78.

-HIM-

I have been trying very hard to concentrate on the last-minute preparations but my wolf’s pacing is heavily distracting me. He wants us to go see our mate as soon as possible. I am having some terrible thoughts about her from the morning just because of him.

It’s scaring me and I am deeply concerned about her but I keep telling myself that my overthinking tendency and my wild imagination is just messing with me.

I can feel her anxiety through the bond and I know that it's because of the council. Although I am impressed by the level of calm she can maintain. It makes her looks more confident and make her better at her work and that’s what the council needs to see.

Although my wolf’s actions push me into bewilderment. I just couldn’t find a reason behind his behaviour. I try to tell myself that he’s just nervous because of the audit but my gut feeling is trying to point at something else.

Currently, I am running the whole parameter of the pack to make sure that the patrollers are positioned at the right places and doing their work right but my mind is somewhere else. I want to return to the pack as soon as possible.

I just want to check on Cybele and make sure that she’s doing alright. My wolf’s behaviour and my negative thoughts are getting the best of me. I run straight to the house as soon as I am done checking on the patrollers.

By now, it’s almost noon. The council would be crossing our borders anytime now. I want to see Cybele and get ready to welcome the council.

“Cybele!” I call for her as soon as I burst into the house.

“She’s at the administrative office,” Brooke answers me. I didn’t waste a second before I am running to the administrative building. I call for her as soon as I reach there. By now, my heart is wildly racing in my chest and my wolf is very nervously pacing inside me. My stomach’s churning painfully. My blood is spiked with adrenaline. I cannot calm down until I get to see Cybele.

I am constantly trying to feel her through the bond but so far, it’s radio silence. I don’t feel a thing and it’s scaring me.

“Beta Jake,” One of the wolves greet me when I rush into the office.

“Where’s Cybele?” I ask him urgently instead of greeting him back. A look of bewilderment climbs on his face before he answers, “She hasn’t come here yet. We have been waiting for her for a couple of hours now,”

My eyes widen at his words before I growl at him, “What do you mean? Where’s my mate?” The wolf takes a step back hesitantly and instantly lowers his eyes.

“Beta Jake, your mate never showed up to the office today,” My thundering growl follows his words before I lunge at him, “And you didn’t care to look for her?”

“Beta, we thought she was busy with other pack work,” He answeres anxiously.

“Jake!” Brooke interrupts us as she walks into the office. I let go of the wolf and turn to her before growling out loud, “Cybele is missing!”

Brooke’s eyes widen but she tries to assure me, “She must be somewhere around the pa-“

“I CANNOT FEEL HER!” My roar interrupts her before the gravity of the situation instantly dawns upon her. Suddenly the whole place is in chaos. Everyone’s mind-linking each other to look for Cybele while I wait impatiently in the office.

“Jake calm down, we’ll find her,” Brooke tries to assure me but I just cannot keep calm now. Against my will, I have to stay back while Davis and dad gather some warriors to look for my mate. Just when I thought that things couldn’t get any worse, one of the patrollers announces that the council has crossed our borders and they’re heading to the heart of the pack.

I am sure they wouldn’t get a good impression to find the pack in chaos. Meanwhile, my wolf is fighting tooth and nail to take over me. He wants to go looking for her. I just cannot be at peace or concentrate on anything knowing that she’s somewhere out there… goddess knows in what condition.

“They’ll find her, Jake. The council is here, please deal with them first,” Brooke tells me after she bursts into the office where I am pacing and trying to get myself together. I take a deep breath before I step out of the office to welcome the council.

With other high officials of the pack and Brooke by my side, I wait at the edge of the woods to receive the council with my jaw and fists clenched. My wolf has gone mad by now. At this point, he doesn’t care about the pack anymore. He just wants to go looking for Cybele and so do I but my hands are tied by grave responsibilities.

I compose myself when I see the wolves through the gaps between the trees. When they reach near the cleaning, they stop and phase.

“Welcome to Red Moon, your excellency,” I greet the judge of the council. He is an old wolf with all his hair turned white. His eyes are sunken and his skin hanging down in wrinkles as he stares down at me and only nods at me in response.

The rest of the officials from the council are standing behind him with their eyes trained on us coldly.

“We are pleased to have you in our pack today. Please, give us the opportunity to serve you,” I tell him as I step aside to make way for him to my pack. Without having a word uttered, he starts walking towards the pack residency.

His actions and demeanour seem so cold. I have bad feelings about this audit. To start it off, Cybele has already gone missing. My concerns for her are eating me up but I have to remind myself constantly to keep functioning.

I lead them to the place where they’d be staying. After that, we sit down together to have some casual talk.

“Why do you look so troubled, Beta Emerson? What’s bothering you so much?” Asks one of the council members drily.

“Yes, and where are your father and brother? We’d like to see them too,” Added another council member.

“I am fine. They’ll be here soon. Please make yourself comfortable till then,” I tell them but they don’t look very convinced with my words.

“You know that we are not here to get comfortable. We are here for work and didn’t you tell us that your human mate would be here too?” It's the first time when the judge of the council speaks up. I don’t miss the way he said the word 'human' as if he was talking about filth. This feeds my wolf’s temper. He's already mad. All he needs is a strong instance when he could finally take over me and go after Cybele.

“Where is she anyway? Isn’t it her duty as the beta female to greet her guests when the Luna is not in the pack?” The judge continues to ask as he looks around. If anything, his words only elevate my anger.

“I am here for that,” Brooke speaks up beside me for the first time.

“Why not her? Where is she anyway? Did she change her mind at the last moment? I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case,” Comments another council member. I am grinding my teeth with anger by now. I can set the whole place on fire and gladly see them reduce to ashes but I am bound by the innocent lives of my pack.

“Your mate’s very absence is a piece of strong evidence that Tiffany was, in fact, the best match for you,” As soon as those words fall off the judge’s mouth, my patience snaps.

“ENOUGH!” I roar, “I wouldn’t hear you talk so poorly of my mate,” I grit at them.

“Then present her to us. If she is really better than the she-wolf then let her prove it by herself. Otherwise, we are right to think that she is an incompetent beta female. Humans… they’re like that,” Comments the judge with a dry laugh.

“She is very much capable. More capable than the she-wolf you chose for me. I have pride in having her as my mate,”

“Just shut up already. Where is that human?” Inquires one of the council members. I can feel that it’s getting out of hand now. I have to let them know.

“She has gone missing. My wolves are looking for her,” At my words, all the council members burst out laughing.

“Listen here lad,” Speaks one of the elders of the council, “Tell your wolves to stop the search and come back. They’re not going to find her because she has run away… if that hasn’t become evident to you yet,” With that, the council members resort to chuckling.

“I’ll make you swallow your words once I find her,” I warn them.