MATED TO TWO ALPHA'S

Frustration Mounts

"Why the hell is Jaxon so late?" Mateo growled, pacing back and forth. Ethan barely looked up from his phone, his fingers moving quickly as he typed. He was probably checking in with someone about Jaxon’s whereabouts.

"And where the hell is my brother?" Mateo growled again, frustration lacing his voice.

"He's out too," Ethan replied, his tone indifferent. "Enzo says Jax is on his way. He was with a girl the whole afternoon."

"Did he think this trip was a vacation?" Mateo snapped, his hands tightening into fists. "We’re here to find LurkerX, not to screw around with beach girls."

Ethan sighed heavily and sent another quick text. "He said he’s on his way here."

"I swear, if he doesn't have anything useful on LurkerX, I’m going to lose it," Mateo muttered under his breath. Jaxon was supposed to be his right-hand man, but lately, it felt like he was losing his edge. Maybe it was time to remind him of who he worked for. He had been getting too comfortable.

"And where the hell is Asher?" Mateo's voice was low, dangerous now. He was doing most of the work, while the others treated this like a vacation. It only added to his frustration. They needed to find LurkerX, and fast. Every minute they wasted was another minute she could be slipping further away.

"No word from him yet," Ethan replied, glancing up at Mateo. "But Jax said he'd be here in ten minutes."

Mateo's jaw clenched. "I’m going to break his ass if he doesn’t have any information," he muttered, his anger bubbling over. Ethan, sensing the shift in his mood, held back a laugh but gave a subtle nod, acknowledging the tension in the air.

Mateo stood still for a moment, letting the anger settle in his chest. "This is getting ridiculous," he said. "No one seems to take me seriously. It's like I’m the only one who remembers what we’re actually here for."

Ethan straightened up, his body language shifting. He knew that when Mateo got like this, he was a force to be reckoned with. He lowered his head slightly, an unspoken sign of submission.

Just as Mateo was about to say something more, he heard a knock on the hotel room door.

"Come in," he growled, already knowing who it was.

The door opened, and Jaxon walked in, a grin on his face that quickly faded when he saw Mateo’s expression. Before he could say a word, Mateo’s fist connected with his face. The punch sent Jaxon sprawling to the ground.

Mateo's heart raced as a strange, almost primal hunger surged within him. Normally, he could keep his emotions in check, but lately, things had been getting harder. Ever since his wolf started acting up, he felt like he was losing control. It was getting worse, and now, he couldn't shake the urge to hurt Jaxon.

Jaxon groaned as he got back up, one eye already starting to swell. He lowered his head in submission, the recognition of Mateo's authority sinking in.

"Are you okay?" Ethan asked cautiously, stepping in front of Mateo as if to shield Jaxon.

"Where is my brother?" Mateo roared, his voice echoing through the room. The walls seemed to shiver from the force of his words.

Ethan quickly tried to calm him down. "I’m trying to reach him. Jaxon, tell us what you’ve found so far."

Jaxon took a deep breath and started speaking, but Mateo could barely focus on the words. His mind was a whirlwind of frustration and confusion. Why was he so angry? It wasn’t like him to feel this out of control.

"I asked around," Jaxon continued, oblivious to Mateo’s inner struggle. "They say LurkerX’s definitely a she-wolf. She doesn’t belong to any pack around here."

Mateo's patience was wearing thin. "What else?" he demanded, his voice edged with anger.

"I went through the rogue lists and checked on the lone wolves living here," Jaxon continued. "There are two women who live apart from the pack. Both are lone wolves, but they’re too old and disconnected from the world to be LurkerX."

Mateo clenched his fists. "What else?" His voice was a low growl.

Jaxon hesitated, exchanging a quick glance with Ethan. "This is all I have so far. I was out with a girl today. She’s a local, from one of the packs here. She knows some stuff. She’s the one who told me about LurkerX."

Mateo felt a surge of irritation. This wasn’t what he needed. "Then bring her to me," he ordered. "I want to know everything she knows."

Jaxon shifted uncomfortably. "I... I don’t know if she’ll come. She’s kind of hard to get," he said, his voice unsure.

The frustration inside Mateo boiled over. He didn’t want to waste any more time. "Then do whatever you need to do to bring her to me. I don’t care. If that girl knows anything, I want her here. Do you understand me?"

Jaxon nodded quickly. "Yes, Alpha. I’ll bring her to you tomorrow."

Finally, Mateo could see Jaxon snapping back into his role. It was a small relief, but not enough to calm the storm inside him. He needed to find Asher. And he needed to do something about the anger and chaos that seemed to be eating away at him.

For now, he would focus on getting answers about LurkerX, but deep down, he knew that something was changing. Something that would need to be dealt with before it consumed him entirely.