Chapter Nine
1317 Words
Third Person
Beta Cory watched with a furrowed brow as the woman from the Cypress Ridge party stormed to the truck he had seen earlier. So, it was the same person, he thought. What was she doing in this part of the city?
The beta’s thoughts were interrupted when knuckles rasped against the vehicle’s window. He shook away his thoughts. Sighing, he rounded the hood and got in behind the wheel.
Cory glanced at his alpha before pulling away from the curb.
“What did she want?” Barrett scoffed.
“She was nice,” Titus said from the backseat. “She shared her French fries with me.”
“What’s her name, buddy?” Beta Cory asked the boy.
“Mads. She was looking for a job on her computer, but didn’t get one. She’ll be back tomorrow to see me,” Titus exclaimed, excited about seeing his new friend.
“Find out everything,” Alpha Barrett mind-linked his beta. This woman was from the Cypress Ridge Pack and could be a spy. Why else would she be at a school park on the other side of the city, talking to Titus?
“Titus, buddy, why is she coming back tomorrow?” The alpha questioned his younger adoptive brother.
“I asked her to come. She was nice, and I want to see her again,” the little boy shrugged, looking out the window.
Alpha Barrett didn’t like the idea of her showing up or inserting herself into Titus’ life. He was young and craved a mother’s love. The alpha was afraid she would manipulate his brother into betraying him, or worse, kill the boy his parents had adopted a month before their death.
Titus was never in any danger with the hidden warriors in place. Alpha Barrett may be busy, but he could never let anything happen to the boy. Things would have been different if he could have been an older brother and not a father figure.
“Question the warriors. I want to know exactly what was said,” the alpha ordered his beta through the mind-link.
“Already on it, boss.” Beta Cory nodded, not taking his eyes off the road. Something was up with the alpha since the alpha takeover ceremony. The beta knew his concerns over the relationship with Alpha Scott and his sister, but this was something else. Being the loyal friend he was, Cory kept his mouth shut. The two men had a long history.
When the former Alpha and Luna were killed in a car accident, their oldest son took over the Grimm Mountain Pack. Barrett wasn’t ready and became a former shell of himself. Not only was he grieving, but he had to be strong for his sister, brother, and pack.
But after five years, he has taken the pack beyond what his father accomplished. It was easier to bury himself in work than to deal with his feelings.
When Beta Cory pulled up to the alpha’s private residence, Titus didn’t wait to get out of the car and rush inside the house.
“Little guy is happy today,” Cory chuckled, getting out of the vehicle.
“I want to speak to his protection unit,” Alpha Barrett demanded, exiting the car.
“Are you worried about that girl?” His beta questioned, leaning against the car. “She’s feisty, but I wouldn’t stress about it.”
“I don’t trust Alpha Scott or his pack. She is from his pack, and we should be wary of her. If she’s involved with him, I’ll kill her myself before she hurts Titus or my sister,” Barrett growled, clenching his fists.
When the men arrived, the one in charge explained everything to his alpha. He didn’t feel that she was a threat, or he would have removed the boy from the situation and dealt with the girl. Alpha Barrett ordered the men to keep a close eye on her whenever she was near Titus.
“Boss, I really don’t think this girl is a threat. She seems so young and innocent. Her concern for Titus’ well-being seemed genuine,” Beta Cory defended.
“It could be nothing, but I won’t take that chance. She could be a great actress who is commanded by her alpha. Discreetly find out what you can about her. Something isn’t adding up.” Alpha Barrett told his beta before entering his home.
Cory followed the alpha to his home office, as there were still hours of work to be done. Alpha Barrett was a workaholic, and even after his beta went home, he would still be working. When he was awake, it meant he didn’t have to sleep with the nightmares that plagued him.
Meanwhile, Ryan was pacing his room, staring at Madison’s message screen. His text had gone unread, and when he called, it went to a prerecording explaining that the number had been disconnected.
“Where the hell could you be?” He growled into his empty room, his stomach twisting with uneasiness. Her mate wouldn’t kill her, would he? Dread filled his chest as he thought about what he learned today about her father’s arrest. He would never have believed his alpha would be so despicable if he hadn’t witnessed it himself.
He had lost faith in Alpha Scott and was conflicted about what he should do. He couldn’t speak to his father, the current Delta, but maybe his mother could help.
His wolf whimpered. The only way he could go against the alpha was to denounce him and leave the pack.
Could Ryan really walk away from his home? But the thought of taking orders from an alpha he didn’t respect made him feel sick. He didn’t trust that Alpha Scott would have his back in battle.
He threw away his fated mate; nothing to him was sacred.
“Son, are you home?” His mother called out.
Ryan opened his door. “Yeah, I’m here,” he replied.
His mother came up the stairs looking concerned. “Did something happen, sweetie? You are never home this early.”
He sighed, stepping back into his room, and his mother followed.
“That doesn’t sound good,” she said, sitting beside her son on the bed. Ryan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“Mom, something happened, and I don’t know what to do,” he exhaled sharply, his chest tight with worry.
“Son, tell me what happened, and maybe I can help you. There’s nothing that can’t be solved with a little thinking and a mother’s help,” she encouraged her only child, rubbing his back.
“Mom, some of it I can’t say, but I witnessed something that a superior did, and now I no longer trust that he would have my back. I was commanded not to say anything,” he explained, and his mother gasped.
“That’s awful, son. Have you told your father?”
Ryan shook his head. “I can’t, Mom. I don’t want him to lose his job.”
“Sweetie, whatever it is, we can work through it as a family. There is nothing more important to your father than his family. He will support you, and so will I,” she assured him, hugging her son.
He nodded his head as he covered his face. “It’s bad, Mom,” his voice cracked. “We might have to leave the pack, bad.”
“Let’s wait until your father gets home, and you can explain what happened to both of us. I promise everything will be okay.”
She kissed her son’s cheek. Her heart ached for him, and she had never seen him like this before. She couldn’t imagine what had happened that he believed they would have to leave the pack. She wondered if her mate knew and was hiding it from her?
- Writer
