Page 12 of Mating Mia (The Alphas’ Perfect Prey #2)

seven

. . .

Mia

I wake with a jolt, my hand instinctively cradling my barely-there pregnant belly.

Morning light filters through the unfamiliar curtains of the cabin, casting golden patterns across the rumpled sheets. The events of yesterday crash over me in waves—being rescued from that hellhole, the heat that consumed me.

Suddenly, I remember my father. I really need to check on him even though I’m in pain. He’s literally at death’s door.

Beside me, Kane sleeps deeply, his muscular arm draped possessively across my waist. On my other side, Jace’s golden hair is splayed across the pillow, his face peaceful and boyish without his usual mischievous smirk.

Finn must have left the bed earlier—his spot is empty, the sheets cool to the touch.

Carefully, I extract myself from Kane’s grip, freezing when he stirs.

He mutters something unintelligible before rolling onto his back, still asleep.

I let out the breath I’ve been holding and slide from the bed, wincing as my feet touch the cold wooden floor.

My body aches pleasantly from the activities of the previous night, reminders of how thoroughly my alphas cared for me during my heat.

I pull on Finn’s discarded t-shirt, the fabric hanging to mid-thigh, and pad silently toward the door. The hallway is quiet, early morning stillness broken only by the soft creaking of the old cabin’s floors. The door to my father’s room is closed, and I hesitate outside it, suddenly uncertain.

What if he’s still sleeping? What if his wounds are worse this morning?

I turn the handle as quietly as possible, easing the door open just enough to peek inside. The bed is empty, covers rumpled and thrown back as if its occupant left in a hurry. The bandages Finn used to dress his wounds lie discarded on the floor, spotted with dried blood.

“Dad?” I whisper, pushing the door wider. The room is small; nowhere to hide. The window stands open, cool morning air stirring the thin curtains. My heart thuds painfully against my ribs as I step fully into the room, scanning for any sign of where he might have gone.

There’s nothing. No note, no indication of his plans. Just an empty room and the lingering scent of old blood.

"Dad?" I call again, louder this time.

Panic rises in my throat, hot and suffocating. I dash from the room, checking the bathroom, which was empty, and then the small study across the hall, also empty. With each empty room, my movements become more frantic, my breathing more erratic.

"Dad!" I shout now, no longer caring if I wake the alphas. "Liam! Where are you?"

I burst into the living room, scanning the worn furniture as if he might be huddled in the corner of the couch. Nothing. The kitchen is next, and I practically skid across the linoleum in my haste, nearly colliding with the sturdy oak table that dominates the space.

Empty. Everything is empty.

My legs give out, and I sink onto one of the kitchen chairs, breath coming in short, painful gasps. He’s gone. Did he leave voluntarily? Was he taken? Did Orion’s pack find us? My mind spins with horrible possibilities, each more terrifying than the last.

I chew on my thumbnail, a nervous habit from childhood that I thought I’d broken years ago. Through the kitchen window, I can see the edge of the forest, dark pines swaying gently in the morning breeze.

Could he be out there? Should I go look?

The thought of venturing outside alone makes my skin prickle with unease. The alphas have made it very clear that I can’t go anywhere without them, not with Orion’s pack potentially tracking us.

But this is my father. The father I never knew I had until yesterday. The father who endured twenty-two years of torture, who still managed to recognize me despite never having seen me before.

I stand up, decision made. I’ll just peek outside, just scan the immediate area. I won’t go into the woods. I’m halfway to the back door when a deep voice stops me in my tracks.

“He’s gone, Mia.”

I whirl around to find Finn leaning against the doorframe, his expression unreadable as always, though there’s a softness around his eyes that I rarely see.

“What do you mean, gone?” My voice cracks on the last word. “Where did he go?”

“He left,” Finn interrupts, pushing away from the door and approaching me slowly, as if I’m a frightened deer that might bolt. “Last night, after you fell asleep.”

I stare at him, uncomprehending. “He left? Voluntarily? But he could barely stand yesterday. He was covered in wounds and still hurt. He went looking for her, didn’t he? For my mother.”

“He said he’s been waiting years for the chance to find her. Said he could feel their bond was still intact, which means she’s alive somewhere,” says Finn, walking towards me.

“But why didn’t he wait? Why didn’t he say goodbye? I just found him, and now he’s gone again, and I don’t even know if I’ll ever see him again, and—” I mutter, as hot tears rolled down my face.

A sob rises from my throat as Finn’s arms wrap around me tightly, pulling me against his chest in a rare display of tenderness. His hand cradles the back of my head, fingers threading through my hair as I cry against his shirt.

“He said he’d be back,” Finn murmurs against the top of my head. “He’ll find you again when it’s safe, and when he’s found your mother.”

“I could have gone with him,” I say, just as a twinge of pain from my heat returns to my belly and I wince.

"You’re pregnant," Finn reminds me gently. "And being hunted by a pack that would use you for their sick purposes. Your father knew that the safest place for you is with us, with your alphas who can protect you."

I pull back slightly, looking up at him through tear-blurred eyes. "Would you have done the same? If you lost me… ?”

Finn’s green eyes darken, his expression suddenly fierce.

“If I lost you, little omega, I would tear apart heaven and earth to find you again. I would never stop looking, never stop hunting, until you were back in my arms where you belong.” His thumb brushes away a tear from my cheek, the gesture surprisingly gentle from a man who’s usually so contained.

"I understand Liam’s choice. One hundred percent. ”

The raw conviction in his voice soothes something inside me. Of course, my father had to go. Of course, he couldn’t wait. Over twenty years of separation, of torture and longing—how could I expect him to delay even one more day?

We stand like that for several minutes, my cheek pressed against his chest, his heartbeat steady and reassuring under my ear. Eventually, my tears subside, leaving me feeling drained but somehow lighter.

“Your adoptive family,” Finn says suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence. “Do you miss them at all?”

The question catches me off guard. I rarely talked about them.

"My adoptive family?" I pull back to look at him, confused by the sudden change in topic. “No. Not really.”

“Not even a little?” he presses, studying my face intently. “They raised you.”

I shake my head, memories of my childhood rising. My adoptive father's face contorted with rage as he unbuckled his belt, the sharp crack of leather against skin, my adoptive mother’s constant screams for me and my siblings to wake early and take care of the farm.

"They raised me, but they never loved me," I say quietly. "Not really. I was a project to them, a charity case they could show off to their friends—look at the poor orphan they rescued. But behind closed doors, they just wanted a servant.”

Finn’s arms tighten around me, a low growl rumbling in his chest. The sound is comforting—my alpha's protective instinct roused by the thought of anyone hurting me, even in the past.

“We should kill them,” he says matter-of-factly, as if discussing the weather rather than murder.

“That’s your solution to everything, isn’t it?” I ask, giggling. But then I remember how he killed my ex-boyfriend, and I bite my lip. Finn probably isn’t joking.

A rare smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “But it’s effective.”

Then, like a bolt of lightning, an idea strikes me.

"The adoption papers," I blurt out, my mind racing. "If Liam thinks my mother is alive, if she fled with me to protect me from Orion’s pack, then she must have arranged my adoption. The papers might have clues, where she was when she gave me up, maybe even where she planned to go next."

Finn’s eyebrows rise slightly, the only indication of his surprise. "You want to see your adoption papers?"

“Yes!” I say, excitement building as the plan takes shape in my mind. “My adoptive parents always kept them locked away. They never let me see the papers and said they weren’t important. But what if there’s something there? Something that could help my father find my mother?”

"And how do you propose we get these papers?" Finn asks, though I can tell from his expression that he’s already considering the logistics.

"We’d have to go to their house," I say, the words tumbling out in a rush. "In Kentucky. They’re probably still there—they never liked change."

"What’s in Kentucky?" Kane’s deep voice interrupts from the doorway. He stands there shirtless, sleep-rumpled but alert, his dark eyes taking in the scene before him—me in Finn’s arms, tear tracks still drying on my cheeks.

"My adoptive parents," I explain quickly. "I think their adoption papers might have information about my mother, information that could help my father find her."

Kane frowns, crossing the kitchen to join us. His hand automatically goes to my belly, protective and possessive. “Would seeing these people cause you distress? Stress isn’t good for the pup.”

I bite my lip, unable to lie. "Probably, yes. They weren’t… kind. But this is the one thing I can do to help my father. He’s out there somewhere, injured and alone, looking for my mother. If there’s even a chance the papers could help him..."

Kane and Finn exchange a look over my head, one of those silent communications that pass between packmates who know each other well.