Chapter 126 Missing Beta
1001words
I could feel Adeline's burning gaze on me throughout the entire car ride out of Alpha Christian's pack. Her disappointment weighed on my shoulders like a ton of bricks. My wolf winced inside, irritation sparring from every angle for not having her wrapped body tightly in my arms. Being newly mated, the mate bond was constantly tugging and pulling between us, calling out to both of us.
Sophia's newly defiant attitude, however, made my blood run cold. The ache to slaughter Alpha Christian grew more intense with every passing moment. Sophia didn't deserve a mate who cared only about keeping his dick wet at all costs. The thought that soon my sister would be the one serving those needs of his felt like spiders crawling up my skin. She didn't understand, though. She seemed to think the world of him and was teetering close to hatred for me. Heck, she wasn't even fully aware that Alpha Christian was her mate yet. I couldn't blame her for closing me off the way she had.
Sophia kept probing, looking for any excuse to stop the vehicle and get out. The tension grew thick between us. I was sure we almost suffocated the driver. His eyes kept darting from her in the rearview mirror to quickly steal side glances at me. I knew he was praying for one of us to break the silence. We had been driving for just over six hours. I would be lying if I said my wolf wasn't pressing against the surface, too. Finally giving in, I instructed the driver to pull over and let Sophia attend to nature's calling.
Climbing out of the passenger seat, I followed Adeline, who was sprawled across the side of the vehicle with her eyes shut tightly. She looked radiant, with the sun reflecting off her porcelain skin. There was something about Adeline's scent that kept my wolf reaching for another whiff. It was stronger, more alluring than ever before. My wolf growled inside when I pulled away from her, catching the rustling noise coming from the tree line behind us.
Sophia strutted forward, refusing to make eye contact with me. Adeline smirked and bit her bottom lip, insinuating that I was on my own for this one. "Watch it, Soph," I warned in a low tone. "Yup," she responded, popping the p. "Wouldn't dare piss off the big, bad Alpha of Midnight Moon," Sophia challenged, and I didn't miss her eyes rolling to the back of her head.
"Glad to see your sarcasm is still intact, Soph," I retorted and signaled for the driver to continue the journey back to Midnight Moon. I gnawed on the inside of my cheek, my thoughts running furiously about what my mother would say if she were still here with us. Would she approve of Christian for her little girl? Would she bother to question the Moon Goddess's choices, or simply accept them as fate?
I was so wrapped up in my own mind, trying to reason with my own logic and struggling to shake off the feeling that something didn't feel right—Moon Goddess chosen or not. "Uh, Alpha, should we pull over?" the driver pestered, and I finally noticed the blinking high beams coming from the SUV behind us. "Pull over," I said through gritted teeth. I glanced back to Sophia and Adeline, who were asleep in the backseat, chuckling at how sweet and innocent they looked snuggled into one another. I knew damn well neither of them was as angelic as they appeared at that moment.
My men piled out of the SUVs, and one of my older enforcers, Ryan, came forward. Ryan was middle-aged but still looked like a beast, with shredded, corded muscles. He was also sharp as a knife; every move was perfectly calculated and evaluated. He was a father to twins—twins that happened to be the strongest warriors in the pack school.
"Beta Don has been trying to get a hold of you for hours now, Alpha. He said it's urgent," he explained, passing me a cellphone with a trembling hand. I snatched the rectangular piece of plastic from him and dialed the number to the pack house. No answer. I tried calling my office. No answer. Finally, I tried dialing his cellphone. Still no bloody answer.
I let out a low growl and turned to Ryan. "Get him on the phone. Where the fuck is he?" I demanded.
I knew if my Beta Don wasn't answering, something was wrong with the pack. We were still too far from Midnight Moon for the mind link to work; otherwise, he would have already broken whatever news he had to me. After a few more minutes of failing to connect with my Beta Don, I knew what I had to do.
"You, you, you, you, and you," I called out, selecting four of my most capable fighters and one strong tracker. "The journey will be faster in wolf form. If Beta Don isn't answering the calls, he's dealing with something serious. The pack is depending on each and every one of us. The rest of you, I expect to escort Adeline and Sophia back to Midnight Moon WITHOUT a scratch. Understand?" I emphasized the words with venom seething in my tone. I wanted them to know this was indeed a threat. I'd had enough of playing games with my mate's safety.
I whipped my head toward Ryan as I ripped my shirt off my body. "Keep trying to get a hold of Beta Don. If he does pick up, let him know I'm on my way," I instructed. "Oh, and Ryan? Keep Alpha Christian far from Sophia at all costs. The two of them are not to interact without my presence. Understood?" Ryan nodded in agreement and continued pressing the buttons on the cellphone. I pulled my shirt over my head before shifting into my wolf and rushing into the tree line, hearing the pattering of paws following closely behind.
