Chapter 13

Alpha Kate’s POV:

Erick and John leave with a team to find Raven and Belle. I sit down at the kitchen table. I can hear Meaghan soothing her newborn baby. Raven cannot be a traitor. This cannot be happening. I hope we are wrong, and that Raven is protecting her. Protecting Belle, what a joke; she can protect herself. What did I miss? There is something that I missed.

I think about what the Imperial council said to me when I connected to the spiritual realm. It is someone close to me, and I only need to look. I think of everyone in our circle. Who would have a motive to harm the children or us? There are a lot of people who want to hurt my children and me. I know it is not Erick's wolves. Could it be an Imperial wolf, but why? Why appoint me Alpha only to set me up and get rid of me?

The Imperials would harm Erick, but me and the children. I just cannot get that through my brain. Erick's wolves had never tried to hurt me, even when I was at my worst and having uncontrollable rage. So, who? Who is doing this? Why take Belle now? What are we missing? Is Belle really missing, or did she leave on her own to do something for the council? They said some things to her I did not understand.

I try to remember every word spoken to Belle and me when we were with the council members. Jason, they said to help Jason. I have to see him, and I have to see him now. It cannot wait for Erick to return. Erick will be mad, but I will deal with it later.

I get up from the table, and I go out the front door of the house. There are several wolves outside standing guard. I bolt past them. What are they going to do! I am an Alpha! They cannot tell me to stop or not go!

"Alpha Kate, wait! Hold up a second," one of the wolves screams at me as I run for a nearby truck. I am not stopping for him or anyone else. I have to see Jason.

"I have something I need to do now! It cannot wait!" I scream as I get into the truck and crank it.

The passenger side door opens, and one of the wolves gets into the truck with me. "Not without me; you are not going anywhere. Alpha Erick would kick my ass if I did not go with you," he says.

"Fine, but I am still the Alpha, and I will not be taking orders from you or Erick," I growl at him.

He slams the door to the truck and leans back. "Fine with me, let's go. At least if I do something Alpha Erick does not like, I can blame you," he says.

I get a good look at him and realize it is Ralph, one of the first wolves I met when I came to serve the Alpha, before Erick, before I found out I was Imperial. Ralph is a good wolf. He is loyal and a warrior.

"Do not call my husband. I only need to check something, and then I will return to the house, I promise. I will try not to get us in any trouble. When Erick returns, I will tell him I asked you to go with me. No, I ordered you to go with me," I say, backing down just a little from being the stern Alpha female.

"Okay, but he will still probably be pissed. No worries, I can take the heat. But don't promise not to get us in trouble because we both know you will," Ralph says, laughing.

Ralph is right. I have a terrible habit of getting in trouble. I will try hard to behave tonight, and after tonight I plan to listen to my husband more. Well, maybe a little more.

We drive to the pack jail. I park in front. Only a few wolves guard the pack jail, and they all seem to be a little intoxicated. Usually, I would find this behavior off, but this insubordinate behavior works to my advantage right now.

I get out of the truck. The three wolves stand up straight as I walk toward them. "Alpha Kate, we did not know you were coming. We were told the pack is on high alert," one of the intoxicated wolves says.

I get closer to him. I smell him. "Is that why you are drinking so heavily?" I ask him. He backs away. Maybe he is embarrassed or just upset he is caught.

The two wolves behind him begin to howl and giggle. "Actually, we stopped when the alert was sent out," the wolf standing in front of me says.

"I tell you what, I will not tell Alpha Erick, and you do not tell anyone you saw me, deal," I say.

He looks back at the other two wolves, "Deal," he says.

Ralph walks with me into the jail, not without growling loudly at the three would be security for the pack jail. He showed them he disapproved of their actions.

I walk back to the back, straight to Jason's cell. "I thought you forgot about me," Jason says as I approach the cell.

"No, I am actually here to take you with me, that is, if you can behave yourself," I say to him.

Jason stands to his feet. "You connected with the spiritual realm and spoke to the council members, didn't you?" Jason asks me.

"Get the keys," I say to Ralph. Ralph nods and leaves to get the keys.

Jason waits for my answer. "How did you know?" I ask him.

Jason moves closer to me. "I can see it all over your face. Confusion, bewilderment, you have no idea who to trust, but for some reason, you think you can trust me," Jason says.

I shake my head. I can hear Ralph jingling the keys as he comes up the hallway to the cell. "Can I trust you, Jason? The council members tell me we are family. So, tell me if I can or cannot trust you because I cannot take any more bullshit tonight," I growl at him.

Jason nods his head. "Yes, Kate, you can trust me. I would never hurt you or Belle," Jason says.

I stop for a moment and step back. "She is missing," I say softly.

Jason moves all the way to the bars. He hisses and then growls. "I know she is missing, and I know where she is located, but we need to hurry. They are pushing Liam out of the realm tonight," Jason says.

My heart sinks as Ralph unlocks the cell. Jason comes out of the cell. He puts his arms around me and hugs me. "We are family, Kate. I will explain after we help Belle. She is the most important thing right now," Jason says.

The three of us walk out of the pack jail. The wolves guarding the jail watch us as we get into the truck. I put my finger to my lips to hush them. They do not move as we leave.

"They are going to call Alpha Erick as soon as we leave," Ralph says.

I look over at him. "I know, but we will be already on our way to get my daughter by the time Alpha Erick gets here," I say.

"Head to the Imperial camp. We are going to Isabella's old cabin," Jason says.

Ralph drives us toward the Imperial camp. "You know Alpha Erick is going to be furious with me, right," Ralph says.

"Tell him I was uncontrollable, and you went along with it because you were afraid of me. Tell him I threatened you. Tell him whatever you want. I told you I would cover your ass," I say sarcastically.

"That would not be a lie. I have seen you mad, Alpha Kate, and it is scary," Ralph says.

Jason sits quietly as we drive to the Imperial camp. We finally make it to Isabella's old cabin. "Park here," Jason says.

How does he know so much? There is a light on in Isabella's old cabin. No one has stayed there since she died the first time. So, who is in there? We get out of the truck slowly and quietly and start walking toward the old cabin. Then I hear it. I hear my child speaking. I hear her say his name.

"Liam," Belle calls out.