Page 26 of Traded to the Alpha Wolf

Until my phone rings.

My immediate thought is that something happened with Mara, and I’m almost relieved to see it’s Rowan calling until I hear the tightness in his voice.

Rowan doesn’t waste time. “You alone?”

I wipe sweat from my brow, lowering my voice. “For now. Training.”

“Listen up. Things moved. This morning, Brooks and Alder picked up a hunter off the interstate, running a small shipment. Couple boxes of that medication we talked about, maybe two kilos total. Willow’s got it under the scope already, but it’s not the full shipment, not even close. The interesting part is that the hunters are already talking.”

I feel the hairs on my arms stand up. “What’s he saying?”

Rowan’s voice drops. “He says the Order is done waiting. They’re moving in on a shifter pack, and, get this, they think they’ll wipe out the whole lot, no problem, because they handed over a human girl six weeks ago as a test. Apparently, the pack will be easy pickings because her presence will do something to them.”

My mind snaps to Mara. “They think she’s a weapon.”

“Not physical. They think she’ll destabilize your pack, Cade. That she’ll make you all less wolf, more…what, I don’t know. But this hunter’s convinced the Order expects to find you and your whole line too weak to fight back. And they want her back, Cade. They’re coming for her.” Rowan lets that hang, then adds, “And they’re not sending idiots this time.”

A cold pulse of adrenaline hits my gut. I scan the field, counting heads, then check the time. Mara’s not due back for three hours. “You think she’s in on it?” I surprise myself with how fast the question comes out and how much it burns.

“I don’t know. The hunter seemed pretty sure she didn’t know what she was. Said she was perfect because she’s oblivious. That’s their word, not mine. But it means you can’t let your guard down, not even for a second. Willow thinks that if this stuff in the shipment is what we think it is, it’s meant to hype up omega traits in humans with the gene, beyond anything we’ve ever seen.”

I rub at the bridge of my nose, trying to keep my voice even. “Any idea when they’ll move?”

“You know the Order; if they feel backed into a corner, then they’ll act, and if there’s an extraction coming, it’ll be heavy. We’re talking European Order, not the local idiots. They already know we’re on to them about the labs; now the medication. They might figure we already know what Mara is. They won’t want to lose their window.”

I squeeze my eyes shut. I think of Mara’s scent in my house, the way it coats every surface, the way every part of me wants to go to her right now. “Copy. I’ll keep an eye on Mara.”

Rowan’s tone softens. “Don’t let pride get you killed, Cade. If you need backup, call it in early. You’re not invincible.”

“Never said I was.” I hang up and pocket the phone. Grey’s watching me from the sidelines like he’s just waiting for me to confirm what’s already gone wrong. I motion him over and keep my voice low.

“Change of plans. The Order’s making a move. Rowan says they’re coming for Mara. Heavy.”

Grey’s face tightens, and he’s instantly back to soldier mode, the banter gone. “Sara’s with her,” he says, already reaching for his phone. “I’ll call her?”

I nod, then try Mara’s number myself as Grey steps away, thumb jabbing at his screen. It doesn’t even ring; it just goes straight to voicemail. I try again, same result.

Grey’s phone is glued to his ear, but I can already see in the set of his shoulders that he’s not getting through, either. He hangs up, looks at me, and shakes his head. “No answer. Straight to voicemail. Are the phones down?”

I don’t waste time. “We’re done here,” I call to the recruits. “Pack it up, head home. Training’s over.”

They look at me, startled, but I’m already moving, grabbing my jacket and keys off the bench. Grey is two steps behind because he stops to grab the radio we keep in the training office, and by the time we get to the lot, he’s already fired it up and is calling the other betas on patrol.

Grey keeps calling on the radio, trying each beta in sequence, but it’s a pattern of static, half words, and then finally Dax’s voice comes through, and the urgency is unmistakable.

“…repeat, need all units. They hit Main Street. At least a dozen. Not locals. Hunters, military gear. We’re holding them at the intersection, but they’re…” The channel pops, then comesback with a new edge of panic. “They’ve got the main square locked down. Cade, you copy?”

“I copy,” I bark, slamming the accelerator as we top the ridge. “ETA two minutes. Hold the line.”

There’s a moment of silence, then Dax’s voice, steadier now. “Copy. Don’t come up Main. They’re set up with heavy automatic rifles. Go behind the church lot, cut through the alley.”

“Copy,” I say, swerving to change route while I bring up the alliance group chat and hit call. One by one, my fellow alphas join the call, and I brace myself to raise the unthinkable alarm, my claws already shifting as I prepare to kill every damn hunter that would dare attack my pack.

Or Mara.

Chapter 16 - Mara

The coffee shop’s glass is so clean it reflects my face back at me, which is a cruel joke for someone who wants to disappear right now.