Kyle pov
“Has he said anything?” I march into the cell where Gabriel and Alexander held Jackson for questioning.
“No.” Gabriel drops his silver knife on the table.
“Honestly”, he rasps out of breath. “I don't think he knows anything.” he looks at me sincerely.
“Come on, his son has been missing since the party, and no one can find Faith. This piece of sh. it has to know where he is.” I frown. It's almost all I do lately.
“Look, Alpha Kyle, this guy is definitely a piece of work. There is no doubt about that. He's a terrible leader and an absent parent at best. He couldn't tell you the first thing about his son because he doesn't care about him.”Gabriel glared at Jackson. His knuckles clenched by his sides like he was ready to hit him again. Gabriel hated a man who neglected his children; we all did. But as a victim of his own father's abusive ways, he took it worse than most.
“I hate to say it, man, but we’re going to have to let him go.” Alexander studied me carefully, which annoyed me. I wasn’t some loose cannon about to go off; I knew how these things worked.
“Besides, without proof, he's involved somehow. We have to cut him loose.” Gabriel agrees with Alexander.
“ keep trying.” I snarl as I storm out of the cell and slam the gate behind me so hard it bounces back and shakes the room. I don't need proof. Declans guilty, I know it. They know. Everyone knows it.
I appreciated everyone’s help, but the lack of results was pissing me off. We searched every inch of this entire pack, yet we had found nothing. They had to be somewhere!
David! Pack our shit. We're leaving in fifteen minutes, tell the others. And I closed the link off. I could barely stand the sight of David at the moment. I trusted him with Faith, and he lost her.
Although I don’t blame Gabriel, his methods had been extreme, I was genuinely surprised that Jackson was still alive, but I was feeling incredibly let down. Faiths out there, pregnant with my baby, and I can't help her or our unborn child. My only hope is that Declan hasn't noticed that she is pregnant yet. He was extremely volatile, and there was no predicting how he would react to be news, but I didn't like Faith's chances.
“Are you sure we should leave?” Mitchell fretted as we loaded our bags into the car.
“We have searched this property a dozen times, Mitchell. As the former beta, tell me can you think of anywhere on these lands or just outside of that Declan could be keeping her undetected?” I levelled with him.
I had looked over the blueprints myself. I was confident that we would have found her already if she were here.
“Not that we haven’t checked already.” He clenched his jaw and gave me a hard stare.
I don’t blame him for being angry with me, he.ll, I’m mad at myself too.
“Then yeah, I’m sure. It’s time we expand the search. We’re just wasting time here, time that Faith doesn’t have. I can work better from home. Believe me, Mitchell, I will not rest until she’s back with us and safe and sound. I’m not leaving because I’m giving up. I’m leaving because it’s necessary.”
I get in the car and slam the door behind me. I turn the engine over and wait for Mitchell to get in.
“Okay fine.” I heard him mutter over the engine.
“Are you good?” I ask as he drops into the passenger seat.
“Just drive.” He grumbles.
I shove the car in gear and pull out, as do the other three vehicles we brought with us.
“Mitchell, I’m holding a meeting in my office. Your welcome to be there.” I pull up in front of the packhouse and turn the car off. I hadn’t been gone more than a week, and this place already felt strange to me. I chalked it up to missing Faith and got out of the car.
“I’ll be there. When is it?”
“Right now,” I tell him.
“Okay.” I expected him to want to go to heather first, so I was relieved when Mitchel turned on his heel and started marching toward my office.
David and all of my best warriors all waited for me inside my office, and, much to my surprise, my brother James was there too, along with his beta Aaron.
“Brother. I didn't call you. What are you doing here?” I shake his hand. I would hug him, but we were never close like that, and it felt strangely intimate.
“Aaron.” I give his hand a quick shake too.
“Come on, Kyle, everyone’s heard about your missing Luna by now. Many alphas are gearing up to challenge Declan for his title the moment he’s found. No one agrees with what he's doing, and many are worried about his future leadership. If he can’t treat his mate right, it seriously calls into question how well he will look after his kin. As for the rest, we’ll they are waiting for to you call them. We all just want to see you bring your mate home safe.” James says.
“My mate and my pup,” I announce to the room. So far, only David and I knew about Faith's pregnancy.
Several shocked gasps echo throughout the small space.
“My little girl is pregnant,” Mitchell shouted. “And you still let this happen?” Mitchell jabbed an accusatory finger at both David and me. Not that I blame him. I promised him that I would keep her safe, and I failed.
“I didn’t know until after it had already happened.” I glare at David. I was seriously reconsidering his position as beta now. He should have told me about Faith's pregnancy the moment Ingrid said something to him. He knew about the curse. How he could be so ignorant was beyond me.
“I’m going to be an uncle. That’s great, man. I can’t wait to meet your little one.” My brother congratulates me.
“Thank you, James. But I can’t celebrate right now.” I feel so down. I will fix everything. I won't give up until I do, or ill die trying, but the hole in my heart was growing bigger and bigger the longer she was gone. My eyes longed to gaze upon her. My fingers yearned to reach out and touch her. My ears crave to hear the sound of her sweet voice. My arms missed holding her. There was no me without her. “Right now, my only concern is getting them home.”
“Tell me. What can we do to help.” James jumps right into Alpha mode.
“Split the list of Alphas willing to help in two, you call half, and I’ll call the rest. Ask them to be on standby, the moment we find where Declan’s hidden faith, we attack. Don’t forget to tell them that Faith is pregnant. They will be more inclined to help.” I hate using my child as a pawn, but if it got me more support, then I would use it. “The more support we have, the better. We have no way of knowing how much help Declan has or how long he has been planning this.” I explain.
“As for all the warriors in the room. Reach out to any and all contacts you have. I don’t care who they are or where they come from. If they have any information, I want it. Pass this order onto other warriors at shift change, and keep your eyes peeled. Declan could be anywhere. The more people on the lookout, the better. I doubt that we will get so lucky, but there is a chance that Declan could reach out in some way, maybe a ransom demand of some kind. If he does this, I want to know immediately. I don't care if it's three in the morning or if I'm in the middle of something important. You get me immediately.”
I make eye contact with each and every one of the men in the room. It’s important to me that they know just how serious I am.
“Yes, alpha.” They all chorus back one by one.
“Good. Also, I’m double training. Morning and afternoon sessions, I want us all prepared, is that understood?” It would take more than myself to take down Declan. He was only one man. Unfortunately, there was no telling how long Declan had been planning on kidnapping Faith or if he had followers. Either way, it was best to be prepared for any situation.
“Yes, Alpha”, my men repeated.
“Good, you may leave the room. Mitchell, James, and David, please stay behind.” I see my brother, Faith's father and my beta all eye me suspiciously.
“I would prefer if Aaron stayed.” James framed it like a request, but we both knew that it wasn’t.
I waited till every last warrior shuffled out of the room before responding.
“Depends.” I purse my lips into a thin line, annoyed that James even had the gall to ask this of me.
“On what?” He furrowed his eyebrows.
“On his ability to keep his mouth shut!” I said bluntly.
Only my pack knew about the witch, and only David knew about the curse, and I wanted to keep it that way.
“Aaron, I would like you to swear to my brother and me as your Alpha that whatever you're about to hear stays between us. It does not leave this room. You got it.” James sternly warns his beta.
“Alpha Kyle. You have my word. Whatever it is you wish to discuss will never again be repeated by me. I swear it.” Aaron bowed his head respectfully.
“Alpha James, as your beta, I am loyal to you, I swear it. I will not betray you or Kyle.” Aaron pledges.
That's good enough for me.
“David, call Ingrid in here, please.”
“What, why?” David asked. I didn’t like how he stuttered. Why would he feel the need to be defensive if he or his mate had nothing to hide?
“Do you have something you are keeping from me? If you do, confess it now, and I shall spare you!” I hated using my Alpha command. It felt wrong, like I was abusing my power, but not this. This time I didn’t think twice before using every one of it I could muster on my Beta.
“There is nothing that I’m keeping from you,” David answers as a bead of seat rolls down the side of his. He’s telling the truth, I am sure of it.
“Okay then, please call your mate!.” I ask him again. This time he doesn’t say anything. His face simply gets that blank look that one gets when they are mind linking someone.
“Mitchell, I'm sure I don't have to remind you, do I? Not a word, not even to Heather until we know that Faith is okay.”
“I'll do anything to protect my little girl,” he swears, and I believe him.
An: massive apology to everyone who’s been waiting for an update. I have been looking for work since separating from my ex and I found a full time job. I just got exhausted from going back to work and changing the kids routines again. Will update over the weekend