4. Chapter Four
Chapter Four
Maverick
I can't seem to ease the restlessness that's raging inside of me.
It's an agonizing sensation, almost blinding me, and it takes every ounce of strength to stay focused.
Everything happened so quickly.
One minute, I was monitoring Daxton's boundaries, catching the scent of that infuriating, intoxicating smell that's slowly grown on me. And the next, it was gone.
She was gone.
And I blame myself entirely. This is exactly what I was afraid of. Despite reassurances and arguments that having a mate made you stronger, I knew it gave you a weakness.
As alpha, there's no room for error. When everyone is counting on you, to protect them and survive, you cannot risk having vulnerability. It gives enemies a reason to target you.
Those wolves in the woods, I should have heard them coming. But I was distracted by Nyx, her wet hair sticking to her skin, grief written all over her face. It pulled on something inside of me, a feeling that was stronger than I am. I wanted to comfort her, but instead, I focused my energy on shoving that instinct aside. It was at that moment that they attacked, a pack of wolves diving on top of me from the bushes.
The rain had covered some of their scent and sound, but still—I'm better than that. I'm stronger than that. I should have seen them coming.
It also didn't help that she constantly refuses to listen to a damn word I say. I explicitly told her to stay on the field, to wait for me to return, but Nyx's stubborn nature just had to argue.
I heard her following behind, but once the attacking wolves were on top of me, I had no choice but to shift, to get them off me.
The plan was simple—rip them apart and get back to her. I managed to harm one with ease, but before I could get my teeth into the next, I heard her scream.
Nyx's terrified shout, coupled with the sounds of more wolves attacking her, my guard dropped. That gave the wolves attacking me the chance to overpower the situation. I had quickly tried to gain control back, but then I heard her voice again—except this time, it was in my head.
I was perplexed hearing her scream in the mind link, even more by the fact that she was yelling out for Lex. It ripped a primal urge out of me that I never knew existed—not for a mate, anyway.
The need to protect her was strong, overbearing. And instantly, my strength grew. But it still wasn't enough. The odds weren't in my favor, no matter how strong I am.
I was greatly overpowered, and just as one of them went to deliver the final blow, the sound of rushing wolves appeared as Daxton's boundary monitors headed our way to investigate.
The attacking wolves quickly took off, but when Nyx's voice vanished from my head, I knew they had her. It made me feel sick, and despite my injuries, I gave chase. But somehow, I managed to lose their scent.
By the time I got back to the field, I ran into Daxton and his pack. He quickly shifted and took off as well, but it was no use—they were long gone.
With Nyx.
We failed. No—I failed.
And I can't forgive myself for it. And judging by the murderous look from Lex that's been present since she was taken, he feels the same way.
Daxton's office has become the center of operations. Countless documents, devices, and literature are sprawled out on every inch of surface.
None of us have slept a wink since the attack, reaching out to every connection possible to try to figure out which pack took her. So far, we've come up empty-handed, but we're not going to give up.
The pain is a reminder of my failure, but also an indication that she's okay—physically, at least.
Even with my zero experience with mate bonds, I recognize it easily. It's a link to her, the connection trying to pull us together.
Except I don't know where the fuck she is.
And if Lex is feeling the same pain, I don't blame him for wanting to slaughter me. But if he thinks I'm going to put up with his bullshit, he's sorely mistaken.
"I've spoken to Wyatt. He's assembling a team to help," Daxton says sharply, scanning a piece of paper.
"My beta is on his way back now," Lex answers, sending me another glare. "He's bringing some of my people with him."
The two of them look at me, waiting for my own update. I close my laptop screen, shooting a blank look back at Lex. It's fairly void of emotion, but he gets the hint, jaw ticking angrily.
"Darius has briefed the pack members who are currently here in Shadow Creek. We've also updated the pack back home on the situation and we have a team heading this way too."
"Wonderful that you're contributing given everything," Lex snaps.
I raise an eyebrow in reply. Even though I agree with him, I won't be spoken to that way by anyone—alpha or otherwise. "If she wasn't so damn stubborn and actually listened, we wouldn't be in his mess."
Lex's eyes widen with rage, but before he can leap off his chair, Daxton holds up his hand.
"Enough. We're all on edge. But this is time sensitive. We need to focus and locate which pack was involved." Pausing, he gives us both a sympathetic glance. "Lex, I know you are worried about her, as we are too, but unfortunately, Maverick is right. We all know what Stevens is like. Nothing was going to stop her from following after him into the woods. She's very protective—if she thought there was a chance someone could be harmed, she would try to stop it."
The air deflates around us as his words sink in.
"Besides, Maverick did what any of us would have done in that situation. He sensed a threat, went to investigate, and tried to order her to stay back. But none of us could have foreseen that coming. It was a risky move bringing so many wolves onto our territory," Daxton adds.
"Yes, well, that leads to the question about your boundary monitors," Lex says sharply. "How were so many able to sneak through without being seen?"
Daxton leans back in his chair, obviously battling his own internal turmoil and guilt. "I reduced monitoring numbers that night. Given it was after the funeral of one of our own, who was killed doing it , I didn't want to unnecessarily cause more harm to my grieving members. I assumed that with both of you here, and after such a recent attack, that another would be unlikely. That was a mistake I made."
"He's right," I agree. "The Shadow Pack territory is huge. The monitoring was suitable for the situation we anticipated, but with bringing that many wolves, they were able to disarm us. It's easy to find the gaps and sneak in if they were watching the monitors beforehand to know where they would be positioned at a certain time. This was a targeted attack. They weren't intending to do anything other than getting to Nyx—and me."
"She shouldn't have been there," Lex murmurs, low. "How could they have foreseen that she would be running at that time? She was with me beforehand."
I don't miss the way he possessively says it, while shooting me a glance. I ignore him, hand running over my face. "It's strange. They would have to have known that there was minimal security. Why that night? The only way possible would be if someone leaked that information."
"No one in my pack would have leaked anything," Daxton snaps back, offended by the accusation. "This was just a targeted attack—right place, right time for them. Stevens runs quite frequently. If these are the same ones who have been watching for a while then it's easy to gather that information. They could have also anticipated the funeral, knowing we would want to lay Tyler to rest before the full moon, and perhaps took a risk, banking on the grief that people would be experiencing—thus hoping that she would be out running to dispel that."
Lex lets out a sigh, a pained expression crossing his face. "I should have gone with her. Or convinced her to stay inside. But she just looked so heartbroken—I couldn't say no."
My brows furrow at his words. It's clear he's hurting greatly, but I realize that I'm not the only one he's blaming.
He's blaming himself too.
As much as I'm filled with guilt… Fuck's sake, this is all Nyx's fault. She should have just listened to me. That damn stubborn woman never does as she's told. It's our job to protect her— not the other way around. When we get her back—which we will—she's going to have to deal with all of us.
Daxton is correct though. She seems to have a protective nature. At first, I didn't see it. I was so blinded by my misplaced hatred for her that I focused on every little thing that I disliked. Her immaturity, her attitude, lack of filter and control. The way she always manages to push my buttons and start an argument. But slowly, I came to realize that I didn't hate those things—I just wasn't used to them.
I'm constantly surrounded by my pack family, who never question anything I do. They trust me—as they should. I was so frustrated at the situation of vanishing packs and having to leave my own pack to deal with someone else's mess, that she infuriated me when I arrived. No one had ever pushed me like that—treated me like I was on their level.
But she was. She is.
The moment I felt that bond snap into place, I was angry. I tried to do Daxton a favor by coming here to help since they had been attacked and targeted, and what did I get in return? The one thing I didn't want.
A mate.
Not only that… a mate who already had a mate.
It felt like the ultimate revenge. I didn't want one, and now the universe was trying to force me to share.
I should have just stayed home.
But then I wouldn't have met her.
That thought does nothing to ease me. I'm now well and truly in this mess, whether I like it or not. And I'm completely infatuated with her. The way she challenges me, her defiance—she's the perfect counterpart.
I never wanted a Luna. I didn't want to be distracted or have to worry about someone on a deeper level. Everyone around me is so submissive. Compelled to listen and act upon my word without question. At least they did what I asked. And here, I had the polar opposite in a mate. It was very ironic and fitting.
As much as it pained me, I was ready to walk away. The thought of getting even more attached to her was terrifying. And even more so, the idea that she would be away from me at times with Lex and his pack. The distraction would be too much. It was better this way, to cut ties now before I fell in too deep.
But that night changed everything. It was as if the danger forced the connection. Her voice in my head—there's no way the mind link would be established if the mutual bond didn't exist. It pushed us together… just for her to be ripped away seconds later.
Recalling it, I can almost hear her voice again. Her calling out, fearful. Except, it's quieter now.
There's a loud crack in the room and my head snaps toward Lex, watching as the armrest on his chair breaks off under his grip. His face is tight, pained, but he's not looking at us—lost in his thoughts.
Daxton and I share a quick look, before turning back to him, trying to decipher what's happening here. But then I hear it again— her voice .
"I could hear Nyx," Lex quickly says, an urgency to his tone. "I heard her voice. It was faint, but there."
When he looks at me, I can't believe the words falling out of my mouth.
"I heard her too."