Page 57 of Forced Alpha Bride

The moment that thought runs through my mind, a chill of fear pierces my heart.

Damon ran straight into it! So did all the other alphas! Oh my God, Galen! They could all be dead by now!

“Hey, thanks for grabbing these, sis,” Lexa says, nudging me as she takes a few blankets. “How does the manor look?”

“Solid as a rock. But—”

“Good. We’ll need to get these old-timers inside soon. They’ll also need something a bit more substantial than champagne and finger sandwiches.”

“Lexa, aren’t you worried about the guys?”

“Of course I am,” she answers. “But this is our job, honey. We take care of the pack while the boys run out to meet thedanger head-on. Would I rather be by my mate’s side, shoulder to shoulder? Fuck, yeah. Will I leave my vulnerable pack all alone, though? Absolutely fucking not.”

“Okay,” I say. “I hear you.”

“Good. When things settle down, we should have a chat. Just us girls.”

“Sure. About my duties as luna?”

“No,” Lexa laughs, walking away. “About how to decipher your new husband’s signals. I speak fluent street trash, and I can translate for you. The short version is that boy’s mad for you.”

“He is?” I gape at her, shocked.

“Later,” Lex replies, waving as she disappears into the crowd.

I hurry over to the older folk who are seated around the dance floor, handing out blankets and offering comfort. Some of them don’t look well, and I know we’ll have to head back to the manor soon.

It’s been a while since the last tremor. We should be safe. If only the boys would come back.

Before that thought can cause me worry, I hear howls spiraling from the direction of town and baying sounds exploding out from various directions. Within seconds, the alphas and warriors are pouring into the courtyard.

I see Damon running in the lead, a truly gigantic black wolf. In fact, he’s much bigger than the others and has the darkest, thickest coat of fur.

So dark, it shimmers blue, without even a hint of white markings.

When he shifts back to human, he stumbles, and I see blood running down his leg. I rush to his side, throwing the blanket around his shoulders.

“Damon, you’re hurt!”

“It’s nothing,” he says, brushing me off. He gathers the blanket around his shoulders and strides into the center of the courtyard.

“The town has been attacked,” Damon announces.

There are gasps and mutters through the crowd, and more than one scream.

“All we know at this point is that two buildings were blown up and several on the main street are on fire. While this was going on, homes were raided on the opposite end of town.”

People react with varying degrees of fear and anger, but Damon keeps his composure, asking for calm.

“Firefighters are dealing with the situation on the main street. Scouts and warriors are sweeping the hills. I’d like to thank Alpha Galen and Alpha Kit for their support.”

From their places in the crowd where they’ve joined their mates, Galen and Kit acknowledge Damon’s gratitude with a wave and a nod.

“We still don’t know why the attack happened, or who—”

“Of course we know,” Regina hisses, her voice as scalding as acid. “This is what happens when we go easy on Valentine Creek!”

Damon focuses on her as she comes forward out of the crowd, his face a mask of calm that barely covers his anger.