The Alpha’s not-so Human Mate

14. Reflection

JACE’S POINT OF VIEW

I promised my mate that I'd be back before she knew it, but there was a little delay at one of the packs we conquered. I found out that Kaiah had been trafficking human girls and selling them to Vampires for blood and s****l pleasure. There were over two hundred girls locked up in the basement of their pack house. I had to get them the medical care they needed because they looked malnourished. It was necessary to keep the werewolf world secret from humans, so I gave the order for their memories to be wiped off. After the process was complete, they were taken to a human hospital in the next town to receive proper care.

I didn't stay for all these processes to be completed as I was already missing my baby, so I returned. But when I reached the pack house, I looked for her, but no one had seen her. I went to search for her in the woods, and luckily enough, there she was! I saw her shivering due to the cold night. Initially, I only wanted to go to her, but when I saw how jumpy she was, I thought to prank her. She grew so scared due to the sound of my movements. I rustled a few leaves to make her more panicked ... but eventually, I stopped and revealed myself to her. Her scent calmed me down and helped me forget the horrid sight I had encountered concerning the human girls earlier that day.

We continued the walk back, but as we were approaching the pack house together, I caught the smell of danger--the bloody red moon is never a good sign! So I warned Esnie to run for her life. Before I could say Jack Robinson, a werewolf attacked me. I fought back without hesitation, it was a piece of cake because the werewolf was no match for me. I was winning the fight, but when I saw that Esnie stopped, I yelled for her to keep running. That moment was enough for my opponent to attack me again. It almost had me if not that I gripped its f*****g balls and yanked it out, causing it to cry out. I killed it instantly.

I ran towards Esnie, but before I could get to her, another werewolf had thrown her to the ground. It is so weird that they had no smell whatsoever. They were using a scent-masker.

I got in front of the werewolf just in time and took the hit for my mate. I fought back and killed the intruder, or so I thought.

We were about ten meters away from the pack house. I wondered why no one could hear me through our communication link or why they could not hear the commotion and come to our aid. That was when I heard a growl behind me and as I turned back... Sharp claws came slashing through my neck, catching me off guard. I felt my body hit the ground. "Jace!!!" Esnie screamed, which was the last thing I heard before it all went blank.

***

I saw myself being transported on a ship with other people whose faces I cannot remember. The only constant sound was the sound of silence; the silence of death. We all just stood still, staring into nothing. My memories were gradually fading as if they never existed, except for Esnie's face, which was the only thing I remembered so well.

The ship reached a gateway, and we got off on instinct. Words needed not to be said. I saw the driver of the spaceship for the first time. He wore a black cloak covering his face and body, and he did not like to be kept waiting because he was running on a tight schedule. He led us through the gateway and brought us to a bridge, the largest bridge ever known. Those who crossed that bridge never returned. That was the final crossing from life to death.

Soon, it was my turn to cross. I stoically stepped forward, but I was halted by the driver in a black cloak; with a wave of his fingers, he rejected my passing. The next second, I was pushed out of that dark underworld and back into space. Like a spore floating in the air, I wafted into a dark space—until I got to a sphere suspended in the universe, the earth.

I entered the atmosphere and fell about ten thousand kilometers down, but just as I was about to hit the ground, I woke up in the woods near the pack house. I groaned from the pain I was feeling all over my body. I looked up and was greeted by the morning sky. My hand subconsciously touched my neck and I felt dried liquid, blood. That was when I remembered the event of the previous night and sat up. I looked to my left and saw my Esnie lying there.

"Esnie! Baby, talk to me!"

I shook her, but she did not open her eyes. I carried her in my arms and ran to the pack house. When I got there, everyone seemed shocked and concerned, but I wasn't in the mood to look their way. I carried my mate to the pack doctor, Jerry, and begged him to heal her.

"She is dead, I'm afraid". Was all Jerry said after examining her.

"No. That can't be true-" I looked at him hoping he had made a mistake. He checked again and shook his head in the negative. I cried like a kid, not minding that as the alpha, I had to show strength at all times.

I watched her lying there; cold, pale, lifeless, and all I could think of was the werewolf that attacked us. I must find him and make him feel a million times what she felt. Rage was all my eyes could see.

I stormed out of the pack house to the woods, to the spot where it all happened. I sniffed the air to get at least a faint smell of that fool. But my sniffing was futile because the scent was blocked by a scent-masker. Why would anyone go through the trouble of using a scent-masker unless his scent was already familiar? I communicated with one of my betas with my mind and asked him to come meet me there. He came almost immediately and I glanced at him.

Without any emotion, I said to him. “I want you to find out who left the pack house at midnight. I need a list of names if there are more than one.”

His brows furrowed in seriousness. “May I know why, Alpha?"

"goddamnit, Ross! Just do it". That was my response. Harsh, I know, but I was in no mood to be friendly. He nodded and left.

I strolled to the moon lake and sat on the rock there. I remember the night I brought her here. I miss that night. I miss her. I could taste the gloom in the air, even the weather was mourning my beautiful mate. Tears threatened their way to my eyes, my heart was shattered.

“I promised to protect you, my dear Esnie, but I could not even do that. Please, come back to me, my darling.”

I walked closer to the moon lake and gazed into the water; it was so crystal clear that I could see its apparent bottom. Tiny pebbles and smooth white stones graced the floor of the lake, and swimming without a care in the world were some colorful fishes. I was lost in thought as I watched them glide in the water.

As I stared for longer than I intended to, my eyes began playing tricks on me. I started to see the face of my Esnie in the water, staring right back at me, like my own reflection.