Chapter 17 Jealousy

Third Person's POV  

As Zeus ran through the woods, words Thaddeus hadn't heard in so long went through his head. Words that were so distant from the years that had passed were suddenly loud again. Thaddeus could see the disgusted look on his first mate's face as he looked at his legs.

Zeus slows down when he comes out of the tree line, and the river comes into view. The Alpha wolf walks to the river and takes a drink before lying down. Zeus lays his head on his paws and whimpers. The Alpha wolf's heart aches when he pictures his mate holding that girl. Thaddeus tries not to think of their happy little reunion, but it's pointless; he sees Aiden's face in her hands. 

Thaddeus tries not to think of the mate he thought he had and just lost, but Aiden is all he can think of. A twig snapping has Zeus standing up and growling in its direction. The Alpha relaxed when Marcus stepped out from behind a tree. 

“Whoa, Alpha! Down killer. It's just me,” Marcus joked as he approached the Alpha and sat beside him. The commander grabbed a few rocks and tossed them into the river as Zeus laid his head on his paws again. 

“So, what happened? Why did you run off?”

The Alpha scuffed and fought the urge to throw Marcus into the river.

“You saw what happened!” Thaddeus replied through the link.

“He had his arms wrapped around her, and she clung to him like a fucking leech! It's obvious he already had someone before he came here. A girl, someone who has legs that work!... Not a guy in a wheelchair.”

“Hey man, It might not be what it looks like. Maybe they were just good friends.”

Zeus huffed as he turned his head toward the river and laid his head back on his paws. 

‘Sure didn't look like it to me. And it sure didn't feel like that's all it was. If that's all it was, then why did it hurt so bad?’ Thaddeus wondered. 

“Come on, let's head back. There's only one way to find out what's really going on.” Marcus said as he reached over and rubbed Zeus's head. Zeus shook his head away from Marcus and huffed at him for petting him like a dog, and the jerk laughed at him. 

“Asshole!” Thaddeus said, and Marcus laughed harder. 

….

As he entered the pack house, Thaddeus heard voices from the living room. He took a deep breath before slowly letting it out, trying to brace for whatever waited for him in there. However, when he entered, what he saw wasn't what he had expected. 

The Alpha was confused when he saw the female sitting in Xander's lap. His Beta's arms were wrapped firmly around her, and his face was buried in her neck as she giggled. 

Thaddeus cleared his throat, causing everyone except Xander to look at him. The Beta kept his face buried in her neck. She blushed and pushed against his shoulders, trying to get him to stop. 

Thaddeus looked at Aiden, who was sitting on the other couch. The Omega gave him a soft smile. His eyes twinkled as he looked at Thaddeus as if he were happy to see him. 

“Would someone care to explain what's going on?” Thaddeus said a little harsher than he intended. He was having a hard time hiding his anger and disappointment. It's seeped out in his words and rolled off him in waves. 

Aiden quickly looked down into his lap and began playing with his fingers. The smile on his face disappeared in an instant; he looked scared. Thaddeus cursed himself for scaring Aiden. 

The girl sitting in Xander's lap finally pried herself away from his clutches and bounced towards Thaddeus with way too much happiness for his liking. She stopped in front of the Alpha and stuck her hand out, “Hi! My name is Abigail. I'm Aiden's sister!” She said, and the Alpha looked at her, shocked. 

Abigail looked down at her hand, which was still extended, before looking at Thaddeus again. The Alpha cleared his throat before reaching out and shaking her hand.

“I didn't know Aiden had a sister,” Thaddeus said as he let go of her hand. 

Abigail looked at Aiden before looking at Thaddeus again, “Yeah, he said he doesn't remember me. I've been looking for him ever since we were separated. It's been so long, I thought I would never find him.”

“How did you get separated?” The Alpha asked.

Abigail's smile faded as she looked down. She began playing with her fingers the same way Aiden does.

“I think we should talk about this a little later.” Her voice was quieter this time, and the Alpha could hear the sadness in it.

This made the Alpha uneasy and more curious about their past. But seeing as they just found each other, the Alpha figured he'd wait before pressing for more details. 

“So, what's going on with you and Xander?” The Alpha asked, and Xander hopped off the couch. A big grin spread across his face as he approached Abigail. His arms slipped around her waist, and he pulled her back flush against his chest.

“I found my mate!” Xander proudly exclaimed.

“Wow, that's wonderful! Congratulations!” The Alpha was shocked at how this situation unfolded. 

“Yeah, can you believe it? I finally found her!” Xander said, and she squeaked as he picked her up and carried her back to the couch. The Beta sat down and placed Abigail on his lap. 

Thaddeus looked at Aiden, and his heart clenched when he saw the Omega was still looking down into his lap. 

Thaddeus let out of breath before approaching. The Alpha reached forward, his fingers gently lifting the Omega's head, and blue eyes cautiously looked at him. The Alpha gently cups his cheek, and the sadness in the Omega's eyes disappears, and that sparkle returns, causing the Alpha's heart to skip a beat. The Alpha melted as he looked into those beautiful blue eyes. 'Goddess, I love him!’ Thaddeus thought as he stroked the Omega's cheek. 

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.” 

Thaddeus's heart smelled when Aiden's eyes closed, and he leaned into his touch. The Alpha loved it when he did that. He wanted to scoop the Omega up and place him in his lap so badly. I wanted to wrap his arms around him and never let him go. 

Abigail's giggles ruined their sweet moment. Thaddeus looked over his shoulder toward the dining room and remembered they never finished their lunch. 

“Well, we should finish lunch,” Thaddeus said, and Xander got excited.  

Xander flipped Abigail around so that she was straddling his lap. The Beta stood, and she yelped as her arms and legs wrapped around him. 

“You know I can walk!” Abigail giggled and then yelped again when he slapped her ass. 

“I know. But I want to carry you,” Xander smirks at his blushing mate.