Chapter 140: Something's Wrong
Evelyn's POV
"If she abandoned you by choice, you shouldn't keep torturing yourself like this," I told Robert. "Whatever you have now is nothing like a real mate bond - it's just hurting you."
"You don't get it," Peter cut in, "This was never his choice."
Peter's gaze sharpened. "That man threatened to kill her if Robert broke the bond. He'd rather suffer himself than risk her safety." His voice dropped. "Whenever that couple's in a bad mood, they take it out on him. The first time, they even made him watch, just to see him suffer."
I covered my mouth, genuinely shocked. Even Acacia's worst bullying had never been so deliberately cruel.
"That's enough!" Robert snapped, his voice cracking. His breathing quickened as he stepped forward, clearly desperate to end this conversation.
But Peter wasn't done. "Why stop? If she's sticking around, she should know what we deal with under our 'leader' every day. Robert never betrayed the bond, so his mate never felt any pain. She needs to understand what this is like."
"I said enough!" Robert's voice dropped to a threatening growl.
I fell silent, trying to process everything. How could anyone treat their mate this way? It violated everything the mate bond was supposed to mean.
Robert straightened his shoulders with visible effort. "They should be finished by now. We need to go."
The car ride back was completely silent. My mind kept circling the same questions - who was Robert's mate, and who was this third person? This whole pack seemed caught in something much darker than we'd initially suspected.
Whoever was tormenting Robert deserved to pay. I suspected Peter might be suffering similarly. The casual way they discussed such cruelty was disturbing - like it was just part of normal life. If this was how the Rogue Wolf King operated, his organization needed to be stopped. And I had only confirmed two victims - how many others were suffering?
At the meeting point, we were the first to arrive, which visibly relieved Robert and Peter - being late apparently had consequences. Over the next twenty minutes, others trickled in, but barely half the usual crowd showed up. That immediately set me on edge - this run was typically packed.
Ruby arrived with several girls, all looking jumpy and constantly scanning the area.
Something's off, I said through the mind link to Taric. At least half the regulars are missing.
Stay alert, he responded. Be ready to move.
"Where is everyone?" I asked Robert casually.
"Weather's too nice. A bunch left early - they'll wait for us at the shifting spot." He wouldn't meet my eyes, and the excuse was paper-thin.
I let it slide for now and followed him to join the group. I noticed Brandon was missing too - very unusual since he was normally one of the first to arrive.
"Let's move!" Ruby shouted, taking off at a jog. Everyone followed immediately. Tonight's pace was nearly double the usual "warm-up run," and we reached the shifting area in record time.
Despite everyone breathing hard, no one showed real fatigue. Some were already stripping down to shift. I watched Robert and Peter hesitate before preparing to shift themselves.
"Something wrong?" I stepped back to give them space.
"Nothing, just..." Robert started, then stopped, clearly weighing his words.
I decided to be direct. "Don't BS me. Everything's weird tonight - we're missing half the group, there's nobody here who 'left early,' we practically sprinted here, and everyone's acting like they're headed to battle. Plus Brandon's gone. What's going on?"
"I always said your observation skills would land you in trouble." He stepped toward me but suddenly stopped with a grunt of pain. His eyes flicked to my shoulder, then he backed away. "We should shift now." He quickly stripped and transformed, knowing that in wolf form, we couldn't communicate through mind links.
Peter tore off his clothes and shifted with a growl. Everything about this felt wrong, but no one would give me a straight answer.
Everyone, heads up, I said through our link. This situation is totally off. Half the regulars are missing, and everyone's acting strange. Something's about to happen. I'll keep the link open.
We're watching, Taric replied. Conrad and Aria are positioned.
Everyone but me had shifted and was racing deeper into the forest. I hesitated, doubt filling me. Then I realized something - where was Ruby?
Her distinctive smaller wolf form was usually easy to spot; I'd guessed she might be an Omega. Looking around, I saw only the retreating pack with no sign of her.
Where's Ruby? I tried asking Conrad, but got no response. The link seemed blocked by something.
I decided not to shift yet and was about to follow the pack when something slammed into me from the side. I went flying, and before I could steady myself, I was hit again. This time I caught sight of my attacker - Ruby in human form, her eyes blazing with fury.
I jumped to my feet, dropping into a defensive stance. If she wanted a fight, I wasn't backing down. Before I could think further, she had shifted back to human form.
"You're such a problem," she spat, lunging at me again.
"Heard that one before," I said, easily sidestepping her clumsy attack. "Why not just tell me what I supposedly did to piss you off?"
"You thief!" she hissed. "You stole what was mine! You've been plotting against me the whole time!" She swung wildly.
I dodged, pushing her shoulder to knock her off-balance. "What are you talking about? We don't even know the same people."
Her hands transformed into claws as she slashed at my face. I blocked each attack, but my arms got cut several times. Thanks to my wolf, the wounds started healing quickly.
"Who am I supposed to have stolen?" I asked, still defending.
"That Alpha!" she roared. "He was supposed to be mine! We were good together, then you showed up and suddenly I wasn't enough anymore!"
A horrible realization hit me - she was Robert's mate, the woman who'd abandoned him. She'd left him for another man who knew about their bond and enjoyed Robert's suffering. Even worse, Robert hadn't told the whole truth - his "Beta" was actually an Alpha.
"I still don't understand who you mean. Besides Robert, I barely talk to anyone here," I said, struggling to control my anger as I tried to subdue her. "And if someone chose someone else, that was your choice. You're the one who betrayed your mate. Nobody should treat their destined mate the way you did."
We fought fiercely on the forest floor, leaves and dirt flying around us. I grabbed her wrists, but she was surprisingly agile, constantly trying to flip our positions. I managed to straddle her, my legs controlling her lower body, but she kept kicking at my back, fighting to break free.
"You understand nothing!" she spat, eyes wild. "When a powerful Alpha chooses you, nobody refuses! He chose me, wanted me as his mate!"