Her Mortal Mate

Chapter Fifteen: Element Of Surprise Gone

Ryland

I stared down into the warehouse we had bought specifically for this heinous trap. My pack, and my older brother’s pack, had been busy setting up the intricate trap, because we knew Jadea was very adaptable to situations. We couldn’t afford for her to gain the upper hand in any situation. We had to ensure she felt powerless. Helpless. Overpowered. Outmatched. Otherwise this would never work out. Even though we had more wolves, I wasn’t taking any chances. Her pack of mutts were good.

We would never gain the councilor’s seat if we failed and we would never make our fortune if she wasn’t compliant—

“Alpha!” Edgar, my beta said urgently from behind me.

“Yes?” I asked briskly, facing him. By the look in his eyes I knew I wasn’t going to like what he had to say. He had every right to fear my wrath and anger if there was any incompetence or mistake in this process. “What is it?” I asked darkly.

He straightened his back and announced, “They saw Jadea in the city.”

“Hmm…” Interesting. I had been almost certain she would have tracked our scent here. I’d become worried when, after sunrise, she hadn’t rushed into our trap.

Perhaps she was going to announce she would be backing out from the race in an attempt to appease us? And gain freedom for her mate? When I’d called her, I only announced her removal from the election was necessary. Was she choosing the path of least resistance? That seemed odd for her…

“She was with Lance Erickson,” he added on a little quieter note because he was nervous.

Erickson?

That damn half breed controller was the half brother to the infamous Constance Erickson! And he was working with her? How did they even know each other? “Do you know why they were together?” I demanded, hoping they’d been able to glean that information from someone.

He shook his head. “They went to the courthouse but we lost them inside. However, not long after they left, the Russian Alpha, Nikolai, and his pack left the city too and headed in the same direction as Jadea and Lance.”

It could be a coincidence, but I was doubtful.

Turning back to stare aimlessly into the warehouse, I pondered over what this all could mean. Lucien, Jadea’s adoptive father, was on the council. His seat was what my younger dim witted half brother, Chance, and Jadea were running for. Could she know Nikolai and Lance based off of her father’s connections? Had she asked for back up after we’d taken her mate?

Had she somehow found out what our real intentions were behind her mate’s capture? And if yes, then how?

“Gather the group who escorted the human,” I told my beta on a growl.

While he scurried away to do my bidding, my mind turned over the information I knew. My brother’s incompetent pack hadn’t been able to kill the children. They’d just… disappeared. Had they left something there? Had they said something at that witch’s house and been overheard? Or had something else happened?

“Sir?” Jericho asked. When I turned around, I saw my older brother—Harley—with them. The rest of the team he’d sent to collect Adam and kill the children fanned out behind them.

“You left something out, didn’t you?” I growled at Jericho. When the beta shifted, I knew I had my answer. He didn’t look nervous, he wasn’t acting shady in any way. He was good at lying. But lying he was.

“I told you everything—

“You lie to me again, I will kill you!” I roared, grabbing Jericho by the scruff of his neck and slamming him against the wall.

Harley looked on impassively and I was suddenly annoyed. If he knew how to lead, and didn’t have his own head up his ass, this would never have happened. He believed his pack mates deserved their own space. But I begged to differ. Giving space and ‘trusting’ those in your pack wasn’t an option unless you wished to be taken advantage of and made out to be a fool.

Jericho, for once, looked scared. Good! “Now. Tell me!” I snarled, my nose almost pressed against his.

“T-The human had a phone—

“You didn’t think to check him for one when you captured him!?” I fairly seethed, slamming him against the wall again. He winced. Adam could have called someone. Could have recorded conversations. He could have done numerous things! Damn it!

I slammed my fist into Jericho’s face and heard a satisfying crunch.

“I-It was an honest mistake! We destroyed the phone,” he cried, trying to put his hands up to protect himself.

“Where is it then?” I demanded.

His eyes got large. “We left it where we destroyed it.”

Fucking incompetent bastards! I had a feeling because of this major mistake, we had lost our element of surprise.

I wasn’t responsible for what happened next. My rage took over and I pummeled the wolf without remorse.