All Chapters of The Alpha’s Contract Mate: Chapter 81 - Chapter 86

That sudden realization instantly silenced every stray thought and lingering noise floating through my head and i stood up from the bed immediately. I took a sharp breath and tried to reach out through our mind-link, but the connection refused to establish no matter how hard I pushed. That meant one thing: Mark wasn't anywhere within pack territory right now. How? When did he start slipping away from the pack without mentioning a single word to me—especially during a crisis like this? I didn't waste another second, instantly redirecting my link toward Denise. They had been working closely together, so she might have an idea. ‘Luna?’ Her response flowed through the link immediately, crisp and sharp. ‘Denise, have you seen my brother?’ I asked, my voice tight. ‘The Beta hasn’t been seen in the pack house all day, Luna,’ she said after a brief pause. ‘Any idea where he went or why? He wouldn't just vanish without telling anyone.’ ‘You might have to ask the Alpha about that, Luna

I should have anticipated this. What was I thinking, believing everything would magically go smoothly just because Louis chose me of his own free will? Seeing that woman standing right in front of me now was all it took to crash back into the harsh reality of our twisted fate. His real mate was back... and she had walked right out of the shadows escorted by our worst enemy. Even though I had only seen her a handful of times when she was unconscious in the medical ward back then, I recognized her instantly. Louis’s fated mate. The bitter irony of it made my chest ache. "Is this the reason you asked for this meeting?" Louis growled from beside me, his grip on my shoulder tightening until it almost bruised. "I don't know what you're talking about, but he is the one who brought me here," the woman started, pointing a finger at the monster beside her. "He told me he would lead me straight to my mate, so I came along..." She drew a sharp breath, taking a step closer. "I didn't actually

I didn’t even get a chance to respond to Louis before a sharp, hurried knock rattled against the wood. I could see the instant irritation flashing in his m eyes as they snapped toward the entrance. "You are more than free to take your anger out on my brother," I muttered, pushing myself off the bed. "Just to be clear, though," I added, looking over my shoulder as I paused in front of the handle. "Even if he hadn’t interrupted us, I wouldn’t have let anything happen tonight anyway." Before he could offer a reply, I pulled the door open. "We have a situation," Mark gasped, practically stepping past me into the room, his forehead filled with sweat. "I know we just got back, and I know that when I scouted the area for your meeting I didn't see anything suspicious…but—?" Louis asked as he finally stood up from the mattress. "—But after you guys left, I decided to circle back out there. Because you can never be too safe," Mark finished, wiping his brow. A low groan escaped my throa