Chapter Four

Ronan's POV

"All good things must come to an end," I hear Xander say as I pull my shorts on.

He is right though. I love running just as much as my wolf does. It's invigorating. The only downfall is the repetitive need for showers due to my wolfs love of rolling around in the mud.

"Tell me about it. Have you heard anymore from Pete?'

Xander nodded briefly, "He sent a text. They safely boarded and should land around noon tomorrow."

"Good. I'm going to hit the shower and then try to finish some paperwork. Let me know if anything else comes up," I direct as I make my way up the stairs to the third floor."

Most Alpha's save the rooms and offices on the first floor for themselves because of the convenience. I opted to have my quarters on the highest floor, away from prying eyes and ears. Every night the nightmares come. I relive the nightmare of my parents’ death and the night that I killed my uncle and cost his mate her freedom. It's a horror movie on constant replay in my dreams. So real and so vivid and according to Xander I am known to scream in my sleep. That is why I chose this floor. I can't have my people view their Alpha as someone who gets petrified by a dream.

Right now, my pack trusts me and looks to me to lead them and to keep them safe. They are my family now and I am about to add two people to it. Pete, I know is a standup guy, but it's been ten years. There are a lot of rumors about me being a monster and for all I know Pete could believe them and think I had something to do with the death of his parents and sister all those years ago. Then there is this girl he is bringing with him. I know nothing of her except her name.

"Who are you Willow, and what kind of trouble are you bringing to my doorstep?" I ask to myself, running a hand through my sweaty hair.

The chances of a vampire following them here are slim to none. They tend to inhabit cities because they are full of prey, ripe for the picking. Nonetheless, if they do make their way here, it could have deadly repercussions for my pack. I need to meet her first before I decide whether or not I am willing to ask my pack to fight on her behalf, even if she does pledge her loyalty to me and my pack. My pack and I have been together since I was a child, she is a stranger.

I feel Ghost start to stir. He is just as anxious about our newcomer as I am. I have to put my trust in Pete and our friendship. I have to believe that he is still the same Pete I spent my childhood with. I cross my room to the dresser. I settle on a pair of cotton lounge pants and make my way to the shower.

I quickly wash my hair and scrub the dirt from my body, watching the brown water slip through the drain.

"Just once could you refrain from rolling in shit Ghost. Needing to shower ten times a day is exhausting," I silently speak to my wolf.

"Drama queen," he sends back.

I shake my head. Asshole.

"What if the new girl is our mate?" Ghosts asks. I can sense his hope and his underlying loneliness. I felt bad for him. Most Alpha's have found their mates by the age of twenty at the latest. Here we are twenty-three years old, and we still haven't found ours. Maybe this is my punishment for enacting revenge on my uncle.

Hearing my thoughts Ghost chimes in, "No punishment for protecting the pack. Our mate is out there. I feel it."

"I hope you're right Ghost. It is kind of lonely in this big house with no one to share it with."

"We will find her," he reassures me before retreating into the back of my mind.

I exit the bathroom wearing my towel around my hips and make my way to the bed where I laid my clothes. I use the towel to dry myself before pulling on my pants. I don't bother with underwear. They just get in the way if I have to shift in a moment’s notice.

I leave the room and walk down the hall to my office, listening to the commotion downstairs as the younger pack members enjoy a horror flick on tv. The sounds of their gasps of horror make me smile. I can see all the teenage boys taking advantage of the moment and sneaking their arms around their female companions in my mind. Growing up, I never had that opportunity living under the rule of my uncle. To him it was hunt or be hunted, kill or be killed, do his bidding or be cast out of the pack and forced to become rogue. The unclaimed women were for him and him alone. He even slaughtered the mates of some of the women just so he could claim the females for himself. Sick bastard.

The thought of being rogue had crossed my mind a couple of times, feeling it had to be better than living under his rule, but the memory of my parents combined with the knowledge that he killed them kept me here. Now I am glad I did. I have rebuilt our pack from the ground up and we have become the largest pack in the United States and the most widely feared thanks to some relentless rumors of my mental state. Those that have taken the time to get to know me, know better, but there are a few smaller packs and one larger that were too easily influenced by the rumors and refused to meet with me.

"Sucks to be them," Ghost said and I nod.

"If they aren't a friend, they are a potential enemy."

I sit at my desk and try to concentrate on the mountains of paperwork that needs done, pulling the first manilla folder from the pile. It was about a murder that happened to a human girl from town that is suspected of being a werewolf attack. The Blood River Pack is the largest and the only pack in Montana, so we investigate anything suspicious to make sure that it isn't one of our people and to monitor any possible rogues in the area. Cases like this are rare and not once has it ever been one of mine.

I open the folder and the first thing I see is an image of the deceased. A young female in her early thirties. I could barely make out her features through the carnage. It was definitely a wolf attack. The gouges across her face were clearly made with wolf claws. Whoever did this knew this girl. It was personal, maybe a love interest or a rejected mate. They mutilated what seemed to be a beautiful face and then ripped her heart from her chest and if that wasn't bad enough, they tore her heart to shreds and left her in the woods just outside our territory.

I turn the image upside down, sending a silent prayer for peace for her family to the Moon Goddess. I doubt I will be able to unsee that image for a lifetime. Something about this case feels different to me. I don't recall ever seeing the girl, but I have to consider that this time it could be one of my packs. It was too close to our territory to be coincidence.

I mind-link Xander, "Xander, can I see you in my office for a minute?"

"Yes Alpha. I'll be right there."

Less than a minute passes before there is a soft tap on the door and Xander enters. He walks straight over to me.

"What's up boss?"

"Have you had a chance to review the file about the girl found dead outside our territory yet?'

He shook his head no, "Not yet. I was busy getting everything ready for the new arrivals. I was going to review it this evening."

"Something feels strange about this one. Here, have a look," I say sliding the file toward him.

I watch intently as his expression changes the further, he gets in the file.

"It has all the characteristics of a wolf attack, but it does feel like we are missing something," he confirms my earlier suspicions.

"Exactly. When have you ever known a wolf to take the time to rip their heart out of their chest and rip it apart?" I add.

Xander's lost in thought for a minute before he shrugs, "It may be worth another look. Maybe we can spot something we missed. We should be able to still pick up a scent. If it was a wolf, especially one of ours we will know."

I nod in agreement, "We will go to see the body after we pick up Pete and his friend."

I run my hands through my hair out of habit. My to-do list keeps growing and there never seems to be enough hours in a day to get it all done. Now I have an unsolved murder to figure out and a soon to be new pack member with vampires after her. Suddenly, I am regretting my decision to help Pete and his friend.

"We don't abandon our friends," Ghost sounds in my mind.

"I know. It doesn't make it any easier to deal with though, does it?"

Oh sure, now you choose to be silent.