16. Most Cunning Alpha
ALPHA RAIDEN
I watched her walk away, chasing after her being my first instinct.
That was her.
Aurelia.
Or was I seeing things again?
"You aren't seeing things. That's her and I have been trying to tell you since we entered Black Fur Pack. I sensed her but-" My wolf began, his voice spreading disbelief through my system.
"But I thought it was a fluke." I completed my wolf's statement.
Truly, after we drove past the borders of Black Fur Pack, my wolf stirred within me and I felt closer to my mate than I have ever felt in years but this wasn't the first time I would feel Aurelia like she was beside me even though she had been gone for years. Sensing and craving her was a regular occurrence to me but seeing her in flesh wasn't.
"Aurelia," I whispered with a shaky voice, my legs moving to catch up with her.
Andrew's hand shot out to grab mine as he said into my mind, "You can't lose control here, Alpha, and not before the most cunning Alpha in the realm."
I snatched my hand from my Beta, almost snarling at him. "She's mine. That's my mate!" I used the mindlink to respond because Andrew was right, I needed to control myself.
"Is there a problem, Alpha Raiden? You seem shaken?" Tristan's voice was low and to most people, welcoming, but I knew him better than to be fooled by his pretense. His eyes traced my gaze which was still on Aurelia's back as she bounced away like she wasn't the same woman who shivered each time I touched her and made her scream in that bedroom. "Oh, I see Lia caught your eyes. She's my most prized-"
"She's not yours." I gritted, barely stopping myself from lashing out as I glared at Tristan.
Lia? Aurelia is Lia. I was sure of that. I could feel our broken bond burning softly within me, making it hard for me to concentrate on anything but her. I wondered if she only changed her name or perhaps lost her memories because there was no recognition in her eyes when I stared into them earlier.
Her eyes used to carry her emotions but-Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.
"You killed the light in her eyes. Blame that on yourself, asshole." Lex murmured to me, more hostile than ever.
Tristan got my attention right after Aurelia disappeared. He chuckled, a bit of his hatred for me slipping into his laughter. "She is in fact, mine, Alpha Raiden." Tristan spelled out to me, hitting me where it hurt the most. "I'll see you during dinner tonight or tomorrow. Welcome to Black Fur Pack, Raiden."
My blood boiled when my name rolled off Tristan's tongue and I wanted nothing more than to smash his face on the nearest wall just to get rid of the evil smirk he had on his face before he turned around, jogging to probably catch up with Aurelia. Saying I was angry would be an understatement and it wouldn't fully describe the emotions surging through my mind and heart.
Aurelia was right before my eyes.
She walked away from me.
That bastard called her his and-
"He also mentioned kids, Raiden. Do you think they are married? Could they have-" Lex spewed that rubbish into my mind while my body trembled visibly.
"Enough!" I cut off my wolf, shoving him to the deepest part of my mind despite knowing that it would come back to bite me in the ass. I faced Andrew, silently sending a prayer to the moon goddess as I said to him, "Find everything you can about her and the relationship she has with that bastard."
"Alpha." Andrew shook his head. "I don't think we should snoop around in Alpha Tristan's pack. You already stepped on his toes and the goddess knows what you'll do before we leave his pack. You promised to keep your head low and-"
"Find every detail or I'll do the snooping myself, Drew!" I snapped, ignoring the curious eyes of everyone around the guesthouse that we had been directed to from the border. So much for showing up and proving to these people that I was still the same Raiden whose name resonated with power. "You don't want me to do that, right?" That wasn't a question.
But still, Andrew nodded, his lips tight as he chimed, "Yes, Alpha. I'll get you all you need but first, we have to settle in and not stir up rumors."
I might not be bothered about the eyes around us but my Beta was and I would have been thankful to him if my heart wasn't throbbing and yearning to have Aurelia close again. Becoming a better man for Larisa was the goal I was meant to achieve for this trip but as we were led to the chambers I would be staying with a few of my men, taking Aurelia back home with me became the new goal.
"This is your chambers, Alpha Raiden. I am available to provide all you'll need during your stay and..." Someone said beside me but I zoned out without acknowledging the person and I stepped into the chamber with no one else but Andrew.
Andrew closed the door behind me while I stood in the center of the room with zero interest in looking around. I couldn't care less about the interior of the room nor could I bring myself to stop staring into space.
"Are you sure that's her, Raiden?" Andrew asked me, relaxing because we were finally alone after driving for almost thirty hours just to attend a silly competition in my enemy's territory. "That woman looked like Aurelia but she's different. There is power in her stance and I could have sworn-"
Although I understood what Andrew was saying, I still snapped at him, "Cease wasting precious time and get me the details I need before the competition begins tomorrow, Drew."
My Beta stiffened beside me, shocked by my outburst but he bowed to me and left me alone in the room to struggle with the raw emotions that ate me away rapidly as time skipped past me. Before I knew it, it was nighttime and the thought of my mate married to Tristan kept me up all night.