THE ALPHA'S WILDLESS MATE

Chapter 3–Betrayal

I sat quietly at the sudden influx of strangers, loud, confident, testosterone-filled wolves invading our space. The Moonshadow pack who were known for their bravery and tenacity. I had no interest in whatever went on or why we celebrated their return from bringing the red stone from the stone of valor. While I was moving towards Liam. I collided with someone whose scent made my breath falter as though my body recognized him, before my mind did.

He was tall, olive-skinned wolf with his athletic build, chocolate brown hair, tousled dark curls and a claw marked scar across his shoulder. A lot of girls were surrounding him, laughing at his jokes. He had a mid-smirk on his lips. It had to be him, I told myself. His reputation indeed preceded him. The boy whose reputation for bold flirting and raucous laughter made him impossible to ignore.

Jaxon….

He was everything I despised. And yet, despite my irritation, I could not deny a strange, electric pull. I felt something shift subtly in the air between us. He apologized but I didn't care neither did I look back in any way. Then it happened, a single glance, accidental yet searing. My cold glare met his amused smirk. Neither of us understood the unspoken connection forming in that instant, but the tension was undeniable. I stared aimlessly at him as neither of us could pull away from each other's gaze.

There was an uproar among the Crescent wolves. Everyone from the Moonshadow Pack had been arrested. I stood beside the door, listening to my father, “The red stone is fake”, he said.

It's very heavy and it has no effect on the tapestry. My mother pleaded with him to reconsider Alpha Darius' request to have an audience with him. I wanted to help out, but my father's heart was not so easily turned when it involved someone that plans to betray the pack. The red stone was fake, it's heavy and it does not light up our tapestry, he told my mother with so much anger from his tone.

I saw my mother coming towards the door, I left quickly, thankfully I was not caught.

My father called for a town meeting. Alpha Darius and all the Moonshadow Pack members were released. I was called by my father and told to place the stone in the garden. Spies were spread closely in the garden and were asked to arrest anyone surrounding them on sight. Turner, the head enforcer of the Moonshadow Pack on hearing the location of the red stone went to the garden and was captured. They had bargained with the Ridgewalkers and that they would exchange the red stone and while Turner joined in the fight, Josh would take over the Pack by force because he believed that I would be dead while we were ambushed.

A formal alliance was made between the two packs with discussions and negotiations done. Jaxon and Zuri stayed back to see the alliance through while Alpha Darius and one other wolf went back to the pack. I was surprised to see that these two men were the closest friend to Alpha Darius since he was younger and there was a statement he made that stuck to my mind. We fear our enemies from other packs unknown to us that the main betrayal lives within our walls.”

That evening my father had agreed to release a man that he would have killed but he didn't and I wondered what had changed his mind.

When Alpha Darius got back to his pack, Josh was not found, he had already left the pack with his family and there was trace that he would be coming back again to the pack.

My father had asked three of his strongest men including my brothers to join him in retrieving the red stone. Mark tagged along. Jaxon and Zuri joined in as well while I was asked to be the eyes of the hunt.

I sighted the Ridgewalkers and told everyone. They moved swiftly towards us and struck without caution. The fight was brutal. Claws tore, teeths bickering, and my heart pounded so fast. I have never been in a fight like this but I didn't let it get to me, I believed that after today, my pack would see me in a different light.

Jaxon !!! Zuri called me, as she tried to fight off one of the Ridgewalkers. I came to meet her and we were able to fight him off. I focused more on helping my sister out, but asides from her, someone else intrigued me 'Scarlet'. I have heard from other sources that she was wolfless but I was in awe when I saw her fighting with us. I watched Scarlet as she shot her arrows so naturally, standing her ground without a fear in sight and any form of weakness

I was so intrigued by Scarlet’s fascinating comportment and even amidst the victory, my mind wandered. She had been careless tonight, but somehow brave. Somehow… intoxicating. I kept thinking about the way she had moved through the fray, unaware of her own allure to those around her.

The Stone of Valor rested safely in our possession, but the night left me restless. I watched everyone as they were filled with joy but something seemed wrong. Scarlet was nowhere to be found. I informed Liam and we both went in search for her. I found Scarlet lying lifelessly on the ground. As she lay unmoving, a sudden panic crashed through me relentlessly, loud and impossible to ignore. I realized with aching uncertainty that I didn't want to loose her and even though we may not really be close. I would like to get to know her.

Liam came from behind dragging someone out of the bush, a young boy who looked very scared while Liam held onto him. He claimed he had nothing to do with what had happened. But he saw Mark running off. I was so angry at what he said. I questioned him about why he didn't inform us on time but he stood there trembling as though he had seen a ghost.

We searched everywhere for Mark but unfortunately we didn't find him. We searched his home but he was not there. On seeing Scarlet treated and breathing steadily, I felt a sense of quiet and overwhelming relief. Mark was not found and for some reason some thought he joined another pack or that he joined the Ridgewalkers.

We searched endlessly for him. There was no track, no scent but only the certainty that he would return someday.