CHAPTER 79

CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE
“Reclaim the pack by kidnapping Sasha?” He was hot on my heels as I tried to navigate past the small crowds, stopping just enough to share a few words of sentiment. I did feel like a failure in their eyes but I was determined to protect what was left of my pride’s pack even if this meant going to the extremities, I never thought I would before. I turned around, Danny almost face-planting on my chest.

“Yes. You have a problem with that, Danny?” I crossed my arms, watching his face. If a month ago someone had told my best friend who loved playing the game of one-night stands would actually care about someone like he seemed to be doing now, I would have laughed at how ridiculous that sounded.. Yet here we were.

“Of course not. You are just doing your job as an Alpha. I just don’t understand what is the essence of kidnapping Sasha if the focal point is Nadia,” he shrugged, non-chalantly. He was trying to camouflage the fact that he liked Sasha but I’d known him for more than half my life.

“Because I want to grill her for answers. She is the closest link I got to Nadia. If only father had been patient enough to let me have a word with Mrs. Heathers, there would have been no necessity for all this,” I replied then added,” Now if you’ll excuse me, there is an old man I need to grill for answers too. Take Sasha into the board room and wait for me. If anything happens while you are with her, then I’ll forget all years of our friendship,” I said with a tone of finality, leaving no room for argument.

“Yes,” I watched him walk over to the car.

I knew he cared about her beyond their steamy night which is why I had him take her to the board room. If there was something I needed to know, it would be easier for him to drill her for it in my absence and that would make my work easier. With Sasha taken care of, now I needed to face my own father. I should have known he would go to any length just to get rid of Nadia under his own fears. I walked into my apartment or more like barged into it and sure enough the old man was sitting on the couch, legs crossed and a beer on one hand. Two others empty bottles of beer were lying on the table.

“Look who is back,” he drawled, sounding a little tipsy with eyes glued on the tv screen but I doubted he knew what was going on in it.

“Where is she?” I questioned, trying to keep my voice controlled. The thought that he could have possibly hurt Nadia sent an unimaginable wave of cold shivers down the pit of my stomach. My stomach twisted, churning with rage. If he had as much as laid a finger on her, then I was going to forget he was the man who sired me.

“Who?” he played dumb, his eyes meeting mine.

“Who?” I echoed his words,” Are you seriously asking me that right now? I really have no time to do this silly back and forth with you, Dad,”

“What are you talking about? Who got-“a smirk slowly crawled up his face,” The only reason you would be this upset with me over a woman would be if that Dela Fuente woman would actually be in trouble. Hmm… my bad night just changed for the better. Now I just need to figure out who is this person with similar interests as me,”

“You think you can fool me? I know you have her. So how about you do me a favor, cut this rubbish and tell me what you’ve done with her,” I snapped. If something had happened to Nadia… No, I couldn’t let my thoughts take a leap to the worst. I needed to trust that flint of hope in the back of my mind that urged me to believe that Nadia was actually okay.

He stood up, putting his beer down,” I told you that woman is dangerous and you still wouldn’t listen to me just because your balls seem to be bigger than your brain. Looks like someone out there actually got my message and knows Nadia is more than she looks like,” I couldn’t tell whether he was telling the truth or he was just too good at camouflaging his lies.

“If I find out that you had something to do with her disappearance, this is the last you ever get to call me son,” I warned, walking towards the door but before I could get out, his voice stopped me.

“Is she really worth all this…trouble?”

Was she really worth it? I had no idea. All I knew was that I would kill anyone who as much as touched a hair on her head. The need to protect her was overwhelming, pulsing through me and my wolf would gladly tear someone apart who dared to look at her in some type of way.

“I’m not like you father and so yes, she is worth me trying to save her from your insanity,” I turned around, facing him, “Tell me something; Why is it that you are the one who murdered her entire family, destroyed her childhood and killed her best friend, yet you make it look like she is the monster? And please, spare me all that crap about her being a weapon of some sort because honestly, I don’t buy it,”

“As long as its Nadia, you won’t believe anything I say. That woman really has you twisted into only seeing what she wants even if that means you overlooking the fact that I’m your father. You wouldn’t be breathing today if it weren’t for me,” he shook his head as though pitying me.

“Nadia?” I scoffed,” You and I have never had any real relationship. The only time you were ever proud of me my entire childhood was when I broke some kid’s two front teeth in kindergarten. How could you even be proud of me for that? For all I know I could have grown up into some bully and you have been proud of me for being tough but thank God I grew up under the tutelage of a great Luna. You say I’m like mother? Then I’m glad I’m. At least she actually cared about me, about my life and what I did. As for you, it was always making some tough Alpha out of me,” I paused, watching his face,” When all this is finally over and my pack is restored again, I will make her my Luna. The woman you badly want to kill is going to the Luna of the pack, Dad. You’ll have to deal with it,” I had no idea why I said it but now I was actually thinking about it.

“You will do no such thing!” He snapped, throwing the beer bottle down but I didn’t flinch even for a second,” I won’t let that damn woman set her foot into this pack house. I disinherited you from my company because of that whore; don’t make me champion your removal as the Alpha of this pack. You know I still have influence in the pack,”

I chuckled, merely amused, “Yeah, you disinherited me but how did that work out for you dad? Because to me it turned out to be something that worked well in my favor. As a matter of fact, the money I earn is way much more than that I could have made working for you by spending my time in an office doing a job I hate,”

“Well then, lets see if that woman you care about so much will actually get to live through this war,” he smirked.

“Trust me, I know she will. You haven’t met the real Nadia because if you knew her, then you would know you’ll never be half the woman she is. She is the most resilient woman I’ve known. Maybe she parties way too hard but at the end of the day she works so hard and would do anything for the people she cares about,” A smile touched my face as I realized the depth of the words I was saying,” She is hot-headed to be honest and has an opinion on almost anything but I know when she loves someone, she can’t stand them being hurt because of her. She has got a big heart despite what you did to her. I mean, she could have killed me to avenge what you did to her family but instead, she is falling in love with me,” feeling even more heated up, I walked over to him, staring right into the depth of his eyes as I dropped the final bomb,” So, Dad. Be warned I would not let anyone go unscathed if they as much as touched my mate,”

“M-Mate? What the hell are you talking about?” The same shock that had hit me when I found out she was my mate, now was visible in his eyes.

“Oh, you didn’t get the memo Dad? Nadia is my mate. Which means its time to reject Laila and move on to a much better woman,” I would have loved to capture the look of horror on his face but I didn’t have the time right now. For the first time in my life, I had seen the old man lack words for a smart comeback. His lips opened then shut, obviously in shock.

Ah! Reject Laila? Why hadn’t I thought of that before? Once all this was over and my life had restored its balance, I was going to reject her and hopefully pick up where I’d left with Nadia but this time, I would take it slow. The moment I walked out, the cold night breeze hit my skin, a reminder that I needed to get a jacket but that could wait.

“Collins,” Ethan’s voice had me stopping dead in my tracks.

“Ethan,” I forced a small smile on my face.

He fell in step with me,” We were talking one minute outside that bookstore and then I blink and you are not there. D-Did something happen? Something like what happened that day your father almost attacked Nadia but then some unknown witch froze time?” he whispered, briefly glancing around. *Right.* I had almost forgotten about that. It was still a matter confusion how that spell hadn’t affected me this time. Could it possible it was due to my new link to Nadia?

“Yeah but for some reason whatever time-freezing that spell was, it didn’t work on me this time. This witch, whoever they are, maybe had some wicked agenda but I haven’t seen or heard nothing yet to confirm my suspicions. I did scout the town during that time but nothing out of the ordinary had happened,” I responded. Knowing Ethan, I had to give him something or otherwise he’d be up my ass for even the smallest of things.

“Oh, okay. You know I heard you and your father talking. Is it true?” I felt my heart drop for a second.

“Is what true?” I questioned, playing dumb as we got near the board room.

“That you are going to make Nadia the Luna of the pack,” Oh, so it wasn’t about her being my mate but maybe it’s time I told my beta about it too. Just not now when tension ran high and we had lost our members in the hands of that assassin.

“How are the funeral preparations coming along?” I changed the subject, giving a hint that I did not want to dwell on the subject but knowing Ethan, he was not going to just let it go and I was right.

“The loyalty of the pack is already divided enough, Collins. If word was ever to get out about this, then trust me, the rest of members who are still loyal to you will not have it,” I knew he was right.

“Are you loyal to me, Ethan?” I questioned instead.

“You know damn well I’m but I’m also loyal to pack. If they were to lose their trust in you, how am I supposed go against them? How am I supposed to stand before them and claim otherwise?”

“Thank you for showing me you are the type to walk into a den of lions just because the majority chose to, Ethan,” I said, increasing my pace.

“No, Alpha. You are the one walking into a den of lions. Maybe this time the majority are trying to be safe. I’m sorry if I would be the type to choose to run away with the crowd. There is always going to be strength in numbers and you should know that. If you still want to gain the trust of your people, then maybe you should stop giving us more reasons to doubt you,” he said, coming to a halt a few steps behind me.

I turned around,” The funeral starts in thirty minutes, Ethan, “I said in a low tone in between tightened set of jaws. He shook his head, almost in pity before walking away while consequently shouting orders to a few other members of the pack.

I released a deep breath, some tension leaving my muscles as I walked inside where Danny was sitting across a still tied up Sasha.

“She wouldn’t say a thing,” Danny said.

“Well, not for long,” I said, grabbing another chair and pulling it close to her,” Now lets talking about your disappearing friend, Sasha and let me warn, if this is some trick you and Nadia are playing to lure us into a trap then you’ve messed with the wrong person this time,”