Chapter 4 - Altair

   I stared at the report, its words blurring into each other. My mind was resisting to embed any line of it into my consciousness. My gaze wandered, drawn to the phone twirling against my desk's edge- a silent plea for it to ring. I knew my plan A, a clumsy attempt to leave my number on her hotel room answering machine, would likely vanish into the void. So, I had orchestrated plan B: a message discreetly left at the front desk entrusted to an attendant with explicit instructions. To contact me if it had this plan had fallen through as well. Relief had washed over me as the front desk girl informed me that the flower had at least made its way into my little star's car. Lupin lay stretched out in my mind, trying to recoup from last night's patrol outside the hotel, as his ears stayed alert while my thumb traced over the rim of my phone. 

After parting ways with Vega last night, there was no way- even if Lupin disagreed- I would leave her. So, in my wolf form, hidden from the shadows, we watched our mate's window. Throughout the night, I mind-linked with Corbin to set up someone to tail her until she reached her destination. The phone in my hand started to ring, bringing Lupin to full attention- my hope fell as my warrior's number flashed across my screen. Not the unknown number of my mates. 

"Yes," I snapped, holding the device to my ear. 

"Alpha, I have some… weird news," Dave hesitated on the other side of the phone, "She just passed the pack boundaries. I thought she would hang left and head to the trails, but she drove straight through instead." 

"Keep following her. I will send out a message to patrol not to stop her. I want to see where she goes." 

 "Roger that, Alpha," the line disconnected. 

I opened the mind link to the pack, which is our internal communication among members. "All patrols, listen carefully. There is a blue car entering our pack lands. Please do not stop it; one of our warriors is following her. Pack members remain cone and vigilant." 

A resounding chorus of agreement echoed through the mind link as I closed it. What could Vega be doing on our pack lands? Last night, she bore no trace of a wolf's scent- just the lingering fragrance of spiced peaches. But beyond that, no detectable aroma clung to her skin. Humans, wolves, and other supernatural beings all carried a distinct scent, revealing their true nature to others. Yet my mates were unlike any I had encountered before. 

And then there was the mate bond- the invisible rope that bound us. Each group of beings had its unique way of detecting their mate. It manifested as a scent and a heated sensation for wolves when we touched it. Humans, void of supernatural sense, felt it more in the way of falling at first sight. But she had shown no signs of the mate bond effects. Instead, she held up her guard, an invisible fortress I was dying to penetrate. 

"Vega," I whispered, the name bittersweet against my lips. How oddly fitting that my second chance mate's name was from the same asterism as mine- the lovers in the sky. At this moment, sitting in my office, I knew what the star Altair felt, stranded in the constellation of Aquila, longing for a reunion with my distant lover across the vast expanse of the Milky Way. 

"Alpa," Dave's voice passed through my mind, pulling me back into the present. "She's heading to the old Luna's house. She stopped and asked one of the pack members about Liam Wolfgang. Claims to be an old friend."

Lupin growled- a primal response of protection for our old Luna's father. What game was my mate playing? Why was she seeking out Liam?

"I'm coming," I replied, urgency coursing through my veins. "Stay close and tell Liam to act natural." 

In the heart of the town, urgency propelled me forward. Our pack bond hummed with a shared purpose: no shifting, no matter what. The delicate balance of secrecy hung in the air, and my human mate's unwitting presence threatened it all.

Liam's door loomed ahead, and there she stood—my mate. In her hands, a mysterious box, its secrets concealed within. I observed from the shadows, torn between loyalty to my mate and vigilance over Liam. The exchange unfolded—the box passed from my mate's grasp to Liam's. His face, etched with sorrow, betrayed the weight of its contents. My mate turned away, her gaze lingering on the beetle parked nearby. She climbed in, the engine purring to life, and watched as Liam retreated into the house.

I jogged up to the old car, and my knuckles rapped against the car door. The trance that held her captive shattered, and her gaze shifted from the house to me. Recognition dawned—a flicker of surprise in her eyes. I gestured for her to roll down the window, and she complied, the glass sliding down with a hesitant whisper.

"Well, well, well," I said, my voice low and teasing. "What do we have here, my little star?"

"What—what are you doing here?" Vega stammered, betraying her nerves.

"I live here. The real question is, what are you doing here?" My eyes stared straight into hers. 

"I had a personal errand to do."

"And what would this little errand be?"

"None of your business," my mate shot back. She revved her engine, tires screeching as she sped away. Dave's voice echoed in my mind, asking if he should follow her. I nodded. Lupin urged me to chase after our mate, but my focus shifted back to Liam's house. For now, I needed to play it smart— first, that box. I need to find out what it was as it held the reason for Vega's sudden arrival. 

"Alpha," Liam greeted me, opening his door. 

The room held its breath, the air thick with unspoken revelations. Liam's respectful nod greeted me as I stepped into his house—the weight of our conversation was already pressing upon us. An invitation to sit was a silent acknowledgment of the gravity of our discussion.

"Who was that?" I asked, my gaze lingering on the door she had disappeared through. 

Liam slumped into a chair; defeat etched into his features. I think that was my daughter."

"Your daughter?" The words hung in the air, unexpected and profound. I didn't know Kimberly had a sister."

"No one did," Liam confessed. Not until today."

The box spilled its secrets onto the coffee table—journals of various colours, photographs slipping free from their pages. Snapshot captured a younger Liam, arms wrapped around a woman—a lover, a mate. The woman bore a striking resemblance to my mate, yet with eyes of moss green, unlike the indigo depths I knew so well—the exact hue as Kimberly's and Liam's.

"She was my mate," Liam's voice softened, fingers running through his hair. "Before Lara, Kimberly's mother. I was young, travelling between packs, searching for my destined mate. And then I found her—a waitress in a city diner. The scent of wildflowers enveloped me, and I knew. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen."

He continued, recounting stolen moments in the city, waiting for the right time to bring her back to our pack, to mark her as his own. But fate intervened— one night, she vanished. The bond shattered when Liam took Lara as his chosen mate, and Bolt, his wolf, never agreed. Michelle disappeared, leaving behind memories frozen in photographs and ink.

Liam picked up a picture of Michelle wrapped in his arms—a moment captured before everything unravelled. " Never knew what happened to her. Until today."

The room held its breath, the air thick with unspoken emotions. Liam's gaze bore into mine, a silent plea hidden behind his weathered features. H tossed a folded piece of paper across the table, and I picked it up, staring into his eyes. As I carefully unfolded it, the words etched on the death certificate came into focus: Michelle Smith—gone, her life extinguished just days after her last journal entry.

Lupin, my wolf, stirred within me, sharing the ache of our mate's loss. Michelle had been torn from her daughter's life, leaving a space—a void that no amount of ink on paper could fill. No wonder Vega was guarded towards us, wary of anyone who might disrupt her fragile existence. To her, I was likely no different from her absent father—a stranger in a bar, a fleeting encounter.

"Alpha," Liam's voice pulled me from my thoughts. " You can go through these journals if you like. They might hold clues to finding her."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why would you assume I'd want to do that?"

"She's your second chance," Liam said, a conviction in his eyes. " You won't let a random human waltz in here, not with our patrols."

His words struck a chord. H was right. Vega was more than a chance encounter; she was fate's intricate design—a thread connecting past and present. I nodded my gratitude. "Thankyou, Liam. I'll share this information with John and have Dave keep an eye on her."

Gathering the journals—their pages filled with Michelle's hopes, fears, and dreams—I tucked the worn death certificate into my pocket. As I stepped toward the door, Liam's voice halted me.

"Alpha, one more thing," he said. "If you find her, let me know. I want to meet my daughter."

"Of course, Liam," I assured him. "Goodbye."

Outside, the pack house awaited my return, its walls echoing with whispered secrets. The moon goddess worked in mysterious ways, intertwining our lives. My second chance mate, related to my first chance love—this wasn't merely about healing Lupin and me. It was Liam's chance for closure, a bittersweet reunion across time and fate.

The minutes stretched into hours, shadows creeping across my office as the sun dipped low. Immersed in the journals I had retrieved from Liam's home; I traced the threads of Michelle's life- a tapestry woven over nearly eleven years. The entries began with her pregnancy, filled with hopes and dreams for her child, the rollercoaster of emotions during those months. And then, after the birth of my mate, the journals chronicled daily life- milestones, celebrations, and the markers of Vega's existence. 

I'd already shared the information from the death certificate with John, hoping it would yield some leads. For my meticulous search through the journals, I'd pieced together more: a birthday and her full name—Vega Wolfgang—an intriguing choice, considering Michelle had bestowed Liam's last name upon her daughter. However, the journals remained silent on the reasons behind this decision.

A tap came from the office door, and Corbin appeared on the other side. The office air hung heavy with anticipation, like the charged silence before a storm. Corbin's presence across the desk was both reassuring and unsettling. His eyes, a dark earthly green, held a mix of concern and determination.

I slid the photograph back into the journal, its pages crinkling softly. The image captured a moment of innocence—a Christmas tree adorned with twinkling lights; my mate's eyes wide with excitement as he prepared to unwrap a gift. A story frozen in time, now overshadowed by the complexities of our current situation.

Corbin leaned forward, elbows resting on the arms of his chair. "How are you holding up?" His voice was low, a reflection of the weight we both carried.

I glanced at my phone screen, the notifications blinking like distant stars. "They were still driving about ten minutes ago," I replied. "John's tracking her location, but all we've got so far is an address to a record store."

Corbin's finger traced a line along his jaw. "And what's the plan when we find her?"

"That's the puzzle," I admitted. "Vega didn't grow up with our pack, so our mating ways are foreign to her. But I doubt she's eager to embrace a connection to her father, especially after the way she ran off today."

His gaze bore into mine. "Or maybe that's precisely the answer."

I raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"Convince her to come here," Corbin suggested. "Spend time with her dad. Liam would welcome a daughter, especially after everything that's happened. As Alpha, you must ensure a smooth integration process. Being around her could help strengthen the mate bond—until she's ready to understand it all."

His words hung in the air, a delicate balance between strategy and sentiment. I pressed my fingers against the desk, considering the risk and the potential reward.

"You might be onto something," I mused. "Tricky, though. But it just might work."

As if on cue, my phone beeped—a message that could alter the course of our pack's fate. I looked at the screen, my heart racing. The words blinked back at me, stark and urgent.

Found her.