Help Me, Alpha: The Finale

JAX

I know Hayley's hurt. I know she's scared. I am, too. How could our daughter disappear like this?

As the pack heads off to where I assigned them, I see the pain in my mate's face from the corner of my eye.

One moment, we're celebrating the adoption of our Lily, and just like that, it's over. She's gone.

My wolf is incensed, but it's much more than Lily.

What kind of alpha loses their child within their territory? In all my years growing up here, I've never heard of something this mental.

I think of my father as alpha, and I feel even worse. Things like this aren't supposed to happen in the Midnight Rose Pack. Not on my watch.

No matter how hard I try, all I can see are the last moments of happiness with my mate. Our lives are supposed to be perfect now. We have each other, we have Lily.

I feel like I'm failing Hayley. My job is to protect her and our family. That's the promise I made to her and our pack.

It's the one thing I've been counting on, and now it's like it's all falling. None of this makes sense.

Did a human breach my boundaries? It's impossible! We would have smelt them a mile away.

These thoughts flood my brain as I focus on my daughter's scent. It's a delicate smell, still so fresh and full of life. It's a bit musky, hinting at Hayley's vanilla soap.

I feel the anger swelling inside as Aaron sniffs with a furious determination.

I realize suddenly I am alone. I've outrun Axton and Smanatha.

"Coming up behind you, Alpha," Axton mind-links me.

Narrowing Lily’s position down is beginning to feel impossible and I'm feeling discouraged.

What am I going to say to my mate?

I smell Axton before I see him approaching fast. Samantha is hot on his heels.

"Alpha Jax," he mind-links, knowing I'm nearly sick with worry as much as rage. He is going to need to be very careful here.

"What did you find?" I reply, clarifying there's no room for negotiations from anyone. I'm going to find our daughter come hell or high water.

I'm her father and alpha; Nothing is more important than this.

"Speak!" I yell, watching him wince.

"Nothing yet, Alpha, but can I suggest something?"

I have no words; I only see red. Aaron is becoming antsy.

"Make it quick, Axton, we can't afford to lose time! It's getting dark soon."

I notice that Samantha is silent. She's watching, waiting to see how her alpha gets himself out of this one.

"Maybe we can search by section. Make a crisscross pattern across the territory?"

I'm sure he's right. I know I'm full of as much aggression as adrenaline. Axton won't say so, but he knows my mind isn't clear.

”I can head north; Samantha can take the east? If we continue this way, we won't find anything."

I keep my thoughts to myself as I fight the urge to keep searching on my path.

"I know Hayley is going to need answers, Jax. It's like a needle in a haystack. We need a plan, and there's a lot of land and rogues."

Finally, I can't keep my anger to myself.

"You think I don't know what's in these woods, Beta?"

Axton puts his snout down to the ground; "Yes, Alpha, of course. It's just Hayley."

"My mate will be just fine once I bring her our pup!"

I feel my heart breaking for Hayley. I know Axton is being reasonable; he's trying to help, but I can't control my emotions.

I need to run; it's the only thing keeping me sane.

It's taking all my strength to push away the one thought that is killing me.

What if I can't find her? But what if I do? What if she's…

I shake my head. I'm not giving in; I will never give in. I owe this to my pack and my family. Whoever is doing this will pay dearly!

I picture Lily in her beautiful purple dress. The way her chestnut ringlets fall down her back. The way her crystal blue eyes shine like the sun.

I can see her as if she's in front of my eyes. I can smell her. It's driving me crazy.

“Nothing escapes our sight, smell, or bite. Do you understand me?" I say, trying to meet Axton halfway. It's not in my nature to budge, but deep inside, I feel he's right.

"Rogues are killed on sight. No mercy! Keep your noses to the ground and bring back your heir!"

With that, I turn, heading west. I can make it across the border and head south at this speed. I'll meet them in the east.

I know I can trust them both to carry out this search. Samantha and Axton are the best fighters and trackers this pack has, next to me.

The sun is beginning to set, casting a fiery orange glow through the branches of the trees. The crows are circling above my head like they have some clue I don't.

As I scour the ground with my snout, I notice Lily's smell is getting stronger the more I head south.

When I think I'm on top of her scent and that I'm close, Lily's scent disappears. It's this maddening game of hide-and-seek.

Suddenly, I pick up something equally familiar. It's Axton and Samanatha.

"I thought I sent you north?" I say to Axton as I watch him bounding towards me.

Somewhere deep in my heart, I hope he has news. Good or bad, I want an answer. After all, he's right; we can't go home empty-handed.

I need to tell my mate what's happened. She deserves that much.

"Alpha Jax, Samantha picked something up, it's Lily."Axton pauses; I see him waiting for Samantha to deliver the final blow.

It's giving me a bad feeling. The look in his eyes tells me this isn't good news.

"She's close, Axton, she must be. Lily is a pup; she couldn't get too far."

"It's true, Lily's young; by now, one of us will pick up on her."

I hear heavy paws pounding the forest floor; I can tell Samantha is kicking up dust as she makes her way to us.

I realize I haven't paid a mind to rogues, let alone humans.

The suspense of her arrival holds me hostage.

Finally, her sleek, red wolf, Aubrina, comes into view. I can't be sure, but there seems to be something in her mouth.

As I focus on the treasure she's carrying, I see the one thing I dread.

It's purple, just like Lily's dress.

Samantha drops the torn morsel at my paws, and I'm dumbfounded.

What does this mean?

I take a deep breath before shifting into my human form.

"What, what is this, Samantha?" I ask, not able to meet the gaze of her wolf. I cannot let them see me in this much pain. I am still the alpha.

"Jax, I think it's Lily's, Lily's dress," she stammers. I can tell that she's holding back the same thoughts I am.

"Do you think she's been grabbed by rogues, Jax?" Axton inquires from behind me. He must know what I'm looking at.

"What of the human scent? Where did the tracking take you?"

I know I'm deflecting, and I can't fathom what Axton said as much as I couldn’t bring myself to look into Hayley's eyes.

"The humans have been here, Alpha," Samantha adds, "but there aren't camps set up. Not yet, anyway."

Not yet. She has no idea how profound her words are.

Axon shifts into his human form, crouching down, checking the perimeter, "There's a group of rogues that's been moving along the northeast border, but they're staying clear of the territory."

I think he means to say it's not rogues. Perhaps, in his way, this is supposed to comfort me.

"You hand me this dress," I say, my voice cracking, "it has my daughter's blood!" I yell, unable to contain myself. I feel Aaron restless for blood inside of me. Controlling him is becoming more and more difficult.

I feel Axton's hand on my shoulder, "We don't know what happened yet, Alpha. It doesn't necessarily mean…" Axton's voice trails off as he feels my body harden.

The growls from deep inside me have no way of being contained.

The trouble is, I can't decide if I want to cry or rage. Maybe it's both.

I fall to my knees; the grief takes me.

Holding the small piece of purple cloth close to my face, I inhale my daughter's scent.

She's gone.

I scream.