Chapter 19

***Alexander POV***

*Where is he? *

I couldn’t help but wonder as I stood in the middle of his room. It has been a week already since Reynard left without a word of notice to go Goddess knows where. I decided that I’d had enough of just sitting around trying to hold the reins while keeping everything under control, thanks to my dear brother. His rushed decision to disappear didn’t help matters as it only added to the pile of things I needed answers to. The change in his behavior had been so obvious. We were always fighting even before Nerissa, but when both Emily and Nerissa left, Reynard lost control of his senses; he got worse than I had ever seen him before.
***

***Flashback***

Standing near the training course, I watched as my warriors trained together while I waited for Ryder to come with, hopefully, some good news about my mate.
I couldn’t even enjoy the pleasant weather we were having as thoughts about Nerissa filled my mind.
Fuck… I swore under my breath, remembering all the things I did wrong concerning her.
I knew I was a lousy-ass mate to her, if we can even call that being a mate, but I knew one thing for sure, I wanted to make it up to her. I knew I needed her like I needed air to breathe. I was adamant I would find her and plead for her forgiveness. I wanted to try to make up for all I did and said, and how I acted towards her. I felt so bad for the way I had treated her. Looking up towards the sky, I silently asked, “Where are you, Nerissa?” Sounds of grunts reached my ear coming from the warriors as punches flew through the air and landed on the skin, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to be here. I wanted to go and find her.
The sound of rushed footsteps made me turn around. I knew who it was. I saw Reynard, hastily, walking towards me. I was about to ask him what was wrong but stopped as he pushed me slightly, growling at me. “What the hell is your problem, Reynard?” I demanded, irritated by his actions.
Pointing a finger into my chest, he snarled out, “You are!”
Surprised by his attitude, I tried to keep calm and talk to him rationally. “Reynard, calm down, brother. Tell me what is wrong.”
He growled once more as he paced in front of me, looking up towards the sky with so much anger in his eyes. “How is it fair?! How?!”
“Reynard, what are you talking about?” I asked, extremely confused.
He stopped pacing to look at me with his eyes narrowed into slits. “You get it all. Why the fuck do you need to get it all? The title, the power, and the girl!”
A growl raised from my chest as I took a step forward. “Do not go there, brother.”
“And why not? Maybe you are an excellent leader to the pack, but you sure as hell are not a suitable mate!” Reynard exclaimed, his words shocking me momentarily.
“Yes, dear brother, I know the truth. I know you are the reason that Nerissa has run away! If she had only stayed, just for a little while longer, everything would have been fixed for the better,” he sneered, causing my eyes to narrow as an angry growl escaped my lips.
“And why is that, Reynard? If you knew what she was to me, then why did you set your eyes on what is mine?” The beast inside of me was raging, wanting to dig its teeth into his flesh. I saw Reynard’s control slipping away. He was a second away from shifting, but I was ready for it. If he wanted to fight, I would fight him.
A loud roar echoed in the air, which made everyone stop practicing, and look towards the sound, including myself. Reynard took that opportunity to charge towards me. He hit me in the jaw, knocking me to the ground while trying to get in another punch, but I managed to stop him and twist our bodies so that I pressed him down into the ground and using my Alpha voice, I ordered, “Reynard, stop it or I swear I will not hold back and I will knock you down!”
He stopped trying to attack me, but his eyes were burning with hatred and fire, making me wonder what happened to us?
Ryder saw what was happening from afar and I watched as he rushed towards us. As I stood up, I extended my hand, wanting to help my brother get up, but he ignored it and stood up on his own, glaring at me.
Ryder approached us and stood next to me, watching the two of us silently as I kept my eyes fixed on Reynard. “This time I will let your behavior pass, but next time, Reynard, I will not,” I warned while he continued growling. Without another word, he turned around, about to leave, but stopped as I said, “And stay away from my mate.”
He turned his head, looking at me then, and replied, “Only for now, dear brother.” I growled, about to go after him as he walked away, but Ryder stopped me by grabbing my arm.
“What was that all about?” Ryder asked, looking after Reynard’s retreating figure in the distance. I growled, and took in some deep breaths, trying to compose myself as anger still burned inside of me.
“He challenged me in a way. He knows about Nerissa being my mate, and is not happy,” I answered Ryder as I freed my hand from his hold, walking towards the cooler to get a bottle of cold water. Grabbing one, I twisted open the lid and gulped down the whole thing.
“We lost their trace.”
I looked at Ryder, crushing the now empty bottle in my hand. “How is that even possible?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. We caught up with their movements, but when they entered near the Devil’s Peak, all traces stopped. It is like they just disappeared.”
My eyes narrowed hearing the news when the realization hit me like a truck, a growl ripping out of me.
Ryder asked, “What is it?”
Not looking at him, I looked down to the ground as I could feel rage boiling up inside of me. Fuck, what if it is true? I glanced at Ryder for a second, answering his question with one of my own, “You said that their trace got lost near the Devil’s Peak?” Ryder nodded his head, waiting for me to continue. “If they were near the Devil's Peak, then they might have been taken to the Underworld.”

***Flashback over***
***

Rushing out of Reynard’s room, I walked downstairs, looking around for Ryder. I finally found him outside the pack house. Opening the front door, I walked down towards him as he said something to one of the warriors before turning to face me.
“Alpha,” Ryder greeted me, to which I nodded my head at him.
“Any news? Have you found out anything about Reynard?” I asked him with anticipation.
“He had deliberately guided a few of the trackers off the course, but fortunately they realized it right away. He was trying to lead them away, and have them head towards the south while he is heading west,” Ryder explained.
Before I could ask anything more, a tracker rushed towards us, lowering his head in respect as he said, “Alpha, we have news.”
I looked at the tracker. “What news?”
“We spotted the two females, the ones that ran away, as we kept track of any movement to and from the Underworld,” he told us.
Ryder and I glanced at each other for a second before I looked at the tracker once more and asked, “Where are they?”
“They seem to be going further north, Alpha, but that is not all…” he said, swallowing hard before he continued, “The females were not alone.”
Ryder and I both growled, not liking where this was going.
“Who was with them?” I asked, my voice low and menacing, making the tracker shiver, likely from fear.
Gulping loudly, the male answered, “They were with demons, Alpha.”
I let out a loud snarl before giving out an order. “Gather a few warriors, we are going after them and bringing them back.”
***
***Reynard POV***

I walked through the gates as the guards nodded their heads and welcomed me, silently letting me pass as I headed towards the mansion. I climbed up the front steps, where a huge, double door opened and more guards greeted me. A male, the head of the servants, greeted me. “Please, follow me.” Without a word, I walked behind the male as he led me through the mansion until finally, we stood in front of a set of brown doors. “Wait here,” the male told me as he entered the room while I stood there, annoyed, waiting for him to let me inside. A moment later, the same male appeared at the doors, opening them up. “You may now enter.” I walked past him and entered the room to see that the two people I was looking for were already there. Perfect, I thought to myself.
The male was sitting on the couch, a glass in his hand while the female was standing near the fire, her back turned towards me.
“Take a seat,” the male ordered. I walked to an armchair and sat down. “What do you want?” he asked me, making me swallow down the growl of irritation I felt from his disrespect.
“I want to know if you have found what I asked you to,” I said, trying to control my voice.
“I have the item, all we need is the girl. When you find the girl, bring her over and it will be done,” he told me as he drank from his glass.
The female turned to look at me as she spoke, “The girl just crossed over from the Underworld. She is going to Beeker village.” My head snapped up to look at the female. My heart raced with excitement at her news and I stood up to leave, but was quickly stopped as she continued, “She is not alone so be aware. Also, Alpha Alexander is already on his way there too. Play this smart and bring her here, Reynard.”