88

Kieran’s POV
One Week Later
With each passing day, my patience thinned. We found no witnesses who had seen Sophia that night. Our first step was to head to the nearest bus terminals, speaking with security to access the cameras. After an agonizing three days, two of the four bus terminals had searched through their footage, while two had not yet gotten back to Ethan or me. It seemed reasonable to assume Sophia had taken a bus to Atlanta International Airport and then flown from there. When my patience wore too thin, Ethan contacted the Atlanta International Airport on my behalf. Our territory covered Atlanta, so we had the authority to demand this of our people.
Alpha Sebastian was determined to help us locate Sophia, though his reasons differed from ours. He was still unhappy with his daughter’s mates, but I couldn’t have cared less. I couldn’t risk hurting Sophia, or Alpha Sebastian would have been rotting in the dungeons by now. I knew without asking that Ethan felt the same.
We tracked her banking statements, but the most recent purchases were in town, a week before she left. The cellphone Kat had given her sat untouched on the bed, missed calls and texts flashing across the screen. It seemed Sophia had been quite the mastermind, ditching her cellphones and withdrawing the money from her bank account. If she weren’t gone, I might have been amused at the lengths she went to.
Naturally, Kat was distraught when she heard what Sophia had done. She had been in denial for days, claiming Sophia must’ve been kidnapped. While kidnapping wasn’t out of the question, it was highly unlikely. As much as it pained me to be away from my mate, I understood why she would choose to leave. And as her mate, I couldn’t let her get away. If she rejected us for bringing her back, then so be it, but we had to try.
A country-wide search for Sophia was our next step should the bus terminals and airport prove useless. We wanted to keep her identity private, sparing her from being hunted by every werewolf in the country.
Most days, I spent my time with Jessy. Despite the numerous times we had slept together, I had never known the true depths of her obsession. With the putrid scent of the dungeon lodged behind my frontal lobe, I made myself familiar with her screams and ragged sobs. Torturing Jessy had been pointless, expending energy for information she did not have. Jessy cracked within the first hour, much as Ethan and I had predicted. Her face resembled Sophia’s when she had hurt her: eyes swollen shut, the skin dark and purple. Her jaw might have been broken, but I hadn’t cared enough to stop.
“She’s been planning to leave this entire time,” Jessy spat, her eyes bright and wild despite the sob that left her bloody lips. “She couldn’t wait to get away from the two of you.”
I reined in the fury that made me want to take Jessy’s life and refused to entertain the thought. Instead of taking her life, I left her to rot. Her death would be agonizingly slow, for every moment Sophia had been afraid of her.
“Guys, we got a problem,” Jake growled through the mind-link, interrupting Ethan and me.
A ragged breath left Jessy’s lips, one of relief as Ethan and I were called away. She’d be given enough food to be kept alive, but that was the extent of our generosity.
“What happened?” Ethan’s panic mirrored my own.
“Alpha Williams and his men are here,” Justin grunted; his usual carefree tone replaced with one of distaste. “Stopped at the borders, but insist on being let through.”
“Says you keep canceling a meeting with him,” Jake continued. “He’s insisting to be seen.”
“Tell him if he wishes for an audience, he will have to wait,” I snapped, tired of Alpha Williams’s inflated sense of importance. “Bring him to our office, keep an eye on him and his men the entire time.”
“Got it, Alpha,” Jake called out, ending the mind-link.
“He waits for us,” Ethan nodded approvingly. “We take our time, show him he cannot come onto our land and demand our attention.”
Ethan and I spent some time visiting the bus terminals, watching over the footage ourselves for any sighting of Sophia. Unsuccessful and extremely irritable, we headed back to town. Jake and Justin had been helpful, bringing Alpha Williams to our office outside of the packhouse. Our office inside the packhouse was personal, reserved for those we trusted. We wouldn’t allow just anyone to enter the home we resided in. Alpha Williams was brought to another building on the other side of town. The building itself was meant to fool the eyes: large and imposing, an office building in the center of a quaint town. The building was located in the busiest part of town, with citizens walking the streets along shops and restaurants. Gardeners tended the flowers that formed in large clumps along the sidewalks, while others trimmed the grass. This was where we held meetings with other Alphas, showing our position and the size of our pack.
A good three hours later, we arrived at our office. This particular office was meant to fit many and sported a round table with multiple chairs. A fully stocked bar ran the length of the wall, tempting others to get comfortable, but they were quickly reminded whose territory they resided on.
Alpha Williams sat in one of the empty chairs, his face etched with irritation at being kept waiting. Williams’s men lined the wall, their silent eyes watching their Alpha. Jake and Justin were nowhere to be seen, a smart move on their part. Alpha Williams would know how unimportant he was, as he couldn’t get an audience with either Alpha or either Beta. Jake and Justin met us outside, both shooting irritable glares at the office inside. Jake and Justin both had the same towering build, a perk of being two of our best warriors. Jake’s hair was the color of sand, reaching down to his shoulders in gentle waves. Justin’s hair was the color of gingerbread, parted to the side of his head.
“Want us to join, Alpha?” Jake asked, to which I nodded.
The four of us entered the building, heading down the hall and to the left. A set of double doors led into the large office space. Alpha Williams stood as we entered the room, the irritation fading from his face. Alpha Williams stood a little taller than Ethan and me, but his build was much smaller than ours. With thick dark hair that reached his shoulders, Alpha Williams looked nothing like a rogue despite the nature in which he received his title. His suit was dark, but the blue in his eyes stood out alarmingly.
“Alpha Ethan and Alpha Kieran, a pleasure to finally meet you,” Alpha Williams approached the two of us, extending a hand. I ignored his rueful tone and the way he had spoken the word “finally,” accepting his hand. “Beta Jake and Beta Justin, pleasure.”
“We had other matters to attend to,” Ethan informed him, strolling over to the bar to pour himself a drink. I watched the irritation flash in Alpha Williams’s eyes as he looked at my brother. Ethan moved as though he had all the time in the world, taking time to choose and pour his drink.
“Anything I could help with?” Alpha Williams questioned, his eyes flitting over to me.
I took a seat at the table, farthest away from Williams. Leaning back in the seat, I surveyed the man in front of me. Once a rogue, now an Alpha. Williams had built a pack of his own from rogues, using force and charisma to secure his place. Word has it his pack is fairly loyal and civilized, nothing like the rogues you see today. Alpha Williams had been insisting on renegotiating our territory, a meeting Ethan and I were not looking forward to.
“Unnecessary,” I shrugged, my eyes bored and tone flat. Once Ethan was finished, he took the seat beside me. Justin and Jake leaned against the wall, joining the men they had sent to watch over Alpha Williams. A knock sounded on the door, and I signaled one of our men to open it. Alpha Sebastian stood in the doorway, sending a new wave of murderous anger through our blood.
“One of my men told me of Alpha Williams’s arrival,” Alpha Sebastian nodded once at Williams, then turned his attention to Ethan and me. “I feel as though I should be here, considering my territory is nearby.”
The last thing I wanted was to deal with another infuriating Alpha, but he was right. Alpha Sebastian came inside, taking a seat at the table.
“Now, let’s get down to business,” Alpha Williams gave Ethan and me a serpent-like smile, looking much like the rogue he used to be. “My numbers grow as more rogues come to join my pack. As we all know, there is a vast amount of unclaimed land just south of your pack.”
“And what would you ask of us?” Ethan spoke first, raising an eyebrow and giving Williams a look of amusement. “Should we let you and your entire pack cross through our lands for this territory? That would be quite the risk.”
“I would never ask such things, not unless it is a last resort,” Alpha Williams kept his tone polite, but his eyes were hard and determined.
“Speak plainly then,” I let my impatience show. I hadn’t the time for carefully crafted words, as locating Sophia was more important than a disgruntled Alpha.
“We ask that-”
The high-pitched chime of a phone went off, and my head snapped down as I felt my pocket vibrate. Dismissing Alpha Williams’s words entirely, I placed the phone against my ear. Atlanta International Airport security was on the other line, their words taking my attention from the other Alphas in the room.
“The girl you’re looking for-I think we’ve found her.”