Chapter 9

(Chase’s POV)

I left my dad’s office and headed up to the top floor to my room. I started to change my top but realised that the one I was wearing held my new mate’s scent. I wasn’t ready to let that go just yet. I checked in on my little sister, Ivy. 

“Hey,” I called as I knocked on the door. I opened it to see that she was alone and tapping away on her laptop.

“What’s up?” she asked, pulling her headphones off. “Your meeting finished already?” I could tell by the bitter tone in her question. I knew she wanted more to do with pack business, but dad was very protective of her. He even declined her request for warrior training when she turned eighteen, which pissed her off for months. Dad was an old-fashioned Alpha and an Alpha’s daughter was the princess, and as such was treated as so. Even if she didn’t like it.

“Yeah, for now,” I said. I pulled the mobile phone that belonged to my mate out of my pocket. 

“Hey, can you take a look at this,” I said handing her it, “See what information you can get from it,” I knew my dad now knew where Kaleigh was but I wanted to know everything I could about her and maybe try to speak to her first, despite being told to wait.

“Who does it belong to?” she asked. She pressed the home button, and the screen came to life showing my smiling mate and the blond girl. My heart jumped just seeing her face. Geez, I was already a hopeless case. I grinned at Ivy.

“My mate,” I said, and her eyes widened.

“What?” she exclaimed and looked at the home screen of the two girls. “Oh, my goddess Chase! Which one?” I pointed to Kaeleigh, and she grinned. 

“Of course, a fiery redhead,” she said, and then frowned at me. “But why have you stolen her phone?” 

“She ran away from me,” I said sheepishly, and she laughed.

“Goddess, I love her already,” she leaned over and pulled a white wire from her bedside table, “So you need her location, right?” she asked, and I nodded. 

“Dad said he knew where she was, but wants me to wait,” I said and then took a deep breath and shook my head, “Seriously Ivy, I don’t think I can be that patient,” and she nodded.

“I get it,” she said sincerly. “Once you meet your mate it’s all or nothing,” I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Speaking from the voice of experience there?” I asked, and Ivy blushed and quickly shook her head. 

“Of course not,” she said quickly, and I smiled. I already knew my sister had a secret. I also knew she would tell when she was ready.

“Anyway, give me an hour or so and I will have the information you need,” then she looked at me, “On one condition,” she said and I frowned, “Listen to dad, at least a little,” I raised my eyebrows again and she shrugged. 

“You don’t think with your head when it comes to your mate, you think with your heart,” she then looked down, “Or so I’m told,” I nodded. Despite being my little sister, ten years younger than me, she was still the wise one of us.

“Okay,” I said, “But please let me know what you find?” I asked, and she nodded, “and please, keep it secret,” she nodded again. I went to head out of the room when Ivy called after me,

“Chase?” 

“Yeah?” I looked back, and she had a big grin on her face.

“I’m happy you found her,” she said, and I grinned.

“Yeah so am I,”

I left my sister’s room with a grin. Now I need to go find and make things right with Jensen. I wanted to think that I could keep him away from Kaeleigh, and I wanted to blame my rage on him being with my mate, but the simple fact was, I was a dick who let his emotions and shit get the better of him. Ivy was right. I was thinking from my heart, or in this case from my dick, and I felt threatened that Jensen knew my mate more intimately than I did. I couldn’t even blame it on being worried or protective. Not fully anyway, even with the curse.

I hated that this blasted curse was ruling my life and all the decisions I made. I hated the Crimson Shadow pack, and their old Alpha Malcolm and even more their current Alpha, Asher Bowman. I knew that it was him who was responsible for the apparent rogue attacks on ours and neighbouring packs, and I knew that he was responsible for Iris.

That last part hurt. Really, I was responsible for Iris. I put her in that position. The last thing I wanted to do was put Kaeleigh in that same position, but I had a pack of over three thousand wolves who would be affected by the curse. The curse that had me needing to complete the mating and marking process before my 30th birthday or my wolf and the wolf of every pack member of the Dark Moon pack would die. We couldn’t live without our wolves, or if we did survive, then we would go insane.

On my travels around the world, I had found various magic users. I had spoken to witches, shamans, witch doctors, I had even got an audience with the Conclave who, despite my cousin Dominic being on the board, had pretty much told me that it was an internal issue between packs and the high and mighty fucking Alchemists didn’t wanna get involved with our petty affairs. And now, well, I was just happy that I had found my mate, and with just under five months to spare.

I shook myself out of my thoughts and went on the hunt for Jensen. I went downstairs to the Beta and Gamma floor and checked his room first, only to find it empty. I linked Jensen. 

“Hey man?” I asked in the link. “Where are you? Can we talk?”

“Fuck off, Chase,” he responded before slamming the link shut. To shut an Alpha out must have taken some fucking energy. I linked Alrik and got it out of him that Jensen was at the hospital. Shit, I must have done some damage. I left the pack house and jogged over to the hospital, which was behind the training grounds. 

I walked into the hospital and asked the receptionist where Jensen was. She looked flustered but directed me down the hall. I followed the directions and found Jensen sitting on a bed in one of the side rooms. He looked up as I walked in and scowled at me. Alrik was sitting in a chair with his eyes closed, looking like he was asleep, but I could tell from the way he tensed up that he was fully aware of my entrance.

“What the fuck do you want?” Jensen scowled. I was taken aback. I had lost my shit numerous times and Jensen had always been the easy-going one. I looked over to Alrik, who opened one eye and sighed before getting up.

“Fine,” he scoffed. “I’m going home to my mate. Don’t kill each other.” He walked out, and I looked over at Jensen, who was glaring at the door his father had just left through.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly, and Jensen turned his glare on me. “I lost my temper.” I didn’t know what else to say. “No shit,” he spat. “Dude, I’m really trying here,” I snapped. “But we both know how the bond works. It gets in the mind.” His features softened slightly. We both knew, even though we hadn’t felt it, that the fated bond is one of the most amazing feelings you could ever experience, and one of the most painful you could try to avoid. Being an Alpha would make me extra possessive and add to our already more volatile nature. 

“You’re right, she will probably listen to you better.” He looked at me as I said that and pursed his lips together before nodding. “I know that protecting Kaeleigh is the single most important thing right now,” I confirmed, and he nodded again, looking visibly more relaxed.

I sat in the chair next to the bed and gestured to him. “How bad is it?” He scoffed at my question. “I’ll live.” He rolled his eyes. “Doc wants me in overnight as a precaution.” I felt the pangs of guilt. “I’m sorry,” I said again, and he nodded again. 

“So, are we good?” I asked him the same question he had asked me not half an hour before. He stood up, wincing and holding his side, and I stood instantly to offer support. I barely saw his fist clench before it hit me square in the jaw, sending me stumbling back towards the wall. I glared at him as the pain coursed through my face, and he stood with one arm on his side and the other fist still clenched. We stared at each other for a minute or so before he relaxed. “Now we’re good,” he said, moving back onto the bed. I nodded in acceptance and sat back in the chair.

We talked about my travels, sports, pack business, anything other than Kaeleigh for about an hour, by which time it was getting late and was already dark outside. A nurse came in and said that visiting had finished and I stood up to leave. 

Just as I was about to walk out the door, I stopped without turning.

“Jensen?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you really love her?” The question was painful to ask, but I had to know.

“Yeah.” His voice sounded sad and his own hurt was clearly evident. I didn’t say anything for a moment. 

“Good,” I finally said with resolve. “That means that you will protect her.”

“With my last dying breath,” he responded with the clearest certainty.

I nodded and walked out of the room.

I left the hospital just as Ivy mind linked me to tell me that she had got into the phone. I responded and told her I was on my way, and headed back towards the main pack house.