AN UNEXPECTED MEETING

ETHAN'S POV

“I'm just concerned about the distance. You know, my place is all the way here in Sea Stone, while his own home is far away in Red Moon Pack. But who knows? I may as well move to Red Moon, now that my best friend has become Luna and queen…”

I kept rambling until I looked up and saw that Fibi was no longer by my side. She was already a few meters away, moving as though she was sleepwalking.

I tried to catch up with her, and I called out, “Where are you going?”

Her reply came out like from a trance, “My mate is somewhere around here.”

I glanced around. We had decided to wait for Sarah, Fibi's mother, in the woods, close to the pack ground boundary. Afar off in the direction that Fibi faced, I could only see a car, although it was a familiar car.

I grabbed her hand to stop her. “What are you doing? You can't just go to him! Have you forgotten that you're married?”

“But the mate bond is pulling me. I have to go to my real mate.” She argued, trying to break my grip on her wrist.

I became even more uneasy when I remembered that the elder queen's driver stood, watching us from the other side.

“Fibi, no!” I grunted. “You're going to get us in trouble.”

Thankfully, I saw Sarah coming at that moment. I pointed her out to Fibi. “Look Fibi, your mother is here.”

At the same time, the car in the distance drove away. It was as if a veil dropped from Fibi's eyes. She turned towards Sarah and ran like a little child.

I could finally breathe normally again.

“Mother, I've missed you!” She exclaimed as she threw her arms around her dear mother.

Sarah laughed and returned the tight embrace. She pointed out, “It has only been one day since we were separated.”

I chuckled when Fibi pouted and declared, “It was more like one year!”

I knew for a fact that she had never been away from her mother for a whole day before. So, of course it would seem so long to her.

My chuckle drew Sarah's attention to me. “Ah, Ethan, thank you so much for going to stand by her.” She expressed.

I feigned shock and said, “What? You can see me? I thought I was invisible next to your precious daughter.”

We all laughed. Sarah hugged me too.

“Well, I'll excuse you both to catch up, while I wait to see Sarah off on the way home.” I announced before moving to join the driver.

Apart from making sure that Sarah got home safe, the reason I waited for her was to share a thought that worried me. I mulled it over in my mind as I waited, but I still couldn't decide what it meant. Maybe Sarah could help out.

After about an hour, Sarah and Fibi started walking towards us. They hugged again as they got to the car. There were tears on Fibi's face as she said, “Please take care of yourself, Mother. I'll miss you badly.”

She turned to me and implored, “Ethan, please keep checking on her. No one knows what that man would do to her now that she's all alone with him. Promise me you'll watch over her for me.”

I put a hand across her shoulders, reassuring her, “You know I don't need you to tell me before I watch over her. She's like my mother too. But still, I promise.”

After a teary round of goodbyes, Fibi went on her way back to her new pack. Sarah and I headed for her home.

“Did Fibi mention anything about her mate to you?” I asked Sarah.

“Her mate? You mean her husband, Alpha King Diego?” She returned.

“No, I mean her actual fated mate. I guess she didn't tell you about it, I didn't expect her to. But I think you need to know.” I paused while she gazed at my face expectantly.

I exhaled before continuing, “Just before you came, Fibi felt the mate bond. Her mate was in a car some distance away, and she would have gone to him if he had not driven off.”

Sarah's eyes grew as wide as saucers. “Oh no! That would have been a disaster. She told me how the elder queen has made things comfortable for her. How would we have explained this to her? I'm sure she would have shown us her other side.”

“Exactly. Also, despite not wanting her, I'm so sure that Alpha King Diego would not take kindly to her absconding like that.” I added.

Sarah shook her head. “No. From the little I know about him, he wouldn't tolerate that. She was paid for, and he is ruthless in money matters.”

I studied her face before I dropped the next bomb on her. “The most worrisome part is that I actually recognize the car where her mate was in. It belongs to our own Alpha.”

“Alpha Sebastian!” Sarah gasped. I nodded grimly.

“This means he'll never find his mate, since it should have been Fibi. That's a dangerous thing for an alpha.”

“Yes, it is.” I agreed. “But we also can't afford to cross the Alpha King. I'm still trying to make sense of the situation.”

“So what now?”

My shoulders sagged. I muttered, “I don't know.”