The Alpha's Hunter

Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Chase

I hate this stupid fucking plan. Lily came back in, her lips in a thin line as she nodded to me, "It's done. All set up."

And now we wait. We wait until our scouts say it's clear to move.

I tried everything. I tried to eat, talk, strategize-- but nothing could take my mind off of Hailey. She was out there right now, in the woods, dangling from her feet as the bait for those vile hunters. Her neck is on the line, and it scares the hell out of me.

And part of me knows that she'll be perfectly fine, she's been trained to handle high-stake situations. But it doesn't help me one bit.

I thought back to earlier in the day, when the plan started to come together.

"We can't just sit here like pigs waiting to be slaughtered!" Luke exclaimed, the vein in his neck sticking out as he grew more and more angry. "I refuse to be killed by that scum, so I think we all need to pull our heads out of our asses and figure this shit out!"

I growled, forcing him to submit, "I agree, but yelling at each other isn't going to solve anything."

"I think we should attack first," Lily said, interrupting our testosterone match-off. "If they're planning on attacking us tonight, the last thing they'd be expecting is for us to attack them, right?"

"If they're preparing to attack then they'll be prepared for a fight. Taking it to them would only give them the upper hand of familiar territory," I said, looking over to Hailey who nodded in agreement with me. I couldn't help but flicker my eyes to her bare neck. Fuck did I want to mark her so bad.

"So what?" Lily continued. "We just wait and hope we can fight them off?"

"No, that's idiotic," Luke growled out, earning a fierce glare from Lily. He rolled his eyes at her, "Oh, bite me."

"Gladly," she bit with a smirk.

"Guys!" I barked, "Not now. We need to figure this out-- it's not only our lives on the line, but our pack."

"You need someone on the inside," Hailey spoke up, turning all our heads to her. "Hunters take their shit seriously. They would never expect any one of them to flip sides, no matter how much we detest one another. If I can get in, we'd have a chance to--"

"Absolutely not!" I grumbled, my wolf and I upset at just the thought of her going back there. "I won't let you just waltz right into the lion's den. Besides, you said it yourself, you can't exactly just go back there without suspicion anyways."

"Well no one's saying I go back on my own," she stated slowly. "You could use me as a warning. Give me a message to give to them, make it clear you mean business, all the while clearing it up that I had no part in any of it. If they believe my story, which they'd believe anything that gives them more motive to attack you, I can get back into their good graces. Maybe even take out the Chief while I'm at it."

"It's too dangerous," I growled.

Lily cut in, standing in front of Hailey as she stared at me, an eyebrow raised and her arms folded across her chest, "It's also the only good plan we have."

Luke clapped his hand on my shoulder, "As much as I hate to admit it, Hailey and Lily are right. It's our best option at this point."

"It's our only option," Hailey enforced, looking at me with kind, encouraging eyes. I mentally swore; damn this bond and the things she makes me feel.

Begrudgingly, I nodded, "Okay fine. But, I'm making a couple additions to the plan."

Luke came up next to me, snapping me out of my daze, "She's going to be fine, you know that right? She's tough, nearly took me out, she won't have a problem against those goons."

"I can't help it. I worry about her," I responded, clenching my fists.

"I get it, she's your mate," he spoke, his voice softer than normal, "but you need to understand that Hailey-- she can protect her damn self, that's for sure. You should be proud of her and showing her off, not trying to hide her by saying you're protecting her."

"I am protecting her!" I exclaimed, my wolf growling at the male in front of us who was questioning the way we treat our mate.

Luke held his hands up in surrender, "I didn't say you aren't. All I'm saying, is that maybe you can be a bit overbearing at times, and that she's a free spirit. Sometimes you need to let her roam."

With that, he left me standing out on the deck by myself. I gripped the railing tightly as a breeze passed through and I strained to catch even a fraction of a scent of Hailey, but found nothing. She was so close, but just out of reach and it killed me.

It kills me to know that she's out there alone, and I can't protect her.

Maybe Luke is right-- maybe I am overbearing.

Lily came up beside me, placing her hand overtop of mine, "You need to calm down, Chase. You're worrying the entire pack with your behavior. We can all feel it through the link."

"I'm sorry," I muttered, hanging my head. I can't even keep it together for my pack.

"Hey don't be," she smiled, her hand on my cheek, "Listen, big brother. There's a lot at stake here and I understand you're worried. So let me tell you this, Hailey, doesn't need your help right now. The pack does. So pull your head out of your ass and start acting like the Alpha I know you are." 

I gave a low warning growl and she smiled, a twinkle in her eye, "There he is. That's the Alpha Chase Morgan I know."

"I can't promise the pack anything," I finally released the thought from the back of my mind out loud. "I can't guarantee their safety or survival."

"But you can promise to give them all that you are," She smiled up at me, "And trust me, that's a lot."

'Alpha, the hunters just found Luna,' a tracker's voice spoke in my mind. I snapped my eyes to Lily.

"It's time."

She nodded and followed me through the house, where bunches of people began to stand, stretching out and cracking bones, getting ready to fight.

"You know," I started, looking over at Lily, "you didn't have to hit her so hard."

My sister smiled at me, "She told me to make it count."

We'll make this count alright.

~~
A/N: BUCKLE UP KIDDOS BECAUSE WE ARE ABOUT TO START HERE CAN I GET A HELL YEAH