MAXIMUS
I stretched my hand forward, reaching for my mate, but the bed beside me was empty. My eyes snapped open, scanning the room. But she wasn’t there. It was unusual for her to wake up before me and leave without a word. Maybe she went out for a walk, I thought.
Yesterday, she seemed distant, lost in thoughts. I wished she would let me help her, allow me to be a shoulder she could lean on. But she still didn’t trust me, and that hurt. She wasn’t to be blamed, though. It was all my fault. And making amends was all I had been trying to do. To fix what I had broken.
She hadn’t been treated well in her former pack-something I only realised when her father visited. I should have suspected it earlier when he sold her to me without a second thought. What kind of father does that? The way he belittled her in front of me… it took everything in me not to tear him apart.
She deserved better. My goal was to make her feel more loved and cared for than ever before.
Someone tried to mind-link me, and I let them through.
“Good morning, Alpha. We are waiting for you.” Came Kade’s voice.
“Coming.” I said and shut him out immediately.
I got ready for the day, and in no time, I was already on my way to the office, where my Beta and Gamma were waiting for me to discuss the pressing issue on ground-the invisibles. Those bastards.
“What’s the update?” I asked as I stepped into the office.
Kade was sitting on the couch, while Tom occupied the visitor’s chair behind my desk. I joined Kade on the couch, and Tom moved to sit with us.
Kade breathed. “I couldn’t find a witch to locate the invisible that escaped. I hoped to find a rogue witch, at the least, that I could talk into helping us, but I couldn’t find any. However, I found this. Got it from a rogue werewolf.” He held up a metal object, something like a handcuff, which I hadn’t noticed on the floor earlier.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“It’s a dark object used to restrain witches. Once cuffed around their wrists, their magic is neutralised until taken off.” He explained.
“This might be useful in another situation, but not this one. I need a way to capture all of them when they strike again.” My eyes lingered on the so-called dark object. “And one object can’t do the work. Did you find anything else?”
He shook his head. “No.”
I sighed in disappointment, frustration building up within me. Everything about the invisibles was maddening.
The only information we had was that they were aided by a witch and that salt could disrupt their magic. All our research had led to dead ends. How could I protect my people when we didn’t even know who the enemy truly was?
I briefly considered seeking help from the witches’ clan elder, but the Kaelin I knew would never assist us. He hated the wolves with everything he lived for. The feeling was mutual, though.
“Damn it!” I groaned out loudly as I stomped my foot hard on the floor, letting my frustration show.
“What do we do now?” Tom asked.
My already blazing frustration intensified at those words. As Alpha King, I always knew what to do. But these damn invisibles limited my reasoning.
I shot up from my seat and walked to the exit in long strides.
“Where are you going to?” Kade called after me.
“The training ground,” I muttered. I needed to clear my head before I lost my mind.
I ran into Lucius on the way. He stood at a corner, his presence adding to my annoyance. I had intended to just ignore him and pass him by, but then I remembered catching his scent on Starlette. I had questions-and warnings-for him.
I marched towards him. “I asked you to stay away from Starlette, and…”
“Your mate keeps coming to me. Not my fault. But I enjoy her company though.” He interrupted, smirking.
His words riled me up even further, and I closed the little distance between us, holding his gaze. “Stay. Away. From. Her!” I growled.
“Okay.” He said nonchalantly. “Now, run along. I have enough on my mind than worrying about that.”
I was about to respond when his eyes suddenly flashed red. My words stayed buried behind my throat, and my eyes widened in shock.
“You have a wolf.” I stated, baffled.
“No. I don’t.” He simply responded, then sidestepped and made to walk away from me, but I grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop.
He looked at me over his shoulder, warning me. “Do not start what you cannot finish. Let me go.”
“When did your wolf appear?” I demanded.
“I don’t have a wolf.” He insisted.
“You can’t fool me, Lucius.” I groaned. “I saw your eyes.”
“And so?” He pulled his arm free and walked away. This time, I let him go. I stood there, my mind reeling with a thousand questions.
When did he get his wolf? Why was he hiding it? Damn it! What the hell was he planning? Did he want my throne now? What was rightfully his in the first place. If he overthrew me, what would become of me then?
“Alpha.” One of the warriors suddenly called, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I looked at him, but turned around and started walking away from him, ignoring him. My mind was too clouded to form a coherent response.
“Alpha.” He called again, more urgently this time. “Are you aware that Starlette left the pack this morning?”
His words caught my attention, and I spun around, my earlier worries immediately replaced with new ones.
“What did you just say?” I groaned.
“She left the pack with Bella in your black mustang and hasn’t returned.” He said.
I stepped toward him, growling lowly. “Why did you allow her leave?”
“She said you were aware.”
I wasn’t!
“Where did she say she was going to?”
“She said her father summoned her, so she went there.” He replied, confusion in his eyes. “I thought you knew.”
“I didn’t know anything!” I growled. “You should have confirmed with me first!”
That woman was the only one capable of driving me crazy, and she never failed to do that all the time.
I stormed into my office and grabbed my phone, immediately calling her father. He picked up on the first ring.
“Alpha King Maximus. Good day.” His annoying voice sounded from the other end of the line.
“Where is Starlette?” I went straight to the point.
“I don’t know. I should be asking you that.” He said.
“She’s not in your pack?” I asked.
“She’s not here.” He confirmed. A bitter taste filled my mouth, and my throat went dry.
A thought that stirred up a terrible feeling within me clouded my mind. I didn’t know what I would do if she left me. All I knew was that without my mate, I’d never be the same again. I loved her more than I even loved myself.
Where could she be? I wasn’t going to sit around and wait to find out. Luckily, the car had a tracker.
I ended the call immediately and mind-linked my warriors, ordering them to prepare some vans. We were going to find my mate!