Chapter 5.

Titus POV.

It had been three days since Destinee, my mate, disappeared. My scouts couldn’t find her and there was no word from Luna Angelica.

“How could she have just vanished? Maybe she masked her scent somehow?” I looked at my Beta, becoming more annoyed with every passing minute. Orion was constantly pacing, wanting to be let out. According to him, he could find her.

I groaned, rubbing my forehead with my fingers. “I don’t know Marcus; we need to wait for Luna Angelica. She is her mom, after all. Maybe she will find her. If not, then I don’t know. There are only a handful of us that know what Destinee looks like. She could be anywhere by now.” This is a fucking mess. 

A knock on the door interrupted our conversation. “Come in.” I all but groaned out. The door opened to reveal Laura, the little Omega girl. I smiled at her.

“Alpha Titus. Alpha Maximus has asked for you to meet him in his office.” She spoke solemnly. This can’t be good.

We followed her out of the room and down towards the office when I overheard a conversation coming from the kitchens. I stopped walking to listen.

"I hope she’s been killed. I would have banished her long ago if I had my way. She doesn’t deserve to live; she is a defect, a wolf-less bitch.” I snarled at the words. Orion clawing and thrashing inside my mind.

“Let me out now. I will teach this whore a lesson.” He roared in my mind. He pushed forward. I couldn’t stop him. He was raging with anger at the disrespect used against his mate.

“What did you say, little wolf?” we edged closer to the she-wolf, she visibly gulped. “Look at me.” Orion was practically frothing at the mouth, almost rabid, wanting to kill her for her disrespect. 

“Al-Alpha Titus, I was only saying what we have always thought. The Alpha should have killed her when she didn’t receive her wolf.” She was brazen and uncaring. No doubt she was one of my mate’s tormentors.

I smirked at her, “I am not Titus, I am Orion. You are disrespecting our mate. Calling her a defect. When in fact she has a wolf, so I’m going to ask you. Do you want to live?” I took another step forward and grabbed her around her throat, pinning her to the wall behind her. She looked like a deer caught in headlights. I didn’t squeeze, I just held her there. 

The smell of her fear made me chuckle, “pathetic little she-wolf, so you think you are better than Destinee, hmm? I think not. Do you know what happens to those who disrespect an Alpha? Hmm?” she looked like she was going to pass out. I barred my teeth at her and she whimpered under my authority.

“N-no Alpha” stupid woman. I tilted my head to the side and took a deep breath of the smell of her fear and I snarled in her face, spittle flying and landing on her cheek.

“You die. It’s that simple. However, you are not in my pack, but let me make a suggestion. If I find out you or anyone else in this wretched pack speaking ill of our mate again or in the future. Then I will return and I will kill you first, as an example.” The she-wolf is choking on her pathetic sobs as tears stream down her face. “Do I make myself clear?” my lips pulled back over my teeth as they elongated and were close to her face. She clenched her eyes shut, waiting for her death to come for her.

“Ye-yes Alpha, you made yourself clear. It won’t happen again. Forgive me.” I release her, her legs giving out from under her as she sobbed on the floor at my feet.

Goddess, I hate bullies, but that was necessary. No one in this shit hole ever stood up for Destinee, but I will.

“This was a lesson. Leave us.” I say. As Orion handing back control. He can be a sick bastard at times, but you don't get the reputation of being ruthless by being nice.

I turned and came face to face with Marcus and Laura. Goddess love her. She looked absolutely terrified. “Are you ok?” I asked her gently. She bobbed her head and shook off her daze and grimaced sorrowfully. “Take us to your Alpha.” She nods, and Marcus and I follow behind her. 

“Was that necessary, Titus?” Marcus says, using the mind link. The mind link is a telepathic connection between pack members. It is used to communicate in both human and wolf form.

I looked at him; he was smirking, knowing that if she was one of my pack members, they would have been killed for their disrespect.

“I think you know the answer to that. Let’s just concentrate on what he wants. Hopefully, he has some news. If not, then I may have to call every Alpha in the area to keep an eye out for her. We need to check human town's” I voiced my concerns and thoughts, praying that Luna Angelica finds her and soon. 

I need my mate; it feels like my heart is ripping out of my chest. The bond aches the longer she is away from me. It’s torture. I wonder how she is doing. Is she scared? Did someone injure her? I can’t think. 

“We will have to be heading back soon. I don’t think Destinee is going to want to be found Titus. You have seen and heard what this pack did to her. Maybe it’s time to ask the other Alpha’s for help and send scouts to human towns. But Titus, know this. It could take a while to locate her. Then what? Are you going to drag her in kicking and screaming?”

Oh shit, he was right. What if we didn’t find her? What if we found her and she didn’t want to come with us? This is a complete mess.

We reach the office and knock. “enter.” Alpha Maximus responds as Laura opens the door for us. We thank her as we step in to see Luna Angelica standing beside her husband.

My eyes dart around the room looking for my mate, but nothing. She wasn’t there. My heart was tearing apart. But I can smell a faint scent of honeysuckle and jasmine. My mate’s scent was lingering in the air. I needed to take something of hers to help calm Orion.

“Alpha, Luna you sent for us?” I looked between them both and Luna Angelica looked like she was in physical pain. Almost like she was under command.

“Yes, Alpha Titus, my Luna arrived back an hour ago. You need to listen to what she says.”

I moved towards the seat in front of the desk and sat down with Marcus beside me. I looked over at Luna Angelica; she had tears in her eyes. What in the Goddess’s name is going on?

“Luna, are you ok? You seem in pain,” she whimpered, but nodded her head with great difficulty.

“She is under command.” Orion tells me as he is watching with me, “she knows where mate is.” My mate’s scent was coming off of her. It is faint, but it’s still there.

“Where is she? Luna, where is Destinee?” I clutch the arms of the chair, and Marcus places his hand on my forearm to soothe me. Tear are flowing down her cheeks; she was fighting the command.

“I…I… can’t tell you, I’m sorry Alpha Titus, I don’t know… where… she… is…” she grits outs, she can’t fight the command. Destinee has used her Alpha authority on her mother to not reveal where she is. Clever little mate, very clever.

“This is pointless. I know you found her because I can smell her scent on you. Can you tell me, is she close to the Snow Moon Pack?” I look at her and she grits her teeth. Sweat beading on her forehead, she screams. The command is too strong.

“Stop it, Titus, stop it. You’re hurting her.” Alpha Maximus screams out as he takes his mate in his arms. He uses his purr to soothe and calm her down.

I stand “I’m sorry, I…” Alpha Maximus cuts me off with a snarl. 

“It is clear wherever Destinee is, she doesn’t wish to be found. I am sorry, Alpha Titus, but I will not risk hurting my mate to find yours.” That was all it took for Orion to shift. The familiar feel of my wolf taking over. It is satisfying. 

We lunged at Alpha Maximus over the desk, pinned him to the floor. Marcus tries to drag us from him, when Orion snaps his jaws towards Marcus. He stepped back, showing he isn’t a threat. My attention is turned back to this shit stain before me. I snarled in his face, teeth barred, saliva dripping down onto his face. It is a terrifying sight to see. Under me, he made a whimpering sound. He is weak. He is no Alpha.

Orion is a monster of a wolf. He is as black as night with green eyes. Orion towers over most Alpha’s but our Destinee in her wolf form is slightly bigger than we are. I move back, not taking my eyes from him. Marcus passes me a pair of shorts from Laura. 

I shift back and put them on. “You didn’t give a shit about hurting my mate when she was still your daughter. You beat and abused her; you allowed your pack members to do the same. So, what difference does it make if I hurt your Luna the way you did mine?” I roared in anger and agony. "I’ll locate her myself, but remember that you’re on your own if your pack is attacked by rogues.” Turning away, I left his office and stalked back to my room.

“Marcus, I’m sorry about that.” I linked my Beta and best friend; he chuckles in response. 

“it’s ok man, I get it. I would have been the same if it was Kendra.” Kendra is his mate and the Beta female of my pack. He is right, he would have been the same, if not worse.

“let’s pack up. We will start looking at rogue territories, then move onto neutral territory. She must be close. I won’t stop the search until I find her.”  

Once packed, we leave without saying goodbye. This pack has just signed their own death certificate. 

“No matter how long it takes, I will find you, my mate, I promise.” I say my brief prayer to the Goddess, hoping she will help us.

I don’t know what else to do.