Chapter 32
Kaeleen's POV
Rage, raw and untamed, clawed at my insides as I watched Leon's car disappear down the road, taking Astrid with it. I balled my fists, the urge to shift and tear after them overwhelming. Every instinct screamed at me to chase them down, to rip Leon apart limb from limb, to bring Astrid back to safety.
I took a step forward, ready to give chase, when Alex grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, his voice firm.
"I'm going after her," I growled, my eyes burning with fury. "I'm not going to let him get away with this."
Alex shook his head, his expression grim. "You can't, Kaeleen. Not now."
"What are you talking about?" I snapped, pulling my arm away from his grasp. "He has Astrid! I have to save her!"
"Save her?" He asked me incredulously. "You and I both know she walked into that shit herself."
"But it's a trap."
"And she knows that. She knew it was a trap and she walked into it for you and us. Think about the consequences, dude. This isn't our territory. We're outnumbered. We don't even know where he's taking her," Alex said.
"Pretty sure he's taking her back to the pack building," Rebecca said bitterly.
"Not helping, love," Alex replied to her.
"I'm just saying…maybe we could…"
"Did you just forget the part where I said we were outnumbered? For fuck's sake. Don't think with your heart but your head. Would I tear the bastard apart if the same thing happened with Becca? Yes, yes I would, but this ain't something that will just be smoothed over if the both of you just throw a fist. We know how sly Leon is. He would take every opportunity to bring us down, especially with how obsessed he is with Astrid. And again, she is not your mate yet, bro. She is still a member of his pack! So think before you act and involve your people in a war that puts your life at stake," he said to me.
He was right, damn it. As much as I hated to admit it, Alex was right. Rushing in without a plan would be suicide. It would put Astrid in even more danger and also leave my pack without a leader. And that wasn't something anyone would sign up for, not when we had something good going on now.
"Astrid knew what she was doing," Alex added, his voice soft but firm. "She went with him to protect us. We can't throw that away by doing something stupid."
I knew he was right. I knew that Astrid had made her choice to protect us, to prevent a war. But that didn't make it any easier to stand here and do nothing while she was being dragged back into Leon's clutches.
I opened my mouth to argue, to tell them that I didn't care about the consequences, that I would burn the whole world down to save Astrid, when my phone rang.
I glanced at the screen, my brow furrowing in confusion. It was from a number I wasn't expecting to call: the manager we had left in charge of the distillery. While that was our main company and what put us on the map, we had several companies, but this one was one that had been in our family and pack for generations. I wasn't going to let anything happen to it.
I hesitated for a moment, then answered the call, holding the phone to my ear.
"Kaeleen speaking," I said, my voice tight with suppressed anger.
There was a brief pause, then a voice on the other end spoke, a voice that sent a chill down my spine.
"Alpha Kaeleen," he said. "We have a situation. A major incident at the distillery."
"What happened?" I asked.
"Sabotage, Alpha," the voice said. "Someone deliberately contaminated a large batch of our premium whiskey. It's going to cost us millions, and it could ruin our reputation."
My blood ran cold. This wasn't just an accident. This was a deliberate attack. Someone was trying to hurt us. Someone was trying to weaken us.
And I knew, with a sickening certainty, that Leon was behind it.
"I'm on my way," I said, my voice hard as steel. "Secure the site. Find out who did this. And make sure no one leaves the premises."
I hung up the phone, my mind racing. This changed everything. I couldn't just abandon my pack. I had a responsibility to protect them, to protect our livelihood.
I turned to Alex and Rebecca, my expression grim. "We have to go back," I said. "There's been an incident at the distillery. Sabotage."
Alex's eyes widened in shock. "Sabotage? Who would do that?"
"I have an inkling it's you know who," I said, my voice filled with hatred.
"He had to go for the business he knows we have so much pride in?" Rebecca asked with a laugh.
"And not the most famous one. Isn't that funny?" Alex asked.
Our most famous business was one Alex and I had started some years ago: an automobile company that made us famous. Every vehicle we produced was top-notch, and while we had pride in it, the distillery business was one that had been with our pack for generations. Most workers there were from the pack, following tradition, and it had a century-old reputation. Yes, it was that long. And perhaps the history is what made them attack it instead of the automobile company.
The drive back to the airport was a blur. I barely registered the scenery, my mind consumed with thoughts of Astrid and the attack on our distillery. Although most of it was on Astrid.
As soon as we arrived at the airport, we boarded our private jet and took off for Los Angeles. The flight was long and agonizing, each minute feeling like an hour.
As we soared through the sky, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was abandoning Astrid, that I was letting her down.
"I'm not giving up on her," I said, my voice breaking the silence. "I'm going to get her back. I promise you that."
Alex and Rebecca nodded, their eyes filled with determination.
"What's the plan?" Alex asked.
I took a deep breath, my mind racing. "First, we deal with the situation at the distillery," I said. "We find out who's responsible, and we make sure they pay for what they've done."
"We just need to continue the investigation. Leon is in our black book officially now," Alex said.
I gave him a nod, then turned to Rebecca. "I need to borrow Shadow."