Another mystery to solve. Derek thought, letting out a sigh. Wasn’t there anything that was just clean cut, and devoid of mystery and complications concerning his mate? Everything about her was so shrouded.
He didn’t know why that was so, but he was beginning not to like it, even though he could obviously see that it was for the benefit of them all.
If things were clear cut, wouldn’t she have been kidnapped or worse killed by those evil villains?
But why hadn’t Tempest written Emma’s address in the paper? Was that also part of keeping her safe, should in case the maid was bought over like the matron that Leonarya had paid to hand over Freya?
How had Leonarya known that Freya would be at the orphanage? Derek rubbed his forehead with his thumb tiredly, he could feel a headache coming on as a result of thinking and trying to find answers to these questions.
But if the address of Emma’s home address had been written, then it would have been a piece of cake finding her, even tonight so that she could be at the pack for her shift. He mused, reclining deeper into his seat.
He remembered then that Sheila had tried to leave and look for his mate. Thinking of it now, it was good that Freya had stopped her.
It would have been impossible for the woman to search the entirety of Florida just for a speck of red hair, and that was apart from the fact that her questioning the wrong people could put Emma in danger.
Wheew! This was a big case. When would the meeting be over? He needed his own space. At least Leo not being a spy had been the silver lining in the dark cloudy sky. He wondered where his chief of pack warriors was at this time. If he was at his home.
Wouldn’t that put him at risk in the hands of a Legardo that isn’t his father?
He felt a soft tap on his legs and turned aside to see Eva blinking up at him. When had she left the laps of Freya, and landed on the vacant seat close to him?
He looked around then, to see that he was the centre of attention. What now? Did he miss something?
“Is everything okay, young man? You had looked lost for a minute there?” Derek heard the ancient, called Kane, ask, and almost chuckled at the trueness of the statement. He was truly lost.
Lost without the affection of his mate.
His silence must have tipped the man that he was right, because Kane nodded his head, and continued talking.
“You are an alpha, you should not be spacing out during meetings. I am sure that your father must have taught you that.”
Derek wanted to scream at the man, wanted to shout out the unfairness of life, but he kept mute watching the man he was beginning to temporarily detest talk.
“I know that you miss your mate, but you have to take responsibility for that. It was your fault..”
Of course I know that. Why else would I be feeling this hollow? Derek wondered, clenching his fists on his thigh, his staut face relaxing a bit, when Eva placed her hand on his. He could swear that a comforting aura enveloped him as soon as she did.
Was that from his sister? How had she done that? He would have asked her, but the man was still talking.
“But that it was your fault doesn’t mean that you beat up yourself about it continually. No, that would be conceding defeat, that would be stupid, that would be foolish, that would be relegating yourself to being a pawn in this game. You are an Alpha. Act like it! You are a lycan. Talk like it, behave like it! You are still under your father’s shadow. Get out from there if you intend to help us win this war, and get your own game back. You have to up your game, and dust this sorry ass of yourself. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, and start to take action. No one makes progress by just sitting around and regretting his pasts, wondering on the what ifs, and what he or she could have done better. The past has come and gone. Deal with it. You rejected your mate. So what? You lost half of your pack. So what? You lost the trust of the remaining half. So what? Face the problems you can control head on, and attack headfirst. Your father aint going to do that again. A night ago, Emma, I am damn curious about meeting that strong headed lady…”
Freya and Yodah chuckled now.
“…infiltrated into my head, and told me to shut my mouth when I was cautioning Freya and Yodah. I don’t know how she did that, not knowing me at all, but she did. And from that, I can tell the girl is a bull. You rejected her, so you must be aware that a girl like that wouldn’t accept you back just because you are her mate. From what we have heard today, she has two more different bloods running within her, ancient and mage, which means there is a likelihood for more than one mate, depending on the ratio of the gits in her…”
Derek balked now, not believing what he was hearing. Possibility of another mate?
“But if you have to stand a chance to get her back, then become the Alpha she would respect, not a sulking one with no direction. You got to change tactics, boy. I am not your biggest fan, but I am rooting for you.” Kane concluded, his tone softening as he gave Derek his approval.
Lucille teared up, her hatred for Derek dissipating as a tear slipped past his eye.
He looked surprised when he felt it, and probably embarrassed, because the next minute, he was standing up from the chair and walking out of the room.
Melvina stood up to follow him, but Peter held her back.
“Let him be. I think it is time for our son to grow up.”