All Chapters of THE ALPHA'S FORSAKEN SECRET : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Ava's POV Tension permeated the air as we went back to the packhouse. Riley's admission had rocked us all and left a path of mistrust behind her. My chest hurt hollowly at the thought of someone I had once trusted betraying us in such a merciless manner. Still, the truth had spilled forth. Riley had been exploited, just as Evan had, hence he was not the brains behind all of this. But the person dragging the strings?There was obvious anxiety as we walked into the packhouse. Whispers wafted throughout the hall as pack members cast apprehensive looks at one another. Though they lacked all the specifics, they understood something had happened. The sense of treachery had crept into the very core of our society and would take more than time to mend those scars.Jackson strolled next to me; his shoulders squared but his face was dark. Since we left the clearing, he had not spoken much. I could sense the weight of leadership pushing down on him more than it had ever done. Though he was upse

Ava's POV As the woman stood before us, her comments remained hanging in the room like a storm cloud just ready to break. Tension permeated the space. She brought my kids with her. That basic truth grabbed me more powerfully than anything I had ever experienced. My breath seized in my throat, my heart racing as my head whirled with questions, worries, and the urgent need to act.Jackson stood next to me, every muscle in his body coiled, his eyes flashing with a rage I had only seen a few times before. His tightly closed jaw made me believe he may snap. But it was the same anxiety that was wriggling inside me, not only resentment boiling under the surface. Both of us were parents, worried about our kids."What are you looking for??" Jackson insisted, his voice low and lethal.The woman grinned, a deliberate, slow curl of her lips that chilled my spine. "I have already mentioned this. I am in want of everything. Your pack, your area, your authority.Though I could see Jackson's anxiety

Ava's POV Still, the wave of adrenaline that coursed through my veins once the woman vanished had not subsided. As I bent close to Jackson, my heart was racing and my breath came in little bursts. Although his arm was bleeding heavily, his demeanor stayed austere and deliberate; the sting of the cut hardly registered against the weight of what had just happened. The twins. They were quite close, yet she had vanished once more.My voice stronger than I felt, I added, "I'll get the first aid kit."Jackson shook his head to gently stop me by holding my wrist. "It's simply a scrape." We have no time for that.I argued, "Jackson, you need to take care of it," but I knew he was correct. The cut was shallow, so it wouldn't slow him down as long as we didn't waste time.Pulling himself upright, he said, "I'm fine." His eyes fixed on the door the woman had vanished from, his ideas probably racing with the same haste that had my gut knotted."We have to move quickly," I remarked, looking towar

Jackson's POV The war room felt colder than usual, and as I studied the map in front of me the low hum of tension permeated the area. My thoughts burned the coordinates we had discovered in the journal—a little clearing close to the southern boundary. Perfect for an ambush, it was secluded, far-off. This screamed trap, everything about it, yet we had no choice. We had nowhere to wait any more.I looked at Ava, standing next to me, her forehead wrinkled in focus as she worked over the specifics with Leo. She was keeping it together, but I could see the cracks—the anxiety that carved lines on her face, the concern for our kids chewing at the margins of her fortitude. I also experienced that. Every second that went without them seemed to last an eternity.Breaking the quiet, Leo stated, "We have to assume she's expecting us." Though he spoke in a cool, businesslike manner, he could not completely hide a slight sense of anxiety. "The Raven would not leave coordinates behind without a pur

Ava's POV As I pulled Caleb tight, the sound of his shaking voice reaching out for me still reverberated in my head. His small hands clutched my arms as though he was reluctant to let go; his body shivered from the shock of being in the Raven's paw. Running my hand through his hair, I mumbled gentle words to try to calm him even as my own heart hammered in my chest.Still humming with the aftermath of the struggle was the chamber. Warriors watched the entrance of the tunnel, looking for any last dangers. Jackson, who was standing next to me, had dirt on him and injuries, but his eyes were keen and his mind was already processing what had just occurred. The Raven had once more escaped, but this time we had Caleb. At least momentarily, that seemed like a triumph."Are you hurt?" Leaning back to check Caleb over, I asked him gently. His face was covered with grime, but other than that he appeared to be unhurt.He shook his head, still with wide eyes full of terror. "I'm good, Mom. But I