Chapter 15 - Carter
1373 Words
Telling any pack member’s family that a loved one had passed away was never easy. But this one I felt to blame for. He had come on what I believed was simply a straight forward business meeting. Brought along more as a show of strength, and in doing so, he had lost his life.
I could not get this from my mind as we made our way home. Something did not sit right with me, and I could not quite put my finger upon it. But I was not planning to stick around Eldermoon Pack to investigate it, and simply ordered that Alpha Aaron best prove himself with this and investigate it himself, explaining I expected a full report and soon. This was one of my men. A pack member I did not expect to lose. And, a pack member I was dreading having to explain the loss of…
“You want to stop and grab a coffee?” Hudson interrupted from the driver's seat. He had allowed the silence to linger for most of the journey, and likely had decided now, that he could take no more. My friend, and pack Beta was a man who hated silence. Hated peace and quiet. He always needed background noise. Be it music, a fan, a TV, conversation… something to break the silence, or he felt like he was going mad.
I simply shrugged. I did not feel like a coffee in truth. Sonny shook his head from the back seat. “Let us just get back, yeah?” He suggested, and I nodded in agreement.
There was a heavy sigh from the driver’s seat, but Hudson nodded. “Look, what do we do about the girl?” He asked quietly, continuing to focus upon the road.
I found myself frowning. What girl? My mind was upon the warrior we had lost. He was one of our best… I looked at my Beta in confusion. “Mari.” He added, and still I was confused.
“Why do we need to do anything about her?” I demanded, irritated he would bring up the scaredy-cat of a she-wolf they had assigned to take care of us. She was not of any concern to us right now. And would not be unless I decded to reconsider this business arrangement, and even then, Eldermoon pack had some serious work to do for that to even be a possibility.
I heard a low chuckle from Sonny in the rear of the car. “She really got under your skin today, huh?” He questioned, and I rolled my eyes. No she irritated the f**k out of me, is what she did. Other than the one attempt at assisting us, by being the only honest person in a pack of lying fuckers, she was a delicate and frightened little girl. She was far from the type of person I needed to be helping us. Why the hell they saw her as appropriate as assigned help I do not know.
“Just a waste of space.” I mumbled. “f*****g crying because there was a death on their pack. What did she think we were going to do, eat her? Blame her? Not like it is her that has to f*****g deal with it.” Irritation bubbled through me once more as I remembered the she-wolf’s response to hearing of the death of our warrior upon her pack. Crumbling to the floor like her bones had shattered. Tears spilling from her eyes like a broken tap...
So over-the-top, and dramatic. I could sense her fear from a mile away. Had she thought I would attack her over it? I didn’t know, and had not hung around to find out, I had simply walked away before I said more than I should and made her cry even more…
There was another heavy sigh from the seat next to me, and as I give my friend a glance I noticed him shaking his head. “You are a f*****g idiot.” He mumbled. “You think she was crying because of you?” There was an almost a demanding tone to Hudson’s voice right now. “Do you actually think that you have that much of an affect upon her? I know you made her cry once, was that what you wanted to do, make her cry? Get some sort of sick pleasure from it do you, Carter?”
I was shocked by how my Beta was currently talking to me. Friend or not, he was erring on being disrespectful. But before I am able to say anything in response, Hudson continues. “She was crying because Rafe was her fated mate, you d**k. Her chance at happiness, you remember how that was?”
A punch of realisation hit me. Of course I remembered how it was. I also remember the pain of losing it too... That familiar ache within my chest is there at the thought of Gabrielle. How dare he imply I did not know? But the darkness in my Beta's eyes and everything he said told me he was deadly serious right now. And his words made sense. Rafe had come to us soon after arriving and I had sent him away… They had known, the two of them, yet neither one had dared speak up… s**t.
“Are you sure?” I demanded, guilt now flooding my body. Me sending Rafe away like I did cost him the opportunity of being with his mate...
“Of course I am sure. While you stormed away, clearly disgusted at the sight of somebody daring to show any emotion, I stuck around to check the girl was okay. She was broken, C. Could barely speak.” Hudson said coldly, so evidently disgusted in my behaviour. Truth be told, so was I.
I was the one sighing this time, my hand running through my thick, dark hair, as I rested my head against the headrest before closing my eyes momentarily. “How the f**k was I supposed to know?” I snapped. Not appreciating the blame for it being put on me. I had no way of knowing. “I am not a mind reader. And neither one exactly put up a fight to see one another.” I attempted to defend myself.
“You sent Rafe away, quite abruptly too. Not surprising neither one wanted to argue or question it. You re an Alpha, C, they know to respect your orders, and in all honesty, you were in a foul mood. But, that aside, they both likely believed, with us planning to stay a few days that they had plenty of chance later to catch up.” Sonny suggested from the back seat, and another rush of guilt flooded my body. I had been blunt with the guy. Like I could be. I may have took my anger toward the Alpha out on him, in fact, when I looked back now. I sighed. The two of them believed they would have chance to catch up later, yet later never came… f**k.
“Not like they had marked one another.” I tried to defend, despite knowing my argument was a weak one. “They did not know each other. Their matebond wasn’t formed…”
A snarl slipped from Hudson by my side. “f*****g hell, Carter.” He snapped angrily. “A fated matebond is a fated matebond. You know how strong they are. The feelings they bring, no matter how soon, how early. It is still a loss. Not to mention, that girl likely had her hopes and dreams pinned on that guy. Have some decency and have a f*****g heart, for f**k's sake, it wouldn't kill you!” He looked at me with nothing but disgust and disappointment.
Fury and frustration race through my body now. I had messed up. “Stop the car.” I demanded. “I need to run. I will shift and run the rest of the way home. “ I ordered, knowing that allowing Draven out may at least allow some of my tension out, but the guilt I was feeling, well, that, I had a sinking feeling may well be sticking around…
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