The Kidnap

_ALFRED:

I stared at the phone in my hand, contemplating the situation. "Kidnap her and let's end this

conversation. She must be in this pack before midnight, understood?! If you know that you value your job that well then do exactly what I ask of you." I had yelled at the person on the other end before abruptly ending the call. I quickly slid my phone into my pocket, my heart racing and panting as the thought of Anna ran through my mind.

"Kidnap?" a voice questioned from behind me. I turned around and saw my father, Alpha Logan, entering the room with his walking stick. He was visibly sick, so I was surprised to see him here.

"Dad?" I called out, rushing to his side. I placed my hands around his neck and positioned one   of his hands across my shoulders, ready to assist him in walking. However, he forcefully shoved me away.

"How dare you son?” He fired back at me, distancing himself away from me.

“Dad..I don’t know what you are talking about. Is…there..any..” I stuttered, acting as if I had no idea what he was talking about.

“I thought I know my son but hearing your discussion I don’t think I know you anymore. And, let me also put it to you that If anything happens to Anna I won’t spare you at all,” he warned me indistinctively without any stutter in his words.

“But, Dad, I don’t know what you are talking about and why you are so concerned about Anna. You have….”

Shut up!” he commanded with so much authority while his hands were fidgeting on the walking stick he held unto.

He muttered, his voice filled with determination. "I don't know if you drove her out of the pack, but I must see her today.

Otherwise, I won't take any medication or eat any food." He sat down heavily on the couch, his gaze fixed on me.

"But, Dad..." I started to speak, but he raised his finger to his lips, silencing me. I knew how

close he was with Anna, and when he returned from his trip eight years ago, the first person he asked for was Anna. I had lied, telling him that she had received a scholarship to study outside  the werewolf world. Only recently did he learn the truth, and now he was demanding to see her.

“How was he able to hear the truth?” He stomped my fist on the wall furiously feeling agitated while questioning my inner child.

Confusion swirled within me. Part of me missed Anna, while the other part reminded me that I already had a Luna. What did it mean? I was about to make a phone call when I noticed Mira, our pack member, bringing a train of food. She first placed it on the dining table, but upon seeing Logan in the parlor, she decided to bring it there.

The atmosphere in the room turned tense as Mira approached us with a smile. She kissed me   on the cheek before setting the food on the table. I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as I witnessed the deadly stare my father directed towards her. It was a look only I understood.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash as plates and trays shattered on the floor. Mira flinched, and I mirrored her reaction, rubbing my temples in frustration.

"I don't know you, woman. You're nothing more than my son's concubine, throwing your body at  him to become his Luna," my father growled, his voice filled with contempt. He threw his walking stick aside and moved closer to her, tapping into the strength and power of his wolf. His eyes burned red as he peered into hers.

"You are not my family, and you never will be. I only acknowledge Anna as my daughter! Do you understand?" he spat out the words, showing no concern for how she felt. He clutched his

chest, the pain intensifying since he learned that Anna was no longer part of the pack. I wondered who had informed him about it.

"Dad..." Mira muttered, attempting to reach out and support him, but he swiftly moved away, poking his finger to her face.

"Don't dare touch me. Get out of here!" he yelled, his anger evident. Mira clenched her fists and stormed out of the room, her eyes already heavy with tears.

I called out to my father, worry laced in my voice, as he sank back into his seat. I could see his eyes growing heavy with fatigue.

"Dad, please don't overexert yourself," I pleaded, concern etched on my face.

"Call and find out if she is here yet and don’t you ever in your life tell me to be calm when talking to Mira.” He warned me and this time around I could decode the seriousness in his face.

“Dad, you were too harsh on her and anyone can easily break down with the way you shouted at her,” I said to him with a subtle voice not plan ning to pick sides with Mira.

“How dare you say such a thing, Son?” He questioned sitting himself up on the bed.

I didn’t say a word to him the only thing I kept doing was to bend my head to the ground floor and give him the attention he desires.

“Can’t you see that you are being used by her? Can’t you see that she has an ulterior motive and doesn’t love you? That girl is a slut and she doesn’t deserve someone like you.”

Immediately I heard his last words I raised my head up swiftly giving him a long stare with my eyes clocking into his. If there’s one thing I’ll never agree is my father calling someone like Mira a slut.

I cleared my throat, “Dad, I think I’ve had enough. You can go back to bed now.”

The earlier you leave Mira and go back to Anna the better for you and everyone else. I don’t know what you see in Mira." he stammered, his breathing becoming labored. He took a deep breath, and soon he was fast asleep, slumped in the armchair.

As I covered my father with a blanket, I couldn't help but ponder why he refused to accept Mira as my Luna. He seemed fixated on Anna and nothing else.

Leaving my father's side, I made my way to my room, anticipating Mira's anger. I found her pacing back and forth, clearly frustrated.

"What does Anna have that I don't?" she asked tears strimming down from her eyes, slamming her hands on the table in frustration.

"She'll be here soon," I replied, trying to calm the situation. "My dad commanded it, and he

hasn't taken his medication yet. I'm genuinely concerned. If she needs to be here, we can't stop it."

I attempted to approach her, but she immediately grabbed a flower vase and hurled it to the

door beside where I stood shattering it into pieces. My anger surged, and I clenched my fists as I stepped forward and held her jaw firmly.

"How dare you?" I seethed. "Haven't I explained enough? Do you want to kill me before you believe my words?" I grabbed her arms with my tightened fist around it.

"Get your hands off me!" she yanked my hands away and gripped my collar tightly.

“And, what if I don’t?” I muttered the courage to ask her.

"Do you still love me?" she asked abruptly, catching me off guard. Why was she asking that now? My heart raced as I struggled to find the right words.

"Or did you crown me as your Luna just because I was strong? Huh? You still love her, don't you?" she continued, her voice filled with insecurity and curiousity.

I was taken aback by her question, unsure of how to respond. The truth was complicated, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.

But then, a sudden realization struck me. I felt a familiar connection—a bond that I hadn't felt in eight years. My wolf. I had thought I had lost him, but he was still there, deep within me.

“Why are you asking this question out of the blue?” I questioned her with so much eagerness etched in my voice.

“I want you to answer the damn question and stop throwing another question to my face?” She fired blatantly at me.

Her hot tears touched my hands as I slowly released Mira's hands from my collar, gripping them firmly to prevent any impulsive actions,  I couldn't help but feel conflicted. I had expected my wolf to be content with another Luna, yet he had remained distant, only showing up during the full moon.

“I’ve always loved….”

As I was about to give my response, beta, Luke, called out my name, his voice filled with urgency. I turned to him, expecting something to be wrong, but he wore a smile on his face.

"She's here, Alpha," he said, panting slightly. My heart sank at his words. Removing my hands from Mira's.

“Oh! I should’ve known the answer.” She placed her hands on her forehead exhilarating in pain and regret.

I could feel the pain and regret in her voice but now isn’t the right time to start explaining myself out to her seeing that Beta Luke has given me a response.

“Mira, believe me it’s not what you think at all. I have to go but I want you to trust me.Please!” I beckoned on her as I walked out of the room, following Luke to the place where she was being held. I  wasn't sure which emotion overwhelmed me more—the discovery of my long-lost wolf or the    fact that she had finally arrived.

We arrived at a specific location, and I nodded to Luke, signaling for him to leave us alone. He understood, bowing his head respectfully before departing. I was left alone with a sense of

anticipation coursing through me. A strong, intoxicating scent filled the air, a mixture of

strawberries and blueberries. It was a scent I had never experienced before, even after marking Mira.

Following the captivating fragrance, I entered the room. And then, it happened.

"Mate!" I heard my wolf's jubilant voice reverberating within me, and my smile widened. The sheer happiness radiating from him mirrored my own. He had finally found his mate.

I blinked my eyes, as my vision cleared. My smile faded away when I realized it wasn't Mira in front of me, but Anna, looking at me with anger etched on her face. Anna was my mate?

Confusion swirled within me as I approached her, only to see her moving backward.

"Don't even dare touch me!" she spat, holding her head in pain. I could see her discomfort, and I wondered why I hadn't sensed our connection before. Why couldn't I feel that she was my

mate?

"What do you want from me, you monster?" she grumbled, her gaze avoiding mine. I couldn't help but smirk, a mix of emotions coursing through me.

"My dad needs you," I replied, taking a seat on the bed. Anna positioned herself far away, leaning against the wall.

"For what? Or is this another lie to lure me back to your goddamn pack? Look, I need to go    home," she added, determined to resist my stare. She had grown even more beautiful, and it pained me that she couldn't feel our bond.

She stood up, intending to leave, but suddenly, she placed her hands on her head, closed her    eyes, and collapsed onto my lap. My heart sank, worried about what might be happening to her. Was someone giving her sleeping pills to keep her here, unwilling to let her leave the pack now  that she had entered?

Anna seemed too weak to be taking something that would further debilitate her. I ran my hand    through her blonde hair, a smile tugging at my lips, before gently lifting her and placing her back on the bed.

I touched her soft, full lips, gently parting them—a gesture of the games we used to play. My

father and her parents had been the best of friends. When her small pack was wiped out by the rival Red Crescent Pack, my father had taken her in, providing the love and care her parents

would have given her.

As I awakened, rubbing my eyes, I saw Anna still sleeping peacefully. The scent of her wolf   drew me closer, and I was about to lean in for a kiss when she uttered a name that made me freeze.

"Mike."

Her words hit me like a bolt of lightning, and anger surged within me. I clenched my fists, my smile vanishing instantly, “Who is Mike to her?” I asked myself muttering quietly.