Chapter 61 When He Gets Poisoned (I)
Calhoun's POV
"This is not Jack the Rogue Psycho," I say when I stop in front of the cell gates.
"According to the way people described him, this is exactly what he looks like," Bryce explains carefully, still not believing the truth. I'll bet he thinks I'm just bluffing when in fact I am hundred percent sure.
Taking one look at the man in the cell, I shake my head. He has been beaten to the extent that he cannot even open his mouth to speak. His face and body is covered in bruises.
Bruce can be a brute at times, I'll bet this man cried and pleaded that he was being accused falsely, and knowing Bruce, he had paid deaf ears to each of his explanations.
"How did you find him?" I ask Bruce with a slight frown.
"A group of people brought him to the council hall and said he was caught stalking women. He's refused to talk about his underground basement where he has the women trapped."
"He's not Jack." My voice is firm this time.
"How would you know, Alpha Calhoun? No one knows exactly what he looks like," Bruce still thinks I'm just assuming and it's starting to get on my last nerves.
I put my hand on his shoulder so he'll know how serious I am. And he looks at my hand before dragging his eyes up to meet mine.
"Listen to me, Bruce. That man over there is far from what Jack looks like."
Bruce has his eyes raised in their sockets as he looks at me.
"What?"
"You've met him before, right?" My beta asks carefully as if it's something else that he means as if it's not Jack we're talking about.
And my response is a low sigh.
"Where?" Bruce questions.
The look I send him makes his jaw drop because he's trying to mind-link with me but I don't let him.
"Did Bruce try to abduct Kristen when you two were together?"
"Yes," I reply, holding his gaze.
"How? Where?" Bruce is super curious, he wants to know everything.
"At the cottage. She was drunk and had fallen into a deep sleep. I left only for a few minutes to get some leaves to boil for her hangover and when returned, she was gone."
Bruce blinks for a few seconds.
"I found Jack putting her in his truck when I went IN search of her. He wore a creepy mask. We fought and he was no match for me, still, he managed to escape." I explain, and then grind my teeth when I have flashbacks of the way I was bitten on the stomach by Jack's wolf. I healed the following day but it's still upsetting that he managed to inflict pain on me with pain. A common rogue.
"And you saw his face?" Bruce stares at me with all seriousness.
Slowly, I nod, "Release the man who you've tortured and ensure he's treated." I command authoritatively. It just doesn't settle well with me that someone else was tortured in place of the mad rogue.
Bruce just puts his hand on his face and sighs heavily, upon realizing the huge mistake he just made. He had someone else beaten and locked up, thinking it was Jack the Rogue Psycho.
"If he's tried to kidnap Kristen once and didn't succeed, he'll make the second attempt," Bruce drops this, something which makes this unsettling feeling surge through me.
"What do you mean by that?" I ask, trying to contain the feeling inside of me.
"She's not safe anymore," Bruce continues, "it's true Calhoun. Once Jack is obsessed, he doesn't stop until he gets the girl."
"How long has it been, two years?" Alpha Ezra already has a smile on my face when he sees me approaching him from afar. "And three months," I conclude, mirroring his expression as I near his side.
"Oh, so you keep account of everything." He uplifts a brow at me.
"I just happen to have a retentive memory," my response comes with a little scoff when I finally catch up with him.
"It's so good to see you again."
"The feeling is mutual, my friend."
We shake hands before taking our seats at the table. Alpha Ezra had his Beta and a few men on the table. While I'm just alone. I came on my own because I asked Bruce to clean up his mess.
Alpha Ezra and I have been friends for fifteen years. He came from a home with complete family members, including parents and siblings, while I had just Nana Joyce as of then. Our relationship started on the rocky part because we never liked each other from the onset, I was jealous he had everything I didn't while he was envious of my wealth.
We fought on the night of their pack's annual ceremony, caused a lot of damage, and injured ourselves. And his dad had us locked up in a cell for a full day without food. We were forced to reconcile and we became enemies to best of friends.
An omega/waiter is moving around the table, pouring wine into glass cups for everyone. When he reaches my side, he hesitates before pouring the wine.
"How has life been treating you?" I return my attention to Alpha Ezra.
"Not so bad, but I think I'm not ready for marriage yet," he makes this known to me through a chuckle.
"I see," that's all I can say because he's known for womanizing.
"You know, I wanted to apologize for not showing up on your wedding day but I can't anymore, since the whole mate, mother, and daughter thing came into the picture," Alpha Ezra says.
"It was complicated, but I'm working on fixing things," I toy with the glass of wine that I am yet to drink from.
"How will you do it? Divorce the mother or reject the daughter? It's a tough one, is it not?" He looks amused.
"Not at all, I already know what I want."
"The daughter?"
"She'll be the Greyhound's Luna right after graduation."
"Shit, how does the mom feel about this?" Alpha Ezra adjusts his sitting position.
"We're getting a divorce after all," I say after letting a few seconds slip by.
"I'll bet she's hurt, you leaving her to marry her daughter who is your mate and then the daughter will take over her place as Luna of your pack."
"I want to be with my mate, she's the woman I truly love." I tell Alpha Ezra, meaning every word.
All the men at the table look uncomfortable upon hearing this from me. Maybe they thought I would say it was Natalie I'd stay with.
"And what about the relationship between mother and daughter?"
"I'll protect Kristen, Natalie already hates her."
"Oh, that's complicated," Alpha Ezra has a weird expression on his face.
Shaking my head, I hold the glass of wine to examine it.
"You should drink up," Alpha Ezra urges me, "it's the newest product from my winery."
Without a second thought, I take a sip from the wine. It tastes good, better than I even expected so I drink the rest of it in one
gulp.
"You like it?" Surprisingly Alpha Ezra's eyes were on me the whole time. The look of satisfaction that spreads across his face doesn't settle well with me.
Worse, something sharp suddenly slices through my stomach.