Chapter 22 Edward Crowne

*Harriet Crowne*

Where is Ethan? When in the bloody hell is he coming back?" My mate, Edward, comes barging through the main doors of our mansion.

"Ethan is in the East Coast, darling, still soul searching." I tell him.

"While he is out gallivanting at wherever the hell he is, I am here trying to do his work on top of mine. He is trying my patience, Harriet. Tell him to come home now!" Ethan's father had never believed in fated mates. He believed in arranged marriages which would benefit both families. It had worked for us, he believed it could work for Ethan.

Ethan, wasn't like his father. He believed in family, in love and respect, in helping others, things you could not buy with money. We had so much of it anyway. Why search for more?

Edward, unfortunately, had already arranged Ethan to mate the daughter of the wealthy Moon River Pack, located in the midwest, whose territory spun from Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois. Edward saw dollar signs from the possible mating while Ethan saw someone he didn't want to spend the rest of his life with, knowing his fated mate was out there, the one who would complete his existence.

Due to his father's persistence, Ethan reluctantly met with the graceful Sophia, and although Sophia instantly took a liking to Ethan, he didn't feel that spark. Edward, the manipulative bastard that he was, arranged for Ethan and Sophia to stay in the same room in an exclusive resort in the Carribean. He wagered Ethan would not be able to resist Sophia and would bed her, creating a good enough reason for them to become mates. Needless to say, Ethan flew back the instant he found out about the arranged hotel booking, packed all of his stuff and went on a sabbatical to find his mate. He had said he would not return unless she was with him, his mark in that special area where the neck meets the clavicle.

"Ethan already said he will not return unless she's with him. He will be home soon, Edward. Anyway, he has been attending the meetings through teleconferencing and has been passing the necessary documents through his assistant. He has not turned his back on his responsibilities." I argued.

"See that?! You are always coddling him. This is why he keeps rebelling. If he was just kept on a tight leash, he would have already been mated with the daughter of one of the wealthiest packs of the great United States. I could retire. You could retire. We could all sit around sipping margaritas the whole day. But unfortunately for me, I still have to work! You better tell your good for nothing son, he better be back home after the holidays or else!"

"Or else what? You'd kill him? Like the Lockwood patriarch who killed his Alpha son?" The story of Lucas Lockwood was big news almost two decades ago. Mostly rumors however, there was one rumor that Eric Lockwood was unsuccessful and Lucas just went missing. I found out the truth when my sister was banished from our pack and now Ethan also knows. I know my son. He will convince Lucas to reclaim what is his after he discovers Lucas to be a good man.

"Of course not, Harriet. I'm not a monster. What I meant to say was...or else I will personally go wherever he is and drag him here if I have to."

"Edward, you keep forgetting, you aren't Alpha any more. He can avoid you if he wants to."

"Stop reminding me. I hate not being Alpha anymore and what's worse, since Ethan became Alpha, he no longer has respect for me. You tell him to come home, Harriet. I have eyes too you know. I can find him." And just like that, Edward turned around and left me to enter his study.

This isn't good. If Edward finds out Lucas is alive, he will definitely tell Eric.

I need to warn them.

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*Edward Crowne*

My son and two daughters bear the Crowne name and although my son has done well for himself as Alpha, soldier and businessman, I still believe he could do much more.

Fated mate. How could he be so stupid to believe in a whole lot of mumbo-jumbo like that? Yes, one of our utmost laws is to respect the bond of the fated mate, however it hardly ever happens anymore. What a good male wolf needs is a wealthy Luna, one from a strong pack, that will ensure his stay at the top of the food chain.

I wanted to retire, but Ethan didn't like Sophia. I don't understand him. Sophia is a beautiful, well-educated young lady. They both made a handsome couple, every one noticed it. WHY WOULD ETHAN REJECT THE IDEA OF MATING SOPHIA?

Harriet said he will be home soon. Does this mean he has found her? If so, who is she? Is she as wealthy as Sophia? It was time I learn about my son's affairs. I dial the number of my contact in the East Coast. It's been days and he hasn't informed me of Ethan's whereabouts.

"Where is he?" I ask, impatient. I know I could be overly assertive at times, but it gets things done.

"Sir Edward, we lost him. We were hit by a storm as we exited New Jersey. We are currently tracking his credit card usage, but nothing has come up."

"Find him. Trace his number, his smartphone. Anything. I need him to be found. Once you have his location, inform me. I will be travelling to where he is to pick him up."

"We have traced his number from the last location ot was used. It led us to New York. We asked all hotels for someone staying with Alpha Ethan's name, but we came up empty-handed."

"He can not be far. Go to Boston. That is the next big city. I know of a certain someone in that area. I just can't remember where I put her address. He might have gone to her. I will call you again once I have more information."

I knew Ethan was close to his aunt and I remember him saying when he got the chance he would go and bring her back. He has not completely forgiven me for banishing her. "You don't turn your back on family, Father." His family. She was not part of my family. If she had just listened to me and waited for me to reject and divorce her sister, she wouldn't have gotten herself pregnant. I was going to give her everything she ever wanted, but she had to spread her legs for one of our cowhands.

Free spirited Daisy. Oh, she was very beautiful. More beautiful than my mate Harriet. Her skin was pale and soft, her blonde hair shiny, glittering when the sun shone on it. I was in love and watched her under hooded eyes.

I professed my love one time we were alone at the balcony where a party was being thrown in honor of a newly appointed Alpha. She laughed at me and said she would never betray her sister like that. I told her to think with her head for once. I would give her everything. She pursed her lips then walked towards me, her full breasts touching my chest as her hands rubbed my arms. I instantly went hard and she felt it, her lips curving in a small smile.

"You'll never have me, Edward. You should run along now and find your mate. A cold shower would do you good, too." She turned around and laughed, sashaying triumphantly, proud she had put me in my place.

Well, I did the same to her. I banished her and killed the cowhand who impregnated her. She said she didn't have to stay in the pack. They were going to run off together, but when no Enrique showed up, she assumed he had left her.

"I will lift my order if you have an abortion and warm my bed." I had called her inside my study hoping she would agree to my terms. She had a small bag with a few of her belongings, ready to leave the pack.

"No. You stay here in your cold bed and roll on it! Enrique wouldn't leave me. I know you had a hand in this, Edward. One day, when I find out the truth about Enrique, I will come back and rip your head off. Mark my words!" She stood up and took her bag and left, slamming the door closed.

I watched her walk out of the estate, in the pouring rain, from the window of my study. Ethan and Harriet ran outside to stop her, but she yanked her arms away and shook her head. I saw Harriet put something in her hands. Daisy smiled at her, crying and they both hugged each other as Ethan looked on. Daisy then called Ethan and gave him a small kiss on his cheek. She took one last look at the mansion and turned, running, exiting the gates of the estate.

I forbade everyone from contacting her nor mentioning her name. Ethan was so angry. He was a teenager then, and his face became so red from anger, I thought he was going to kill me. He vowed when he became Alpha, he would change wolf laws to rid wolves of discrimination. "We live in a society with humans. They are not beneath us. They are alongside of us." Or so he said.

Daisy sent a postcard several years back saying she was doing fine. I threw away the postcard, but I remember writing down her address for future reference. Is it possible Ethan knew where she was and had gone to visit her to convince her to come back? Did Harriet betray me for her sister? My mate is such the rule breaker. This is why she was mated to me, to stop her ridiculous behavior.

I take the keys of my safe which were hidden in a secret drawer of my desk. There are things you don't want lying around and one of them is the address of that tramp. I open a safe and retrieve a small notebook which had information I liked to keep hidden. I sat on my chair, flipping through the pages of the small notebook until I found her name, Marguerite Thomas, Portland, Maine.

I found you, Ethan.