She Is Alpha

Chapter 26

(Geo's POV)
I winced as a harsh slap echoed in the solemn room. I could only watch as Jade's hand made contact with Lori's cheek. My alpha trembled in righteous anger as she let out her frustration on the blonde. Mac, who was standing at my side, only sniffed as he held back more tears. The poor guy hadn't stopped crying since his arrival.

"You were supposed to protect him," Jade said as her voice waivered, betraying her angry façade. Richard placed a hand on Jade's shoulder and she shrugged him off. Understanding her distress, Richard didn't seem to take any offense.

Roger and Mason solemnly watched the whole thing, but they didn't interfere. Roger bowed his head in shame when Jade turned in his direction.

It had already been five hours since Caleb's abduction. According to Roger, they had gone to Richard as soon as they could. They had already been close to Richard's pack, and Richard didn't waste any time in sending his beta, Gabriel and two others to track them. Unfortunately, Tyler had already covered his tracks by the time they arrived. They were still searching, but there weren't any signs of our alpha.

I had known that something was terribly wrong, especially when they all returned with grim expressions and no Caleb. When they started explaining their situation, I had kept my eyes on Jade. Her face didn't betray any emotion, but I knew that she was upset. By the time that they finished their retelling of the events, Jade had silently stood and slapped Lori.

"I'm sorry," Lori whimpered as she fell to her knees. "It's all my fault and everyone knows it. I never should have strayed. He was my responsibility and I let him down. He was taken because he wanted to protect us. Tyler would have never found us, but I alerted him of our presence. I was weak and stupid," Lori sobbed.

Jade turned her back to her and stalked towards her desk. She angrily grabbed a glass that innocently sat in her desk and brusquely threw it against the wall. It shattered into pieces but that didn't seem to satisfy her anger. Roger took a step forward and bowed to her.

"Forgive me, my alpha. If I had been a better protector then none of this would have happened. I shouldn't have listened to him and kept on running. I should have ensured his safety above anything else, but I was weak and foolish. I, too, deserve your ire. If anything happens to him, then it is also my fault. Please, punish me as you see fit."

Jade's anger seemed to vanish at his words and all that was left was her grief. She finally allowed her tears to fall. Seeing Jade's tears caused Mac and Lori to shed more tears of their own. I turned away as I tried to stop myself from following suit. Caleb was also very important to me. I couldn't even begin to imagine what they would do to him, now that Tyler knew that he was Jade's mate.

"It's all my fault, I couldn't protect him," Jade whispered brokenly. "I should never have sent him away. He's still injured and he doesn't have the strength to protect himself. My mate is still so innocent to the cruel side of war. He's most likely getting tortured right now, if he's not dead already."

"Stop it, Tyler took him for a reason. If he had wanted him dead then he would have already killed him," Mason said as he took a step towards Jade. I observed the young beta and noticed that he was also upset. If I didn't know any better, I would think that he was also worried about Caleb.

"He wants to torture my mate and you know it. Caleb doesn't stand a chance against that cunning bastard!" Jade cried out in anguish.

"Enough with this pity party, crying about it won't bring him back. What we need now is a plan to rescue him," Richard interjected calmly. "The longer we wait, the longer he remains with them."

Jade looked up at his words and nodded. Her whole demeanor changed as she resumed her calm façade. I could only watch in awe as she demonstrated her mental strength. I knew perfectly well how she felt; my mate had been taken and tortured a few weeks ago. Not having her by my side had been torturous, and I know that Jade must feel worst. Caleb was the alpha and her mate, which would mean that Tyler could just torture him out of spite.