CHAPTER 28

Helena's pov

The glowing screen of my phone lit up the dark interior of Jarrett’s truck. It was a private number of an unknown caller. But I didn't need a caller ID to know who was on the other end.

My heart did a quick, heavy thud against my ribs, but I didn't tremble.

A few weeks ago, I would have hidden the screen. I would have quietly slipped out of the room, keeping secrets to protect the people I cared about, while trying to carry the heavy weight of the world all by myself.

But not anymore.

I looked across the console at Jarrett. His big hands gripped the steering wheel, his jaw set in that tight, protective line I had come to rely on.

"It’s him," I said calmly. "Kade Merrick is calling again."

Jarrett’s head snapped toward me, his dark eyes instantly flashing with intense focus. "Put it on speaker," he said quietly, his deep voice like rumbling thunder. "We will face him together."

I slid my thumb across the screen and tapped the speaker button.

"Helena," Kade’s voice rasped through the speakers like polished ice. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to answer my calls."

"Say what you have to say, Kade," I replied, keeping my voice as sharp as glass. "I don't have time for your games."

Kade let out a low chuckle that made the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "Always so direct. I respect that. But I’m not calling to play games, Helena. I’m calling to collect a debt."

"I don't owe you anything," I said.

"You don't," Kade agreed smoothly. "But your disgraced little friend Brent does. He is completely broke, ruined, and desperate. He defaulted on a massive debt to the North Ridge Pack today. Millions of dollars he can never pay back."

Kade paused, letting the silence stretch out before leaning into the microphone. "Do you know what Brent did to save his own skin, Helena? He offered you up as collateral."

Jarrett’s knuckles turned bone-white against the steering wheel, a low, menacing growl vibrating deep in his chest. I put a gentle hand on his arm, telling him silently to hold back.

"Brent told us everything," Kade continued, oblivious to Jarrett listening in. "He told us about your newly triggered wolf status. He revealed your true lineage. You are a legendary prize, Helena. And according to werewolf law, Brent handed your destiny over to us to clear his debt."

"I am not a prize, and I don't belong to Brent," I snapped. "I belong to myself."

"You belong to the North Ridge Pack now," Kade corrected, his tone dropping into a dangerous, icy command. "Our pack requires your lineage to fulfill its ultimate breeding destiny. You will willingly join us. You will stand beside me, and you will give us the power your bloodline carries."

"And if I say no?" I challenged.

"Then I will utterly destroy Jarrett," Kade threatened without missing a beat. "I will ruin his career, tear his life apart piece by piece, and burn everything he cares about to the ground. You have twenty-four hours to surrender yourself to me, Helena. Don't be foolish."

The line went dead with a harsh click.

Silence flooded the truck. A few weeks ago, a threat like that would have sent me into a total panic. I would have felt trapped, like a helpless pawn being moved around a giant chessboard by powerful monsters.

But as I stared at the dark phone screen, something strange snapped inside my mind.

It was like a sudden burst of warmth spreading through my veins. It wasn't fear though, it was my wolf instincts waking up completely. For the first time, I didn't see a trap closing in on me, I saw a strategy and a way to win this.

"He thinks he can use my bloodline against me," I whispered, a slow smile spreading across my face.

Jarrett turned to me, his eyes filled with intense concern. "Helena, Kade is dangerous. His entire pack is ruthless. We need to fall back, hide you, and figure out a defense."

"No," I said, looking Jarrett straight in the eye. "Defending is what victims do. Pawns wait to be captured but alphas lead."

Jarrett blinked, surprised by the fierce power ringing in my voice.

"Kade thinks I'm a frightened girl who just discovered her wolf powers," I explained, my mind racing through moves and counter-moves like a grandmaster playing chess. "He thinks he holds all the cards because he has money and muscle. But he doesn't know who he's dealing with. He expects me to panic and run straight into his arms to save you."

"So what are we going to do?" Jarrett asked, his tone shifting from protective to completely supportive.

"We give him exactly what he asks for but on our terms," I said, grabbing my phone and typing out a quick, decisive text message directly to Kade's private number.

> *I will meet you to negotiate my surrender. Name the time and place.*

"You're agreeing to meet him?!" Jarrett asked, his voice tight.

"I'm setting a trap," I corrected, looking at Jarrett with total confidence. "Kade wants a meeting? Fine. He thinks he's luring me into his territory, but I'm going to choose the ground. While he's busy preparing to celebrate his victory, we are going to gather our allies, set our parameters, and turn his own plan completely upside down."

I put my phone away and sat back against the leather seat, feeling stronger and more powerful than I ever had in my entire life. Brent thought he could sell me. Kade thought he could own me. They both thought they were playing a game where I was just a prize to be won.

They were wrong.

"I'm done running from dangerous men," I said softly, looking out at the city lights glowing in the dark night. "They want an Alpha? They're about to find out what a real Alpha can do.”