Page 41

Four Weeks Later

"Are you sure you don't want to have breakfast? If you lose the tiniest bit of weight before the Alpha King comes back, I will be in so much trouble, Rahinna. Please, have breakfast." Mirian said in concern.

Ismena swallowed down another wave of nausea before she gave the older woman a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Mirian. I just don't feel like having breakfast."

"You've not felt like having breakfast for some time now." The older woman muttered.

"Some days are like that, Mirian. It's probably because I didn't get enough sleep last night, and I'm feeling dizzy now. Once I sleep, I'll be so much better."

Mirian hesitated, "I know you're missing the Alpha King, but he will be back soon. Stop losing sleep over it, Rahinna. I'm sure the Alpha King will not like it when he finds out. "

Ismena didn't say anything to that. She indeed misses Wolfaraine so much, but she wasn't sure Mirian understood just how much she was craving for him. She misses him to the depth of her soul.

Three days have turned to four weeks since he left the Tower.

She'd overslept after their night together, and by the time she woke up, he was gone.

The leopard clan's fiesta took a week to be done.

She'd been excited when he finally called her and told her that he was coming home the next day.

Unfortunately, that night, three children were murdered in the leopard clan.

It was devastating news. As Alpha King, he had to stay, so he hadn't returned. Yesterday made it a month since he left the Tower. She gets to hear from him on the phone occasionally, but it's never the same. She wanted to see him.

To make matters worse, her cell phone fell into the water last night and stopped working, now she won't even hear his voice anymore.

His Alphas take turns keeping her safe whenever she needs to go out of the Tower. For almost a week now, she hasn't gone out because she was always too tired. Or sleepy. Or nauseous. So, she saw less of the Alphas.

"Do you need anything else?"

Mirian's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "No, I'm okay, Mirian. Thank you so much."

The older woman pursed her lips, "Try and get some sleep. I'm sure you will feel much better when you wake."

"I will do that."

And that was exactly what she did after Mirian left her bedroom. Her mind was on Wolfaraine as she drifted off.

God, she misses him so much.

"Degar will join us soon," Wolfaraine said to Alphose. They just finished hunting. Now, they are currently on their way back to Degar's home. While they waited for the Leopard Alpha, they took the opportunity to enjoy walking through the forest, surrounded by nature.

"I heard that Aninia's sickness resurfaced again." Alphose's voice was tinged with sadness. He referred to the mother of one of the children that were killed.

A muscle twitched in his jaw, Wolfaraine looked away, "She will be fine." He stated, crisply.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up," Alphose responded, apologetically.

Wolfaraine inhaled deeply, "It's not your fault, Alphose. I apologize for snapping at you. It's just..."

"I understand, Wolfaraine." And he did. It has been emotionally draining since the murder happened. That cold, methodical murderer left absolutely no scent at all which indicated that it was done by their serial killer and not by Wild Ones.

Wolfaraine has remained in the leopard clan since it happened, even when the other Alphas got a break from the horrible incident by going back to their own clans occasionally, the Alpha King remained. One of the reasons the people love their King is because of how much he cares for his people.

Alphose looked at his friend. He looks physically tired. He would bet that he was emotionally tired too. It has been a difficult few weeks.

"You miss her, don't you?" He asked .

Wolfaraine did not bother to feign ignorance. "Yes. I miss her every day."

"Fortunately, we are done here for now. By this time tomorrow, you are back in the Tower, Alpha King."

I can't wait, Wolfaraine thought. He missed Ismena. Badly.

Time drifted away slowly after that, as they walked in silence.

"When are you planning to tell Josiah about Kassandra?" Wolfaraine asked, breaking the silence.

Alphose stiffened beside him. He pursed his lips, a muscle ticked on his forehead.

"Stop postponing it already, Alphose. The more you do that, the more it will hurt. If she was your mate, she would have taken on your scent by now. You know what I do. I know you do. Put yourself out of your misery and allow that girl to reunite with her mate."

Alphose swallowed tightly. "It's not going to hurt any less."

"It's not. But your healing process will begin then. For now, you are just drawing out the pain." Wolfaraine turned to him, "Your own mate will come. I am sorry this happened to you."

The cougar Alpha averted his eyes, "How sure are we that Josiah will come back to Naturiah because of this? Because of her? He has been away for the past ten years, dammit."

"You will never know until you tell him. He deserves to know. He deserves to make that choice himself."

"She deserves someone better." Alphose stated, anger and pain in his eyes, "Kassandra deserves someone who will love her very much even without the mating pheromones.

Someone who will put her first in everything.

Someone who can lay his life down to protect her without a blink.

Someone who will never leave her just because he was having a hard time!

" He snapped his mouth, knowing he'd revealed too much.

Silence descended between them.

"Just because your brother left you do not mean he will ever leave his mate, Alphose.

" Wolfaraine pointed out in a soft voice, his eyes holding pity as he watched Alphose, "Just because he acts like he has no feelings do not mean that he will not love his mate the way she deserves.

I know you love her so much. But you have to let her go. "

"I know, I do. I really know that. It's just... Just the thought of it is..." The cougar Alpha shook his head miserably, "It's just so hard."

"I know it is. That is why I've not interfered." Wolfaraine patted his friend's broad back in reassurance, "That is why I've turned a blind eye. But you have to tell your brother what's going on soon enough, and invite him over, so I don't have to do it. I don't want to do it."

"I know, I know. You are right." Alphose finally raised his head, and their eyes met, "I will send a message to him tonight. I will do it."

Wolfaraine nodded, "That is a good decision."

"Thank you for not telling Josiah about this all the while."

"I didn't because I know you were hurting. And you were still hoping. You needed time to accept the truth."

Alphose opened his mouth, but the sound of a stick breaking drew their attention toward the direction the sound came from. Leaves parted, and Degar showed up.

"I have news for you, Alpha King." The leopard Alpha said, his steps hurried. His eyes held an urgency that captivated Wolfaraine completely.

"It's about the Wild Psychopath," Degar announced as he walked closer to them.

"What is the news, Degar?" Wolfaraine questioned.

"My sources in the military all over the world confirmed that they haven't had access to the scentless leave.

In fact most of them don't even know much about it apart from the fact that it's a plant.

They don't know how it can be used as an effective camouflage that helps attack an enemy's camp undetected. "

"They are humans, I'm not surprised. Compared to us, they know nothing about plants and herbs." Alphose enunciated, "But what has that got to do with anything?"

"I'm getting to that part." Degar said, "My source is an Admiral in the US Navy, and he told me that he'd only heard about it once.

He told me that Five years ago, an excellent soldier in the Special Ops murdered fifteen of his men in cold blood, he was declared Wanted, but he disappeared.

According to him, it was like the man never existed.

During the investigation, they realized that the soldier used some kind of camouflage to disguise himself before attacking his own men. Some kind of plant."

Wolfaraine's head was working. "No matter the camouflage, it's gonna take a very strong changeling to skill fifteen human Army soldiers at the same time.

So we are looking at an Alpha or a Beta.

We have at least five Betas and two Alphas that returned home from Special Ops in the last five years.

Did you get any more information from this Admiral? "

Degar shook his head, "Sadly, no. When they couldn't find the killer, they did damage control by clearing out all evidence and burying the case.

I don't think a Beta can pull off killings like this.

Maybe in the human world, but not here in Naturiah, flying under our noses for the past two years, going undetected.

It must be an Alpha. That's my opinion. "

Alphose froze, "Adanel came back five years ago."

"Werewolf Alpha and Head Sentinel, Adanel? Do you think it's him?" Degar referred to Alphose.

"Thinking about it, it seems much more likely to be him. The male barely talks. He was among the Wolves that were kidnapped eighteen years ago and experimented on. He was very strong to survive it, but I feel like there's something almost...feral in his eyes." Degar expressed calculatingly.

"Not to mention that his mate died. He has every reason to become a killer. He is the Wild Psychopath!" Alphose yelled, enraged, "Let's go get that motherfucker and torture him the changeling way until he tells the truth!"

Degar glanced at Wolfaraine, "What do you think, Alpha King? Should we go and capture him? He has to pay for everything he has done!"

Adanel. Everything in Wolfaraine denied that knowledge. It is not Adanel. It cannot be, he roared inwardly in denial.