It was a week since I received that odd email from the Crimson Pack, and everything was silent. They never sent me a follow-up email, so I assumed they received the message that I wasn't interested in their opportunity.
Still, I couldn't shake off the odd sensation that had settled over me since then. Alpha Dean might not have penned that message, but it was sent under his approval and most probably on his orders. That means he definitely wanted me back in the pack.
That was a troubling thought because the Alpha Dean I knew, when he wanted something, did not give up easily just because the person refused to reply to an email or ignored it.
Alpha Dean was a go-getter. He didn't make excuses, he only made things happen. If he wanted you to do something for him, he would damn well make sure that you did it. This is what scared me, because if Alpha Dean wanted me to work for him, then why all of a sudden was everything so quiet? Was he trying to find other ways of getting me to work for him? Was he sitting somewhere right now plotting?
The thought was so terrifying that I dismissed it immediately and forced myself to consider my wedding plans instead.
Frank was so overly excited about being married that he had basically organized our wedding to be in a few weeks' time. I had told him that it was too soon to properly plan a wedding, but he said that he could not wait to marry me. I was a little surprised, but I found his enthusiasm flattering.
I would have planned the wedding with his family, but Frank never introduced me to them. Whenever I brought them up, Frank got upset or annoyed and I had to drop it.
It seemed like he didn't get along with his family, so his friends would be the only ones who would come to the wedding on his side.
My side would also be small because, aside from the friends I had here, all the people I knew were back in the Crimson Pack, and I was never going back there.
After I was done with my wedding planning for the day, I returned to work immediately as usual.
I greeted all the employees who were waiting to see me, then went straight to my office and opened my email like on any ordinary day.
Only today, my heart immediately stopped in my chest when my eyes landed on a familiar-looking email.
It was another message from the Crimson Pack, though not an official one from the Alpha's office but a personal one from Alpha Dean himself.
"Miss Ryina," it said. "I was polite enough to warmly invite you back to the pack, but you chose to be as disobedient as always by ignoring our welcoming message. Well, let me make one thing clear now: I'm done being nice. This is not a request, this is a command from your Alpha. If you ever want to see your children alive again, you will return to the Crimson Pack immediately. You will cure my son and restore him to perfect health, or you can kiss this life you are trying to create for yourself now goodbye. This is not a threat; this is a promise. Yours sincerely, Dean."
My face paled immediately after reading the message. What did he mean by "if I wanted to see my children again"? */
My children were fine. My children were here with me. No, they were at school but were far, far away from Dean's reach, and he was all the way in the Crimson Pack, so what was his threat?
My heart skipped a beat as a thought abruptly occurred to me. Did Dean know that Dylan and Tyler were his sons? Was he going to attempt to take them away from me?
I had never told him that they existed because I was worried that he would take them away from me. But was that what was happening now?
I suddenly felt as if the room had grown too hot to breathe and that I was hyperventilating. Fortunately, that was when my phone chose to distract me by ringing.
I snatched it up quickly, desperate for anything to divert my attention to a safety zone, but the next thing I heard almost made my heart come to a complete stop, as well.
"Mrs. Ryina?" An unfamiliar voice said over the phone. "This is Detective Reynolds.". I'm calling to inform you that your children have just been kidnapped from school by some unknown men in black who seem to have been following your family for a long time. Come to the station immediately.
We need to begin an investigation right away if you wish to see your children alive," the detective said, and the world around me turned dark, the phone slipped from my grasp, and my body lost all sensation. But one thought remained in my head as I passed out: Did Dean know that he had just kidnapped his children?