love. I didn't want our next encounter to be "just sex," as I'd been determined to have before. Tonight, I was going to tell her that I was in love with her and ask her to stay with me for good. I couldn't bear the thought of being without her, and I hoped she felt the same way.

"I can't wait to go home," I said to her. "I have something I want to talk to you about."

"Take me home, then," she said.

Tomorrow, I would be able to take April home to our new house in Pinedale, but I was content with the cabin for tonight. We'd had a very successful event with our new neighbors, and we were both thrilled with how the night had gone.

Nile and I dismissed our wolves, promising another event in the future. The Dark Moon Pack moved as one to travel back to our cabins for the last time.

The pack was in no hurry, and the majority of them trailed behind April and me, chatting and laughing as they went. A few wolves had run ahead of the group, with Killian leading the way. As the first to participate in the skirmishes, my second had earned himself even more respect and admiration from the pack, and I knew the celebration was going to continue when they got back.

"You did great tonight," April said as we walked hand in hand through the trees.

"I couldn't have done any of this without you," I replied. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied.

The chatter from the group began to die down as we walked. I was about to ask April if she wanted to shift and run the rest of the way when a sudden uneasiness stopped me in my tracks.

"What is it?" April asked, coming to a halt beside me.

"Something's wrong," I murmured, holding my hand out for the rest of the pack to stop as well.

"You're right about that," a deep voice said from the darkness in front of me. "Something is very wrong with this picture."

Alpha Aiden Moonstone stepped out of the trees before us while wolves from the Moonstone and Sparkle Hollow packs followed suit. In the time it took me to identify who it was, the Dark Moon Pack was completely surrounded.

My wolves immediately moved to make a circle facing their enemies, ready for my next command. But with the combined forces of the two packs against us, there was little chance that we could win in a fight. We may have been a vicious fighting force, but the numbers didn't lie. Fifty against one hundred was hardly going to be a fair fight.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded loudly to Aiden. "We have no business with you."

"You took something from our allies in Sparkle Hollow—right under the nose of my luna, in fact. If you thought we wouldn't come to get her back, you were mistaken," Aiden warned.

I pulled April behind me, realizing that she was their intended target. My fears had come to fruition. My impulsive choice to kidnap April was going to be the end of my pack.

"The Moonstone Pack has no interest in this," I argued. "April Rose is from Sparkle Hollow, and we are nowhere near your territory. Alpha Lex of Sparkle Hollow has already been given a message. If he wishes to speak with me, he is welcome to do so."

Aiden took a step forward, flanked by a handful of his warriors. "He got your message, and we are here at his request," Aiden said. "I demand the release of April immediately so that she can return home."

I released April from my grasp and prepared to shift into wolf form. I would die before I allowed them to take my luna from me.

"Over my dead body," I growled.

Aiden didn't appear to be intimidated by my display, regardless of how strong of a warrior he knew me to be. He had always found a way to avoid going head-to-head with me in combat training, knowing that I could easily overpower him. But now he wasn't scared. Instead, he cocked an eyebrow at me in amusement.

"Oh, really?" he asked. "What about over his dead body?"

Aiden pointed to a group of wolves to my left. There were four men holding onto ropes, which were tied to a figure standing between them. They shuffled out of the trees, and the moonlight illuminated the face of their captive.

Killian was struggling against the ropes, but I could see that they were cutting into his skin. Aiden had come prepared. My second would not be able to break free of the silver that had been woven into the strands. A gag covered his mouth, and the man behind him was holding a knife to his throat. The sharp blade glinted as it was pressed against his neck, and I saw a single drop of blood trickle down his neck.

"You wouldn't dare," I said.

My blood had run cold at the sight of my friend bound and gagged. Until this moment, I hadn't imagined that Aiden would kill the one person who had been with me through everything. We had fallen out, but I never thought it would come to this.

"After everything the three of us have gone through, you'd end Killian's life?" I asked. "He has done nothing to you."

"I'm capable of far worse than killing an enemy wolf in battle," Aiden replied.

That was all that Killian and I were to him now. Enemies. If he would do this, I knew he would have no qualms about ordering the deaths of the entire Dark Moon Pack. He would do whatever was required to get me to release April.

At the thought of choosing between my mate and my pack, I began to hyperventilate, as I had done when I struggled with the choice to kidnap Penelope. Before I could come to a decision about what to do, I felt April move beside me. At first, I thought she was coming to stand next to me in solidarity, but she walked until she was halfway between me and Aiden.

"That's enough," she said, commanding the attention of the trio of packs. "Let Killian go. I'll come with you, Aiden, but only if you don't hurt anyone. Please."

Aiden looked between April and me, and I could see him trying to figure out how best to get her away from me. I wanted to run toward her and pull her back, but I could hardly breathe. Killian was still trapped by the Sparkle Hollow wolves, and I couldn't risk further harm coming to him.

Aiden was in no mood to be bartered with. I knew that if any of us made one wrong move, he would order his wolves to attack. That was what he had come here for. Our destruction.

"April will walk toward me," Aiden said. "When she is by my side, we will retreat. We will leave this one—" he nodded toward Killian "—somewhere you can find him. If any of you attempt to come after us before then, we will kill him. Do you understand?"

If only April would turn around to look at me. I needed to know what her plan was, but she had completely ignored me from the moment we had been surrounded.

I looked into Killian's eyes, which held only fear. He nodded slightly, and I knew my choice had been made for me.

"Yes," I said, defeated. "I understand."

"Order your wolves to stand down," Aiden commanded.

I wanted to rage and fight against being ordered around, but I had been outmaneuvered. There was nothing else I could do.

"Dark Moon Pack, stand down," I said flatly, and I knelt down in the grass to show that I wouldn't follow them.

The pack obeyed and followed suit, sinking down to the ground behind me.

April walked to Aiden and continued into the darkness beyond where my eyes could see. Once she had passed Aiden's position, I felt, rather than saw, the wolves that had encircled us begin to withdraw as well. The entire pack waited in silence until the sounds of their footsteps had disappeared into the darkness.

Another five minutes passed, and I hadn't moved a muscle.

"Alpha," a voice at my side said tentatively. "What are your orders?"

I turned to see that Michael had crawled over to sit beside me. If I had any emotions left, my heart would have swelled with pride to see him by my side. Earlier today, he had been timid and shy, but now he was brave and ready.

But my own bravery had been sucked out of me. I had never been defeated before, and I had no idea how to cope with the feeling of loss that coursed through my veins.

"Go back to the cabins," I ordered the pack. "Do not run or shift."

I ignored the mumbling from the pack as I got to my feet and trudged slowly through the forest.

She left. She left. She left.

With each step, my thoughts repeated themselves, reminding me why I shouldn't bother trying to go after her. All I could do was protect my pack and get back to Killian.

As soon as we got to the cabins, I saw that Killian had been left—still tied up—at the same picnic table where I had placed April on her first day here. The irony wasn't lost on me, and I wondered if she had told Aiden to do that. It was another dagger in my heart.

"Alpha, we have to go after them," Killian said the moment I untied the cloth from around his mouth. "We have to get the luna back."

"No," I said. "There's no point. You heard her—it was her own choice to leave."

"To save me ," Killian said. "She never would have gone with them if she had any other choice."

"I think it was pretty clear that she wasn't upset at being rescued from me," I said tersely. "It's time to let it go."

"But Alpha—" Killian began.

"I said no. I need to let her go," I said firmly.

If only I could, though. In my head, I knew that she had volunteered to leave, and that she no longer wanted anything to do with me. My heart, on the other hand, was shattering as I felt her getting further away.