Chapter 79 Chapter 0079
•MASON•
In the morning, I woke up with my pillow drenched with sweat. I had one of those nightmares again and it was the same dream I usually had.
I sat up on the bed and tried to catch my breath. The last time I had that same dream, our borders were being attacked.
Even though no one got hurt and our warriors were able to handle the situation, we could have been left vulnerable.
Our reputation as a stable and heavily guarded pack was at risk, and if those rogues had ever succeeded in penetrating our borders, we would have been in serious trouble.
So I picked up my phone and called Noah. He was overseeing things on my behalf, and I trusted him with my life.
He picked up on the second ring. "Alpha."
"Noah, is everything alright in Silvercrest?" I asked. "I want to know if it's time for me to come home."
"Everything's fine here, Alpha," he answered without hesitation. "I am checking on the farms, and it seems like the new equipment we managed to buy is doing a wonderful job. We will have enough harvest for the following year if things continue going smoothly."
"That's much better," I answered, getting off the bed. "I will speak with Alpha Zerith about trading with them before winter. We will have a lot of shortfall in our food production if we try to rely only on our farms."
"Is the deal with Alpha Blackwood dead?"
"He pulled out a long time ago, Noah," I sighed as I headed to the bathroom. "But Ronan's pack is not the only one with rich fertile land."
"That's right, Alpha. I will try as much as I can to push the farm's harvest to the maximum."
"Thank you, Noah." I stepped into the bathroom and turned on the lights. "What happened to Jane and Liam? Did the elders let them go as I commanded?"
He didn't answer for a moment. "Yes, Alpha. Liam and Jane are safe, but they've already left the pack house."
"They've left?" I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. Liam would have called me if he were leaving. He knew that I believed him and Jane. Jane was a good woman and would never have conspired against me.
"They never said anything to anyone," Noah replied. "But Jane made it clear she wouldn't stay in a pack where she was being accused of things she never committed."
"Liam had no right to abandon his title without me being there," I frowned. "They had to wait for me to return before making such a drastic decision."
"The elders and I were overpowered. They didn't want to discuss anything. Many pack members are blaming you for their departure. They are saying that if you hadn't left, Liam and Jane would still be here."
I pressed my hand flat against the bathroom counter and stared at the floor.
Liam had been my Delta for years. He was one of the few people in that pack whose loyalty I had never once questioned.
The thought of him walking away without a word meant something had gone very wrong in my absence.
"Noah, is there something that's going on in the pack?"
He cleared his throat. "The pack is a little unsettled after Liam and Jane's departure, Alpha. It was unexpected and people are asking questions. But nothing that can't be managed. The Luna is holding things together well in your absence."
I frowned. "Nadia has been addressing the pack directly?"
"Only to reassure them," Noah replied. "You know how she is. She cares deeply about Silvercrest and she doesn't like seeing the members worried."
It made me worried because she could've said something that angered Jane and Liam. They wouldn't have left without a reason.
"And the elders?" I asked.
"They are managing their responsibilities as always," he replied. "Elder Fenrik has been vocal about wanting your return, but that is nothing new."
"Is there anything else I should know?" I asked.
"Nothing that can't wait until you return, Alpha," he answered. "The important thing is that the pack is stable and the borders are secure. You should take whatever time you need to resolve your personal matters."
I turned off the bathroom light and walked back into the bedroom.
"I will be back within two days," I replied. "You can inform the elders."
"Of course, Alpha. We look forward to your return. And Alpha, I would suggest not staying away beyond that."
"Noted," I replied.
"Safe travels," he said warmly, and ended the call.
I sat on the edge of the bed with the phone in my hand and stared at the wall.
No matter how hard I tried to convince myself that Liam abandoned his title because he wanted to be with Jane, I couldn't stop wondering about what could have triggered them.
I didn't know why Nadia insisted that Jane poisoned me, but it made me uneasy that Liam left in my absence.
I groaned as I tried to call Nadia.
She and I had our problems and had a pending divorce, so it wasn't surprising that she didn't want to pick up my calls.
All my calls went straight to voicemail.
I placed the phone on the nightstand and considered calling Rowan. But before I could press call, the phone buzzed in my hand.
It was Cassandra.
I cleared my throat before I pressed the phone to my ear, but the voice I heard made my heart jump.
"Daddy! Daddy! When are you coming to see me?"
"Don't you worry, my princess," I answered. "Daddy is on his way to see you."