Chapter 105
RILEY.
It was already past midnight, and Nadia was finally asleep.
I knew she was tired, not just because of her pregnancy but because of what happened today, but she made sure I was never left alone.
This was the first time we spent almost the whole day together without talking. I had no words and she understood.
My mate was also in mourning, but she was standing strong for us, for me.
She didn’t force me to eat today like she usually does when I miss a meal.
Instead, she cuddled me when tears were the only way I was communicating with her, and she bathed me patiently, taking away my mother’s blood from my body.
She took away the only physical thing that was left of her in me while reminding me again and again that she would always remain in my heart.
I didn’t know losing a family would hurt like this. When I lost my father, I wallowed in pain, but it was easier. I got back on my feet right away. But I didn’t think I would be able to with my mother’s death. Maybe because, with Dad, I was able to be a good son to him, but never to Zahra.
And it was my only regret. I wished I had more time.
But I knew I couldn’t just let the pain in and shut out the whole world again. I have a family now. A bigger one—Nadia and my pup, Ellie and Bella. And my whole pack. I needed to be the Alpha that everyone expected of me.
I watched Nadia’s chest rise and fall as she slept peacefully.
I leaned in and kissed her forehead before moving my head to her stomach, brushing my lips against her naked, swollen belly.
I whispered loving words to my pup, telling him that his grandmother loved him and that I would make sure he grew up knowing more about her.
I saw the slight movement in Nadia’s bump, which let me know my pup was awake and could hear me.
I let my fingers trail his movement before whispering to him again.
I begged him to sleep so he wouldn’t disturb his mom, since she needed to rest. And like the Alpha that he was, my pup obliged and behaved.
I covered Nadia’s body with a blanket before I rose from our bed and slipped on my sweatpants and shirt. I knew sleep would be hard tonight and I didn’t want to force it.
I walked out of the bedroom and headed for my office.
At least here, I wouldn’t be disturbing Nadia so she could rest. I was just about to sit down when a knock came in and I smelled Bella.
“Come in,” I said, my gaze drawn to the clock above. It was almost three o’clock in the morning.
“Hi,” Bella greeted me as she stepped inside the office and closed the door behind her. Her eyes were puffy and her nose was red from crying.
I stayed standing and watched as she walked into the middle of my office. “Why are you still awake?” I asked her.
“I couldn’t sleep. Trent said, we’d make something to eat, so we went to the kitchen, but then I saw the lights were on and thought you might still be awake.”
“Where is he? He can come inside, too.”
“He’s in the kitchen. I actually wanted to talk to you alone.” She said the last words so quietly before her tears started to stream down her face.
I walked in front of her before opening my arms. Bella scooted in and hugged me as she let the dam of her tears open. She was a sobbing mess, and I was trying my best not to cry.
I was the big brother. I should be the strongest one.
“I’m sorry Mommy and Daddy died…” She mumbled against my chest.
“I’m sorry too… But I’m happy you and Ellie are safe.” And I meant it. My only consolation was that the twins came unharmed from this.
She pulled away from my chest as she shook her head. “No. You don’t understand. I’m sorry they died because of me. Didn’t you hear Mom say she saved me? Are you not going to ask what stupid thing I did and why I needed to be saved?”
I cupped her face and wiped her tears away. “Listen, Bella. Mom saved you because she loves you. And I know you would do the same thing for her if you could, right?”
“In a heartbeat.” She replied right away.
“Don’t let guilt consume you. It was never your fault.” I smiled at her, my hands rubbing her arms.
“But if I just shifted and ran away, maybe they wouldn’t need to come back for me. But I got scared, Riley.”
“It’s okay, Bella. There’s no shame in being scared.
And I understand that you don’t come across wolves, let alone rogues, every day.
You have the right to be scared.” I already decided that my sisters would be trained so they could defend themselves in case another attack happened.
“But we will do something about it. I want you to start training…”
“The rogue they called Alpha wanted me, Riley.” She cut me off, and it took a while before her words sank in.
“What do you mean?” My jaw tightened as my eyes tried to read hers. Was she referring to Achilles?
“Mommy said we should shift and run. But before I could shift, I saw a big rogue wolf staring at me, and I felt like if I shifted, he’d jump at me. I was scared. Then he shifted to his human form. He was this big guy with a scar on his face.”
“Achilles…”
“Then the man with him said he would go after Ellie. But the scar-faced man said Ellie has no use because she’s marked. I’m not marked, Riley. I think he wanted me for himself.”
“Did you tell Trent?” My initial thought was to have Trent mark Bella right away to reduce the risk of her being targeted again.
“No. I don’t want him to think I only want his mark because I’m in danger.”
“Dammit, Bella, danger or not, I’m fucking sure your mate wants to mark you. And if he knows you’re in danger, he might even force-mark you. You can’t keep this from Trent. You need to tell him. Unless you don’t want to be marked.”
“I do. That’s why I was excited to be here, but now, maybe he won’t…”
“I know Trent. He will do everything to protect you. You need to tell him or I will.”
“He called me Alexa.”
“What?”
“Scarface called me Alexa. I told him I’m not Alexa but he said I would be now. I believe he either mistook me for someone else or wanted me to become Alexa. Or he has simply gone insane.”
Alexa.
I closed my eyes and turned around. My fingers went to massage my temples. I’ve heard this name before. Achilles lost his daughter and no one knew where she was. Now he wants Bella to be Alexa?
Alexa. Fuck!
The blonde rogue wolf who was with Aeon in my territory. The fucker took Alexa, and my mother had to pay the price.
After Bella left my office, all illusions that I would be able to rest, even for an hour, just went away. I am more agitated now.
Bella’s confession made me connect all the dots, and it all boiled down to one thing—Achilles needed his daughter for something.
He had no idea where she was, so he was willing to abduct any unmarked, blonde female to take her place.
And since he was not able to take Bella, I was sure he would be targeting another female again, unless he got his daughter back.
The moment the clock ticked six in the morning, I grabbed the phone receiver and dialed Aeon’s office direct number.
In three rings, his future Gamma answered the phone and told me the fucker had traveled early and was on his way here to personally send his condolences.
Following the call, I instructed the border to allow Alpha Aeon to enter the territory immediately after a thorough search of his vehicle and of anyone accompanying him.
Instructions were also given that if he had a blond female with him, they should not be left alone to wander around my territory and must be escorted to the packhouse.
I would not be taking a risk. I wanted Alexa. The only way to get Achilles was to show him where Alexa was.
I went back to our bedroom and left a note for Nadia that I would be at the training gym this morning to let off steam, so she wouldn’t have to worry about me. I slipped into my training shorts and a shirt before heading to the gym.
I was already getting engrossed with boxing sandbags when the door of the gym opened and my Beta stepped in with Aeon.
I tightened the clothes I wrapped around my knuckles as my jaw clenched. It was taking a lot of me to control my wolf. Hunter was furious. And so was I.
I didn’t waste any time after they stopped in front of me and tightened my coiled fist before swinging it in Aeon’s direction, hitting him with my knuckles on his jaw.
He wasn’t expecting it. He staggered backward and almost fell, but my Beta was able to catch him before he hit the ground.
“Alpha!” Dominic exclaimed in surprise as he moved his body between us, making me halt from throwing another jab at Aeon.
The fucker was holding his jaw as he looked at me. His eyes were dilating in annoyance. “What the fuck was that for?”
“Where is Alexa?” I almost growled.
“In my territory.”
“I want her dead.”
“Are you fucking crazy? I didn’t kill her, despite my father’s order. What made you think I would kill her for you?” He spat at me. His eyes dilated again.
“Did you know why my mother is dead? Because you...” I pointed a finger at him. “...fucking took Achilles’ daughter and you didn’t have the audacity to inform us that you had her!”
His jaw tightened before his hand flew to his hair, brushing it hard.
“Achilles wanted to abduct my sister because she’s blonde and unmarked. For some fucking reason, he wanted her to be Alexa! He almost got Bella! But now my mother is dead! Give me Alexa, and I will give you Achilles’ head.”
“No.”
“What is she now, your fucking whore?” I spat back at him.
I didn’t see it coming until it landed on my jaw. Aeon threw a powerful jab. I staggered backward and was about to throw a counterpunch when my fucking Beta stood up between us again.
“Fuck! Alphas! Can you both calm down? If you want a fucking match, I can organize one, but if you want to talk, then just talk!”
“Leave Alexa out of this. We will find Achilles together.” Aeon spoke. His chest was still heaving, but he was speaking calmly this time.
“Alexa is the fucking root of why Achilles is hunting females right now. Who knows who the next blonde she-wolf he’s going to target? I’m not going to sit here and wait until somebody gets abducted.”
“And I’m not going to fucking let you bait Alexa for this!”
“Have you lost your fucking mind? She’s the key to catching Achilles!”
“She’s my fucking mate!”
My jaw clenched at his words. That was not something I expected to hear from him. I was under the impression that he was fucking her but never thought she was his fated mate.
“Now tell me how hard your life is right now! Do you think I don’t wake up every day thinking what a fucking mess of a life I have?
I have a chosen luna that I can’t abandon because she and her pack need me!
And my fucking mate is a rogue! A fucking rogue!
Someone my family and my pack would never approve of!
The daughter of the rogue who terrorized and killed my mother!
I could have just walked away and left her to die when my father ordered me to eliminate her.
But I couldn’t! I can’t! Do you know what predicament she was in when we found her?
She was tied to a post and about to be whipped by her own father as punishment!
Now tell me, if it were Nadia there and it was her father who killed Zahra, would you leave her or kill her? Because I couldn’t.”
His chest was heaving and his eyes watered. The Aeon standing before me was different from the arrogant and confident man I was used to.
“I couldn’t.” He repeated.
I let out a deep sigh before my lips pursed into a thin line as I crouched on the floor, resting my forearms on my thighs. My chest was heaving. I didn’t know what to say or how to react. If I didn’t know how a mate bond feels, I wouldn’t care. But I knew what it could do to a person.
“I’m sorry, Zahra’s dead. I can’t tell you I understand your pain because maybe I don’t.
But I lost my mother too, at the hands of the same man.
If there’s someone who wants Achilles’ death, it’s me.
But I don’t want to lose Alexa because she’s fucking mine!
Instead of you planning to kill my mate, can we just help each other and kill the man who did this to us?
” His one hand was raised to his waist as the other rubbed his face.
I looked down at the ground, thinking of the best move at this point.
“Riley, I need you more than ever because you’re the only one who knows I have her in my territory.
And the moment the news spreads, every fucking Alpha will want a piece of her to get to Achilles.
And I will not hesitate to kill anyone who dares to touch Alexa, or at least die trying to protect her. ”