Chapter 7.

Malachi POV.

Every day for the past four years, we have all tried to find Dahlia, but it’s like she has vanished from the face of the earth.

Destinee and Titus have used pack resources to find her, but always come up empty-handed. Today would have been her 25th birthday, four years to the day that she left after learning of not just mine but her parents and the pack’s betrayal towards her.

Every day, I try to get her to open the pack link, but nothing, not even Fenrir or Selene, have been able to find her. 

“Daddy.” I am pulled out of my thoughts when my little boy Harrison enters the living room, rubbing his eyes and I stand up, moving to scoop him up.

“Good morning, little man. Did you sleep well?” I ask him as I kiss his head.

“Yeha. But I’m hungry daddy.” He says, nodding his head, and I chuckle at him. It has been hard the past four years since he was born.

Sapphire died bringing him into the world, so I have raised him on my own. We broke up not long after Dahlia vanished. Sapphire became horrible and mocked Dahlia and me. She told me she only wanted me because I belonged to Dahlia and that now I would be on my own.

I found her in our bed, with another male while she was pregnant, and that was the catalyst that caused us to break up. I was still there for her during the pregnancy. After all, Harrison is my son. My wolf Hyde confirmed it. I was so stupid. I should have broken things off with her when Dahlia turned 18. But like the idiot I am, I didn’t. Not that it would have mattered. Dahlia wouldn’t have found out until she turned 21.

When I turned 18, I knew Dahlia was mine, but the problem was she was only 12. So I had to be careful around her. It was easy at first, but then she shifted at 16 and Hyde went berserk. He could scent her more and wanted to mark her. She was a minor, and it is against the law, even if they are your fated mate.

I went to Alpha Destinee and Alpha Titus and told them what was happening and they agreed that I stay away from the packhouse and Dahlia until she became of age. That was when I started to sleep with Sapphire to stop the urge to mate and mark Dahlia. 

It was hard staying away from Dahlia for all those years because we were so close, but I wanted nothing more than to go to her. To tell her, hold her and be there for her. But like everyone else in the pack, we failed her. She started drinking and rebelling, getting into fights. Pushing everyone away. No-one could get through to her. After a while, everyone gave up. Me included.

The day Dahlia rejected me was the day I found out Sapphire was pregnant and in the midst of it all, Hyde nearly marked her until we felt Dahlia’s pain. That snapped us back out of the primal need to mark and protect Sapphire because of her pregnancy. Thank the Goddess he never marked her.

So after four years, I am still looking for her, regardless. She is still mine, even if she doesn’t want me anymore. If she ever returns, I will protect her and do my job, but with each day that passes, the more I become convinced that she will never come back. 

The toaster pops, bringing me out of my thoughts as I butter his toast and add strawberry jam, cutting it in half and bringing his plate and glass of orange juice to the table. 

He thanks me and eats it all down. I smile as I drink my coffee as I watch my son, my little man. He is the light in my world. I never thought I would ever be in this situation, raising a child on my own, but Destinee has been lovely. She helps when she can and so do some of the others in the pack. However, I would like to see Dahlia again. Maybe one day I will, but right now. I have to focus on Harrison and the training the warriors of the pack.

Once he is finished, I get him dressed and grab his bag.

“You ready to play with the other pups?” I ask, holding my hand to him and he takes it. Nodding his head, I smile down at him as we leave our house and make our way to the daycare at the packhouse before I begin the training session.

Over the last four years, I have trained harder and have gotten bigger. I need to focus because if I don’t; I will slip into depression and that won’t be good for anyone. My son included. 

My father was an alpha until the rogues decimated my pack. I was taken in by some of the kinder rogues and they looked after me until we were attacked and we made our way here. 

The older couple who found me raised me and have been my parents ever since. Destinee and Titus both know who I am, but the rest of the pack doesn’t. That is how I want to keep it. The thought of being an alpha and taking my place has never crossed my mind. I am content with what I have. I don’t need a title to have meaning or respect. 

I am shown the respect for those I train. Why complicate things?

“I’m going to draw you a picture today, daddy. If I’m good, can we get ice cream?” Harrison is a beautiful and thoughtful boy, and I smile down at him.

“If you’re good, tell me what picture will you draw me?” I ask as we walk and he tells me it will be special and a surprise. That he wants it to go on the fridge with his other ones. I chuckle at him and agree. Harrison is special. He is innocent and looks at the world differently. He is kind and gentle. Until you hurt him. I have taught him the difference between right and wrong, and also how to defend himself if he needs to. 

Alpha Titus has said he can sense his wolf, and he has Alpha blood, just like Hyde. He suggested that he trains early because even at four years old he can be mistaken for a child who is at least six.

We think that is why sapphire died bringing him into the world, because she wasn’t strong enough to deliver him. Only a strong female can give birth to an alpha male. 

“Harrison.” I’m pulled out of my thoughts seeing the little blonde headed girl run towards him and he breaks free of my hand and runs towards her.

I smile as they hug each other when I see her mother. A snobby she-wolf who thinks she is better than everyone.

“Sarah, what have I told you about running off? Good Goddess, stop hugging him.” I snarl at her when she turns her blue eyes at me, filled with disdain. 

“But mom, Harrison is my friend,” Sarah whines when her mother Joanne pulls her daughter away from Harrison.

“Hey, there were just hugging. What is your problem?” I say to her as I take Harrison in my arms and he hides his face in the crook of my neck. It’s not the pups but their parents that are the damn problem. 

She scoffs with her nose in the air, like I am beneath her.

“I will not have my daughter playing with the son of a whore. He needs to learn his place.” She spits and Hyde growls at her. Not because she called Sapphire a whore but because of her attitude and disgust towards an innocent pup, my pup, my son.

“That’s rich coming from you, Joanne. Or have you forgotten what you used to do before you found your mate?” 

I snap my head to the side and see her, Dahlia.

She is here; she isn’t alone. 

“Dahlia!” I mutter, but she isn’t looking at me. The men move to stand on either side of her. Goddess, she is more beautiful than I remember her to be. She is stood not even ten feet away. 

Her long brown hair is in a ponytail. She is wearing all black leather and the men beside her are all huge, wearing the same thing. Where the hell has she been?