"Only ten days?" Chloe says, pulling her hair out. "You should've asked for ten months!"
"I'm not giving a birth, Chloe. Besides, I needed him to agree. If I asked for too much he won't give in."
"You think you can change his mind in ten days?" Ivan says.
I fall back on my bed and say, "I don't know."
RM is over. We're all now back at Fault Lake. I got Jackson's number before leaving. Sent him a few messages; none of which he replied.
"What are you going to do on the first weekend?" Chloe says.
"Take him out on a date."
"Where?"
Now, that's the question. No one else knows Jackson is my mate, and we all agreed to keep it that way for now. So that means we can't hang out at neither of our packlands.
"Oh man," I say tiredly, "Why does he have to be so damn stubborn? I thought it was the girls who played hard to get." I sit up on my elbows. "Or am I that bad of an eyesore that even a mate says no right away?"
My friends look at me and tilt their heads left and right before saying, "You're okay."
"Okay is not enough for this guy. Wait a minute," I say, straightening up, "You don't think he has someone on the side, do you?"
Why didn't I think of that? That bastard could be having a woman!
"Well, make sure to ask him that when you meet him again, that's if he keeps his promise to see you," Ivan says.
"You really think I could make him cough up that he's got a girl?" I say.
"You at least oughta try," Chloe says, "Remember, you're an Alpha, too."
"Yeah, real thanks for the reminder, Chloe. I almost forgot."
My phone rings. It's the salon lady. "Hey, Alpha, that Mculay bitch ain't paying for the perm," the woman shouts into my ear, and at the background I hear, "You ruined my hair!"
"Put me on speaker," I tell her, and then say to them both, "Now, ladies, don't bring out your claws, I'll be there in five."
I end the call and get up. "Chloe, you're with me, and you," I say, pointing at Ivan, "By the end of tomorrow find out what Jackson is most scared of and most cares about in the world."
"How am I supposed to find that out?" Ivan says.
"Figure it out, or..." I think about what he hates the most. I find it. "You'll take both mine and Chloe's turn at the ranch."
"Come on! You can't threaten your own Beta!" Ivan cries but I'm already out the room. I've been going easy on my subordinates. It's time they toughen up.
A couple of days later, a day past his deadline, Ivan shows up at the bar Chloe and I have been called to regarding a stolen weed stash.
"You better have what I asked for," I tell Ivan when I see him.
"I do. I don't know if you'll like it, but I do. What's happening here?"
Chloe is tying up one of them weed dealers.
"Guy took a swing at her, and gave details of how he would rape her if he had the chance. She's upset," I tell him.
Ivan winces. "I feel bad for him."
"Yeah, well, we also need him to tell us where he's keeping the stolen weed. So, I'm gonna let her take over."
Chloe goes behind the bar and comes back with an ice pick. The tied up man who was smug until now begins to look worried.
"Alright, you got it from here? I gotta have a chat with Ivan," I tell her.
She smiles. "Oh, you guys go ahead. I'm gonna get myself some good time."
Ivan and I walk out of the bar when we start to hear screams. "She sure as hell can be scary at times," Ivan says.
"Don't I know," I tell him, "anyway, what did you find out?"
"His grandfather."
"What?"
"The person he respects the most and wouldn't ever disobey is his grandpa."
"His grandpa? That's his weak point? What about the rest of the family?"
"I heard Jackson is not good with his parents. They are kinda estranged. But he's tight his dad's dad. His grandfather means the world to him."
"Well, I don't think we'll be able to use an old man."
"That old man is no ordinary old man though. You should see him. He seems fitter than us," Ivan says.
"They are the Kaufs after all," I remind him.
"What's your next move?"
"Remember that H43 trail at the Fraun packland our dad took us for trekking?"
"Yeah."
"I'm thinking that would be a good place for a first date."
Ivan nods. "I agree."
"Chloe does, too, so I suppose there's only one thing left to do then," I say taking out my phone and calling Jackson.
The ring goes and goes and goes. He doesn't pick up.
"He's not picking up."
Ivan looks at me. "Try later; maybe he's busy."
"He didn't reply to any of my texts either," I say, "you were right."
"About what?"
"That bastard is going back on his word." I end the call and dial Wren, Jackson's Delta. I got his number when we met.
Wren picks up the phone. I say, "Hey, could you put your Alpha on line? Tell him he'll be in trouble if he doesn't talk to me right this instant."
After a few seconds, I hear Jackson's voice. "Hello."
End of chapter
A/N - Next chapter is also up now
