All Chapters of The Alpha's Forgotten Mate: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Caelan's POVThe meeting was going to shit.I'd called it to brief them on our security upgrades, get everyone on the same page about patrol schedules and threat assessments. Standard pack business.Instead, I was listening to Elder Morrison drone on about "insufficient measures" while Elder Hayes nodded along like a bobblehead. The other three elders sat in their usual spots, looking appropriately grave and offering nothing useful.Liora stood by the window looking like she'd rather be anywhere else. Marcus leaned against the wall with that patient expression he got when he was trying not to roll his eyes. David had dirt under his fingernails from whatever tracking work he'd been doing."...current threat level requires more decisive action," Morrison was saying. "We need to consider bringing in outside consultants, perhaps even relocating vulnerable pack members until..."The door burst open.Aeliana stood in the doorway like she owned the place. Hair slightly mussed from her walk,

Aeliana's POVThe war room was larger than I expected.I'd never actually been in here before. At least, not that I remembered. It was a large space in the basement of the pack house, walls covered with maps and security monitors, a huge table dominating the center. The five of us gathered around the massive conference table.Caelan sat at the head, looking every bit the Alpha he was supposed to be. Marcus and Liora flanked him on either side. David had his laptop open, ready to present evidence.And me? I sat beside Caelan, trying to look like I belonged here and not like I had no idea what I was doing.The main wall was dominated by a huge screen, currently split into four video feeds. Four different packs, all connected by this call.Alpha Thomas Riverside appeared in the top left feed, his Beta standing behind him. Top right showed Alpha Sarah Blackwood with her Gamma. Bottom left had two enforcers from the Mountain Ridge Pack. And bottom right was Alpha Marcus Silverstone, who lo

Aeliana's POVJolene's hands shook as she resumed the chant. Blood dripped from her shoulder onto the mat, but she kept going. Kept pushing through the final verses.My wolf fought harder. These males were holding us down. Restricting us. Had to break free. Had to..."Aeliana, please." Caelan's voice was right against my ear. "I know you're in there. You are not in danger. Come back ."His words cut through the red haze. I grabbed onto them. Onto his voice. Onto the feeling of his arms that meant safety.Slowly, I clawed my way back."That's it," he whispered. "Come back to me."Jolene spoke the final word.The candles extinguished all at once. The barn went dark.The pressure on me was released like a snapped bowstring.I collapsed in Caelan's arms, shaking. "It's done," Jolene said, her voice unsteady. "The circle is closed. Protection holds."Nobody celebrated.They w

Aeliana's POV"I agree," Liora said. Surprisingly, coming from her, I never believed a day would come when she would stand with me. Caelan was quiet for a long moment. Then he looked at me. "If we do this, we do it right. Full preparation. Safety protocols. And the second your wolf breaks through, we stop."Agreed." He turned to Jolene. "How long do you need to prepare?" She thought about it. "A few hours. I need to set up stronger containment measures than we used for the protection spell. And I'll need help." "You'll have it," Caelan said. "Whatever you need." Emma's mother approached us, still holding her daughter. "Thank you, Luna. For catching her. For trying to save the others."The faith in her eyes was almost painful. "We'll get them back," I promised. "All of them." As the kitchen slowly cleared out, Caelan pulled me aside. "Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly. "No. But I'm sure about not sitting around waiting for seven days while Annalise does god knows what to

Caelan's POV The map spread across my desk, showing every detail of Blackwood territory. It is thirty miles north and had been abandoned for fifty years. The old pack compound sat in a natural valley, very defensible from all sides, well protected. Till today no one knows what happened to the alpha and the members of the pack. They were existing one day and suddenly missing the next, and because of the nature of their disappearance, everyone avoided going to their territory. That makes it perfect for hiding kidnapped children, and somewhat hard for an ambush. I traced the route we'd take tomorrow. We would send the scouts first, while we would mask our scent and hide by the eastern ridge. We will approach from downwind and stay in the tree cover until we have visual confirmation. Simple plan. Too simple, probably. Marcus stood by the window, arms crossed. "You're overthinking it." "I'm thinking exactly the right amount." "You've checked that map twelve times in the last hour."