Chapter – 3

“There’s an old tale that says soul mates’ minds are connected from birth.

When you can’t sleep, your soul mate can’t sleep either.”

***

~Aiden

I rolled on the cold bed for the millionth time. Sleep seemed too far and I missed her, without her, I am just an empty shell. I lay there on the bed reliving the happier times when I had her snuggling into my chest, her floral scent wafting through my nostrils. Her body fitting perfectly against mine. Her little moans of pleasure—aroused me even now.

My wolf was restless at the mere thought of her. Her betrayal was something we couldn’t forget or forgive. It cut deep—still, neither my wolf nor I could live without her. That was the way a mate bond worked. We are never complete without our other half. She was my half.

I woke and rushed to the gym—my sanctuary. Punching the bag with no remorse was something I did during my sleep-deprived nights. This is how I cope with my mate’s betrayal. This has been my routine for the past six years.

My thoughts wandered to my mate on their own. Our first meeting, the day she learned my secret, the day she accepted my proposal, the day she left—everything came back with a full force, assaulting my sanity. At first, when a few of my pack members claimed of her infidelity, I believed none of them.

Then I saw the evidence for myself, still, I didn’t believe she would do anything like that. One day, it was more than what I could handle. I smelled the seed of another wolf on her dress. She denied the claim and argued she didn’t know a thing, and then came the photos and videos.

However, before I could confront her with the evidence—she left. She took a huge sum from my locker and left the country, to God knows where. Only Anna had the password to my locker and I couldn’t help but believe my pack’s claims. Not only that she left, but the wolf whom she had an affair with also disappeared without a trace.

The night she left, it had rained washing away all the traces they have left behind. We tried to find her, but to no avail. I punched harder until I felt my knuckles bruising. An odd satisfaction spread my body and I welcomed the pain. The physical pain seemed to sooth the pain in my heart.

At first, I wanted to find her and kill them both in a most brutal way possible. Later, I wanted to confront her to know why she betrayed me. Now, I want her back in my arms, to make sweet love to her and make her scream only my name, to show her I am better than the other bastard. I will find her and this time I won’t let go, I will chain her to my bed if needed and my wolf agreed with me.

Is it bad that I couldn’t bring myself to hate her? No matter whatever the evidence says my wolf was adamant she was innocent. We need answers. There was so much I had to ask her. The first question was—why? She could’ve told me. She didn’t even care enough to tell me why she left. There wasn’t a note, explaining why she did what she did. I continued to punch the bag until my knuckles turned bloody and my body gave out in exhaustion.

***

“Aiden…” I felt someone shaking me. “Aiden, son wake up.”

I cracked my eyes open to see the worried face of my mother Caroline. Her eyes held unshed tears, which threatened to spill. She looked at me with a silent question like every other day. Why would you do that again? The bond between a wolf and his mother was sacred like a mate bond. A mate bond was fated and then forged with a bite.

When we bite to claim our mates, we bond with their souls and it enables us to feel their emotions to an extent. However, a bond with a mother was forged at the time of our birth, it only grows stronger with the age. A son or mother could feel each other’s emotions. It is how the children communicate their emotions to their mother at the earlier stage.

This was a trait which cannot be seen in any other race and we are privileged this way. So, every night I lose it, I hurt her unintentionally and just the thought of hurting her pained me. I couldn’t help myself, losing a mate was just as bad and knowing she left you for someone was a shame to live with.[1]

The wounds have left traces of dried blood from the previous night. My knuckles healed, but the pain was still there in my heart. There was no cure for it.

“Do you know how much it hurts me to see you like this?” her tears trickled down her cheeks, making my heart ache.

“I am sorry, Mom. Please don’t cry...” I tried to comfort her but her sobs only grew heavier. I glanced at the door to see my beta and best friend Nicholas leaned over the door frame looking at me with a blank expression. He tried to help me at first after a while he gave up when I won’t listen and let me wallow in my pain. He still tries in his way with no success.

Getting up from the floor, I hugged my mom and patted her back in reassurance though we both knew I would be back to the gym again tonight. I walked into my room without a backward glance to take the much-needed shower. Climbing under the shower, I tried to concentrate on things I must do today. But all I could think of was the time I spend here with my mate.

There were so many memories to let go. Her naked body under the shower with water cascading her curves, her sweet moans, the way she explodes throwing her head back with her eyes half closed as she screams my name.[2] The memories haunted me to where I couldn’t stand anymore. I dried off and put my clothes going into the office.

My mom was already there in her seat reading through some files. After my mate eloped, she took back the role of the Luna again helping me with running the pack and our business.

My father died in a rogue attack when I was only five. My Mom stepped in and with the help of my father’s beta she ruled the pack and made it one of the strongest packs in the world. She loves me so dearly and would do anything for me. Anna’s thoughts once again haunted me. Pushing her thoughts aside I concentrated on the work.

***

It was around noon Nicholas called me to inform that we were meeting a neighboring pack Alpha, and I left my mom to rest of the work before leaving. Nicholas drove as I looked out of the window, staring at the passing sceneries with no interest.

“We have a lead,” Nicholas said not taking his eyes off the road. My wolf perked its ears at the news as I turned my full attention towards him. “She is in Canada,” he added giving me a sideways glance as a small smile made its way to his lips.

I felt my heart racing faster at the news, the urge to go there increasing with every second. My wolf grew restless again if possible he would jump out of the car and run all the way to Canada to his mate.

“Calm down, Aiden. We have to be careful about this,” Nic warned. He believed Anna is innocent and the only one aside from me in our pack, searching for her. Everyone in the pack including my Mom claimed Anna cheated on me.

When I was lost in the rage, Nicholas was the one to put hope in me. From the beginning, he always supported Anna and said he would believe nothing the pack claimed against her. He considered her as his sister.

“Look we got to plan. Saxon got the news from one of the trusted sources from the Black Crest Pack in Canada. The source has seen her in one fair they had last week and before he could follow her she disappeared,[3] ” Nicholas explained.

Saxon was our best friend and the Alpha of our neighboring pack. He always had our best interest in his mind. “What do you propose?” I asked now calmer than before. Nicholas had a point, no one in my pack should know about Anna, especially my Mom.

“The Black crest Alpha had agreed to help us,” Nic informed.

“When do we leave?” I asked unable to contain my excitement any longer, my wolf howled within my head in anticipation.

“Tonight,” he gave me a lopsided grin which said he had taken care of everything.

“Good.”

“We are meeting Saxon to make final arrangements.”

I nodded in appreciation, giving him my first real smile in years. When we reached our destination, Saxon invited us with a big smile and a hug leading us to his office room. His mate Daniela brought the refreshments and sat in his lap as he nuzzled her next which made me jealous.

“You told him?” Saxon asked Nicholas who nodded at him in response.

“All right, so the Black crest pack Luna is a friend of Daniela’s. We are traveling tonight and once we reach there, you can search your mate. Though we will have men to support us, being her mate only you can trace her with her scent,” Saxon stated.

“Thanks, Saxon. I appreciate it.” I thanked him from my heart.

“You should have marked her you know,” Daniela spoke after a moment of silence.

“I know…” I ran a hand through my thick hair, cursing myself. “Mom told me that a human cannot withstand our bite. She said they would bleed out unable to heal.”

If I had marked her none of this would have happened. I would have known if she had cheated and it would have been easier with the mate bond to track her.

“Oh, no, Aiden. My friend Hayley is a human, and she is mated to Gabriel, the Alpha of the Black crest pack. The mark only strengthened her. Their pack has more wolves with a human mate and all are marked,” Daniela exclaimed with her eyes wide confusing me further.

“What? Why I knew none of this?” I frowned looking at Nicholas.

“We checked with other packs about the human mating but everyone said it is unheard of and is not possible,” Nicholas replied.

“What? No way. They mated way before Anna and you met. Every pack knows of this and it was the talk of the town for weeks. How could you have not known this?” Daniela asked with shock covering her features.

“Not only that, they have two beautiful children and both are full blooded werewolves. Werewolf gene is dominant and both the children are like their father.” She concluded as I sat dumbfounded.

Mom had sent inquiries to all the packs around the world and said almost everyone responded saying it wasn’t possible. Saxon gave me a look that said ‘I told you so’. I couldn’t believe anything they said. Mom wouldn’t have lied. She never did.

Or did she?