Stake Out

Wyatt 

I yawn into my coffee cup before taking a sip as I keep my eyes on the building where I saw Luna go in last night. My window is slightly lowered, and the same scents I sniffed out last night are still there. There are a lot of she-wolves around here. 

This area may be neutral territory, but it's still risky for many to be in the same area unless they know how to fight. Even then, their chances are not great if more than one fucker comes sniffing around here. 

When is this fucking caffeine going to kick in? I’m on my second fucking coffee, for fuck’s sake, I grumble to myself, annoyed. I scrub my face before yawning into my fist again. Kick in already, fuck!

I only slept a few hours because I wanted to be here bright and early, hoping to finally see Luna’s human form and see who else was living here before I go back to the diner and talk to Tess, who I’m fucking sure is an alpha female. 

How she handled that warrior, how she interacted with the others, and how they responded to her make me think she is definitely of Alpha descent. I know she said she won’t betray the trust of her girls, but I wonder if she will disclose some details about herself. 

Come to think of it, she does look familiar, but I can’t fucking place her….

Either way, I fucking hope I get some answers on what the fuck was going on. Would she know where my missing she-wolves could be? That beta girl seemed to be in the know, seeing as she apologized on behalf of her brother, but wait, if she’s a beta, then how the fuck is her brother an Alpha? Surely, I would have heard of something like that. 

Someone opening my passenger door breaks me out of my thoughts, and I instantly growl. 

“Yo, Alpha, chill. It’s me, Evan.” He says, throwing his hands up in surrender as I reach over to grab him. 

I look down and sigh in relief before returning to my seat and allowing him to enter my truck. “Don’t fucking do that again,” I warn him. 

“Sorry, you usually tend to hear someone coming, didn’t think you were that fucking distracted. It’s shocking coming from you.” He mockingly says. 

“So what is your pretty little head thinking so hard about?” He asks as he closes the door. 

“Little?” I raise an amused brow. 

He rolls his eyes. “Figure of speech, Alpha. I’ve seen you naked, I know exactly what you’re packing between them legs, and I have heard the gossip from she-wolves…” Eyeing me like I’m a piece of meat. 

“If only you swung that way…” He says with a pout and a sigh in mock disappointment.

“Careful, you know your mate doesn’t like that shit.” I chuckle.

Evan’s eyes light up, and a mischievous grin forms on his lips. “Oh, I know, it will be so much fun later.” 

I raise my palm. “I don’t want to know and answer your question; Lots of things. We need fucking answers.” I sigh, running my hand over my face.  

“Well, first things first - here, have some of that, and then you can catch me up.” He says, handing me a coffee cup. “Courtesy of Dean, he said you may need it, and judging by your appearance and mindset, he was right.” He chuckles. 

I grumbled my thanks and filled him in on what happened at the diner and some details about what my mate and I talked about in the woods, telling him the same thing I said to Dean about how we spoke via mind link. Just when he's about to ask me how, I cut him off because I have no fucking idea, which reminds me I need to ask Dean about that. However, I don’t say anything about the bear and his mate as it's not my place to say.

I have so many fucking questions swirling in my head that I’m getting a fucking headache.

“Damn yeah, that’s a lot. No wonder your head is all over the place.” 

Evander and his mate are my Delta couple, even though one is an Alpha and the other is a Gamma. It took some time to convince Evan to join my pack, but that changed when he saw how I ran things and how happy my pack members were. 

However, I knew he held something back, and he knew that I knew something was up, but I kept quiet until he called me out for it. I told him it was about time he grew into his fucking balls, and I wanted to see how long this game would go on for as I don’t pry into other people’s business. His surprised reaction still makes me chuckle. 

I then explained to him what type of Alpha and leader I am, which is that, unlike others, I practice what I preach. I do what I think is right, which is why I like keeping shit in-house since it’s very well-known among the pack that I disagree with the council’s ridiculous fucking laws. 

I don’t get involved in my pack members’ lives unless shady shit happens. Other than that, I don’t fucking care to know who is fucking who shit like that. Still, I’m always around if someone has concerns or whatever like that, but overall as long as folks are happy, content, and don’t cause problems, then whatever, I’m fucking good and get on with what I’m doing. Just like everyone else. 

In return, I only ask for everyone’s loyalty and respect for me as their leader and for them to extend that to their fellow pack members. It took Evan a few years to see that for himself, but I think he finally trusted me completely when he found his mate living with the rogue pack near our borders, and I didn't say anything other than 'Welcome.' 

My other ranked members and I have no secrets, meaning I know who they are, where they came from, and why it took so long for Evan’s mate to accept and trust us. Unfortunately, through him, we learned that there was abuse in some of the packs and that the council wasn’t doing anything about it.  

Again, stupid fuckers. You shouldn’t mess or dictate with the Goddess’s will. 

As time passed, we all reached a mutual understanding of loyalty and trust, eventually becoming friends. When the time came, I didn’t have to think fucking twice about who should be my Delta. 

Due to the pack's growth over the years and because we look after the rogues near us, I had to add a Delta and, eventually, a Lead Warrior too, Ric. 

Ric is another former rogue who deserted his pack as a young wolf but now, alongside Evan's mate, is in charge of training my pack members and creating my elite warriors.

Ironically, this is one of the rare occasions I agree with my so-called fucking father about power but for different reasons. Even I would feel bad for the poor motherfucker who dares to go up against one of us. 

This is why I usually leave Evan in charge of the pack if Dean, Lucas, or I are away. Plus, those three don’t like to leave pack grounds unless they have to, so I’m a little surprised to see him here. 

“So, you're hoping to see your mate?” He asks. 

“Yes.” 

Evan nods and looks around, his nose twitching. “Well, I can smell she-wolves, but it overlaps with that stuff shifters use to conceal their scent.”

“Yeah, caught that too. It doesn’t surprise me that they use that stuff to hide themselves after what I saw last night and the little bits we know.” 

I take another whiff, thanks to a breeze blowing my way. “The ones I met last night are here, but there are others I haven’t met before. But what’s more interesting is that all of them are high-ranking. They also haven’t been in the area very long, which suggests they move around a lot.” I say, sipping my coffee.

“I give up asking how the fuck you know all that, but I trust your nose. However, why all together? Because if I were hunting like those assholes, they would be…” 

“Yeah, I know, sitting ducks,” I confirm, trying not to snarl at the thought of someone trying to claim my mate who is here. Somewhere. 

Good fucking luck because I will rip those fuckers apart before they couldn't even move a muscle. 

“Especially if they don't know how to fight, but I know the one I met last night can and wouldn’t go down easily, but even she wouldn't be able to hold them back for long. I’m pretty sure she's one of the alpha females I can smell. When I meet her later, I will probably know for sure; last night, I was too focused on other things.” 

“What time are you thinking of going over there?” He asks. 

I shrug. “I don’t know. All she said was the times she would be there, so maybe around noon? I just wanted to be here early in case my mate comes out on her way to work or something. She can’t stay in there all fucking day, right?” 

“No idea, but if she sees you staking out the building, she may stay inside.” He shrugs. 

“True, but I doubt it from the little I got from her. She’s sly and cunning despite her fear. She knows I don’t know what she looks like, so she may come out and try to walk past me.” I smirk, thinking about her. It’s true that despite her past, she’s also fearless. 

He chuckles. “Got you by the balls already?” 

“Fuck no!” I scoff.

“Not according to your beta.” He teases. “He said, and I quote, ‘About time.” He says while laughing. 

I was about to retort when we saw an attractive woman walking out of the building, holding hands with a little boy. I catch her scent immediately, and despite her wearing that shitty spray, I can tell she's an alpha female. 

Those fucking sprays never work with me. My sense of smell is very powerful, but it’s not something I tend to divulge very often. Only those closest to me know that my abilities are way beyond a normal wolf, even by Alpha standards. 

My nose twitches again, and I catch another scent I've come to recognize and love, but it's not coming from her, but the little boy. 

My eyes bulged in surprise because the moment I zeroed in on the little boy, I felt something else.

Holy fucking shit!

He’s got a strong aura. He’s trying to rein it in but fuck, he’s strong. And why does he smell like my mate?

Shit, could it be that he’s the reason why she’s in hiding? Refusing to accept me, refusing to tell me her name, or even show me her human form?

Before I can ponder anymore, I feel Evan nudging the mind link. 

‘I can’t smell them. They must be wearing that spray. Can you?’ 

‘Yeah.’ Extending the link to share with him what I smell, and the moment he sniffs, his eyes dilate and change color.

“Mate.” His wolf says. 

I stop him from getting out of the car. “Koa, hold it together!” Axel orders. 

“She’s my mate!” He snarls, fighting me. 

“I know, but you can’t, not right now. You might scare her and the pup. Give back control to your human NOW!” Axel orders, our aura coming out. 

Koa growls and reluctantly pulls back. When Evan’s eyes return to normal, Axel pulls back, giving me back control. 

“Sorry about that, but this is not the time to chase after her,” I say as he takes a few short breaths to regain himself. 

“No, I understand, thanks.” He murmurs. “I wouldn’t even know what to say to her, and since she’s out here, that means she’s a lone wolf and on the run.” He sighs, pulling his hair back. 

“Fuck!” He exclaims in frustration. 

“Not to mention you have a mate at home.” I point out. 

“Yeah, that too." He murmurs. "Fuck!” He says, pulling out his phone. 

As Evan waits for someone to answer the call, I realize something and snatch the phone. “He will call you back,” I say, quickly ending the call and turning to a confused-looking Evan. 

“Sorry, but I just remembered something. Wasn’t Oscar from Klaus’s pack?” I ask. 

“Yeah, so?” 

“Does he have any siblings?” 

“Yeah, he had, I think, two brothers and a younger sister. She was only a kid when he left. Why?” 

“Fuuuuck! No offense, but I think your mate situation may have to wait as I’m fucking sure it saw his sister last night, that missing Gamma. Is his sister's name Freya?” 

Evan’s eyes bulged out again in disbelief before flicking to pure rage. “Yes, it is. Fuck!” He angrily slams his fist into the dashboard. 

After a few moments, and taking it out on my dashboard, he finally took a deep breath.

“So the young female that you mentioned, the one who was abused,” He viciously snarls. “Is Oscar’s little sister?” 

Before I can answer, there’s a tap on the windshield. I turn around to see Tess, but she doesn’t look happy. One thing is for sure - she’s definitely an alpha female because she’s not even bothering to hide her aura now. 

I roll down my window. “Good morning, Tess. How are you this morning?” I politely say. 

“You couldn’t wait until later? Why are you here, scaring my girls?” She says, pissed off as fuck. 

Evan jumps out of the car. “Excuse me, but I need to know something urgent. My Alpha just told me about the girl you saved last night. I need to know - is her name Freya, Freya Reed?” He frantically asks, going around the truck.  

“What’s it to you?” She asks, crossing her arms. Her aura is out in full force, but Evan fights back with his aura. 

“You are not the only Alpha wolf around here." He says with narrowed eyes. 

"I ask because her brother, Oscar, is my mate. I want confirmation before I tell my mate that not only did I find his baby sister, but his baby sister has been abused like he was. All I need is a yes or no if you could be so kind.” He says with a low growl. 

Tess closes her eyes and lets out a big sigh before looking him in the eye.

“I’m sorry to tell you, but yes, it is her.”