Chapter 5: The Thief

Aura’s POV

I felt my chest tighten. I couldn’t breathe. I grappled to process what Sorren had just said.

He was going to take away Jackson’s medicine? He couldn’t do that!

Jackson had a condition with his legs. It was called Muscular Tinglis Atrophy, or MTA for short. Basically, his body produced a strange poison that attacked the muscles in his legs. He needed ongoing treatment with a rare medicine that was both hard to come by and expensive. Currently, there was only one hospital that could provide the medication. Without it, Jackson’s legs would completely deteriorate.

Sorren knew this! He knew how much Jackson relied on that medicine. I clenched my fists as my blood boiled. How dare he! How dare he threaten me with my brother’s illness. It was inconceivable.

And unforgivable!

I was shocked that Sorren would stoop so low. Jackson’s life was already hard enough. Without his medicine….I couldn’t even think about it!

I glared at Sorren. He was trying to black mail me into marrying me. I wouldn’t let him do this to me. I’d find another way to get Jackson’s medicine. I wouldn’t just bend under Sorren’s threats like a weak, docile she-wolf.

“No,” I snapped at him. “I don’t accept your apology, Sorren. And the fact that you would use my brother’s illness against me just goes to show what kind of person you really are!”

“You’ve left me no choice, Aura. Marry me or I’ll cut off Jackson’s medicine.”

“It’s too late,” I hissed at him. “I can’t marry you. I found my true mate, and he’s a much better man than you could ever be! He won’t cheat on me, and if he did, my wolf would be able to smell it.”

“True mate?” Sorren scoffed, raising his eyebrows. “That’s a good one, Aura. Really creative. You know as well as I do how rare true mates are. Really, dear, you couldn’t come up with a better lie? Something a little more believable?”

“It’s true,” I said curtly.

“Honestly, Aura, this is a little much, even for you. That’s a pretty weak lie. You don’t actually expect me to believe that, do you?”

“I’m not lying,” I hissed at him through a clenched jaw. “He’s the one who marked me. Why would I make this up?”

“To avoid marrying me,” he fired back.

“I already broke off the engagement,” I quipped. “I have no reason to lie to you.”

Truthfully, I knew it was hard to believe. I barely believed it myself, given how rare mate bonds really were. But I was telling Sorren the truth and his flippant demeanor was infuriating.

“Okay, fine. I’ll bite,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Let’s say you have found your mate. Pray tell, Aura. Who is this mystery man of yours?”

“That’s none of your concern,” I replied coldly. “It has nothing to do with you. We’re done, Sorren. Do NOT come looking for me again.”

With that, I turned on my heel to leave, but Sorren grabbed me roughly by the wrist. Just then, his Beta, Angelo, emerged from behind the corner of the building. I glanced at Angelo and back at Sorren. Then I glanced down at my wrist. Sorren was gripping it tightly.

What was happening? Why was Angelo here?

“Let go of me,” I said firmly, trying to shake his hand off my wrist.  

“You WILL marry me,” Sorren said. “Whether you want to or not.”

Then he motioned for Angelo to step forward. “Detain her,” Sorren said to Angelo. “Bring her back to the pack house. Don’t let her out of your sight. I want a pack wide man hunt.” Sorren turned to me, eyes ablaze. “You claim you have a mate? Fine. We’ll track down this so-called mate of yours and expose your lies.”

My blood ran cold. Sorren had brought Angelo here with him to the hospital? This was his plan all along. He must have known I might not accept his apology. So he’d pre-empted the situation.

If I wouldn’t go with him willingly, he’d force me to go.

I was dumbstruck.

“I’m afraid we can’t do that,” Beta Angelo said, shaking his head. “We don’t have time for a man hunt right now. We have…” he leaned in close to Sorren and spoke in a low voice… “Other pressing matters.”     

“What are you talking about?” Sorren snapped at Angleo.

“Something’s been stolen from the pack house,” Angleo said. “We have it all on surveillance.”

Sorren whipped his head towards Angelo. “What was stolen?” he demanded. Angleo leaned in and whispered something in Sorren’s ear. I couldn’t hear what it was, but the look on Sorren’s face told me that whatever it was, it was VERY important.”

“Show me,” Sorren said. “Show me the surveillance footage of the thief.”

Angelo nodded. “Yes, Alpha Sorren. I had a picture sent to my phone. It shows the perpetrator very clearly.” Angelo whipped out his phone and showed Sorren the photo.

I was curious. Stealing from the pack house was a very serious offense. I wanted to see the picture, so I leaned in to sneak a look.

My heart stopped, my eyes widening in disbelief at what I saw.

It was clear all right. The picture showed the man, facing forward, his eyes down.

I recognized him instantly.

The thief in the photo was…

…it was Atlas.