Ma’Heron was in a meeting with V at the Packhouse’s private office when he started feeling a knot in his stomach. His wolf, Lyon, was uneasy as well. The name of her little sister kept playing on repeat in both their minds.
“Hey bro, everything ok? I don’t think you’re listening to me…”
“Yeah, I apologize, V. I… can’t focus. I feel that I… need to check on my sister… immediately. Excuse me for a moment…”
“Bro, you think something’s wrong? Tell me, I can help.”
“I’m not sure, I need to go find her just to make sure.”
“Then I’m going with you.”
“Thanks, bro.”
And then the scene that welcomed the two friends inside that workshop. The same thing Aaron saw in his dream that sent M and Lyon into berserker mode…
“YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU DON’T EVEN DESERVE TO BE DEAD!” M kept yelling at the man he was now beating up in human form just so he could speak his rage aloud.
Finally, the warriors that V mindlinked showed up and took the swollen, wounded, and unconscious human from Ma’Heron. He was now mindlessly hitting Kaiden despite his target being half-dead by then.
“Ma’Heron! Your sister needs you, bro! Take her to the hospital,” the Alpha ordered M.
Allowing one of the warriors to place another blanket taken from the workshop supplies around his shoulders, the Gamma turned towards his sister, his face completely emotionless, but his eyes red and watery. He didn’t say a word to her. He just looked into her pale face, took her into his arms, and walked towards the chipped doors of the barn-like building so he could bring her to the pack hospital.
“Don’t do anything to him until I’m back,” Ma’Heron grimly told V, as he paused at the doorway.
“You have my word, bro.” +++
“Unfortunately, Kaiden was able to escape even after he was already locked up. Espionage was his expertise, after all. Ma’Heron had taken over the case since then, requesting that no more should be done to put his sister in danger. So, it’s all been classified, keeping his family safe and Diwa’s location under wraps. ”
Aaron listened silently to V while looking at his fists as it was healing. He knew that in less than an hour, his knuckles would be clear of wounds. If only he could do the same to his heart…
“Anyways, he has a theory that Kaiden will just be waiting for his prey to return and won’t waste time searching for her. And now she’s back… Then M got suspended…”
If only I could do the same to my mate… Or turn back time…
“I… I should leave, bro. I mean, leave for good, so I can find her, and we can live together far from the Packhouse…” Aaron slowly said, still standing near his wrecked bathroom. “So I can keep her safe and…”
“What? You can’t be serious!” V snapped.
“Of course, I am! I left her alone when I went to my training. And for so many years, I didn’t even try to find her! I mean, sure, I didn’t know, but if I truly cared about her, I should have tried to find out the truth, right? But no, I was an idiot, even when I already knew that she was my mate. Well, I aim to do what’s right this time.”
“Aaron, you’re the Beta of the pack! How can you be seriously thinking about quitting? Are you out of your mind? Bro, you seriously need to stop acting on your feelings on this! That’s why she got attacked last night!”
The Beta froze a moment, “What!? What do you mean attacked!?”
“Exactly that! The bastard was spying on her, or something. When she had the fight with you,
YOU LET HER GO alone then she chose to walk home, that’s when he caught her! Good thing M was there to save her and…”
“WHAT the FUCK!?” roared A. “And you tell me JUST NOW!? That’s it, I need to go to her. I gotta go to my mate FUCKING NOW so we can leave this place and I can keep her safe!” Both of the tall, handsome, strong, and very upset men were yelling at each other at this point.
“YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN!? You’re not even thinking! Do you have ANY IDEA where THE
FUCK SHE IS, or do you just plan to roam around the FUCKING FOREST UNTIL YOU FIND HER?!”
“Whatever it FUCKING TAKES, MAN! She’s MY FUCKING MATE! Don’t you understand, or is it that YOU DON’T FEEL the DAMN BOND BECAUSE YOUR MATE IS HUMAN!?”
“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN, AARON!? Don’t you DARE BRING ELENA INTO THIS!”
“WELL, YOUR BOND WITH HER IS NOT LIKE US NORMAL WOLVES BECAUSE…”
Vince didn’t even want to hear the end of what Aaron was saying. His fist flew, hitting his Beta in the mouth, causing A to step back. The younger man wiped his lips and saw blood on his hand.
“WHAT THE FUCK, V!” Aaron angrily yelled as he swiftly launched himself towards his Alpha… Now the fight between the two of the strongest werewolves in the Silvercrest pack began.
Good thing though that they choose to stay in their human forms…
Aaron connected with a couple of punches to V’s hard abs. In retaliation, V aimed a roundhouse kick that threw Aaron onto his wooden coffee table, breaking it into pieces. Vince then dived towards A to continue hitting him when both of them heard a noise behind him.
“Vincent Riegel! What the fuck is going on here?! Antoine, please separate the Alpha and the
Beta and get them both on their feet!”
“Yes, Luna!”
About a minute later, Vincent and Aaron were standing side by side facing a shocked but furious Siel, her hands on her hips in a Supergirl-like pose. She just waited for Antoine to leave the Beta’s quarters and close the door behind him before she continued speaking,
“I’m not even gonna ask why the two highest-ranking wolves of the pack are fighting like children! Whatever the problem is, please be reminded that you don’t even have your Gamma right now, and he’s your support on pack matters, so we don’t need this! V! A! Make amends, NOW!”
“Elena, I can assure you, I had a good reason for what just happened.”
“Did you really? Can you tell me what reason is that?”
“I… uh…”
“No? Alright, Aaron, can you tell me why you were fighting?” She demanded with the same authoritative tone she had used on Vince earlier on.
The Beta sighed, “We fought because I disrespected the Alpha, Luna.”
“And beating each other up was the only way to fix it, even if you’re both powerful adults and respected leaders in your community?”
“No, Luna,” murmured Aaron and Vince at the same time while looking at each other a little sheepishly.
“V, I came looking for you because there’s a place I need to go to, and I’m taking Antoine to drive me if you aren’t available.”
“I can take you there, my love.”
“I believe you have bigger problems within your higher ranks, though.”
“I’ll fix it. Just wait for me, OK? I’ll be at the apartment in five minutes.” “After that time, I’m asking Antoine to drive me instead. This is urgent,” Siel stated as she moved towards the front door. “And no more fighting, alright? Please!”
“Yes, Luna,” said Aaron and V, again at the same time as she finally left the apartment.
Aaron looked at V, who was now fixing his clothes so he would look more himself after their fight.
“I’m sorry bro… I didn’t know what came over me…”
“Just remember that she was the one you were talking shit about, but she saved your ass from me. Be thankful for that! And just to clarify, I do understand the bond and I know about mates so much so that I would give my life for mine. So whatever you think about me having a human mate, I don’t give a fuck. You’re an asshole when you’re hurt with a tendency to hurt when you’re hurting, and I hope you realize this.”
“I know I am and I admit to doing that V; I hope you can forgive me. I’m just… I’m lost, man. I don’t know what to do… I mean I just found my mate and…”
“I just got mine too, that’s why I won’t hit you again. Believe me, I understand. So, you do what you gotta do, but please, don’t just do things without thinking!” And with that, V left.
Aaron, walked back into his bedroom, not minding his apartment all thrashed, or the fact that he was still in a ripped and open bathrobe. He let his body fall into his bed again, the fight with the Alpha finally taking its toll.
How was it possible that in so little time, so many things had already happened? And a lot of them are so awfully bad…Damn! We were supposed to get our marks in two days and celebrate New Year the next day… Now I don’t even know where she is. I can’t even ask her about my dream and let her tell me what happened to her… I told you I couldn’t trust you with her… Now you lost our mate!
“I didn’t lose her, Onyx! I was just stupid. I shouldn’t have let her leave on her own…” he murmured, his eyes now getting heavier.
Well, I did tell you that, right?! You really should pay more attention to me and stop being so hardheaded!
Aaron was now losing his focus on his wolf. Within a few minutes, he was no longer hearing anything and just gave in to the darkness as he fell asleep once more.