Chapter 260 260 The Man Who Would Not Let Her Go

Chapter 260 260 The Man Who Would Not Let Her Go

Joseph and Adam finally arrived at Ceenas after what felt like the longest drive Joseph had taken in a while. The road stretched on for too long, and every passing mile only reminded him that he was farther from Victoria than he wanted to be. He kept telling himself this trip was necessary. They needed answers. They needed to know what Sebastien was doing, where Ashley was, and what Malcolm truly wanted from them. Still, the whole thing annoyed him because his mind was not fully on the mission. It kept dragging him back home to the woman he had left in his bed that morning.

New faces stood at the gate when they arrived, and Joseph did not need to guess why. Luckily, they had called Malcolm before coming, so he knew they would not have trouble entering. Malcolm had also informed Sebastien about Joseph’s visit, and Sebastien had made sure Boris and his men were sent on an errand so they would not know Joseph was coming. The men at the gate were Sebastien’s own men, those who had followed him from River Pack. Malcolm had said they could be trusted, but Joseph still kept his guard up. Trust was not something he gave easily anymore.

One of the guards walked towards the truck to inspect them. He had a grim expression and the kind of face that did not look used to smiling. He stared at Adam briefly, then at Joseph, before nodding to the others to open the gate. The men obeyed at once, and Adam drove into the settlement. Joseph looked around as they moved through Ceenas, taking in everything quietly. Nothing much had changed compared to the last time he and Ethan had visited, but the pack looked fuller now. That was expected. Sebastien had taken over, and the people who left River Pack with him would naturally settle there.

Joseph wondered if Malcolm was truly content living under someone else’s control or if the man had a plan to free himself. He did not look like the sort of Alpha who enjoyed being oppressed. Then again, Ceenas did not feel like a pack crushed under a tyrant either. People moved around normally. There was no heavy fear in the air, no obvious suffering, no visible sign that they were prisoners inside their own home. That bothered Joseph because it did not match what he expected. Either Malcolm had accepted his fate too easily, or there was something they did not yet know.

The warriors led them to a chalet away from the packhouse. It was a little isolated, which made Joseph more alert. According to Malcolm, Sebastien was not around, so this was the best time for them to visit. Joseph and Adam entered carefully, both of them ready in case something went wrong. The chalet was far from luxury, but it was habitable. It had two beds, a table, one chair and a bathroom. The cooling unit worked too, which meant they could survive there if they had to stay for a short while.

Joseph did not plan to stay more than three days. Even that felt too long. He wanted to solve whatever needed to be solved and return to Victoria. He hated that he had to deal with this mess now, when for the first time in a long time, he had something soft waiting for him at home. Adam could tell he was not looking forward to lingering in Ceenas, and that made him laugh quietly. He wondered if he would become that way too when he finally found the right woman. Maybe all men mocked love until it caught them.

Food was brought in for them not long after. They did not want to eat it, but refusing would be rude. It would look like they were throwing Malcolm’s hospitality back in his face, and Joseph did not want to create unnecessary tension before they even knew what was happening. The omega who brought the food set the tray on the table and left quickly. Adam walked to the table and lifted the cover. It was a feast, enough food to feed more than two men.

“Malcolm appears to have power here for someone that seems to be oppressed,” Adam said.

Joseph had noticed the same thing.

“We will find out what is going on when he comes. For now, we keep our heads down,” Joseph said.

They tasted the food with their tongues first and waited. It felt ridiculous and sad, but it was necessary. After forty minutes passed and neither of them felt strange, they decided the meal was clean and ate it. By then, it had gone cold, but Joseph did not care. Cold food was better than dying foolishly over a delicious meal. Their lives were precious, and after everything waiting for them back home, they were not going to waste them by being careless.

Malcolm came three hours later. By then, Joseph was already tired of waiting and becoming nervous. Adam opened the door for him, and Malcolm entered looking far too happy for a man who had supposedly lost his pack. His smile was wide, and his entire mood felt wrong for the situation. Joseph watched him carefully, trying to read past the cheerfulness.

“McCloud!” Malcolm said.

Joseph forced a polite smile onto his face.

“Alpha Rodriguez, this is my Beta, Adam Taylor,” Joseph said.

Adam shook Malcolm’s hand.

“Nice to meet you, Alpha Rodriguez,” Adam said with a smile.

They all sat. Malcolm took the only chair in the chalet while Joseph and Adam sat at the foot of each bed. It was an awkward arrangement, but no one complained. Joseph wanted the meeting over as soon as possible.

“I am glad you could make it, Joseph,” Malcolm said.

“How is Ethan?” he asked.

“He is fine,” Joseph replied.

“Still leaving you to do the heavy lifting, I see,” Malcolm teased.

Joseph took offence immediately, but he controlled his reaction. Ethan was doing more than anyone knew, and Joseph hated careless jokes about his brother’s condition. Malcolm must have realised he had stepped on something because he quickly adjusted himself and cleared his throat.

“That was meant to be a joke, but I apologise,” Malcolm said.

Joseph nodded, indicating that he would let it pass.

“So how may I be of service?” Malcolm asked.

Joseph took a deep breath. Their need was obvious, and Malcolm knew it, but he clearly wanted them to say it aloud.

“We need an army to eliminate this unknown guy and his lackeys. Just like you, we have one in Whitewood, and she is a menace,” Joseph said.

Malcolm laughed because he knew exactly who Joseph meant.

“I can understand. I haven’t had any dealings with her directly, but I heard she is a handful. How is Ethan handling it knowing she is his ex?” Malcolm asked.

Joseph found the question unnecessary, but he chose to humour him for the sake of the conversation.

“Ethan is happily married,” Joseph replied.

Malcolm nodded.

“Good for him,” Malcolm said.

Silence sat between them for a moment, and Joseph decided to break it before it became too heavy.

“Thank you for what your family did for my mother. She is well, and she and Leah just returned to the mansion,” Joseph said.