Make Things Right

Chad’s pov

I was determined to make things right. Alana was the perfect woman for me. She was beautiful, smart, and a fairly good warrior. Our chemistry was perfect, and I really thought that she would be my mate as she came from a prestigious family. Even if she wasn’t, my heart leaned towards her. For the past year she and I had become the couple everyone looked up to, so leaving her for Maya would be a stupid decision. 

I just knew rejecting Maya was the right thing. Maybe that is why we had the choice to turn down our fated ones—perhaps fate was not always correct. 

My thoughts got interrupted when I saw Vince Castel, one of the most powerful alphas of our region, approaching us. He led a pack and was the only Alpha without a mate. With haste, I wrapped Alana in my hand and drew her nearer. I wanted to assert that she belonged to me around all unmated wolves. 

His expressionless face was fixated on mine as he reached for a handshake. 

“Congratulations and happy birthday. I believe your father will soon hand the pack over to you,” he said.

I offered a smile as I accepted his handshake. From his demeanour, I could tell that he had zero interest in her. Good. I did not want a cause for conflict with him. 

“I believe so too. I look forward to working with you, Alpha,” I said.

He offered a subtle nod of his head. With a young leader, I hope our packs can prosper. We cannot defeat the sporadic vampire attacks unless we unite as a team.”

I nodded my head. “You are right,” I said as I glanced at Alana. “With my luna beside me, I am sure we can achieve a lot of good things.”

Vince’s countenance remained the same. Perhaps he didn’t agree with me?

“Uh, this might be personal, but why haven’t you chosen a luna yet?” I asked him. 

He smirked. “Finding a mate isn’t my priority. When the time is right, I will find her.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “An alpha, in my opinion, would perform best with his luna by his side. Perhaps you can choose one female from this pack. We have a lot of capable she-wolves in Moonshine.”

His smirk remained frozen on his lips as he stared into my eyes. “When the time is right, it will happen.”

We watched him walk away. He was still single and yet one of the most feared alphas. I really ought to try to pick up some tips from him. 

“That guy is intimidating,” Alana whispered into my ear. 

I leaned towards her. “That’s Alpha Vince of Silverstone. I hope to form a good alliance with them. I do not want to ruin the prestige Dad has worked so hard to build for our pack. We can not go wrong with Vince's support.”

She nodded her head. “Mating with a female from this pack will help. I heard that he is staying here tonight. Maybe he could take interest in one of the she-wolves.”

I smirked. “I like the way you think, but I don’t want him to think that we are trying to force him into a relationship. Mating is a personal preference. We have to be careful.”

***

The celebrations were going well when I suddenly smelt Maya's scent once more. I wanted to gag. I thought she was banned from the celebrations. In the hopes that she would not be foolish enough to approach the guests, I turned my head to the side and searched for the person I had rejected. My brow furrowed in confusion when I didn’t find her. 

To my surprise, the scent intensified as I approached Nathan. With a big smile on his face, he drew me in for a fraternal embrace. I felt as though a bucket of cold water was poured on my chest. Her scent lingered heavily on him.

“Hey, bro! Congrats! Can’t wait for your Alpha ceremony!”

“Alpha ceremony?” I parroted him, partly stunned by what I just discovered.

He laughed. “Hasn’t he told you yet? Your dad is going to hand the pack over as soon as you return from your training for the new alphas. And that’s a matter of a few months, isn’t it? You have completed most of the training here in Moonshine.”

“Yeah… I have.”

I spoke, but my mind was muddled with another thought. He couldn’t have slept with her, could he? How else could he have her scent on him?

“Hey, I have to go to the bathroom real quick. I’ll be right back.”

I watched his retreating back, judging him. If I ever found out that he cheated on my sister, I would make his life a living hell, and I was determined to find out the truth. 

Exempting myself from the festivities, I strode towards the pantry. She was the daughter of the traitor, and I did not expect anything positive from her. But this was a new low, even for her. I noticed that the door wasn’t closed. I walked in, rolling my eyes, determined to discover evidence of Maya's promiscuity and Nathan's infidelity. If she could have sex with a married man only a few hours after I turned her down, she was nothing but a slut.

However, not a hint of Nathan’s scent, or of sex, lingered in the pantry. I walked outside, still agitated. Perhaps they did the deed in the woods? I mindlinked one of the guards on patrol, ordering them to arrest Maya if they found her roaming around in the woods. I wanted to question her myself.

Hours passed by, and the party ended. Even after the guests went to their rooms, my family and I awaited news from the guards. Yes, I had told my parents about Maya not being in the pantry like she was supposed to, and they weren’t happy about it. I deliberately didn’t tell them about Nathan, because I wanted him to be there when they brought her. The guards finally arrived at the packhouse, carrying her lifeless body in their arms. My jaw dropped. There were clear signs of struggle on her body. Struggle... there were cuts and dried blood on her face, bruises all over her body, and her clothes were torn.

“What happened? Did she resist when you arrested her?” Cheryl asked. 

They shook their heads. “No, we found her like this. It seems like someone attacked her.

“Is she dead?”

“She is breathing. Her pulse is strong, but her healing process is rather slow.”

Her slow recovery could be because she was an unshifted wolf. My brows furrowed. Someone attacked her… Nathan?

I looked at him from the corner of my eye and noticed that he was fidgeting on his feet. The creases on my forehead deepened. Why did he look nervous? 

I cleared my throat. “The scent of her attacker should still be on her,” I said, while still watching him from my peripheral vision. I was pretty sure he was involved in this when I saw him look at me while his lips trembled. 

The guards sniffed her. One of them glanced at Nathan, but I saw that they quickly averted their gaze. They must have been reluctant to share what they had discovered. I approached her, taking a deep breath. Nathan's scent was undoubtedly mingled with hers. 

“Your scent is mixed with hers, Nathan. When I spoke with you earlier, I noticed that you smelt a lot like her.”

Cheryl’s eyes widened. I knew that wasn’t what she was anticipating, but I wasn’t one who would hide the truth. 

“At first I thought you must have cheated on my sister with her, but after seeing how badly she is beaten up, I feel you have assaulted her. What did you do, Nathan?”

I didn’t know why I said what I did, but the words just slipped from my tongue. In any case, his response said more than words could. 

His eyes bulged as he fervently shook his head. “No! How could you say that! I didn’t even touch her! I swear!” He turned towards Cheryl, who had tears in her eyes. “You have to believe me, babe. Why would I cheat on you? She… she came onto me…”

My eyes narrowed. “Why is she barely alive if she came onto you? Do you even hear yourself?”

“Stop! Chad, what are you saying? My Nat will never lay a finger on that... thing!”

My eyes narrowed. Of course, I shouldn’t have expected anything else from my sister. She was blinded by her love for him.

My mother heaved a deep breath. “Take her to the pantry. We will question her when she awakes,” my mom said. Dad faced us when the guards took her away. 

“We will not do anything drastic. Let us sleep on this tonight. Maya is a no one. Nathan is the father of my grandchild. Right now, I don’t want to hear a word about this incident. We are tired. Go to sleep.”