10. Could it be...?

My mom is a traditionalist. Unlike my liberal dad, who didn't mind me having a boyfriend, Mom never forgets to remind me to stay pure and save myself for my mate whenever she calls.

That is why I declined when Jamie offered to go home with me. My mother is blunt to a fault and would never pretend to be polite to him. This is definitely not the right time for them to meet.

I'm surprised to see the flight attendant waiting by the plane to welcome me when we arrive at the airfield. I mean, it's four in the morning! I urgently want to get home. I wasn't expecting anyone to be waiting on me like I was the owner of the jet. Which reminds me that I haven't thanked Jamie for arranging for me to travel quickly and comfortably.

As we walk toward the plane, I gently tug at his arm, and he looks down at me.

"Thank you for this. I really appreciate it."

He nods with a smile before wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer.

"Take care of yourself, alright? Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything. And I'm coming to see you once I'm done with everything at school."

"I can't wait," I say.

We stop walking for a moment as he leans down to kiss me before we resume our walk.

"I'll call you when I get home," I tell him.

He nods.

The flight attendant's smile is so bright that I'm tempted to apologize for the odd hour.

"Welcome on board, ma'am," she greets, immediately reaching for the holdall Jamie is carrying for me.

"Thank you so much." I return her smile.

Before boarding, I look at Camila, and we hug tightly.

"Take care of yourself. I'll keep in touch to know how the—"

Her words trail off.

I know it's because she's trying to avoid the word funeral. Since their bodies weren't found at the scene, maybe there's still a little chance they're alive.

"Yeah. Thanks," I say as I pull away from her and turn to Colton.

"I'll see you soon," he says.

I nod.

Unlike Jamie, who is a New Yorker, Colton's family owns the only pack in Long Beach, which is just a thirty-minute drive from Silver Moon Pack.

Finally, I kiss my boyfriend on the lips and wave at the other two before climbing the airstair.

"Would you like to eat or drink anything?" the flight attendant asks the moment I settle into my seat.

I'm famished, but I don't think I can stomach any food right now.

"No. No food. Water will do, please. Thank you."

"Alright."

She smiles and walks away.

She returns a few minutes after the plane is in the air with a bottle of water and a fruit platter.

I smile.

"Thank you."

She nods.

"I'll be back in an hour to check if you've changed your mind about the food," she says questioningly.

"Sure."

I find myself smiling again. There's something about her pleasant demeanor that's making me smile despite the turmoil in my mind.

I open the bottle and take a sip. The fruits look so inviting that I can't resist popping a couple of grapes into my mouth. Then I open my holdall and take out my phone. I need to find out more about the person Colton said was rumored to be responsible for my dad and the Alpha's deaths.

I know the Alpha has an illegitimate son, but I don't know anything about him apart from what Mom told me years ago when she was having one of those awkward conversations with me about puberty, sex, and mating.

She used his mother's story as an example of why I needed to preserve my chastity until I met my mate. It was quite a sad story.

According to Mom, Thor's mother, Viveka, came from Denmark to visit her friend, who was mated to the pack's former Beta. She met the Alpha through her friend, and they quickly fell in love.

Everywhere he went, she followed. They were inseparable. You would think they were a mated couple if you weren't told otherwise. After a while, rumors started circulating that the two of them were planning to get married.

Then the unthinkable happened. The Alpha met his mate, Evelyn.

"Male werewolves are polygamous by nature," Mom had said angrily. "He could have been with his mate and still married Viveka if he truly loved her as he claimed. But he didn't. He broke up with her instead."

She had been genuinely angry on Viveka's behalf.

"He broke her heart." She snarled and continued.

Although I felt sorry for Viveka back then, I thought they both should have considered the possibility of either of them meeting their mate and avoided getting too deeply involved with each other.

Viveka couldn't continue to stay in the pack and eventually left in shame. Then she discovered she was pregnant. Evelyn also got pregnant around the same time. As fate would have it, they gave birth on the same day.

Thor, who came first, is older than Justin by a few hours. Unfortunately, when Thor was thirteen, his mother, her friend, and the Beta died in a fatal automobile accident. The poor boy was left all alone. His mother was dead, and his father didn't want him.

Let their story serve as a lesson to you, Victoria!" She told me after she finished the story. "Viveka lost out because she failed to understand that no love bond is stronger than the one shared by those mated by the Moon Goddess herself. Never forget that!"

Thor Quinn.

I type his name into the G****e search bar.

The first thing that grabs my attention when the page opens is a photo of a powerful-looking man dressed entirely in black, walking up the stairs of what looks like a government building.

Despite my heavy heart and the anger simmering inside me toward the person who allegedly killed my father, I can't help noticing how fashionably elegant and attractive he looks.

God, Victoria!

How could you think that about the man who is a suspect in your daddy and the Alpha's disappearance?

I quickly scroll down and begin reading under the heading About.

Born: 29th December 1998 (age 28 years). Orange Village, Los Angeles, United States...

His father owns the biggest pack in North America, but he was born in a human community?

I scroll back up and click on his name under Wikipedia.

My eyes skip down the page and widen when I see the name of a popular company.

The Viveka Industries Limited.

He founded The Viveka?

Of course he founded The Viveka!

His mother's name is Viveka, isn't it?

My eyes widen further as I scroll back to the top of the page and start reading properly.

Thor Reginald Quinn, also known as the Devil Viking, is an American-born Danish businessman. He started derivative trading while at the University of Cambridge, England. After graduating, he started a marketing company before founding The Viveka Industries Limited. Its businesses include energy, petrochemicals, natural gas, textiles, and retail. Globally, he is among the fifth-youngest billionaires...

I stop reading.

‘Why would such a man murder his father?’ I wonder as I recall what the guys told me about him.

Even though the man is a suspect in my daddy's disappearance, it was obvious from the gleam of admiration on Colton and Jamie's faces as they talked about him that they idolize him.

"He is your Luna's suspect. Damn! Dude is filthy rich." Jamie was still talking when Colton interrupted him.

"And I have never met a mightier warrior in my life!"

"Yeah, me too! Have you heard of the Devil Viking who drinks beer from the skulls of those he killed?" Jamie asked me.

"Is he the–" I was still talking when Colton interrupted.

"The Devil Viking! Don't tell me you haven't heard about him. Have you been living under a rock?"

Of course I've heard about the infamous Devil Viking. It's difficult not to know about him when the guys I train with at the gym talk about him all the time. How mighty his wolf is. The battles he fought in Denmark. His prowess on the battlefield. The lands he conquered.

I just didn't know that the almighty Devil Viking everyone talked about was my Alpha's illegitimate son. The same way I never knew he was on the list of Forbes' richest men in the world. His father, the Alpha of the biggest pack in North America wasn't on any list.

"But I thought he lived in Denmark?" I asked them. "Is he back?"

"Yes. We heard your Alpha was talking about retiring. So he came back to fight his brother for the position of Alpha."

If the Alpha wanted to retire, according to our werewolf law, it was within his right to contend with his brother for the position of Alpha, illegitimate son or not, unless the Alpha said otherwise.

But why would the Alpha object to Thor being Alpha when he was more qualified than Justin, who didn't have anything going for him other than flaunting his position as the Alpha's son?

Knowing the sort of person the Alpha was, I'm sure he wouldn't simply hand the position to Justin. Which brings me back to the question of why such a man would murder his father and the Beta.

Surely it couldn't be because his mother was abandoned by the Alpha. We are werewolves. We understand how strong the bond between mates is. Surely, a man as worldly as him couldn't be that clueless.

And he can't still be single...

Dammit, Victoria. Be mindful of your thoughts! I facepalm

Now, why would I care if he's single or not?

–––––

"Miss..." I hear a voice calling softly. "Miss, wake up."

I open my eyes and see the flight attendant's smiling face.

"Oh, hi," I say, pushing back the strand of hair that has fallen over my eyes.

"We've arrived in Los Angeles."

My eyes widen in surprise. New York to Los Angeles is about five to six hours.

"I slept through the journey!?"

She nods.

"You did. You must have really been tired. Would you like to freshen up before we land?"

"Oh, yeah. Sure. Thank you."

She nods.

"This way, please."

She leads me to a door.

"This is the bedroom. We'll be landing in about five minutes."

"Thank you."

I open the door and go straight to the bathroom. I pee, clean up, brush my teeth, and splash water on my face, finishing just in time to return to my seat for landing.

It's only when I exit the plane that I remember I didn't inform Mom that I was on my way so she could arrange for someone to pick me up from the airport.

As I push the baggage cart through the terminal, I fish inside my holdall for my phone.

"Miss Hampton."

I look up when I hear someone call my name. A man dressed in what looks like a chauffeur's attire is standing a few feet away.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. Traffic is hectic and–"

My brows furrow.

"I–I didn't order..."

"Oh, Alpha Jamie O'Malley, your fiancé did. I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself at first. I thought you were already informed."

My fiancé?

Jamie now refers to me as his fiancée.

I smile.

"It's okay," I tell the chauffeur.

"Thank you– and welcome home," he says before immediately moving to take over the cart.

Home?

Will the home I left behind ever feel like home again without my daddy?

–––

AUTHOR'S NOTE

This is a standalone story. Sequel to the book, Fated To The Evil Viking. Thor and Ash's story.