Alpha Theo's Unloved Luna - Chapter 88: Chapter 88

~ Gwen ~
“Uncle!” Ian shouted, running toward Jacob.
It had been four days since the attack on Port Leon, and Jacob had stayed in the underground shelter because he feared hurting himself.
Jacob was barely eating and sleeping. Despite the comfort Gwen and her family offered, he was highly devastated. This worried Gwen so much that she decided to bring Ian to him this time. She was unsure if it would work, but Gwen hoped Jacob’s love for her son could pull him through.
“Ian? What are you doing here?” Jacob said, stunned by the pup’s arrival.
Jacob quickly mindlinked, ‘Gwen? He can’t see me like this? I can’t -’
‘Then you better show him that you are still the Uncle Jacob he knows,’ Gwen challenged, responding through mindlink as well.
“Uncle Jacob, I missed you! Why do you look so thin?” Ian asked. “I missed running around with you.”
Theo was behind Gwen. She felt him becoming uneasy, and she understood why. His son was appreciating another father figure, which did not sit well with him. However, she had already briefed Theo. This was part of their plan. In fact, Ian also understood his role in reminding Jacob of the love and family surrounding him. He did not have to lose himself after losing his fated mate.
“How long are you going to stay here?” Ian asked Jacob.
Jacob eventually wept. His muscular frame embraced Ian as he replied, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Buddy. Uncle Jacob hasn’t been feeling well.”
“You don’t look sick,” Ian remarked as he pulled away. “Just sad.”
Ian held Jacob’s hand, saying, “Don’t be sad, Uncle. I’m here. I’m here for you. I love you. We all love you.”
Jacob returned to hugging Ian. Then, he wept again. He hugged the pup so tightly as if Ian’s warmth gave him hope. He said, “I missed you, Ian.”
In the first hour, Jacob played various card games with Ian. Theo eventually left to meet with King Arthur and his warriors, so Gwen and Ian were left alone at the bunker with Jacob and a few of Port Leon’s warriors.
Moments later, Ian asked Jacob to run into the nearby woods with him. At first, it scared Jacob. He looked at Gwen and said, ‘What if I think of her again? I killed her out there.’
This was part of Jacob’s worries, that he would see where he had accidentally killed his mate.
‘Let’s make sure we take another path,’ Gwen suggested. ‘Try not to worry too much.’
In the end, Jacob agreed. The three of them ran out into the nearby woods. Theo’s warriors followed, guarding them from behind.
Contrary to what Jacob feared, Gwen thought it had helped him. As they ran, she noticed Jacob repeatedly howling, letting out his pain. At one point, he ran out so fast that Ian and Gwen could not catch up. For a fleeting moment, it seemed like he had lost himself, running like a mad wolf!
Ian brought him back as he called, “Come back, Uncle! Come back! I still need you!”
Jacob had already disappeared from Ian and Gwen’s sight, but thankfully, he heard the pup’s cries. Jacob returned in his human form, his face stained with tears.
Ian and Gwen quickly embraced him tightly. Gwen did not know how long Jacob cried with them, but eventually, when his tears dried, he said, “Can I stay with Ian?”
Jacob was not over the hurt, but it was the start. Later that evening, he moved back to the packhouse. When he arrived and settled in the room next to Ian, he asked, “Gwen, can you ask Theo if I can investigate my mate’s identity?”
Gwen nodded. She said, “Theo and Caroline will be working on that. Caroline felt sorry for you, but she was not able to visit since she had just recovered. Since it had been known that the Ironwood Pack attacked Port Leon, Theo, and the King are planning a counterattack. Caroline had already left for Ironwood Pack to go undercover and, at the same time, find out your mate’s identity.”
“Theo assured me that going undercover is Caroline’s specialty, so she would return with plenty of valuable information. I don’t know if it will truly help, but I figured you might need it to get closure,” she added.
With a nod, Jacob answered, “Thank you, Gwen.”
~ King Arthur ~
“Why won’t you come home to the palace?” His queen asked on the phone. “I can take care of you here! Stay with me! I am your wife!”
“Didn’t you hear me, Hazel? It’s dangerous. Send me more warriors instead to help protect me and Port Leon,” Arthur commanded.
“No, I need you to come here!” Hazel ordered this time in a demanding tone. “You said you are all better, so why not return?”
Arthur immediately frowned while holding his phone. He thought, ‘Has my wife forgotten who is the king?’
He tried to remain patient and instead proposed, “Why don’t you come to Port Leon?”
“I can’t!” Hazel shot back. She seemed hesitant as she added, “I have responsibilities here.”
Arthur was already feeling better, and instead of staying in the hospital, he had remained at the hotel where he was initially accommodated with the rest of his royal guards. He walked to the balcony and stared at the view of Port Leon. He said, “Are those responsibilities more important than me? We can still run Northern Alfar together while staying in Port Leon. Besides, this is just temporary.”
“I can’t!” Hazel retorted. “I have to go back to -”
“Borealis,” Arthur interrupted her. “You have been going there far too often. Why? What is in Borealis?”
Arthur could no longer understand his wife. First, she came to Port Leon by force, demanding to enter, and after just visiting him for an hour, she suddenly left! What was her reason for leaving? And why didn’t she no longer want to stay in Port Leon?
Questions and doubts begin to build in his mind. He wondered if his brother, Alexander, had been telling the truth all along.
“You know why I have been going to Borealis! The people there are suffering. Illnesses are coming out of nowhere,” Hazel said.
“Why don’t I send Theo’s men to investigate the problem?” Arthur suggested, and instantly, Hazel fell silent.
His queen scoffed and suggested, “Only I can do this job.”
“Well, if you keep going to Borealis, then there is no point in me returning to Dradhold Castle for now. I am safer here. Moreover -” Arthur paused, contemplating whether to tell his wife the second reason.
He and Theo planned a counterattack on Alpha Madlock’s pack and more. This was his other reason to remain in Theo’s pack.
“What?” The queen asked.
Arthur decided to lie, “While I’m feeling much better, I want to be sure that I’m fully in remission, so I’d prefer to stay close to the doctor.”
“Isn’t Gwen returning to Southern Alfar?” Hazel asked.
“No, I think she has decided to stay in Port Leon since Theo is her fated mate,” Arthur responded. “And I think it is best, for they complement each other.”
“What about her family? Her parents? Are they still there?” Hazel asked.
“Yes, they are - wait.” Arthur frowned. He asked, “I don’t remember you meeting the doctor’s parents. Nor do I remember telling you about them.”
Arthur could hear Hazel gasp. Then, she said, “I - I - the doctor had mentioned it before I left! Remember?”
Hazel hung up the phone before Arthur could say more. After the call, Arthur felt heaviness in his chest. While Doctor Weneth may have mentioned her parents during Hazel’s visit in passing, they had no interaction. Even Arthur could not remember the complete details of that day.
Arthur put two and two together. Then, He muttered, “Are you hiding something from me, Hazel?”
Arthur decided to make another phone call. Because his beta was miles away, he could not mindlink with him. When Ivor answered, he ordered, “Have someone follow Hazel.”
There was silence in the other line before Beta Ivor replied, “I had long hoped you would make this order one day, My King.”
~ Theo ~
Over the past few days, Theo’s scouts had encountered several rogues and unknown warriors lurking around their territory. It was clear to Theo that their enemies were still planning another attack.
Unfortunately for their adversaries, Theo had called most of his trained warriors from his other territories to strengthen Port Leon’s security. On top of that, Gwen’s father had ordered six of his best warriors to aid Port Leon. King Alexander also sent reinforcements. Attacking Port Leon at that point would be considered suicidal!
Theo’s sister, Caroline, had gathered intel from the Ironwood Pack. Alpha Madlock was second-guessing his plans for attack. Caroline did not say more, but she eventually returned with more news about the enemy.
On Saturday, Caroline turned up with two of Port Leon’s warriors. At her first opportunity, Caroline shared, “Alpha Madlock secures poison from an underground laboratory in Borealis. It is said that whoever is running this underground laboratory is Alpha Madlock’s mistress.”