My Female Alpha

FORTY

"I can't help you. Sorry."

"Please. You can help me. I know you have a work phone. Or at least a cell phone. Please. I'm begging you."

She starts to look concerned. "Do I need to call the police?"

"No. It's not an emergency, but it's very important."

"I'm not comfortable with what you're asking. I'm calling my manager."

Shit. My hands clench around the bags. It's too late to run and this might be my only chance. I know Ara is wondering what's taking so long.

The manager arrives. He's heavy, balding, and about thirty years old. His body odor is so bad I bite my lip to keep from gagging.

"What's the problem here?" he asks me.

"I need to borrow a phone," I tell him. "I swear I will be quick. I need to call my son. It's very important."

He looks at me more thoroughly than I expect him to. "Ma'am, come into my office, please."

"I'm really in a hurry—"

"I have a phone in there that you can use."

Sighing, I nod and follow him to a small office behind the desk. He motions for me to sit on the cheap, plastic chair and then closes the door.

"Are you in danger?" he asks.

"Not me. My son might be. I promise I'll make it fast. Please." If I have to beg one more human for anything, I'm going to rip a throat out.

"This is unusual, but I understand that unusual things happen. Here." He offers his cell phone to me.

I gladly snatch it up and dial Denver's number. This is the exact reason I memorized it.

"Thanks," I tell the manager with a small smile as the call goes through.

It rings several times.

Pick up, pick up, pick up. Damn you, Denver. Answer your fucking phone. I don't know if he got away from the rogues, but I haven't smelled him on anyone. I can't even consider the possibility that he didn't get away.

"Hello?"

"Denver, it's me," I say quickly. "I don't have but a second. Ara and a group of them are away from the rendezvous. Go back to that camp and get Emery. Time is running out."

"Lenora, wait!" he says but I'm already hanging up.

I thrust the phone back at the manager. "Thank you, sir."

He looks suspicious. "Yeah, sure. Everything is okay now?"

"Uh-huh!" I scoop the bags up and scurry out of his office.

By the time I get around the building, Ara is pacing. She looks like an insane asylum patient, her face twisted up as she paces in the nude. The moment she sees me she starts yelling.

"What the fuck took so long? You didn't even get that much! Where's the rest of the money?"

I drop the bags with a huff and then grab the few coins in my pocket. I hold them out to her.

"The line was long," I say in a low voice. "Here's the change."

She shoves me in the shoulders, making the change go flying. My Alpha nature is immediately triggered. I spin on her with a snarl and grab her by the throat. For a moment, I feel her life pulse under me, within my control. I could kill her. Right now.

But then they will torture and kill Emery.

Before her guard dogs can get me off of her, I release her neck and step back. I growl warningly at the two men who charge at me.

They halt in their steps. The rogues are all looking between me and Ara, waiting to see how their leader reacts.

She stares at me, almost in shock.

"I did what you wanted," I say, keeping my posture hunched, on the offensive. "Stop being a bitch, for once."

The shock seems to vacate her body all at once, and her yellow-green eyes harden.

"Unless you want to lose those hands," she snaps, "don't ever think about touching me again. I don't know when you'll ever learn your lesson, Lenora. You are not in charge here. You have lost your power. Even if I drop dead tomorrow, your pack will never take you back. You're too weak." She bares her teeth at me. "You're pathetic. Honestly."

My fists squeeze together. I'd like her to drop dead tomorrow from my hands. If Denver does what I need him to, maybe I can make that happen.

I can't let her live after what she's done to Emery. I don't even care if what she says is true about my pack. All I care about now is eliminating her as a threat to my mate's life forever.

"Let's go," she tells the others. "Fill a backpack and put it on. We need to be heading back."

As we shift, I think about how long it'll take us to get back. There's no way we'll beat Denver. I have to do something to slow us down or Emery might never get away. This has to work.

I study the group of us running and try to find a weakness to exploit. Now that I'm looking at the others, I can see how thin they are. A few run with slight limps. Their dedication to this cause, however stupid it is, is admirable.

These wolves have so much heart. If only they had a real family to support them. I think about the rogues locked up on my territory and hope Denver has taken care of them. They're just kids.

I advance gradually on one of the females who has a tender back paw. She doesn't seem to notice me sidling up to her.

Lengthening my stride, I reach out with my front paw, extending my claws until I feel them sink into flesh. She cries out and falls. I trip over her and let myself slide across the ground.

The she-wolf shifts and immediately starts screaming. As I push myself off the ground, I turn to see blood gushing from her heel.

"You bitch!" she wails.

I sit back. This will have to do.