“What did you just say?” Reed asked, and I could already feel he was trying to control his anger, trying not to lose his calm but failing miserably.
“I…” I gulped audibly and looked around for someone, anyone for my rescue. Fuck, not Diana, not even August.
“I met Hecate last night,” I said and pursed my lips. For some reason, he intimidates me so much. Suddenly I felt like I was standing in a principal’s office, and he was not my mate but the old grumpy teacher.
He closed his eyes and tried to take deep breaths. “I am not grumpy,” he grumbled, and suddenly I started giggling. He looked annoyed and…embarrassed.
I giggled, and soon they turned into full-on hysterical laughs. He didn’t say anything then, just kept looking at me amusingly.
“What did you find amusing?” he asked, and I could feel he was also trying to suppress his smile. I wiped a tear from my eye. My stomach hurt from laughing.
“You.”
“Me?” This time, there was a ghost of a smile on his face.
“Yes, you. You are an old grumpy man who happens to be my mate,” I said and quickly kneeled to gather the broken plate pieces before my mom found out I ruined her favorite set.
Reed kneeled as well and started gathering the pieces far from me. “Why did you meet her? She isn’t safe,” He said, and his eyebrows knotted in confusion.
“Oh, please! From the first day, nothing related to you is safe,” I said and put the pieces in a bag. Reed did the same.
“That’s another point well-made, Miss Rockwood,” he said. Although he was not quite happy with my remark, I knew he was not upset either.
“What did she say exactly?” he asked, genuinely intrigued.
I finally turned to his side and found him already looking at me. I sighed before I told him everything from the start and the reasons she gave me for why she was helping in the first place, which was technically my father’s love affair with her.
“So, this is it. I hope your curiosity is finally quenched,” I said and started walking outside. Before I could have taken another step, he grabbed my waist and pulled me roughly toward him, and in the next moment, I was in his arms.
“Where are you going, kitten?” he asked, his voice guttural and husky. Our lips were close, and my mouth watered.
“Now, let me remember.” He faked trying to think while looking above.
‘You have been a bad kitty. A very bad one,” he said, and the surroundings turned fifty shades darker and…suddenly hot.
I tried to loosen myself from his death hold, trying to wiggle myself from his grasp. He chuckled deeply, and my heart thundered in my chest.
“First.” He put both of my hands in his one before showing me his index finger of his free hand.
“First, you met the most dangerous witch who almost tried to kill us two days back.” I was about to speak before he put the same index finger on my lips, silencing me immediately.
“You are not allowed to speak now, kitten. This will only add to your punishment,” he said and licked his bottom lip. Punishment?
He pulled his hand away when he was sure he had successfully made me silent. He showed me his second finger.
“Now, you started something on this very morning and then left me hanging.” He shook his hand and made a tsk sound.
“Last and the most offensive crime.” He showed me his third finger, and I gulped audibly at his words.
“You still didn’t tell me if you will come with me to my pack, as my Luna, even when I risked my life and talked to your father,” he finally completed, and any moment my heart could burst; it could only bear so much.
“Um.” He shushed me immediately. “No, no, no. Did I allow you to speak? Did I?” He crossed the remaining distance between us, and I cursed internally, knowing there was no one when I needed them the most.
We were in close proximity, and just when he was about to touch his lips to mine, his eyes fogged over, and he retracted.
I released the breath I didn’t know for how long I was holding. He was talking to someone in the mind link. Most probably Asher. He talked to Asher all the time. He spent his time with him more than me—poor Asher.
His eyes soon turned back to normal, but a frown was plastered on his beautiful, sculptured face.
“I need to go and check on my warriors, kitten,” he said, and the butterflies in my stomach flapped their wings at the nickname. I could count on my fingers how many times he had called me kitten, but it made my heart flutter for an unknown reason every time.
He quickly kissed me before looking straight into my eyes. “Don’t you run away because when I return, we are going to talk about your punishment.” His voice was dead serious, and his eyes danced in mirth.
He put his index finger on my bottom lip, and then only I realized I was biting it. “Later, kitten.” I nodded, and in the next second, he was gone, leaving me surrounded by his scent.
Reed’s POV
“Alpha.” Asher bowed before we started walking together toward the houses where my warriors were residing.
“What happened, Asher?” Obviously, I was angered and frustrated because he interrupted me when I was alone with my mate. He sucked at timing.
“Another warrior went missing, and that adds up to five in this week and four in the last week,” he said, looking from the corner of his eye.
Since we had arrived at Esma’s pack, my warriors had started going missing from the first day itself. I didn’t give it much thought, thinking some of them just flew away or returned silently to their packs. But last week, my three best warriors suddenly went missing, and I tried to call their homes.
They were not even at their homes. And now, five this week, and today is Friday, which means there were two more days.
“Did you try to contact their families or relatives or their friends?” I asked, praying internally at least they were safe. Asher nodded, but the expression on his face had already given me the answer.
“They are starting to fear, alpha,” he said. I didn’t say anything because I knew he was right. Something was lurking in the darkness, which was coming for me, my pack, my people.
“Did you try to talk to anyone, if anyone saw something suspicious or if someone talked to Adam before he went missing?” Still the same expression and I growled.
“Say something, Asher. At least you can answer verbally.” I growled, and his body posture stiffened.
“No, alpha. No one found anything suspicious, nor none of them talked to Adam. It was like he was not here from the start itself,” he completed and hummed.
We stopped when we got near the houses. I quickly walked to Adam’s room; his room was untouched, and his scent still lingered. His things were not packed, which meant he didn’t go anywhere. Not unless if there was some emergency.
“What the heck is happening to my pack?” I voiced my thoughts. Asher walked behind me and stood silently.
“Alpha, can you feel them? I mean, are they alive?” he asked, and there was sudden urgency in his voice. I knew, and he also knew that we were linked with the blood. We could feel each other, but the warriors who went missing… their links were broken from us.
Asher and the others couldn’t feel them, and neither could I. It could only happen when either they were dead, or they have deliberately broken their links from our pack and joined another, which I couldn’t process.
“Just keep your eyes and ears open, Asher,” I ordered before shaking my head and walking out of the house.
Whenever I thought I was finally at peace, life threw another fucking stone in my path. Another fucking obstacle, another mystery.
“You looked worried.” I stopped on my tracks and turned immediately, only to meet Dumeny standing near our house leaning against a tree. He looked so calm, and his face was blank with no emotions. He looked different from the last time I saw him.
Something about him cried for danger. My senses were already alert, checking for danger whenever he was near me. Although I didn’t like him, I still respected him because he helped Esma in every aspect. But I didn’t trust him.
We looked into each other’s eyes, and none of us said anything. His eyes were hooded and mysterious, and they looked….
…Familiar.
“What happened?” he asked again, and this time looked in the direction of the house before shaking his head.
“I hear you got some problem in your pack?” he asked, but there was something in his eyes I couldn’t put my finger on. I pursed my lips. When he got that I wouldn’t speak, he shook his head.
“We are on the same side. Since day one, I trusted you on the witches’ matter,” he said and put his one hand on my right shoulder. I flinched immediately. Everything about him cried danger. My senses were already alert.
“Why did you come? And without any notice.” I voiced my thoughts. He smirked at my question.
“I wanted to know if Esma was alright. I heard the news of your accident, and in the next moment, I fled to your pack,” he said and shrugged as if it was obvious.
“How did you know we had an accident?” This time, he looked taken aback by my question as if he was not prepared for it, but it was gone as soon as it came on his face. He didn’t say anything but started walking in the direction of home.
He stopped before covering a considerable distance and turned back in my direction, and I don’t know, there was something in his eyes. They were lethal and menacing.
“You ask too many questions, Reed. Just let loose a little.” He smirked knowingly before turning again and started walking again. I stared in his direction until he couldn’t be seen.
“Alpha?” Asher’s voice interrupted me. I turned in his direction and lifted my eyebrow.
“There is something I want to tell you…” He looked lost for words; he was sweating, and fear was evident in his voice. I have never seen Asher so scared and terrified before. Not even from me.
“There is something I want to show you before anybody would see it,” he spoke urgently. I didn’t waste a second and gestured for him to lead the way. He changed into his wolf and started running deeper into the forest.
I quickly followed his lead.