Alpha's Adopted Mage

Bridgewood

Alex POV:

Bridgewood is about 30 minutes from the pack boarder. The road leading to Bridgewood is a dirt road and pot holes. They rode in jeeps that were modified like army vehicles. As they were an army with the hope of saving Bridgewood's people. I looked out of the tinted windows where nothing but country land and thick forest laid ahead of us. Most of the trees were starting to change colors, a hint of fall that was coming. It seemed that the weather was always becoming earlier and earlier. The colors calmed my mood and the elder council that I was at earlier, but my mind still wanted to curse them. How dare they want me to find a mate over saving lives! But then again, I would love to find my mate. I searched everywhere, but still the Moon Goddess hadn't delivered on it. He also considered himself a patient man. However, he was tired of this curse. Werewolves are supposed to find their mates around 18 years of age. Sometimes, yes, it goes longer, but not almost 12 years after. His Wolf Chase had led Alex into self-depression and at one time in his life he needed help. He saw a psychologist about his problem but it didn't help. So Chase and Alex decided that the pack was what mattered and it pulled him out of his depression, which was a great thing. He didn't want to turn cold and unloving toward the pack.

The jeep slowed down at a clearing in the middle of the forest. The sight of smoke and fire was visible. The moment the door opened he could smell it, a hint of magic hit his nose and had his hair on the back of his neck standing up on end.

Chase growled into his head, "Dark magic"

"S**t!" Matt growled. I nodded.

"Are we even prepared for magic?"

I shook my head. No, we weren't. We haven't come across anything magic in five years since the magic coven started it's war. The magic users lost Mage King Garret unexpectedly and still have no clue why he died. They've been at war with each other ever since that, trying to figure out who would take his spot. It was said that his eldest daughter would take over but the twin sister wanted the spot for herself and, when that twin tried to take the other one out. All h**l had broken out and the war started. The werewolf community and council decided to support the eldest of the two. It was said the other twin was into dark magic, and had gotten into trouble with it before the war. That was why all the packs and coven supported the eldest. I didn't know them personally or even catch their names. However, I was a good guy and dark magic made me nervous. But to be honest, magic in general to a werewolf was bad.

"Alpha" a small voice yelled, getting my attention. I turned around and a 5'5 willow girl was coming down the forest and it's clearing. You can tell she had Asian coloring and her slanted yellow eyes looked frightened but full of fire. Her bangs cut to just above her eyebrows and her back hair braided all the way down her back just above her hips swayed with every step.

"Jade! Thank the goddess!" Matt ran to her, giving her a huge hug.

"Jake will be pleased you are unharmed."

Jade was Jakes' mate, and just recently married and mated. Three months ago, we were together and met at college. Jade had transferred to America from China and when she married Jake, she became an American citizen. Even though both wolves should have been on a honeymoon, the war with the Alpha Rogue broke out. I didn't want to send her here but with Jade's martial arts back round and a remarkable sense of smell that rivals any other wolf (which was saying a lot). She had earned Head Scout and was sent here to scout out the area with her team before we got here. Jade turned to me and before she bowed her head to me, I noticed a smear of black ash on her face and her hands were black as well.

"Alpha, We got here only ten minutes ago and I was telling my man to scout the perimeter when an explosion went off. We had to hide in the forest when it did because it was big and also, as you can tell, filled with black magic. We took notice of two female forms leaving to the west. I sent two scouts to follow and report back when they could. I've been keeping a link open with them."

"What else Jade?" I asked.

Her brows narrowed, "I don't think the Bridgewood people are here. I smelled many tracks heading toward our pack area. I think they escaped and were heading towards us. I think they had some kind of warning, but I'm not sure how? I've been trying to get into the town by putting out as much of the fire as I can, but it has been very difficult to do with the magic still fueling it."

Jade continued, "I also don't smell any rogues here. Our information was that this was supposed to be a rogue attack but it is defiantly not."

She shook her head and looked straight at me, "This feels like a part of the magic war."

I nodded, looking at my Beta, "Matt send most of the warriors down to try to control the fire. I will be joining you as soon as I can. Jade let me know if you hear anything from your men and call Jake let him know what has happened here. Have him notified that Bridgewood people may be arriving and, if John is with them, get as much information as he can from him."

Jade nodded and quickly went to the jeep to get a phone.

"What are you thinking, Alpha?" my beta asked.

"I don't know? This is completely different? Has the Mage War spread this far all ready? I asked him, certain my face was frowning at him. "Let's get down there and look."

We headed down the hill and as we got closer, Chase started to pacing and growling yet again.

"Dude, What is with you" I yelled at him.

"I sense the mate bond but I can't smell her. Something is wrong Alex!"

"Wait did you say mate?"

"Yes, but just the smell. However, it has a hint of death to it, Alex. I think our mate is dead!" he growls and snaps the air with his jaws.

" OK, calm down, please let me look."

Mate! I thought after all this time. I sniffed the air but only got a smell of burnt wood and dark magic. Sniffing again, I finally smelled it; a hint of jasmine with, yes, death. NO! My mind went. Please, Moon Goddess, don't send me a dead mate, I thought. It's a very cruel joke. If that is what is happening here. I am cursed to h**l, I thought. We worked tirelessly through the town. Trying to save as much of the building and possessions as we could. In the center of Bridgewood, a clearing came into view and a pile of ash was laid in the center. With my site I could make out bones, ashes, and a faint smell of jasmine.

Chase howled into dispare crying out, "Mate!" He whimper and faded back into my mind, cutting my link from him. I could feel the tears running down my face.

"Alex!" a cautious voice pulled me to look to my left. Matt looked at me with concern.

"Mate" I whispered to him.

Faint sound of sharp pained inhaled breath came from my Beta as he whispered back, "Luna! Our Luna?"

I nodded and went to the bones. My mind was filled with hate towards the Moon Goddess and to whomever did this to her. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a golden chain lying next to the remains. I reached and unclasped it from the neck of my mate. It was a simple golden chain that held a small-sized ruby with smaller diamonds that outlined the ruby's shape. I held it close to me. It belonged to my mate. I thought, I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you. More tears fell and I lifted up my head and howled in despair.

Lost in despair, I barely noticed that the ruby was getting hotter. After a few minutes, small flashes of white started spilling out of it. I looked down at it in shock, snapping my jaw close. The light shifted and formed into a hologram shape of a woman. She had long black hair that fell down just above her breast. She was nicely curved and had a round-shaped face, full lips, but what caught my attention more was her violet eyes. Matt came over to me with his jaw wide open. I used my left hand and closed it shut. A sweet anglice voice rang out from the figure of the gem.

"Hello, my name is Mara McIntyer and I'm the eldest of the twin mages"

My eyes widened at that. My mate was a mage!?

"If you are finding this gem and you are listening to me, I must be dead. The gem only opens when good people or white magic is involved. I've been in my sister's tower for the last two years, beaten and sexually assaulted by her colleague. When I finally escaped, I found out I had a mate. I followed the signs here to Bridgewood. However, my journey had to stop two weeks ago when I had a child. She is fathered by the colleague who r***d me. Please find her. She is only two weeks old and depends on someone to take care of her. After she was born, I found an ancient mark of the Battle Mage on her. She's very important and will end this war for my people. To my mate, I wish I could have found you sooner. I'm so sorry, my love, that I didn't make it to you. Please, I beg you raise our daughter! I've named her Annabell, Bella for short. Hide Bella from my sister. I don't think she knew but if she were to find out. Bella's life and my people will be doomed. Bella is the key to winning this. Please save the world and restore peace. "

The gem stopped glowing and the figure left. I took it off the grown and arrow pointed to the north east . I wiped my tears and started to follow it.

"The baby will be ours Alex", Chase told me.

"Do we really want a mage though?" I asked, "What about the pack?"

"They will protect her. She will smell like us and hide her scent until she's ready. Our mate said she was the key, so it's just not only our pack but every being in the world."

" I'm all ready in love with her, Alex. Let's make this work for the pack, for us, for Bella, for our mate, and for the world. We can do this, brother." Chase said with conviction and sass.

Chase wanted the child, I thought. Okay, how can we keep the council from taking her, my title, and my pack? That right there was a different story. If my daughter was to save the world, I think I would gladly step down and raise her. I would give Jake Cooper the title of Alpha if it came to that, I thought.

Following the gem, it led us out of Bridgewood and the opposite way from my pack, but I'm not heading back there until I find my daughter. I heard foot prints behind me and noticed both my beta and Jade following. I nodded at them and continued with my search. Don't worry, we'll make it to you. You are mine, my mates. I will find you. Hold on, Daddy is coming! With new determination, I started picking up my pace.