Alpha (Jacob Seed X Deputy OC)

26 - One Last Chance

'I don't like this.' Jacob grumbled as we walked side by side to the Pizza Bar. I could tell he felt vulnerable and exposed, eyes darting around at a rapid rate.

'I have to give them a chance Jake.' I sighed as we approached, nibbling to inside of my mouth nervously. 'They're supposed to be my friends. They should understand.' Jacob scoffed loudly and rolled his eyes. 'Maybe you should wait here.' I mused as we stopped outside the bar.

'You're kiddin' me right?' He huffed, wiping sweat from his brow.

'No, just.. stay.' I left him by the wall and entered. The door tinkled as it opened and immediately everyone's eyes settled onto me. Half of them were glares and the other half were just disbelief. 'Hi guys.' I waved awkwardly at my friends but nobody responded. Sharky and Hurk dropped their gazes, murmuring to each other. Jess got up and knocked a table over, leaving the room. Grace was close behind. Nick turned his attention back to the beer in his hand and took a long sip. Adelaide twirled a cocktail stick between her teeth, eyeing me closely.

'You got some nerve sweetheart.' She pulled the small pointed piece of wood from her mouth.

'I just want to talk.'

'Well we don't want to talk to you.' Adelaide huffed, placing the stick into her mouth and turning on her heel. There was a beat of silence.

'Po-po?' Sharky kept his eyes on the ground and I turned to regard him. 'Is he here?' I didn't say anything and the pyromaniac nodded slowly. I felt my heart snap in a million pieces as I took in the downcast faces filling the room. My betrayal had done this. Nick took a final long chug from his bottle and then pushed his chair out from under him. It scraped loudly across the floor and he left out of the back door.

'That time we was together and you told me to run away so I'd be safe, you just wanted to be captured didn't you amigo?' Hurk frowned at me and I rubbed my neck awkwardly.

'No...'

'C'mon Shark.' The cousins got up and left, leaving me all alone.

'Guys wait!' I ran after them and burst outside into the clearing behind the bar.

'You oughta leave.' Grace folded her arms, glaring hard at me.

'Please let me plead my case.' I begged. Out of nowhere, Jess exploded into a fit of rage and tackled me to the ground.

'You fucking asshole! You're a fucking traitor! After everything he's done to us!' She screamed in my face, nails like claws against my skin as she shook me hard.

'ENOUGH!' The rippling demand sent shockwaves through the group and everyone grew still. Jess's grip slackened as heavy footsteps approached. She slunk away, disgust painted on her face as Jacob reached down and helped me to my feet. 'After everything she's fuckin' done for all of you, this is how you repay her?'

'You don't get to come here and start throwing demands around. You're a dead man walking Jacob Seed.' Grace threatened, pulling her sniper into her grip and pointing it at him.

'You sure you wanna try that Armstrong?' He growled back, hackles raising as be titled the barrel of his own red rifle towards her.

'Stop it both of you!' Planting my body between them, Jacob was the first to stand down. 'Look, I came here in the hopes that we could work together to stop Joseph.'

'Why should we work with him? He's clearly just gonna double-cross us! C'mon Dep, you're meant to be smart.' Nick protested from the log he was perched on.

'I-' My words faltered and I looked up at Jacob before nodding resolutely. 'I trust him.'

'You're an idiot then.' Adelaide quipped, shaking her head. 'Look Rook, we get it. He's a tall glass of water and you just couldn't help climbing that mountain of a man.' The crew exchanged looks and the soldier coughed awkwardly. 'But you never mix work and romance. Particularly when ginger ale's brother here is out to kill us all!'

'Yeah, no offence Jake-and-Bake but I don't exactly believe that you ain't gonna pull some super badass but totally immoral betrayal on all of us.' Sharky scratched at his beard.

'Don't call me that.' A pensive sigh escaped Jacob's lips as he pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Let's go, I told ya they wouldn't help ya.' He turned and started to stalk away. Obediently following, I paused and looked over my should at my friends.

'We're hitting the compound at 8:30 tomorrow morning. If... if you change your mind then feel free to join us.' Nobody answered, all of them avoiding my eye contact.

***

Catching up to Jacob, I quietly walked beside him.

'Ya don't need 'em pup. They're selfish cowards.' He tried to reassure me but it wasn't working so well.

'They're my only family in all this mess.' Tears stung at my eyes but I held them back, determined not to show weakness. There was a long silence, our footsteps on the tarmac the only sound filling the air.

'S'fine to cry pup.' He finally said, keeping his gaze fixed ahead.

'It's weak.' I replied, sniffing hard.

'Yeah well I won't tell anyone.' He tried to lift my spirits with a chuckle but it didn't land. I started to snivel, desperately trying to stop the snot from dripping out of my nose and the tears from raining down my cheeks. Jacob didn't say a word, silently walking beside me and keeping lookout for anyone who might try to hurt us.

'I'm going to die tomorrow aren't I?'

'With that attitude, yeah probably.' Jacob retorted, leading us up onto the beaten track and back towards the Whitetail Mountains.

'You've always said that the wolf who hunts alone, dies alone. My friends can't even look at me and they're refusing to help. Even with all your training, I won't make it out alive on my own.' It'd been playing on my mind for the past few days about how this would all end. In every scenario it felt as though I could never win because I wasn't quite strong enough or because I was fighting by myself.

'You're not alone.' Jacob hummed, pulling a branch out of the way so I could step by. Still upset, I mumbled a thank you and then felt him grab my sleeve. Turning my damp chin to look up at his face, he gave me a genuine and honest smile. 'You've got me.'