10. Could it be...?

My mom is a traditionalist. Unlike my liberal dad, who didn't mind me having a boyfriend, my mom never forgets to remind me to stay pure and keep 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 will never pretend to be polite to him. This is not the right time for them to meet.

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

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

"Thank you for this. I really appreciate."

He nods with a smile before wrapping his arms around my shoulder 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 in school."

"I can't wait," I say.

We momentarily stop walking as he leans down to kiss me, then resumes walking.

"I'll call you when I get home," I say and he nods

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

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

"Thank you so much," I reply with a smile of my own.

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

"Take care of yourself. I'll keep in touch to know the..." Her words trail off. I know it's because she's trying to avoid the word funeral. Since their bodies were not found on the scene, maybe there's a little chance that they're still alive.

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

"I'll see you soon." He says and 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 to Silver Moon Pack,

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

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

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

"No! No food. Water will do, please. Thank you." I reply to her

"Alright." She smiles and walks off.

She returns some 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 reply. Noticing how her pleasant demeanor has been making me smile despite my troubled mind.

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

I know the Alpha has an illegitimate son, but I don't know anything about him apart from what my mom told me when she was discussing puberty, sex, and mating stuff with me. She used his mother's story as an example of why I need to keep my chastity until I meet my mate. It was quite a sad story.

According to my 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, rumor started circulating that both of them were planning to get married. Then the unthinkable happened. The Alpha met his mate, Evelyn.

"Male werewolves are polygamous in nature. He could be with his mate and still married Viveka if he truly loved her like he claimed but he did not and broke up with her instead. He broke her heart." She said angrily.

"Although I felt sorry for her back then, I feel that they both should have thought of the possibility of either of them meeting their mate and avoided getting too deep with each other.

She couldn't continue to stay in the pack and 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 some hours.

Unfortunately, when Thor was thirteen, his mother, her friend, and the Beta died in a fatal auto crash. Poor boy was left all alone. His mother died and his father didn't want him. Let their story serve as a lesson to you, Victoria! Viveka lost out because she failed to understand that no love bond is stronger than the one shared by those mated by Moon goddess herself. Never forget that!"

'Thor Quinn.'

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

The first thing that grabs my attention when the page opens is the photo of a powerful-looking man dressed in all black, walking up the stairs of what looks like a government-owned building. Despite my heavy heart and the anger simmering within me towards the person who allegedly murdered my father, I couldn't help but note to myself 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 Alpha's demise!?

I quickly scroll up and begin reading under the heading 'About'

'Born: 29th December 1997 (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 up and click on his name under Wikipedia. My eyes skip down the page and widen with surprise 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 wide eyes skip back to the top of the page and start to properly read.

'Thor Reginald Quinn, that is 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 The Viveka Industries Limited. Its businesses include energy, petrochemicals, natural gas, textiles, and retail. Globally, he is among the 5th 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 death, it was obvious from the gleam of admiration on Colton and Jamie's faces as they talked that they idolize him.

"He is your Luna's suspect. Damn! Dude is filthy rich..." Jamie is still talking when Colton interrupts,

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

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

"Is he the..." I'm still talking when Colton interrupts

"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 didn't know the almighty Devil Viking people talked about is my Alpha's illegitimate son, the same way I never knew he was on the list of Forbes' richest men in the world. The man is obviously richer than his father.

"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 is 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 is more qualified than Justin, who doesn't have anything going for him other than going around, flaunting his position as the Alpha's son?

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

Surely a man as worldly as him couldn't be that clueless...

And he can't still be single?...

Damnit Victoria, be mindful of your thoughts! Now, why would you care if he's single or not?

**

**

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

I open my eyes and see the air hostess' smiling face.

"Oh, hi!..." I say, pushing back the bang that had 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 will be landing in about five minutes."

"Thank you," I say and open the door, going straight to the bathroom.

I pee. Clean up. Brush my teeth and splash water on my face. Finishing in time to be back in my seat for landing.

It's when I exit the plane that I remember I didn't inform my mom that I was on my way, so she can arrange for someone to pick me up at the airport. As I push the baggage cart through the terminal, I fish inside my holdall to retrieve my phone.

"Miss Hampton" I look up when I hear someone call my name to see a man dressed in what looks like a chauffeur's attire.

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

My brows quirk wonderingly

"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 fiance? Jamie now refers to me as his fiancée. I smile happily

"It's okay," I tell the chauffeur

"Thank you– and welcome home." He says and immediately moves to take over the cart pushing.

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