Page 115 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

As if I could sleep when I didn’t know what was happening with Ashton. I doubtedhe’dbe sleeping well tonight. I was his mother, and the only thing that mattered to me was making sure he was okay. I didn’t know how I’d ever sleep again, knowing he was in danger. How were the four of us ever going to get him back? We needed help.

An idea occurred to me, then, one that made everything seem a little less terrible. Backup.

“Trent’s right,” Cole said. “Let’s all get some rest and think about it. There’s literally nothing we can do right now. Maybe tomorrow morning, one of us will have thought of something.”

“Fine,” Farrah said with a huff. “I’m going home. Text me in the morning. Let me know what time to meet up.”

Trent looked relieved that things weren’t going to devolve into a fistfight. “Great. I’m heading out, too.”

“Thank you, Trent,” Cole said.

“No problem,” Trent said as he followed Farrah out the door.

A plan had begun to formulate in my mind. Cole wouldn’t like it, but I didn’t know what else to do.

Cole put his arm around me. “I’m sorry about all that.”

Sinking into him, I let the bitterness and irritation fade. Touching him like that, his arm around me, filled me with more guilt about what I was thinking of doing.

“It’s all right,” I mumbled and patted his chest. “Our emotions are pretty high right now. We’re bound to say things we’ll regret. Go on home. You need rest.”

Cole frowned. “You don’t want me to stay? I thought I’d hang out. Keep you company while you?—”

“I’ll be fine. Seriously, Cole. I’m not mad at you or anything, I just want some time alone to process.”

That wasn’t entirely true. The real reason I wanted time alone was to make a call. A very important call that might help us getout of this mess. If Cole was around, he’d argue against it. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Cole eyed me suspiciously, but nodded. “Are you sure? I mean, if you get scared or need someone nearby, then?—”

“I’ll call you,” I said with a smile. “I swear.”

“All right.” He returned the smile, but the smile never reached his eyes. Shame washed over me, but I didn’t know how else to do this.

He bent to kiss me, and I met his lips with mine. Those few moments of closeness gave me the strength to do what I needed to do next.

“I love you,” he said just before he went out the door.

“Love you, too,” I said.

I watched as he pulled out of the driveway. Once he was out of sight, leaving only the pack members watching over my house in their truck across the street, I dialed the number I’d pulled up. Pacing around the living room, I listened to the ringing. After the fourth ring, a man’s voice answered.

“Avery, is this you? What’s up?”

I let out a little sigh of relief at the familiar voice.

“Langston, I’m in trouble. Ashton’s in danger. How soon can you get to Georgia?”

29

COLE

“Are you okay?” Trent eyed me with concern. “You look like shit.”

He’d come over to my house the next morning to discuss the plan I’d come up with. Farrah and Avery were on the way as well, but he’d arrived early. Less than thirty seconds after walking in, and he was already giving me a questioning look.

“I’m fine,” I grunted. “Just stressed out.”

“I get that. I really do, but it’s like you’re pulling yourself too tight. Ready to snap, you know?”

---