Lost Origin: Step Alpha

Two months (prt 3)

**Jared's POV**

It's been two months since I confessed to Sam that I wanted to get back together. Two months since we've been texting on and off. Mostly, I sent her a text and waited for her to respond. She'll respond maybe a day or so later. I waited a few days before I texted her the first time. She said my number got deleted. I knew that bastard would. In these past months, we've seen each other maybe 3 other times. Twice to pick up or drop off Alex. The third was me surprising them at the park.

I showed up one day with flowers but saw her, Alex, and her friend Kim leaving the house. I followed them to the park and figured out why not crash the party. We had a good time, despite Kim giving me the stink eye and Sam, seeming a little anxious and uncomfortable. She stepped away a few times when her phone buzzed uncontrolablely. I figured it was work and the reason she was in such a mood. Alex had a blast being with us together, and I could tell Sam liked that.

Now, weeks later, I knew exactly why Sam's phone was buzzing. It was this Alpha bastard. Why is he interested in her?

"What does he want with my girl?" I ask Madeline, who has her face in her hands. She seems more stressed now, knowing her Alpha is seeing Samantha.

"I don't know." She whispers.

"You have to know something!" I slam my hands repeatedly on the dash and steering wheel before tossing his file at her. "Does he know I'm hunting them?!... Is he trying to use her against me?!"

She doesn't answer. I grab her by her shoulders and force her to face me. I notice she is actually crying.

"What is it that you know?"

"I think she's his mate." She hiccups and shakes in my hands.

"Mate, what does that mean?"

She shakes her head as if it would hurt her to explain it further.

"Mate?" I pick up the file for Ethan Briggs. I know I read something about a mate in there.

"Alpha Briggs kills human mate by trying to force change her. Sources state he was being irrational. He was quoted screaming,'I will not let the other part of my soul die.' Source unknown." The other part of his soul? Did he mean like soulmates? What the f**k?

"He thinks they are soulmates?" Madeline responds by crying harder. "That sick bastard!" I yank my phone out the side pocket of my cargo pants and dial Samantha's number. I have to warn her. It rings and rings until it goes to voicemail. Is she with him? No, can't be. Madeline said he is having a gathering. It is close to nine at night. Breath Jared, she must be at work. I debate leaving her a message but don't. Now I'm wondering if she knows? Samantha would never entertain him if she did. A dangerous man around our son? Sam is smarter than that; isn't she?

"We have to turn him in." I mumble.

"No, He's mine!" Madeline's claws spring out into her own thighs but she doesn't even flinch.

"I need to protect my family." I argue, discretely pulling another knife from the side of my seat. I would be a shame if I have to use it on her. She's been like a sister to me these past few months.

We are staring eachother down. Not one of us wanting to give up on what's ours.

"Listen, there has to be a way we both win."

Her claws retract and her black eyes slowly swirl back to blue. I let the knife fall back into its hiding spot.

"He means alot to me." She shrugs. "Like how Sam means to you."

"You love him. Then why aren't you his mate?"

She winces like if my words sting.

"Doesn't work that way. The moon goddess chooses our mates for us. We are crafted for eachother."

"Nonsense! Sam is human. How can she be crafted for him by a WEREWOLF Goddess."

She rolls her eyes and sighs. "Fate is written out for us in a way that guarantees her children's happiness. We like to think she is always right, that she makes no mistakes."

"But she made a mistake, right? Or he did! It's not possible for her to be his mate."

"I don't know if its a mistake or a plan."

"Plan?" What the hell is she talking about? How do we even know if her Moon Goddess is real? I don't even know if my God is real. There are over 4,000 religions in the world. I am not about to fall for a werewolf goddess myth.

"The journey that leads us to our fate. What if this is just part of the journey?"

"I'm listening."

"The moon goddess might of paired Samantha with Eli to start a domino effect. I mean what are the odds you and I are in the same place right now? You love her, and I love him. Eli can't be with Samantha, not because she's human but because she has a human child. He will never be allowed on pack lands unless he grows up to be mated to a wolf."

I cring. My son, mated to a dog? Not happening.

"Samantha would have to leave her son behind, and clearly she wouldn't because they would have been mated already. The other options would be.... Eli abandons the pack, or he rejects her."

I can only assume because of the "what b***h?" look on my face, Madeline feels the need to go in debt about rejections and her plan to help push fate along or whatever she thinks this plan is.

"A rejection is a way of snapping the ties we have with our fated."

"Isn't that a little contradictory. If they are supposed to be your soulmates, why would you get rid of them?" I ask, confused. I would have never gotten rid of Samantha willingly. I want her forever.

"Just because we are fated doesn't mean that it's our only path. It just means if we good heartedly follow the Goddess plans, we are guaranteed to be blessed with all the pleasant gifts of life. Besides, our hearts can love anyone, and sometimes that love is more pure and precious than a fated. It's worth the risk to take a chosen mate."

I nod at her last words because I can feel them resignate in my chest. A chosen mate, huh? That's right. I don't need a God to tell me Sam's mines. I choose my own fate, and I say she is. The live I have for her says she is.

"So you persue Eli, and push him to reject her?"

"Yes, and in the meantime, you persue Samantha and show her how much you care for her and your son. Show her how you can be a family together. That's something she can't have with Eli since Alex is human."

That makes sense. Sam would never leave Alex. She always has her mom check up on him daily when he is with me. Her mother will ask for pictures and call. I knew Sam was in the background listening to every call, too, because her mother never failed to have the phone on speaker or in an awkward position while facetiming.

Maybe the wolf's plan is the right way to go. It is safe, and we will both win in the end.

"In the mean time lets get these two other alphas, I still need money!" I joke feeling a little lighter.

She doesn't seem too happy about having to betray her spieces. But, in order to save that Eli mutt, she has no choice. However, if her plan doesn't work out, it will not matter if we catch these alphas or not. Eli is going in, and I am going to be the one to take him down.