The Secrets of the Panther
Chapter 36

LUNA LAUREN

Where the hell is he?

He should have been done with work.

Alpha Derek has always come to bed every night without fail. He always makes time for me. We came up with a routine for us. He has to finish work-related stuff by a reasonable time unless he has to be alpha for emergencies, but if that ever happens, he would always tell me. No one knows about our routine, as Derek doesn’t want pack members to know he needs me. He thinks it will make him weak, but I know he does it for his wolf, Bray. He gets restless without my wolf not being around. He needs her like I need Derek.

I look at the clock on the bedroom wall; 11 pm.

This is definitely not like him at all. I climb out of bed and head to the office. As I am about to come around the corner, I spot Linda coming out of the room with my mate following her.

What the hell is she up to?

I watch my mate talk to her and then suddenly kiss her cheek.

My wolf growls in my head, “Why is he doing that?” She says, snarling, staring back.

I look as Linda nods to him and leaves while my mate returns to the office.

I walk to the office door and barge in.

My mate looks at me and growls, “You should knock when you enter,” he says as he gets back to his chair.

I look back at him, stunned. Derek has never spoken to me like that ever.

What the hell is wrong with him?

“Well, what do you want?” he asks, looking at me.

Before I could answer, my wolf came through. “Lauren, I can’t reach Bray,” says my wolf, sounding really worried.

I look back at him and glare, “Sorry for the intrusion; I was wondering when you will come to bed,” I ask.

My wolf is glaring back, but something is off with him. He looks like my Derek, but his aura is different.

I sniff the air. His scent is here, but not something else lingers.

“He doesn’t smell like mate,” says my wolf with a growl.

“I won’t be coming to bed. I have loads of work to do. I need to finish it,” he says.

I look back and glare.

Something definitely is wrong with my mate.

I look around and notice two glasses on the desk. “You’ve been drinking?” I ask him.

He looks at me and glares. “Woman, I had a drink, which is not your concern. Now leave me alone,” he says, and he turns his head away. He types on the computer.

I don’t leave. I’m still staring at my mate.

I wonder.

A plan forms in my head.

I walk over to my mate and looked at the screen to see what he was doing.

Why would he be...

He must have sensed I was behind. He shuts the computer down and turns to glare at me.

“What the fuck do you want?” he says with a snarl.

My wolf is up on all fours, growling. I know she wants out, but I ignore her.

I look at him and smile. I place my hand on his crotch and rub his cock. I know once I did that, he would stop and bend me over his desk like he used to. He looks down and grabs my hand. He moves fast and pushes me into the wall behind me hard. He has me pinned and snarling at me.

“I don’t want you here,” he says. “I have work to do, and it is important that I do it.”

His scent hits me. His scent is definitely off. Why does it smell familiar to me?

My wolf growled but looked worriedly through my eyes. “I can’t feel his wolf. It is like he’s not there,” she says.

“I’m sorry, my love, I thought you might want some fun, but if you are that busy with work, I will leave you to it,” I say.

I clench my teeth together as his grip on my hand tightens.

“I would never have you. You need to leave now,” he says, growling.

He pulls me to him and drags me to the door, throwing me out into the corridor. He glares at me and slams the door.

I’m stunned.

That is definitely not my mate.

I look around and notice that no one’s around, which is good.

I ran back to our room.

My wolf is angry but confused also, and so am I.

Derek has never acted like that ever to me. Well, he did twice at the beginning when Lucy was around.

When she left, he was his loving self again.

“His scent was not mates, not then and not now,” says my wolf.

“What do you mean?” I ask as I sit on the bed.

“He smelt like a pup when he had that potion, not mate. Must be someone else,” she says, snarling.

That can’t be right, but it all fits.

I can remember that smell coming off Blake. It was like he was possessed or something. I remember Blake telling me he felt like he was in the darkness alone like he went to sleep, but Axel was never there. Axel told him it also felt like they were separate from each other somehow.

WAIT.

If that’s not my mate, then who the hell is it?

I know who I can talk to.

“Graham, where are you?” I say, opening a mind link to him.

“Luna, I’m about to leave to see the alpha,” he says. “What’s wrong?”

I tell him what happened in the office and what my wolf and I think.

“I have a pretty good idea who Linda came in a few moments ago telling me we are to go to the Red Moon pack to collect something. She said the alpha wants us too,” he says with a snarl.

“Who do you think it is?” I ask him.

“Her bastard father. He had a go at Kacey the other day about something. When I asked her what it was about, she told me it was to do with him catching her with a girl. They were kissing. I know my girl likes girls, and I have ears. I listen to the gossip, and to be honest, I don’t care as long as she is happy, so am I,” he says.

I smile. Kacey told me about being lesbian when she was 11 as she found girls more attractive, but her mother always made the whole idea sound like it was wrong. I told her she should have told Graham, but she never knew what he would think.

“I’m glad she told me,” he blurts. “I just wish I could speak to Izzy.” I can feel the sadness coming through when he mentions his oldest daughter.

Crap, Izzy, and Blake are coming here tomorrow. I need to think fast, but suddenly an idea pops into my head.

I just hope he will go along with it.

“Graham, before you see the alpha. Come here; I have an idea. Who is your driver for tomorrow?” I ask him.

“Dylan,” he says, sounding confused, “Why?”

Ah, trusty Dylan, who likes to follow Dale around like a lost lamb.

“Get one of Derek’s personal guards to come here, too. I will explain what you going to do,” I say. “We need to set this in motion as I have to mind link Blake. He mentioned that he and Izzy are coming to see us about something tomorrow.”

Graham goes quiet for a moment but suddenly says, “Izzy, can’t be here if it’s Elder Johnson. He will kill her. He was hell-bent on making Blake choose Kacey as his chosen mate,” he says. His voice gets angry at the last part.

“I know, and we won’t let it happen,” I say. “I will see you in a few.”

We shut the mind link down.

We need to protect our kids.

I mean, all our kids.

I get off the bed; walk over to the photo on my dresser for years. A photo of both Lucy and I. We were expecting. Both of us had smiles on our faces. She was so happy back then.

I shake my head.

I need to mind-link Blake, and I need to tell him what is going on.

I need to tell him about the plan.