The Unwanted Wolf
The Hunted Wolf – Chapter 43

MARK

When I entered the room, I saw Ginger and Daniel sitting at a table next to each other. Daniel was nose deep in the history books Reyland had provided. It was a rare occasion to see that man not reading. Ginger, on the other hand, had her eyes closed, and she was perfectly still. She looked like a peaceful statue, used in a zen garden.

I hovered in the doorway, afraid to disturb their work.

“Don’t just stand there, boy. Come in. Ask your questions,” Ginger said with her eyes closed. She was one of the most perceptive people I knew. Even without the use of her eyes, she knew exactly what was going on in a room.

Daniel looked up at me and set down the book. He jotted down one last note before giving me his full attention.

“Oh, hello Alpha Mark. I didn’t even see you come in,” Daniel said.

“I told you, you don’t have to call me ‘alpha,’ Daniel. Mark is just fine.” I was a fan of Daniel, but I had a more difficult time talking to him than others. He was very analytical, and sometimes he would get focused on things that didn’t seem to matter. Adira always knew how to talk to him, though. Even though they had very different personalities, she was always able to bring out the best in Daniel. It was an incredible talent of hers.

“I know. It just feels weird not calling an alpha ‘Alpha,’” Daniel responded. “I’m assuming you’re here for information? I still have more things to go through, but these books are absolutely fascinating. It talks about the great war from the perspective of one of the werewolf leaders. They talked about how they overcame the struggle with dealing with some of the stronger sorcerers. The lesser ones didn’t matter too much, since they used simple magic. It was the ones with the greater magic that became an issue.

“They developed potions and resistances to certain types of magic. It leveled the playing field, so to say. Vampires were a completely different issue though. They were silent and fast, which gave them a different challenge to face.”

“Take a breath, boy. I swear you speak too fast.” Ginger finally opened her eyes as she scolded Daniel.

Daniel shrank in his chair. “Sorry, Gingey. I just get too excited sometimes.”

“This is all fascinating, Daniel. I’m sure this information will come in handy. I don’t suppose there is any information that will help us replace Adira?” I knew it was a long shot, since the documentation Daniel was combing through was before Cain’s time, but I had to ask. If there was any chance there was a lead that could help replace my mate, I had to explore it.

“No. I apologize, Alpha Mark.” Daniel looked down at the books, his frown deepening.

I hated seeing how much Adira’s lack of presence affected so many different people. I didn’t like seeing everyone so upset. But I also loved it. It really showed me that Adira would make a great luna. She had a way of making an impression on people, and the fact that so many people were working hard to bring her back showed a lot about her character.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. “There’s nothing to apologize for. Like I said, this could be very useful information. If a sorcerer has Adira, it might help us. If anything, it might help us against the Council of Magic, if they do decide to attack. Doctor Zayla is working on some sort of serum now, so if you replace any more information about magic resistance, please let her know.”

Ginger looked at me closely. “Interesting. I hadn’t encountered a potion like that before, but it makes sense that something like that exists. People have created poisons specifically to harm werewolves and sorcerers. I know there is something that makes a person more resistant to a vampire bite. I have never come across this kind of thing before, though. Boy, make sure to tell me more about this too. I may even be able to assist that doctor lady of yours.”

“That would be great, Ginger,” I said. I opened my mouth to speak again, but I was quickly cut off.

“I haven’t been able to replace any traces of Adira’s magic yet. I’m searching, but there’s no trace of her, which is strange,” Ginger said, her wrinkles in her forehead deepening.

“What could that mean exactly?” My heart raced at the thought. I hated not being able to sense our mate bond, but I knew there were distance limitations with that. Ginger, not being able to feel her magically, worried me more. I didn’t know how that worked in detail, though.

“It’s possible they have blocked the girl’s magic somehow. Perhaps they used belladonna on her to stop her from trying to escape,” Ginger said.

If Adira was actively being poisoned, I felt the urge to rush everything even more. “Does belladonna have any lasting or harmful effects?”

Ginger stroked her chin. “From what I’ve seen, once it’s out of a person’s system, they go back to normal. I haven’t done enough research on long-term effects, though.”

“Do you think it would be harmful to a baby?” I wanted to ask the question in a more subtle way, but I couldn’t think about how to do that.

Ginger’s face brightened a little at the question. “So you know then?”

I hesitated, wondering if Ginger knew about Adira’s pregnancy. I didn’t want to confirm anything in case she was referring to something else. “Depends. What do you know?”

Ginger cracked up. “Boy, let’s not play this game. We both seem to know the truth.”

“Know what?” Daniel asked, looking between the two of us.

“Did she tell you?” I asked. I was a little afraid to hear the answer. I was pretty sure that Adira was planning on telling me about her pregnancy before I got swept up in alpha duties, but I still didn’t like the idea of her telling someone else before me.

“Nah, I don’t think she even truly knew.”

“Then how-”

Ginger raised her eyebrows, which was enough to stop me mid-sentence. “I could feel the two souls. It’s pretty easy for a sorcerer to sense, especially if they are attuned to the world.”

Daniel’s eyes practically fell out of his eyes. “Wait, is Adira pregnant?”

–

REYLAND

I had to collect myself before entering my own home. I wasn’t expecting to feel relief being away from my own home for days, but now it was clear how much I had been suffocating. My marriage to Freya was a sham. I had barely spoken to my wife since I found out the truth about Adira and my wife’s history. We kept up the appearance of alpha and luna in front of the pack, but in private we never spoke, unless absolutely necessary.

I had been living in a prison for longer than I had realized. Spending time with Pack Aphelion made that clear to me. I was still able to do my alpha duties with my warriors there, but I didn’t feel the constant pressure that came with holding up appearances. Being back home brought that all back, though.

I wasn’t sure I could keep living this life, especially after training with Adira. I wanted to live a different life where I could make Adira proud of me again.

I entered the pack house, and it was mostly empty, since a large number of the pack was still with Pack Aphelion. I went straight to the luna’s office and opened the door, not bothering to knock. Freya looked up, surprised at the sudden interruption, but the moment she saw it was me, her expression changed.

“Oh, you’re back.” She went back to looking at the documents on her desk.

I walked through the door, shutting it behind me. I moved to her desk, but I made a point to stay standing. I wanted to come across as strong and confident to my wife.

“Just temporarily. We need to talk,” I said.

She continued doing her work, almost ignoring my presence. “Now you want to talk? Make it quick.”

“We need to talk about Cain.” I grasped my hands behind my back and straightened my posture.

This got her attention, and she dropped the papers on her desk. Her hand shook for a moment before she tucked it into her lap. “No.”

My jaw clenched. This woman had grown more cold and stubborn over the years. I couldn’t even remember the last time she had said a nice word to me. “That wasn’t a request. As your husband and alpha, you will tell me what I want to know.”

She said and leaned back in her chair, finally looking up at me. “Why do you insist on asking for details now? You never cared about this before. Is it because of Adira?”

“I should have asked for these details a long time ago, but I was so angry with your betrayal, I tried to just erase the fact that it even happened. I should have cut you out of my life, not my daughter.” I stared down at Freya, but she didn’t even seem phased by my words.

“She’s not your daughter. What does it matter to you?”

“She is your daughter. Why don’t you care more?” The woman in front of me infuriated me. Adira was her flesh and b***d, but she never stood up for her own daughter. I should have never sent Adira away, but Freya should have never let me, either.

Freya rolled her eyes. “Let’s just get this over with. Sit down and ask me what you wish about Cain.”

I pulled out the chair and sat down, despite not wanting to. I knew this woman too well, though. She would refuse to talk to me if I didn’t do as she said.

“Where would Cain take someone if he was holding them captive?” I asked. There was no point in moving into the topic slowly.

Freya stared at me for a moment. “What kind of question is that? Do you honestly think I would know something like that?”

“You know him better than anyone else I know, and we need to replace him. Dig into your memory for a moment. Is there a special place he would hide or go to be away from the world?” Even if she didn’t know where he would take someone, she had to know where he came from or some of his favorite places. Anything was better than nothing.

“Did he take something from you?” Freya sat back and looked intrigued at the situation.

A frowned at her attitude towards this. I couldn’t believe I had managed to pretend to like her these past few years. “I’m not sure yet, but there’s a chance that he took Adira.”

Freya tensed at this statement. “Interesting. I wonder what is going through his head.” She leaned forward and rested her head on her hands. “I may have a few ideas of where he might have taken her, but before I tell you more, I have a condition.”

“You’re not in a position to be negotiating,” I snapped. This was ridiculous. I was trying to save her daughter, and she was trying to make sure she benefited from the situation.

She smiled at my anger. “On the contrary. I have something you want. I’m in the perfect position to negotiate.”

I clenched my jaw. “Fine, what do you want?”

She leaned in a little closer. “When you replace him, I want to be there to see him.”

“Why do you want to see him?”

“That’s none of your business. Do we have a deal?” She leaned back, oozing confidence.

She knew she had the upper hand in this situation. I don’t remember Freya always being like this. There was a time she was kinder and cared about those around her, but time had hardened her. The woman I once loved was no longer there.

I sighed, knowing I didn’t have a choice. We needed to replace Adira as soon as possible, which meant we needed this information. “Fine. We have a deal.”

Freya’s face brightened, satisfied with the situation. She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote something down. She passed it over to me. “I would recommend looking in these locations.”

I grabbed the paper and stood up, not wanting to be here any longer than I had to be. I glanced over the places written on the paper. There were more locations than I had expected, but it was still useful information. I folded the paper, put it in my pocket and then stood up.

“I expect a phone call when you replace him,” Freya said as I walked out.

I stopped at the door and said, without looking back, “I hope you know that this is it for us. You will no longer be the luna of this pack or my wife once my business is finished and I return home.”