“Lee, Phillip, Dalton and Aidan, I need you with me. Assemble your weapons. At this point you will not carry them on your person, but I want them available in case they are needed. Go pack enough clothes for three days' time and then meet me and the Alpha in the main garage. I will explain what is going on while we are en route to our destination. Move out.” Without a word the 4 wolves assembled their weapons and then left the room to comply with their Beta’s instructions. Logan always felt a sense of pride when the pack obeyed without question, it was a sign of trust, trust that he was going to have to betray. Better not to think of that now, he told himself, just do what needs to be done, ask for forgiveness later.

Dillon stood in the main garage, waiting on his pack to join him. He was trying to be calm knowing that the pack would feel what he felt, he didn’t want them to have to shoulder his burdens. It was his job as Alpha to protect them from unnecessary stress, but this was a situation that he had never dealt with before, and for the first time he didn’t really know how to handle it. He called on his wolf, knowing that he would be less emotional and more practical; he would do what needed to be done. Dillon could worry about the emotions when the situation was under control. Logan had just shown up and right behind him were his top four pack members, all dressed in black fatigues.

“Have you briefed them on the situation yet?” Dillon asked Logan.

“No, Alpha. I figured I could do that en route.”

Dillon nodded his head in agreement. “Alright, let's load up into the Hummer. Phillip, you drive.”

Once on the road, Logan began to fill the wolves in on the situation in Coldspring.

“It is imperative at this point that this information stay within this group. Dillon will be the one to decide when the rest of the pack will know,” Logan told them.

Dillon spoke up then. “It may make you all uncomfortable since she is your Alpha as well, but I have chosen at this time not to disclose this to my mate. Speaking of, excuse me from the conversation for one moment, I need to inform her that I will be gone for a few days.” He said no more on the topic.

Logan heard Dillon tell Tanya that he was taking a business trip to discuss pack relations and ways to improve pack communications and that he would be meeting with some of the Texas packs. She didn’t question him and once again Logan noted the simple trust, trust that was being broken even as the Alpha spoke to his mate. It was for the best, Logan decided, and just like he needed to take matters into his hands regarding Jacque, Dillon had to make the difficult decision of dealing with this situation without the added stress of his mate’s emotions. Once the situation was contained, then Dillon could sit down with Tanya and explain things. Logan would be sure to be busy when that conversation took place. Tanya was hot-headed, and more often than not spoke before she thought. It was going to be a volatile mess when it came time to explain things to her. Yea, good luck with that, Alpha, he thought to himself.

“So the plan at this point,” Dillon began after he had disconnected with his mate, “is once we arrive in Coldspring I will contact Vasile first per pack law and let him know we are there. I am sure he will tell Lilly, who will in turn tell Fane who you now know has declared himself Jacque’s mate. You will not engage Vasile’s wolves unless I command it. Is there any confusion about this?”

Each of the wolves shook their heads and bared their necks in submission.

“After Lilly is notified I will set up a time to meet with her to discuss my meeting Jacque. At this point I am not going to say anything about the fact that I am there to invoke my rights as her Alpha. I will do that after I have met her. I will also only do that in front of Vasile, his pup and his Beta. During that time only Logan will be permitted to be with me,” Dillon explained.

By the time he was done telling his pack what would take place, they had arrived at the airport and were boarding the charter plane that Colin had secured for them.

As the plane took off, Dillon sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. He tried to envision what Jacque would say when he introduced himself to her. Would she be angry that he had not been a part of her life? Would she be happy to finally meet him? He was usually so confident in himself but at this moment he couldn’t remember ever being so unsure of himself.

Logan was trying to work out in his mind at what point would be the best time to take Jacque from the hospital. He decided he was going to suggest to Dillon that after he invoked his Alpha rights to have Vasile pull his wolves from guard duty and instill his own. Since he was the head of the pack enforcers he would set the guard rotation for the night, which would be the most vulnerable time, when the staff was minimal, and the cover of darkness would aid him in his task. He was so close to his goal, so close to having the first thing he had truly wanted in a long time, and he would have her. No matter what it took, Jacque Pierce would be his.

Chapter 9

Once the plane had landed at a small private air strip Colin had found, they had a rental car waiting. Dillon found himself wondering, not for the first time, what he would do without Colin, he seemed to think of everything.

Logan knew the location of the hospital so he drove while Dillon found Vasile’s number in the directory of Alphas. Yes, they had a book with all the Alpha’s numbers in it. Dillon couldn’t help but think that somebody else had a Colin as well who had come up with the idea. Dillon dialed the number and as he listened to it ring all he could think was how this was going to be interesting. Vasile answered on the fourth ring.

“Vasile,” he answered with his name instead of a hello.

“Vasile this is Dillon Jacobs, Alpha of the Denver Pack. I wanted to inform you that I am in Coldspring. Is there another Alpha I need to call?”

Vasile was silent for several beats before he responded, “No, the pack here in Coldspring is not official yet. I will notify the Alpha that you are here.” Dillon heard Vasile take and audible breath and then let it out slow.

“Do I want to know why you are here, Jacobs?” Vasile asked, using his surname.

“I have a feeling you know. I want to speak with Lilly and I want to meet my daughter. It is my understanding that she has been in an accident.” There was a slight growl in Dillon’s voice as he answered Vasile.

“How, may I ask, did you learn about Jacquelyn, or the accident for that matter?” Vasile asked, his voice laced with skepticism.

Dillon decided to let Vasile draw his own conclusion by giving half truths to his questions.