All Chapters of THE ALPHA'S FORSAKEN SECRET : Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

Jackson’s POVOutside, the gloom seemed oppressive. The flickering camp flames created lengthy, swirling shadows on the ground. Every sense of great alert, I stood on the brink of the camp peering into the black expanse beyond the trees. Danger seems to make its way to our door regardless of how ready we believed we were.But today the awareness that treachery had come from inside held me anchored in place, not the prospect of an enemy attack. Riley's admission had rocked me right down. Blackthorn had been receiving intelligence from the guy who had been by my side during innumerable conflicts, someone I trusted with my life and the lives of every other pack member. It weighed down on me, weighty and stifling.I turned as Ava came up. I could see her fatigue carved on her face even in the low light. She had carried more than anybody ought to have—betrayal, heartache, the continual danger to our lives. Still, she stood solid, a lighthouse among the tempest. Even as remorse bit me, I co

Jackson’s POVThe rain came in sheets, hammering on the tent's canvas and darkening and noisily drowning the outer world. It seemed almost appropriate, as though the weight on my shoulders was shared by the heavens. I moved back and forth, the steady tapping of rain against the ground marking each stride. I tried so hard, but the discomfort that had crept into my bones would not go away."Are you just going to wear a hole in the ground?" Ava's voice sliced across the storm's noise. Her hair wet from the rain, she stood at the door, a sardonic smirk pulling at her lips. Still, the tiredness in her eyes would not be hidden by even that try at comedy.I stopped pacing and gasped hard. Not sure how to assist it. Too many pieces on hand, and none of them match one another.She entered, shutting the flap behind her. You are not by yourself in this.I know, yet the words seemed empty. things do not, however, make things any simpler.Ava drew in closer, her eyes fixed. Riley's information is

Ava’s POVAva, you cannot keep fleeing from this. As Jackson approached, the tightness in his silver eyes reflected the moonlight; his voice was low, like a growl. His voice had a raw, unguarded, something deeper mixed with frustration.I stayed behind the packhouse, my back against the chilly stone wall. Though I resisted letting it show, the heated air between us seemed like an approaching storm as my pulse accelerated.I said, my voice crisp yet quivering, "I'm not running." I'm safeguarding myself here. shielding the twins. You cannot demand responses now, not following everything.Jackson tightened his jaw as his fists closed at his sides. "Do you believe I have no idea what I have done? That I have not spent every waking moment second-guessing the decisions I took. But right now I am here and I need your faith.Trust you, then? I shook my head and laughed bitterly. "Trusting you nearly wrecked me, Jackson. Do you know what it feels like to be cast aside like I was nothing? My vo

Ava’s POV"You can't keep doing this to me, Jackson," I cried, standing my ground with a shaking voice. Though the heat in his eyes blazed straight through me, the frigid night air surrounded us. "You're dragging me near one minute then pushing me away. I cannot stand it any more.He moved in closer, his jaw tightly under control, his eyes squarely on me. " You think this is easy for me?" His voice was low and frayed with irritation. Every time I look at you, I sense the risk. Ava, I see what is ahead of us and it terrifies me. But I couldn't—" He ran a hand through his hair and breathed hard. "I cannot stay away from you either."I staggered at the sound of leaves underfoot, a sobering reminder that we were not alone. Danger loomed somewhere in the darkness, and yet all I could concentrate on was him. His unvarnished vulnerability matched my own contradictory feelings."You don't get to make that choice for me," I said, becoming louder. "I am aware of the offerings Jackson. I know th

Ava’s POV"You don't get it, do you?" Jackson rounded me in the darkly lighted room with a low, frustrated voice. Though not in a way that made me want to run, his presence seemed stifling. It was more like he ate every last bit of oxygen I might have used. His eyes blazed into mine, a tempest behind them. "I came far to lose you once more."I held the edge of the desk behind me and swallowed hard. Lost me? Jackson, you cannot lose anything you never really owned! As the words came out, my voice faltered, but I kept his eye and refused to back down.His jaw clenched. "You honestly believe that?" He went in closer, and my legs naturally pulled back from the edge of the desk. Though I was caught, the intensity in his face caused my heart to race for reasons I didn't want to acknowledge."Believe it; I realise it! I turned back, trying to ignore the chest hurt. As the air buzzed with anxiety, the space seemed smaller and the walls pressed in on us. "Jackson, you're skilled at promising