His Missing Luna

CHAPTER 61

MALACHAI

I SAW A GIRL

“I don’t trust his words,” Midriel says, plunking into a chair as we enter my office.

Rakiel drags me to a chair, pushes me down and settle herself on my laps. “Me neither,” she agrees, dropping her face into my neck and inhaling my scent.

I inhale her sweet rose scent, my arms tightening around her waist. “Why does he want us to be his ally?” Kizziah’s request surprised me, raising my curiosity. Why does he suddenly want my alliance?

“And I couldn’t read his mind,” Rakiel adds, her eyes flashing green with frustration. “Who thinks about trees for that long?”

“Very tall trees,” I mutter, recalling the peculiar image in Kizziah’s mind. “And his son. Did you notice how he couldn’t take his eyes off Midriel?”

“That was strange,” I admit. “And what Kizziah said about that alpha? I doubt it’s true. I’ve heard of Alpha Hunt. “He’s young and like us in some ways—reserved and protective of his pack.”

“He has a reputation. He’s ruthless and commands one of the biggest, strongest packs,” Midriel adds. “After ours, of course.”

“And he has no Luna,” Rakiel chips in, turning her back to my chest me and propping her legs on the table, wriggling her toes. “Could that be why he took Kizziah’s son’s mate?”

“The real questions are why he took her and why Kizziah came to us,” I say. “Why would an alpha like Nathan Hunt steal another alpha’s mate on their mating day?”

“We are powerful, according to Kizziah,” Rakiel shrugs.

“I don’t believe that’s the only reason,” Midriel shakes his head. “He could be lying about Nathan Hunt.”

I nod in agreement. “We’ve never formed an alliance with any pack. Why would he come to us? We need to find out, but how do we do that if we refuse his request?” I look at Midriel. “We need to know because I feel there’s something connecting him to Amerie.”

Rakiel tenses in my arms and turns to give me a shocked look. “I thought I was the only one who felt that. Especially, with how his son looked at Midriel.”

Midriel stands, smacking his palm on the table. “I knew it! He looked like he recognized me.”

Our link pulses with this revelation, each of us wrestling with our emotions.

I blame myself for not taking proper responsibility for my actions, blaming my mate for something that wasn’t her fault.

Rakiel blames herself for Amerie’s disappearance. Almost losing Midriel and me. It took a long time for her to get over it. Through love, patience, and the bonds of family, we found our way back to each other.

And Midriel has not stopped blaming himself for being sidetracked that day. Whoever took Amerie knew him well enough to use a rabbit to lure him away.

“We can’t let him go, Dad,” Midriel insists.

Rakiel looks back at me. “We need to find a way to make them stay. At least until we can read their minds.”

Midriel snaps his fingers. “We can invite them to join us for the pack run!”

The pack run was a good idea, but no outsider had ever joined us. “We’d be breaking tradition. Our people won’t like it,” I counter, though the idea intrigues me. “But we could invite them to join the festivities without running.”

Rakiel pulls out of my arms. “I’ll link the maids to prepare a room for them at the visitor’s lodge,” she says, but I stop her.

“Let’s put them close to us. The third floor after Finch’s floor. They need to feel welcomed and free with us.”

Rakiel nods and links the maids. “Done.” She sits back on my lap.

“I’ll ask the guards to bring them in.”

My wolf stirs beneath the surface, anxious about what we might discover. Was this fate at work or just a random coincidence? This man and his son could be the link we need to finding Amerie.

“We are at the door, Alpha Malachai,” the guard I sent to pick them up links me.

“Enter,” he enters first with Kizziah and Saul following behind. “You may leave, I dismiss him and nod at his short bow.

“Alpha, Luna, young alpha,” the father and son duo greet us.

“Please, have your seats,” Rakiel flashed them a smile.

They thanked her and sat down.

“So…” I begin. “I would love to give you an answer, but unfortunately we are about to have our pack run. And when we are about to do so, I usually don’t attend to hard matters like this. I focus on the activity to ensure it is a success.”

My eyes move between the duo, noting their expressions. Saul looks like he is holding his breath and focusing at the wall behind me.

Strange. Just like before when they were thinking of trees.

“I am extending an invitation to you and your son to stay with us till the end of the run. Or if you would prefer, you can come back at another time.”

Kizziah smiles confidently. “We really do not mind at all. As long as we are assured that you will think of our proposal.”

Rising to my feet, I stretch out my hand to him. “I promise to do so,” thinking he is going to ignore like the first time, shocks me when he takes my hand, shaking it with confidence. .

What I see shocks me and further drives my conviction that these people know something about Amerie.

“My men will take you to where you will stay. Someone will bring you something to eat. Or if you prefer to eat at our dining.”

Kizziah seems to relax more, his confidence growing. “Our room will be nice. I won’t like to keep your staff up. Thank you, Alpha Malachai.”

“My pleasure,” I nod at him as the door opens with my men ready to escort them out.

When they leave, I look up at my wife and son. “He knows something.”

“What did you see? Rakiel asks.

“I saw a girl.”

A girl with blue eyes,