Come for Me 2 (The Hunt #2)

Chapter Fifteen

Dax

M y wolf is restless, and I haven’t slept. Days have passed since I’ve last held my mate in my arms, since she finally claimed me as hers. I called all hands on deck, as well as any favor I’ve accrued over the years, recruiting some of my best warriors and trackers from my pack.

They arrived a day ago. That’s something else my wolf isn’t happy about, having to wait to search for her properly. I’ve snapped at everyone and everything, and I will be replacing many belongings of others I’ve broken from my outbursts. My wolf can’t find peace without her nearby. I can’t fail her. I have to do something besides wait.

I’ve even allowed for the mutt to come with me—well, allowed is a strong word.

After I heard Alaina had been taken, I had torn the infirmary to shreds. A random member from Alaina’s former pack told me to calm down. I broke their neck instantly, tearing them to shreds with my teeth at the terrible advice.

“Anyone else want to tell me to calm down while my mate—your queen—is in danger?”

I had borne my canines at the onlookers of my duress. As I suspected, no one else challenged me.

After I did, in fact, calm down slightly, I remembered from reading the mutt’s records he was one of the best tracker and hunters there are, even more so now with his father’s powers. My voice boomed across the pack in search of the mutt. Once I found him, I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to talk. I had told him he was going to help me find Alaina.

“Me? Why me?” the mutt had stupidly asked.

What could’ve been more important to him than finding her?

“Because I know you’re one of the best trackers out there. And if you can’t find her, then you’re useless to me. When people outlive their use, they become disposable... see where I’m going with this, mutt ?” I spat.

The mutt quickly informed me if I wanted his help in finding Alaina, force wasn’t necessary. I didn’t tell him I already knew that and forcing him was merely for fun. I needed to do something to ease my wolf.

Despite my distaste toward him, he is the best tracker now that he’s inherited such gift from his father’s recent passing. As much as I hate to say it, he cares for her. So, I know I can trust him to stay true to the mission: find Alaina and bring her home safely. Though we may just disagree on which home to bring her back to.

We’ve since been traveling and searching for her, and we’re no closer than before to finding her. I never should’ve left her, and I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to her.

Walking behind the mutt, I study his every move. I don’t trust this mutt behind me. I need him where I can see him and his intentions.

“I can feel you boring your eyes in the back of my head,” the mutt says.

The only response I give him is a grunt. I don’t care if he knows I’m watching him.

The mutt ducks under a branch, twigs and leaves crunch under his boots. I continue to follow him.

Scanning the dark forest, I know I could easily kill him out here, and if it wouldn’t break Alaina’s heart, I would. She doesn’t yet know about Jack. I didn’t need to add to the heartbreak. Besides, right now, he’s of great use to me.

I can kill him later , I promise myself. And if I kill him, I’d no longer owe him. An added bonus.

“You know I don’t blame you for hating me,” the mutt calls out behind him.

I roll my eyes. Yeah, I bet you don’t.

“I can’t hate someone who makes Alaina happy. She wouldn’t have been happy with me, at least not entirely.”

The information itself isn’t surprising, as I already knew he couldn’t give her what she needed, but his ownership of what I already knew to be true was unexpected. Nonetheless, I stay quiet.

“Only reason she was willing to be with me is so she could obtain pack records and so I could take over the pack,” he says.

They were using each other. Was this all just one big arrangement?

“All I’ve ever wanted was to follow in my father’s footsteps, and quite frankly, I didn’t care who was by my side. I figured I would learn to love them. Alaina, I already loved but just as a friend.”

“Friends who fucked?”

The mutt tenses at my clipped tone and my dominant aura seeping through. I crack my neck, trying my best to stay calm and loosen up.

You can’t kill him yet. You need to find Alaina first.

“Look, I don’t have to tell you that Alaina doesn’t trust people easily.”

I snort. You don’t say?

“But she has the same needs everyone else has. Alaina never trusted me with her heart, but she trusted me enough to treat her body with respect,” the mutt says with grave audacity.

I’m holding my wolf from tearing into my best chance at finding Alaina for speaking about her in such a way to me.

I’ve killed for far less.

“She is yours. She was always yours. I would never stand in the way of that. But before she was yours, she trusted me enough to be hers. Trust that I would never dream of disrespecting anything that belongs to her, and that now includes you and the relationship you share,” the mutt blurts.

Reading between the lines, I’m starting to think it would be dishonorable to kill the mutt whose asking for cease fire. The mutt’s looking for reassurance he can stay in Alaina’s life by reassuring me he intends no future or even past disrespect.

Damn, I was really looking forward to killing him.

“If you help me find Alaina, I won’t kill you if she decides to keep you in her life,” I bribe.