All Chapters of The Alpha's Fated Encounter: Chapter 141 - Chapter 150

I clenched my fists and lowered my head. “Come on, Nico,” I whispered to myself. “Stay in it. There’s a good reason.”Diego sat beside me and punched my arm softly. “I know, man. I know. They’re okay. I know it. Give them some time. Maybe there was a hiccup with the shift change or something. The guys could have been standing outside shooting the shit between shifts or something. Stuff happens.”I opened my mouth to answer, but the ringing of my phone silenced me. I answered it, bringing the phone up so fast it slammed painfully against my ear. “This is Nico.”“It’s Javi. We got him.” Javi’s voice was strained, and I could pick up on the worry in his tone. It didn’t sound at all like his normal cocky voice.“Rafael? Gabriel? Are they good?”“Yeah.” Javi was huffing, and it sounded like he was running.“What’s wrong? I can tell by your voice that something’s wrong.”“It was fucking weird, dude.” He must have pulled the phone away because his voice became quieter, more distant. “Hey, ha

I threw my head back and roared in rage. The sound exploded through the house. Everyone else froze where they were. The release of energy felt good, but I knew I had to stay calm. I was the alpha. If I lost it, then the whole pack would be in trouble, not just Maddy. I had too many responsibilities to let myself fall apart.Sebastian walked up and put a firm hand on my back, and leaned in close. “We’ll get her back, Nico. I know we will.”I couldn’t even muster a nod for him. His confidence was a much-needed presence, but I couldn’t match it. How could we get her back when we had zero idea where she was?“I need to see them,” I said, heading toward the stairs.Before I climbed one step, a quiet voice spoke from the top of the stairs. “Nico?”I glanced up and saw Abi standing there. “Abi? Shit, I thought you were still in bed.” My gaze traveled over her body, inspecting the wounds—mostly bruises and small cuts. She also looked like she’d lost about ten pounds. She’d been petite to begi

Did I mention the fact that she was my pediatrician? Or all the letters she sent? Probably not. I shook my head. “No. What is all this about?”Viola leaned back into her seat and finished her drink. She waved the glass, and Duncan appeared to retrieve it. “Just trying to connect some dots, dear. There are many things about the Hollander line we don’t know. Much was lost in the Purging.”“You mean when you murdered dozens of innocent people and children? Is that what you call it? The Purging?”Viola shrugged. “One of many names. It was long before I was born. Why should I care what happened to a few shifter babies three hundred years ago? Honestly. Do you weep over the children that died when Hannibal went to war with Rome? Do you wring your hands about all the women who were raped when the Christian army sacked Jerusalem? Or even more recently, do you have a vested interest in how the war prisoners were treated during the American Revolution?” She shook her head and pursed her lips. “

“That’s just it, Nico. I should have thought about all the possibilities. I should have had more people at the house with me, protecting her. Instead, I let the whole pack lie snug in their beds. My brother was shot, and he's in the hospital, maybe dying, and your mate was taken. All because I got complacent. This is on me and no one else.”Marcus turned and gave me a thumbs up. I nodded and gave a weak smile before speaking again. “Dad, I trust you with my life. I trust you with the lives of everyone I love. If it had been the other way around and Maddy and I had been there protecting Mom while you were out rescuing people, and the same thing happened, what would you say to me if I was acting like this?” Another long pause. I hoped it was because he was thinking it over. “Well?” I prompted.“I see what you mean. I just… Son, I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to your mate. That’s what I’m saying. No matter what you say or what I tell myself, I’ll feel like a failure and t

NICOI drove the first hour, but my nerves were shot. After we got through New Brunswick, I had to give Luis the keys and let him drive. All I could think about was the time we were losing. The full moon was on the horizon. What if the royals had already taken what they wanted from Maddy? Thankfully, I didn’t let myself dwell on it too much. Mostly, the guys talking kept me from falling too deep into my own thoughts.“Seriously, man. I don’t think it’s gonna happen,” Luis said.Marcus chuckled and shook his head. “I’m telling you. ‘Bama is gonna win the Natty again. I will say, yes, Florida will get to the SEC Championship, but my Tide are gonna roll you boys. Just like usual.”Luis groaned and rolled his eyes. “You guys. One day, you all won’t be so cocky. You can’t be good forever.”Darren burst out laughing. “True! But until that day? Roll tide, roll!”“Oh god, I’m gonna puke. I should stick with soccer,” Luis muttered.“How far are we?” I asked, interrupting their football convers