Page 73 of The Tracker's Revenge
Allison nodded. “I had no choice. He threatened to kill Maxwell.” At this, her voice trembled with fear.
I pressed a hand to my mouth, unable to comprehend how a father could do that. Quickly, my hatred toward Allison turned to pity.
She sniffled, her eyes wavering. “That’s why we have to be careful. My father can’t know. No one can. I’ve only met Maxwell a couple of times since we swore the pact.”
“That’s awful,” I said.
She shrugged. “Yes, but not unheard of for weak females.” She shook her head and focused on Jake again. “But you’re an alpha. Your grandfather couldn’t have forced you. So if you’re in love with her,” she flicked a hand in my direction, “why did you agree? Screw the legacy. Screw the promise you made to your father.”
It was Jake’s turn to shrug.
She sighed, understanding all too well. “That fucking legacy. It’s always about that, isn’t it? Maxwell is a member of a lesser packanda beta. That’s why Dad would never approve of him. We’ve been dating since high school, but my father isn’t impressed by that or by the fact that he truly loves me. He’s only impressed byJacob Knight.” She scanned Jake from head to toe, looking unimpressed herself.
This Maxwell guy had to be something else. If Jake didn’t measure up to her standards, her love was certainly blind.
No one measures up to Jake!
I shook my head to dismiss the stupid thought. It belonged to Red, not the more sensible Toni who understood love was the only thing that mattered.
Witchlights!I’d been so wrong about Allison. I never imagined that she could be in our exact situation. I glanced sideways at Jake, wondering if he was thinking whatIwas thinking.
Could Allison become our ally in finding a way to break the pact? I didn’t dare ask. She might be madly in love with someone else, but was she willing to go as far as to oppose her father? The same question seemed to flash behind Jake’s eyes, but he remained as reserved as me. He wanted to tread carefully on this, and I didn’t blame him.
Allison’s blue eyes flicked between us, shrewd and calculating. Clearly, we weren’t the only ones being cautious. She opened her mouth to say something, but we never knew what because a commotion came from the next room. There were shouts, high-pitched screams, growls.
Then the gunshots began.
Chapter 25
Jake rushed to thedoor. Knowing his impulsiveness, I lunged forward and wedged myself between him and the door.
“Move out of th—” I pressed a hand to his mouth.
“Shh.”
Rather than just rush out there, we needed to assess the situation.
