Chapter 71 - What do we do now?

**Jack** -

I quickly slide out of bed and head to the ensuite to wash myself and grab a warm cloth. When I return she has turned onto her side facing where I should be with an arm reaching out as though searching for me, a slight pout on her luscious lips. I make quick work of cleaning between her legs and I throw the cloth into the basket just inside the bathroom before sliding back into bed and wrapping her up in my arms. Her pout smoothes out as soon as our skin touches and she shuffles towards me resting her head on my chest, I begin to drift off to sleep with a smile on my face, thanking the moon goddess for this woman. My wolf whispers to me in a sleepy voice "perfect for us" and I agree with him wholeheartedly before finally succumbing to sleep and finding my love in my dreams waiting for me.

When I wake up the next morning the first thing I do is check on my beautiful mate. Then I link with Dave to see if he is still here or whether he returned to Twin Lakes last night.

Dave? Are you still here? I push open the link.

Yeah, I didn’t want to tear Daisy away from the party and I know how much she hoped to see Cassie again today, she misses her. He replies immediately.

Yeah, Cassie misses her too, I need to talk to you, we need to work out where Ace is and do something about this. Cassie hasn’t slept properly since we learned he had run for it. I feel bad for them being separated, but once everything is settled in Twin Lakes it will be easier for them to spend time together

Let's meet up in half an hour and we can go over everything I have so far, we need a plan.

I couldn’t agree more, however, sensing Cassie is on the brink of waking up I reply, Better make it an hour… I say with a slight smirk, as Cassie stirs beside me, I know I won’t be able to leave her unless I have her at least once, I need to start my day off in the right way, by bringing pleasure to my love.

As the hour mark draws near my feelings regarding the meeting I am about to have with Dave begin to seep through the bond I now share with Cassie, she arches a brow at me, resting her chin on my chest.

“What is it?” She asks.

“Nothing, little one.”

“Don't you ‘little one’ me, I can feel your anxiety, what's happening? Should I be worried?” I feel her fear mounting so I decide that honesty is the probably best policy.

“I'm meeting with Dave in a minute, we are going to discuss the ‘Ace’ issue, see if we have missed anything, figure out how to find that son of a bitch,” I won't hide things from her, I had always planned to tell get everything, I had just hoped it would be after the meeting, but I guess that was wishful thinking.

“Can I come?” She asks in a small voice.

“Of course, if that's what you want, or if you would rather you could go spend some time with Daisy and I will tell you everything after we have some idea of what we are going to do?”

**Cassie** -

I ponder his words for a moment, considering my options, then I think to myself that Daisy probably knows what is happening too, if I go with Jack I could just distract him, if I go to Daisy we could discuss and formulate our own plan to offer as an alternative to whatever the guys come up with.

“I'll meet with Daisy,” I say, I like this plan, I miss Daisy, she's only been gone a week but she is the best friend I have ever had and not seeing her multiple times a day has been tough. Don't get me wrong Tara has softened the blow, but nobody is quite like Daisy and nobody can replace her in my heart. Thinking of Tara I decide to have her meet with us as well…if she can tear herself away from her mate that is.

“I'll meet with Daisy I think, I miss her and this is the perfect time to have a good catch up,” then I look him in the eye and make him swear to tell me everything that concerns me and our pack, I need to be aware of threats so I can care for the pack appropriately.

“I can record the meeting if you like,” he replies in a mock serious tone, a cheeky grin spreading across his gorgeous face.

“Just be sure I don't stay in the dark,” I say, climbing off of him and sauntering onto the bathroom, “ you will be on hiatus if I find out you hid something from me,” I sway my hips slightly and send a pout over my shoulder as I close the door.

You wouldn't dare, comes through my mind and smirking I reply.

Try me Alpha, I hear a groan through the door and stifle a giggle before hearing the distinctive sounds of Jack pulling himself from our bed and grabbing clothes out of his drawers.

I meet up with Daisy in the kitchen and she playfully nudges my shoulder as she greets me, “didn’t expect to see you up and about this morning.”

I blush scarlet as her meaning registers and shove her back, “Shhhh, not here, anyone could hear you!”

She giggles then leads the way to my office, calling Tara as she goes.

“I don’t think Tara will be joining us, she also met her mate last night and unlike me she doesn’t have duties to attend to just yet, though as the female Gamma I am sure I could put her to good use. Seriously though, she has been a godsend since you left, helping me in ways I didn’t even know I needed it.”

“I know, I’m sorry to have left when I did, I’m sorry to have left at all really, though I don’t regret it, there is no way I could have let Dave go off on his own, who knows what trouble he would have gotten into without me to guide him,” she finishes with a cheeky grin as I roll my eyes.

“Yeah, because you are the one keeping him out of trouble, I’ll believe that when I see it” I reply. “Anyway, the main reason I wanted to meet with you…” a knock on the door stops me mid sentence and I call out to whoever is on the other side granting them entry. To my surprise Tara slips in and makes her way towards where we are sat on the sofas to one side of my office.

“Tara, I wasn’t expecting to see you today, you are not with Jason?”

Her expression is bashful as she takes a seat opposite me and Daisy who are sitting together, “Jason went to meet with Alpha Jack and Alpha Dave,” she almost whispers with a slightly relieved expression.

“Ok, well it is great you are here, I want you to know everything that is happening, I want you to be my right hand gal since Daisy here deserted us.”

“HEY!” exclaims Daisy and I giggle and assure her I was joking around.

“I know you had to go, I understand why you went, I just miss you that’s all, and teasing you about it is better than crying about it, isn’t it?”

“I guess, at least it makes me feel less guilty,” she retorts.

“So,” I say turning to Tara, “You and Jason huh?”

Tara blushes then not meeting our eyes she whispers “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Daisy and I share a glance before deciding that this is something we will address later, for now a distraction seems to be in order for Tara, so I dive into the main reason I wanted them both here.

“Ok, well, as you know, Ace has managed to evade capture, he is in hiding somewhere with Maddie and her father and I have no doubt that we have not heard the last from them, so the guys are meeting to go over what they know and are going to come up with a plan to try to locate them all, my idea was that we could do the same and then compare notes with them to see what plan we think will work best. Now let’s show those boys what we can come up with”