Page 147 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

“Sorry, Cole,” she said, and she cleared her throat nervously. “You said your dad caused all this? He signed everything over to this… this brother of yours?”

“He did.” I hated tarnishing a dead man’s name, especially after the heartfelt letter he’d left me, but it was the truth.

Bri nodded sadly. “I hate that this happened, Cole. But if you’re willing to sacrifice for us, then we’ll sacrifice for you. I’m sure everyone here can agree to that.” She turned and scanned the crowd around her. Nods of approval greeted her.

Another man I didn’t even know stood and said, “Damn straight. You’ve already done more for us these past few weeks than your daddy did the last ten years. You say the word, and we’re with you.”

My heart thudded wildly, and at the back of the room, I saw my sister’s jaw dropping. This was going better than I could have ever hoped. If I’d thought they’d be mad at me for this news, I’d been way off-base.

Before anyone could say more, men stood and moved toward the front of the crowd.

“I’ll help get your son back,” one said.

“Show me this Kyle fucker, and I’ll make him eat dirt,” another growled.

Soon, nearly half the men in the audience had moved forward, each telling me that they’d do whatever was needed. Glancing over my shoulder in shock, I caught Trent’s eye. He puffed out his cheeks and released a sigh of relief. Langston winked at me.

“All right, everyone,” I said, holding up both hands to call for quiet again. “Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of my mate, Avery—” I pointed to her in the crowd “—we thank you for doing this. It will be dangerous, but I promise that if you give me all you have, I’ll give you all that I have in return. Wewillmake Kyle pay, and wewilltake care of this town and these people. I guarantee we’ll bring my boy back safely. My son, and your heir. He’s coming home, by God.”

The room erupted into an explosion of applause and cheering, and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.

A nudge at my elbow made me turn. Langston smirked at me. “If I ever need a speech writer, I’m calling you.”

After the meeting concluded, Trent and Langston spoke to the men who’d volunteered and chose the seven they found the strongest and most capable. Those selected were invited to join them in a meeting room of city hall. The others had all been more than willing, but Trent and Langston had picked men with military experience for this mission. The rest of the men would be used as a defense force for Harbor Mills, watching for any sign of strangers or Kyle himself. Trent passed around photos of Kyle, Dallas, and some of the other men in Kyle’s crew.

Avery and I sat along the wall, allowing the two military experts to do most of the explaining. I took her hand and glanced over ather. There were two bite marks on Avery’s neck. She wasn’t even trying to hide it. At some point during our tryst in my office, I must have gotten overzealous. The sight of the marks brought a faint growl of satisfaction from my throat.

Avery turned and looked at me, realized what I was looking at, and grinned. “Shouldn’t you be paying attention?”

“I am,” I said, and winked at her.

“I mean, pay attention to theplan, not me.” Avery poked a finger into my stomach. “I’m serious. You can look at me anytime.”

Sighing, I tore my gaze from the marks I’d left on her body and gave Trent and Langston my full attention. They’d pinned a map of North Crest on the wall and were pointing out different areas.

“As of now,” Trent said, “North Crest is the target. We want to slip in quietly and go after Dallas if possible. The only thing that will change that is if Kyle contacts Avery before tomorrow night.”

“If that happens,” Langston added, “things get more difficult. The initial plan is to grab Cole’s brother and get out. If Kyle calls and we track his location, this becomes a rescue mission to get Ashton out.”

“How bad will that be?” one of the volunteers asked.

Trent and Langston shared a look.

“Not gonna lie, it’ll be much worse than Plan A,” Trent said. “Kyle will have more security around him, Ashton will be nearby but well-secured. There will be violence. Therewillbe blood.”

Silence fell across the room, but it wasn’t from hesitation or worry. It was purpose. Every face was set with determination.None of these men looked like they were having second thoughts about volunteering.

Langston explained how Zayde would track the call and how they would proceed from there. I’d heard this part before, so I allowed my mind to drift, clutching Avery’s hand.

Blood would be spilled, but it was a small price to pay to get my son back. The pack’s anger fueled me. I knew what I needed to do. Whether I liked it or not, I might end up having to sink my claws or teeth into my brother.

Langston clapped his hands once, bringing me back to the present. “I think that’s it. We’ve got all your numbers. Keep your phones on. If Kyle calls, be ready to move out at a moment’s notice. Otherwise, prepare yourselves for tomorrow night.”

The men shuffled toward the door. Avery and I stood to thank them as they departed. Each man gave me a slight bow, a sign of respect used for the pack alpha. A strange feeling welled up within me. Pride. Until I’d returned to Harbor Mills, I’d never really wanted to lead the pack, but now that it had been thrust upon me, I thought I might actually do a good job—if given the chance, anyway. Once we had Ash back and the Kyle issue was handled, I’d see what the pack wanted.

And more importantly, what Avery wanted.

After the last man had departed, Langston slapped my shoulder. “Damn, that went way better than expected.”

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