ALPHA ROMAN’S POV
For years I have punished myself and my wolf for something likely not our fault. The fact that none of us recalled what exactly happened that night made me believe the nonsense everyone else believed. I took the blame for their death and let myself wander in the shadows because of the guilt that was weighing inside me.
I cut myself out of the world as punishment at a young age and I almost lost everything to my uncle, including my life.
The world still blamed me for my uncle’s death after his betrayal. This made the world fear me even more but that didn’t bother me like the death of my father did.
The world painted me black and blamed me for the death of my family and I hated myself for it even though I never showed my emotions. I couldn’t get why Xade or I would attack my father but now the story has changed.
Nothing was clear yet but what I had found was enough to raise questions in my mind and make me doubt what I already knew as the truth.
It seemed something else happened in the alpha mansion that night aside from me breaking out of my room and attacking the warriors on guard. Someone else was angry with my father, aside from me, who wasn’t okay with the betrothal arrangement.
I knew my wolf was a beast but I also knew how much he recognized my father as his alpha.
Bella was right, I wasn’t the only black wolf in the alpha mansion that night because whoever he was took Juliet and implanted his memories in my head. The reason was obvious.
Finding Juliet took time; Vincent did the most job, and his effort paid off eventually. Juliet turned out to be alive just like Bella had told me.
For all these years, Juliet has been living so close to me, not more than fifteen miles away.
Whoever took her from the mansion sold her off to the slave market. We couldn’t find more information from the club she was working at because the original owner was late and so was his current owner.
I fucking killed him to feed my range.
I pulled over in front of the main pack house, and one of the warriors hurried over to open the door for me. I shoved him the keys before tracing my steps towards my office.
” Roman.” Zackery, my gamma was already waiting in front of my office.
He pushed the door before stepping aside for me to step in. ” How is Bella?” he asked; the concern in his voice didn’t go unnoticed, and I fucking loathed it so much.
I turned to face him with a cold look lingering in my dark blue eyes, waiting to hear his reason for caring about my mate. I knew he was the pack’s gamma, which meant, naturally, he was her guardian.
Gamma was Luna’s fucking keeper.
As much as I hated any male getting close to her, nature had already taken its course. I sighed, trying to get my emotions under control. The last thing I would want to do was attack my gamma. Zackery was useful, he was a gem to the pack and a trusted subordinate.
” Last night Mark didn’t pick her up from the school.” He explained and I frowned. What the fuck did he just say?
” Why?” Mark was fucking assigned to do that because I had both my gamma and beta with me.
When the information of Juliet’s whereabouts reached me, I had to take both of them with me to prove she was indeed the one. Vincent was my beta; hence, he has an unexplainable connection with the pack members.
Just like every alpha could recognize her own, beta’s also have the same ability so was the gamma.
Therefore, if the three of us felt the connection then there wouldn’t be a doubt. Sometimes it gets difficult to sense the connection, especially when it’s broken.
It was obvious whoever took her didn’t force her to break the pack connection, and I wondered why.
” I also want to find out,” Zackery said in a serious tone. I get annoyed when I see him caring this much about my mate but it wasn’t in my place to question their bond. A gamma and Luna’s bond was like that of a master and trusted servant. ” Get Mark to my office, now.” What the fuck was he doing in the pack? I gave him the instruction to not fucking leave her there on her own but what did I fucking get?
” I think there is an explanation for this,” he said, and I hoped he was fucking right.
” Juliet has been directed to the other side of your wing just like you instructed.” Vincent stepped in, and I shifted my gaze from Zackery. ” Any new leads?” he sighed just like I expected. It wasn’t going to be easy; it has been years since it happened, and whoever staged it made sure I took the blame for it.
” Maybe you should let Bella find that out.” He said and I gave him a stern “no.”
” I don’t think you have a choice.” He insisted and growled at him.” I just told you no!” This time, it was Xade who replied to him.
I wasn’t taking that risk; the last time she did something like that, I almost lost her. Her gift was incredible, but it was her weakness. Going back in time was a very dangerous attempt, and just like Madeline said, she could lose herself in the past.
Her soul could be trapped there, and I couldn’t lose her. ” Anything you say, but know that it would take time to get to the root of this, especially when Juliet can’t recall anything.” He said, and I nodded. I was willing to wait for as long as it took.
I wouldn’t let my mate enter the past again. It was too dangerous for her and me. The last time she did, I almost lost my sanity; I saw red.
” What about Alpha Christopher?” I asked. The man now knew Bella was a powerful royal wolf, a kind that had gone into extinction for centuries. The last royal wolf that showed up was exploited; history has a lot to tell about royal wolves and how dangerous their lives could be if the world found out about their existence.
Christopher was a despicable being, and I knew he would go to any length to hunt her down if not to exploit her.
” Alpha Christopher hasn’t made any move yet, I think the man is still mourning his mate.” He replied. ” But don’t worry, we are keeping an eye on him and his every move,” Vincent assured me.
The only reason why he was still breathing was because he was Bella’s father.” If there is nothing else I will get back to the packhouse and see how Juliet is settling in.” I nodded.
” Roman, Mark is here,” Zackery informed me, and I turned away from the window with a stern expression in my eyes.
” Who brought Bella home last night?” I asked and he lowered his head. ” One of her friends did.” He said, still looking down at his feet as my gaze turned colder.
” Wasn’t that your job?” I gave him a simple task, and he couldn’t fucking do it; he left her there in Rivers for one of her friends to get her here.
” I’m sorry, alpha; she asked me to leave right after I dropped her. I tried to explain to her, but she insisted I leave; she assured me her friend would drop her off.” I sighed. It was more like her. She was fucking stubborn but I wouldn’t have taken any excuse if something had happened to her.
” I think you should know the friend that dropped her off,” Zackery suddenly said and I frowned. I didn’t know any of her friends aside from the beta female who dropped by the last time.
I only sensed her and immediately recognized her as a beta. ” What do I have to know?”
” Wade Jackson.”
‘ A male!’ Xade growled furiously and my hand curled into a fist in my pocket.
Wade Jackson? I couldn’t control my anger especially when Xade wasn’t making it easy for me.
” I saw him leave right after dropping her,” Mark tried to defend but the fact remains that my mate sat in a car with a fucking male.
Xade growled in my head that I had to push him away. He was furious with Mark for going against my orders.
Bella was my mate, and no one was allowed to get close to her without my permission.
” Who is he?” my calm voice didn’t match the cold and range in my eyes. ” Wade Jackson, he is Alpha Diago’s younger brother.” I slammed my fist against the wall, my wolf showing in my eyes as my demon instinct set in.
” Get out of here.” I shut my eyes to get rid of my wolf. He wasn’t comfortable with Diago’s younger brother getting close to our mate neither was I.
Diago was a fucking jerk who thought he could control the entire country just because he had a relationship with the alpha king.
He was nothing but a scumbag. Being related to Diego meant nothing good and I didn’t want my mate to be associated with him or his brother.
” What is the order?” Zackery asked as if he could read my mind; his face was a bit twisted.
Diago wasn’t someone I would like to breath the same air with. A fucking bastard who gets away with every one of his crimes because he was mated to one of the alpha king’s daughters.
I was no stranger in my own world.
” You will be in charge of her safety,” I told him. It wasn’t a pleasant sight seeing a male close to your mate but Zackery was a better choice than Mark. At least I wouldn’t have to deal with Diago and his little brother