An Alpha's Alpha

Gone

"Saf!" Cassidy shouted as she neared Jake's house, her beta stood on the doorstep waiting for her. "Are the others safe?"

"Yeh A-dog, we're all good. We've given Kelsey the wolfsbane, she's a bit out of it but she's OK. What was the alarm?"

Cassidy paused in front of her, her senses checking the forest around them, there was movement headed their way. "I'm not sure, Jake said they were under attack, he ran off to see what had happened, and the alarm faded. I think maybe it's over."

Saf froze, her face paling. "Caine?" She asked softly, almost reluctant to say it.

Cassidy nodded, "I think so. I need you to get the others together and get them out of here. Just keep heading West, I'll find you." Saf went to interject.

"They all fell down." Both she-wolves jumped, goosebumps shooting up along Cassidy's arms. Kelsey appeared from the darkness in the house, stumbling out into the night. Her face was ashen, her eyes slightly glazed.

"Kelsey, what are you doing? Where are the others?" Panic swirled beneath Cassidy's skin as fear trickled into her veins. Normally Kelsey would be practically unconscious from the wolfsbane. The fact that she was still up and talking, meant only one thing. "Kelsey. Has Caine spoken to you again?" She grabbed Kelsey's arms, her fingers digging into the skin. "Kelsey." She snapped, anger bubbling inside her, as she tried to make Kelsey meet her eye line, but the she-wolf's glazed eyeballs refused to focus. She needed to know, needed to understand what Caine had said this time. If he was here, if he had tried to attack Jake's pack, then Cassidy would find him and fight to the death for the people who'd saved her, for Jake, but first she needed to know her pack were safe - and that they would be even after she was gone.

"Alpha. Stop. You're hurting her." Saf pried Cassidy's fingers from Kesley's arms. "Calm down. It's not her fault. I'll go and check on the others, you go and see what's happened. But we aren't leaving you, Cass."

Cassidy's wolf flared at the rebellion in Saf's tone. "You will if I make you," she growled, her wolf putting her power behind the words. Saf fought the force, but eventually her head dropped in submission.

"Alpha, please." She whispered. "Please don't make us leave you behind again."

Cassidy stilled at the sadness laced in Saf's voice. Releasing her power, she watched as tears trailed down her beta's cheeks. "Oh Saf, I'm sorry. I am, but I made you all a promise, to keep you safe."

Saf slowly looked up to met Cassidy's eyes, "you promised us that we'd all be safe, even you. You can't expect us to leave you behind, especially when I'm not convinced you'll come back. You promised Cass. You promised we'd survive Caine."

Saf's voice mixed with memories, as the past merged with the present. For a moment, Cassidy lost all grip on the world in front of her, strangled by her thoughts. Her chest became tight, her breathing laboured, on the verge of a panic attack her spiral was interrupted by the sound of giggling.

Snapping back to reality, Cassidy gulped lungfuls of air, her head snapping around to see Kelsey skipping into the night. With a curse, both wolves dove after her, struggling to keep up. They were heading for the perimeter, Cassidy realised.

Doubling her effort, Cassidy sped up, leaving Saf trailing behind. Once within leaping distance, Cassidy jumped for Kelsey, her arms outstretched, fingertips hunting for purchase. She missed. Her fingers trailing past the fabric of Kelsey's dress. She landed hard in the dirt, soil pushed into her nails, as the dampness of the earth sunk through her clothes.

Scrambling to her feet, she went to track the she-wolf down, when she saw that just up ahead, Kelsey had stopped dead.

Behind her, Saf's footsteps thundered along the soft terrain, skidding to a halt at the sight before them. Liam had appeared from behind the trees and had paused Kelsey in her escape. They stood, stock still, staring at one another. Cassidy couldn't see Kelsey's face from her vantage point, but Liam's face was enough. It was a look that was more familiar than Cassidy was comfortable admitting - conflicted longing mixed with reluctant duty.

They approached the pair cautiously, eager not to set Kelsey off again. When they stopped beside them, Cassidy was surprised to see that Kelsey's face looked confused, alive, her eyes blinking furiously as though trying to focus on what was happening. Kelsey's attention turned to Cassidy, their eyes locking for a moment - and to Cassidy's eternal surprise, it was the Kelsey that she first met who stared back at her. The foggy edges in her iris' were gone, her attention focused clearly on Cassidy. "Kels'?" She whispered, reaching a hand out to touch her face.

That was enough to break the spell. Instantly, Kelsey's face shuttered close, her eyes drifting out of focus, a serene yet false expression replacing the confusion. She began to mutter under her breath, and Cassidy's heavy sigh was chased by both Saf's, and to her surprise, Liam's.

Saf gripped Kelsey's arm, eager to keep the wolf in place. Cassidy was about to order them both back to the others, when Liam spoke. "He needs you."

Her attention snapped to Liam, surprise evident in her expression. Liam, the person who'd sided against Jake over her presence here, was now saying that Jake needed her? "What?" She asked, kicking herself for how stupid she sounded.

"He needs you. Go. I've got them." He motioned to Kelsey and Saf with his head, and although her distrust and dislike of Liam told her not to leave him alone with her pack members, her wolf knew it would be safe, that Liam would never hurt Kelsey, and by extension, her pack.

Nodding tightly, Cassidy turned to Saf and mentally told her to watch her back. Saf widened her eyes at Liam, her eyes darting between both Liam and Kelsey in question. Cassidy subtly shrugged, before she turned to leave.

She paused, "Liam?" His attention briefly faltered from Kelsey, to her. "What's happened? Jake said we were under attack?" The use of the word 'we' didn't sail past either Liam or Saf, unnoticed.

Liam hung his head, only now did Cassidy notice the tightens in his expression, the sadness that radiated out from him. Cassidy's heart sped up, had something happened to Jake?

"It's Doc. His mate, Darcy. She's been murdered."