Chapter 67 - Ace's Plan

**Ace** -

“Maddie, what the hell are you doing here? Why are you barging into my office at a time like this?” I am disgusted with her behaviour.

“OUT!” she screams at the 2 men I have with me, “GET OUT!!!” She looks deranged. My men glance at me and I discreetly nod my head.

“Wait nearby,” I tell them, “We still have things to discuss.” They lower their heads to me and they throw side glances at Maddie, who they have never seen lose her cool before they depart, as they close the door softly, behind themselves.

“What the actual fuck Maddie? What is the matter with you?” I am livid, I can barely hold back from striking her, but a slither of concern works its way down my spine as I take in her dishevelled appearance, her pale skin, her shaking hands.

“Ace, oh god, Ace, they are trying to kill me, I know it, they want me dead” she is breathing heavily as she speaks and continuously glances over her shoulder at the closed door, “They are coming for us, they felt the shift of power, they know we have a new Alpha, they want us dead, they know you has Cassie, and now they know she is gone, and if she and Alpha Sven are both gone at the same time, that must mean the new Alpha knows Cassie, if the new Alpha knows Cassie, then the pack are hoping that he is good, and if he is good, then likely he will be on Cassie’s side, he will want us ‘taken care of’, anyone who hears Cassie’s side of the story before ours will not be sympathetic to us, they will punish us,” she takes a deep breath before continuing, “we need to get away, before the new Alpha arrives, before the pack turns on us, we need to get daddy and run, far away.” She is rambling, talking to herself more than to me, but I am listening, and I hear her loud and clear. The pack will turn on me, they will want to capture me and hand me over to the new Alpha, no doubt Cassie has already won the new Alpha over, and Alpha Sven will have chosen someone soft like himself. If I can get away quickly, then I can assess the situation and I can survive. There is no way I will survive this new Alpha if I stay, he will always see me as a threat to his position, he will want me handled as soon as possible. But, if I can get away, then I can plan, I can build, then one day, I can return and take what is rightfully mine.

The cogs are turning, a plan is forming. I know what I need to do. It will be a pain to take Maddie with me, but I will need her father and I can’t escape with him and leave her behind, he would never allow that.

While all of this is running through my head, Maddie has begun pacing before me. I reach out to her and she flies into my arms, clinging to me tightly. I stroke her hair and whisper a bunch of touchy feely crap in her ear until I feel her body begin to relax, then I pull away slightly and speak slowly and clearly so that she doesn’t misunderstand.

“Maddie, you need to stay calm, I have a plan and I need your help for it to work.” She shakes her head and some of the glaze in her eye fades, a steely glint of determination takes it place and I know she is with me, “You need to go to your father and you both need to grab a single bag of possessions, just 1 bag Maddie, that is very important, any more than that and I will leave you behind do you understand?” She nods resolutely and pulls away from me, heading for the door.

“What about you?”

“I am going to dp the same, but first I need to speak to the guys outside, they are loyal to me and will help us get away,” I move to the safe hidden under the rub behind my desk and bend to unlock it, “Send them in on your way out, be quick, and be unseen Maddie, nobody can know of this but us.”

She nods again, pulls back her shoulders and exits the office. She doesn’t close the door and seconds later my men re-enter to see me filling a bag with the cash from the safe.

“Sir, What are our instructions?”

“I need you to find us a safe exit route. Maddie, her father and I need to leave, I need you to stay for now, just a couple of weeks. Here is what I need from you…” I trust these guys, I know they would lay their lives down for me, and I need that right now, “As I said, Maddie and I need to leave, we can’t be here when the new Alpha arrives, I am going to tell only you two where we are going. I need you to send word on who this new Alpha is, and I need you to remain here as spies. I need to know plans, numbers of new members, reactions of the current members, anything you can think of that will help me. Your loyalty will be rewarded when I am able to return. If things become too dangerous for you here then you are to flee, you are to lose any trackers you have on your tails and then, once you know all is clear you will find your way to rejoin us. Do you understand your assignment?”

“Yes, Sir, it is our honour to remain behind and pass you any information so that you might return and triumph, so that you might return and take your rightful place within this pack, we will make notes on everything we are able to, security, pack members, reactions, progresses made, any little thing we deem relevant will be written down, we will provide weekly updates.”

“Excellent, and how will you get these letters to me if you are being watched? If this new Alpha is worth anything he will look for those who are loyal to me first.”

“We will deliver them ourselves that way we can ensure there is no trail, no way for anyone other than us to find you.” I nod at this, yes they have managed to evade trackers before, I believe they are capable enough.

“Very good,” I stand from my place by the safe and haul the bag over my shoulder, there is still plenty of room for some clothing and provisions, “Leave here, blend in with the crowds, await the new Alpha, I expect an update within a week, we will discuss next steps when you arrive” They nod their heads, bow to me then depart and I make my way to my quarters to pack some essentials. Once I have packed my clothes and toiletries into the bag there is no room for anything else, but I put some of my valuables and my keepsakes into a box and label it with the name Chris, hopefully he will find it and secure it somewhere for me where it will not be disturbed until I return.

As I leave my room at a run I see Maddie and her father closing in on me.

“Ace, they are coming for you, we need to get you out of here now!” her father speaks calmly, he is holding 2 bags in one hand, one his and the other Maddie’s I assume since she is not holding one, “Frank is getting a bag of food for us, we need to move, do you know where we are going?”

“We are not going far, just far enough not to be noticed. I have a plan and it is already in effect. Frank will meet us at the back door, we need to move quickly if we are to get away unseen, where are the crowds?”

“People have gathered in the dining hall and the entertainment room, they are discussing what to do with you until the new Alpha arrives, they are sure the new Alpha will want you detained, we need to go”

“Right, the back door should be clear then let's get going, and stay quiet, we don’t want to attract attention now, we are so close.”