Chapter 16
Jason's POV:
“The birth rate for March last year was significantly higher than this year, Alpha. Twenty-four pups last year compared to only fourteen this year.” Samson’s fingers trailed over the parchment in his hands, rustling the paper as if the sound might force me to listen. “And if we compare the entire year—last year’s birth rate was 112, but this year, we’re barely reaching 60.”
His voice sharpened, as he continued. “This is dangerous. It reflects poorly on our pack’s health and strength. If this continues—”
I nodded absently, my thoughts far from the numbers he rattled off. “We’ll address it in the council meeting.”
It was the response he expected, but not the one he needed. His lips pursed. “If I may, Alpha, this cannot wait. The elders are concerned. They believe our territory’s fertility is declining, and whispers of a curse are spreading—”
A curse? As if our problems could be boiled down to ancient superstitions and folklore.
But my mind wasn’t on curses. It wasn’t even on the dwindling birthrate or the elders’ unease.
It was on her.
Melissa.
Was she truly a spy?
I suddenly remembered the fear in her eyes, the way she had paled when I confronted her. I felt the tremor in her hands whenever she served me tea, the slight hesitation in her movements as if she were constantly weighing her options.
It was already bad enough that I had fallen for a slave—a maid whose station was beneath the notice of most. But to be deceived by her? To have my emotions twisted and used against me by a mere servant?
The humiliation would be unbearable.
I could already see the smirks of the other Alphas, who respect me deeply, who look up to me for my strength and leadership. I could imagine them turning their backs on me and whispering behind closed doors.
“Alpha?”
Samson’s voice jolted me back to the present.
“Yes?” I forced the word out, leaning back in my chair.
“I was saying that if we initiate a fertility ritual, it might—”
Suddenly, the door to my study swung open, crashing against the wall with a thud.
Ethan strode in. His hands wrapped around a folded paper and his knuckles white against the crumpled edge.
“Leave.” He commanded.
Samson bristled, his shoulders squaring. “I was in the middle of—”
“Leave!” Ethan didn’t spare him a glance, his eyes locked on me.
Samson’s mouth opened, then closed. He cast a wary glance in my direction, and I gave him a short nod.
“We’ll discuss this later.” I said.
Samson bowed, then he slipped out of the room. The door clicked shut behind him, and I met Ethan’s gaze, arching a brow. “Where is the package?”
Ethan’s lips curled into a smirk, and he lifted the paper between his fingers. “It was a letter.”
“A letter?” I sat up, a thread of anticipation tightening in my chest. “Have you read it?”
“Not yet.” He stepped forward, holding it out. “I thought it would be right to read it with you.”
I took the letter, its seal catching the light. Vellex Pack.
My pulse quickened. Melissa had ties to the Vellex Pack?
I tore the envelope open, the sound of ripping paper sharp in the quiet room. My fingers slipped inside, drawing out the folded letter. I flattened it against my desk and began to read aloud.
\---
Dear Melissa,
I will not be able to send out your letter to the Sheriff's office, because your mother has been missing for decades now. And a new rule has established that only recent missing cases can be reported. And I am only a maid here, so no one would want to help me out just because I asked for it.
However, I would advise that you search for her family instead. You could write a letter to the Sheriff's office and let them know that your mother went missing while you were still a child and now you want to search for her family and reconcile with them.
Yours truly, Mira.
\---
The words settled in the air, a stark contrast to the suspicion that had hung over her.
Ethan’s confusion mirrored my own. “She’s searching for someone?”
I rested the letter on the desk, staring at the ink as if it might rearrange itself into a different truth.
“She mentioned it once,” I murmured. “Said she was looking for someone. I thought it was a lie—an excuse to deflect suspicion.”
Ethan’s frown deepened. “What do we do now?”
I exhaled slowly. “Send for her.”
He nodded, slipping out of the room.
I remained seated, my thoughts churning. Had I misjudged her? Was she truly nothing more than a daughter searching for answers, longing to reconnect with a family long lost?
Minutes later, the door swung open again, and Melissa stepped inside. Her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths, a sheen of sweat on her forehead.
“You called for me, Alpha?”
I held up the letter. “I’ve read it.”
Her expression remained neutral, but I caught the subtle twitch of her lips, the way she bit down on the edge of a smile. She bowed her head. “Thank you.”
“Why are you searching for your mother?”
Her voice was soft, almost wistful. “She went missing when I was young. I just wish to reconnect with her.”
“It won’t be possible to find her after so many years. Why not search for her family instead?”
Her shoulders slumped, and she exhaled. “They cut her off when she married my father. He was a struggling orphan, not the merchant’s son they had wanted for her.”
“And do you really believe they’ll accept you?”
She hesitated, then nodded. “I want to try. I don’t want to be a slave forever.”
Her words hung in the air, a quiet defiance beneath her humility.
“Do you plan on leaving?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
She didn’t answer.
I clenched my jaw. “I don’t want you to.”
She lifted her gaze, her eyes sharp. “A concubine, not a Luna?”
The truth of her words struck hard, a slap to my pride.
I stood, crossing the room to her. I pulled her into my arms, desperate to bridge the distance between us.
I leaned in, but she turned away. “Is there anything else, Alpha?”
Pain lanced through me, but I released her. “No. You may leave.”
She turned, but before she reached the door, I found my voice.
“I will help you.”
She stopped, and when her eyes met mine, they were wide with surprise.
“I will help you find your mom.”