Chapter 21-What Now?

I take the remote from Jason and change the screen back to Doctor Shields. I stare at him, trying to get a read on him. His arms are crossed as he leans back in the chair with a slight smirk on his lips.

“He doesn’t even seem concerned that he’s been caught,” I say.

“I need to call the Elder council. They need to know about the banishments,” Alpha Peter says.

I turn to look at him, and all I see is defeat in his eyes. “Please, Alpha. Let me question him. He might slip up talking to me. I can play on his fear of the chosen,” I plead with him.

He glares at me, the defeat in his eyes replaced with anger. “No. You have no place in that room. This is my pack, remember that.” He says with a growl.

“I know this is your pack, Alpha. I meant no disrespect,” I say cooly, holding his gaze.

Nick clears his throat. “Alpha, we need to tell you something,” he says.

“What now?” Alpha Peter asks, turning his angry gaze to Nick.

“Athena and I went for a run before the meeting, and Athena picked up on an unknown scent near your northern border,” Nick explains.

“And? She hasn’t met everyone in the pack,” he says.

“That’s true, but her wolf thinks it was a distinct scent. If it was someone from your pack, she would have still come across it before today,” Nick says.

“Distinct how?” He asks, turning his attention back to me.

“Enyo said it was our mate,” I tell him.

He looks surprised. “She’s sure?”

She growls. ‘Why does everyone keep asking that? I know it was our mate!’ she retorts.

“Yes, Alpha. She’s sure. There’s no way we wouldn’t have picked up his scent if he was someone in your pack. There was also an undertone to the scent. He smelt like a rogue.”

Alpha Peter stiffens. “Where on the northern border?”

“Behind the pack house, along the bottom of the hill where the river runs along it.”

Alpha Peter looks at Jason. “Get a patrol up there and find him,” he growls out.

Jason nods and hurries out of the room.

“What are you going to do with him?” I ask, concerned.

“Nothing, if he cooperates,” he growls.

Enyo growls. ‘If they hurt him, I’ll kill them all.’

I sigh and rub my face, suddenly feeling exhausted. Everything has gone to shit. “This is all a bloody mess.” I say sadly, my eyes welling up with tears.

Alpha Peter softens and places a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Everything will be okay, Athena.”

I wipe my eyes and shake my head. I clear my throat and ask, “What now? What about Doctor Shields?”

“I’ll continue to question him later. For now, I need to call the council,” he says and walks out of the room.

I turn my attention back to Doctor Shields on the small security screen, and Nick comes and stands behind me. “He’s right, Athena. Everything will be okay,” Nick says.

“We don’t know that,” I whisper.

“Okay, let me put it this way. Everything will turn out the way it’s supposed to. How the Goddess intended.”

I snort at the idea.

“You must be exhausted. Why don’t you go and rest?”

I sigh. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” I turn and give him a small smile. “I’ll talk to you later.”

#

I lie on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, unable to sleep despite the exhaustion I feel. The events of the last few weeks run through my mind, and I feel more lost and confused than ever before.

‘I wonder what he looks like,’ Enyo says, interrupting my thoughts.

‘Who?’

‘Our mate, duh.’

I sigh heavily. ‘I still don’t think it’s a good idea to find him, whoever he is. Look at the mess we’re in? We’d be putting him in danger.’

‘Being connected to our mate will make us stronger.’

‘Being stronger doesn’t mean we can’t get him killed. We don’t know Doctor Shields’ plans, or who he’s working with. He’s probably working with Derek.’

‘Derek could have just been following us.’

‘That doesn’t make things better. That would mean there’s multiple people out there that want us dead. How can you think bringing our mate into any of this is a good thing?’

‘Because he’s our fated mate, Athena. The Goddess chose him for us, and us for him. No matter what happens, we should be together.’

‘That doesn’t answer my question, though, Enyo.’

‘You just need to have some faith in the Goddesses plan for us.’

I snort. ‘If everything that’s happened is her plan, then how can I have any faith in her?’

Our conversation is interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Who is it?” I call out.

“It’s Jason, can I come in?”

I get up from the bed and run to the door, pulling it open. “Did you find him?” I ask, stepping to the side to let him in.

He shakes his head and closes the door. “We caught a faint scent, but not enough to follow it. He’s definitely a rogue though,” he explains, concerned.

I sit down in an armchair in the corner of the room and bring my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs. “What am I going to do?” I ask sadly.

“I don’t know, Athena. But him being this close by concerns me. And the fact that he’s a rogue… Who knows how dangerous he is.”

“Knowing my luck, he’s probably completely feral,” I say, dropping my head to rest on my legs.

“Hey, I’m sure he’s not. If he was, he wouldn’t be able to hide himself so well. We would have been able to track him and find him,” Jason says, kneeling in front of me and rubbing my leg.

I raise my head to look at him. “I guess you’re right,” I mumble, then I growl in frustration. “This whole situation is so messed up, Jason. I don’t even know what to do or where to go to from here. Derek tried to kill me. Alpha Peter won’t let me speak to Doctor Shields. I couldn’t find anything helpful in his files, and the ones that Luna Rachel put together are all the same information she already told me.”

“Alpha will get something out of Doctor Shields, eventually. Don’t give up, okay?”

I give him a small smile and nod. “I’m sure you’re right,” I say, unconvinced.

“You should try to get some sleep, Athena. Everything will feel clearer in the morning,” he says, standing up.

I sigh and stand up as well, and I give him a tight hug. “Thank you, Jason. For everything.”

He hugs me back, then stands back with his hands on my shoulders. “Anytime,” he says with a smile, and leaves my room.

I walk back over to the bed and flop down onto it. With a sigh, I try to get comfortable, then close my eyes and try to fall asleep.