Choosing Mr. Destiny - Chapter 38: Chapter 38
You are reading Choosing Mr. Destiny , Chapter 38: Chapter 38. Read more chapters of Choosing Mr. Destiny .
Arthur's POV
Right after the mission began, both my men as well as Reagan's went on with the mission almost nonstop. We only made a few quick stops just to give our warriors a bit of rest and then we are back on to searching again.
Now, it's almost midnight and Reagan next to me said that we are now near the borders of Northern Pines Pack; a small Pack also hidden inside the dense forest.
Reagan immediately ran ahead of us just like what he has been doing since we started. According to him, it would be a lot better if he moved way ahead since he's the one who knows the borders located in each area we pass through. Which in that case, I have no problem.
As Reagan went to a stop, we saw two fully grown men standing right in front of him.
Once we neared Reagan, we all went to a complete stop as well.
I shifted to my human form after Reagan. We both stood in front of the two men in front of us, not fazed of the fact that we are both naked. We are all men here anyway, so why bother.
"Arthur, this is Luis Saldivar, Alpha of the Northern Pines Pack. And Luis, this is Arthur, Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack. These guys are already expecting our arrival." Reagan introduced and I simply greeted them with a curt nod.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet the Alpha of the famous Pack," Luis stated which almost made me roll my eyes.
Here we go with the famous chatter again.
"We are kind of in a hurry right now, Luis. So if you don't mind us crossing your land then it would be greatly appreciated." I stated clearly no time for useless chit chat.
"Of course. But before you go, please do accept our little help." Luis said as three guys appeared from behind him. "These are food supplies that might be useful in your journey as you search for your lost mate. Hopefully, this is enough to accommodate all of you." He continued.
I looked down at the supplies he was offering and I accepted it wholeheartedly.
"Thank you for this Luis. This is surely a big help for us."
He nodded. "It's an honor that we are able to help even in the smallest, Arthur. Now, as you said you are all in a hurry, I gave you permission to pass through my pack." Luis said and I gratefully gave him a nod and a smile.
"Thank you, Luis."
As I was about to shift back to my wolf form, my phone started ringing inside the backpack Ben was holding.
He quickly fetched it out and throw it directly at me. After catching it in my hands, I answered the call immediately without checking the caller I.D.
"Hello?"
"Is this Arthur Trevino? Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack?" The voice on the other line asked.
"This is me speaking, Who is this and how can I help you?" I asked sternly using my Alpha tone.
"This is Linux, Alpha of the Eastern Forest Pack. Reagan told me that you're in search of your mate that was being kidnapped?" He inquired.
I hummed. "Yes, we are indeed on a mission of locating my mate," I spoke.
"Well, I have very important news for you."
With that, my ears instantly perked up.
"What is it?" I asked eagerly.
"So I conducted a search mission myself inside my territory as well as the unoccupied lands, and my men found a heavily guarded mansion just 10 miles out of our borders. And we also noticed that most of those who are guarding the place are werewolves; specifically rouges, and we also spotted a large number of hunters with deadly weapons with them. I instantly assume, whoever is inside, must be very important to be that heavily guarded, and I remembered your situation. Although we are unsure and we didn't know who exactly took your mate but this place just gave us the feeling that your mate is in there." He explained which instantly gave me the sense that my mate is indeed in there.
"What is your location?" I asked more eagerly.
"Topton, North Carolina." He replied back and I made a mental note to immediately contact Connor to head there as soon as possible.
"Okay. I have a scout heading towards the east at the moment and I will immediately instruct them to head to your location right away. Me and my troupe will be there soon after." I told him in the other line.
"Copy that, Arthur. We'll wait for them to arrive. For now, we will keep an eye on that suspicious place."
"Thank you for telling me, Linux. My pack and I really appreciate the help." I stated thankful for the information.
"Don't mention it. The least we can do is give a little help."
"Thank you again, and we'll see you there soon." With that, we hang up the call.
I turned to my group and Reagan who are watching me expectantly.
"Change of plans. We're heading to North Carolina." I stated, causing multiple eyebrows to rise.
"North Carolina? That's another state!." Reagan exclaimed.
"I know. But a pack residing at Topton, North Carolina gave me intel that his men found a very suspicious mansion that is heavily guarded by rouge werewolves as well as hunters."
After my sentence was spoken up, multiple chatters quickly erupted.
"Rouges and hunters teaming up? How did that happen?" Luis exclaimed visibly appalled of the news he just heard.
I turned to look at Reagan as well as Ashley's Dad.
I know they're thinking the same thing as I do. If rouges and hunter all of a sudden teamed up mysteriously, then that just means there is a higher being behind this who rules all of them. And I'm guessing the only one who is capable of putting all the evil beings in one team is none other than Azrael. The f*cker who took my mate, and the same f*cker who I'll give a slow and painfully agonizing death.
"That is very odd, indeed," Reagan stated as he took a glance at my mate's father, Ben.
"So what is your decision, son?" Ben asked.
I sighed. "Let's change course to North Carolina."
"That's a 6-hour drive from here." Luis chirped up turning my gaze to him. "But If you travel the way you guys are traveling now, it will take you at least day and a half."
"What do you think?" Reagan asked.
I turned to my Ben with my group standing behind him. "What do you guys think?"
They then started looking at each other trying to come up with a final decision.
"No matter your decision Alpha, we'll be with you." Jackson; a very well trained warrior of mine spoke up and the rest of the group agreed.
I smiled, feeling thankful for having such supportive pack members. But knowing it will be very exhausting for all of them if we traveled using our wolf form, I decided to drive up there instead. I also figured it will be the best decision I could go since if we did travel by paw, we will all be utterly exhausted once we make it there. And just in case something happens, my men won't be in the best shape to defend themselves and fight.
"I think using a vehicle will be the best decision. It will be much faster and we'll get to our destination in no time." I stated.
"Are you sure, Arthur?" Reagan asked for confirmation and I quickly nodded.
"Yeah. I can't risk having my men being so exhausted when an obvious threat is just right ahead." I explained and he nodded.
"That is a wise decision." He spoke. "Well then, if we want to be on the road in no time, we should probably head back to the packhouse," Reagan said but I stopped him.
"Wait." He halted and looked at me with questioning eyes.
"What is it."
"Maybe it's best if you continue the route we are currently going. You know, just in case the one Linux reported isn't the one we are looking for." I offered which had him thinking.
"Yeah. Maybe that is a good idea." He paused as he thought about it deeper. "Okay. I'll continue this route until the state borders before I go back to the packhouse."
I smiled. "Thank you, Rey. And if something happens, or you noticed something mysterious, don't hesitate to call me."
"And I will send five of my men to accompany Alpha Reagan, Arthur. Just to be safe." Luis offered and I didn't decline.
"That is much appreciated. Thank you."
"I will be fine, Art. If ever I came across trouble, I will kick them hard in the ass." He stated confidently causing me to chuckle.
"Okay. If you say so. But we really have to head out."
"No problem. A time wasted is another time your mate is closer to danger. So go!" He ushered and we immediately shifted to our wolves. As for Ben, He rides on one of my warriors.
Once we all made it back to Reagan's packhouse, we immediately went to the Van parked at the front.
But before that, we had to tell Reagan's Pack that he's alright. Since they noticed we came back without him, they instantly thought something happened to their Alpha. But I made sure to let them know that he is indeed fine and unharmed. After they all calmed down, we all piled inside the two 12 seater Van and drove down the road heading to the highway and head straight to North Carolina.
5 minutes into the drive, I picked up my phone and dialed Connor's number. After it rang three times, he finally picked it up.
"Yes Alpha?" He answered sounding a bit breathless.
"Where are you and your group right now?" I asked
"I believe we are 50 miles away from the state of North Carolina Alpha, why?"
"That's good. I want you to head straight to Topton, North Carolina. A pack gave me a piece of information that they spotted a mysterious mansion guarded by both rouges and hunters. I have a feeling Ash is in there." I stated on the phone.
"What are your instructions, Alpha?" He asked still trying to catch his breath.
"Head straight to Eastern Forest pack. They are the ones who gave me the information and they are now expecting you and your group to arrive. We are on our way and we'll arrive after 6 hours or so of drive."
"Copy that." He said still breathless.
"Also, once you and your group arrive, I want you to join the pack's assigned troupe to spy on the mansion. I want you to report everything to me when you get there."
"Yes, Alpha. We'll be on our way to the Eastern Forest pack right away after we speak." He said with obvious determination lacing his voice.
I smiled. "Thank you."
And with that, we hang up.
I know he's trying to do his best to make it up for what has happened and I appreciate every bit of effort he's doing. But at the moment, my wolf and I still can't find the will to forgive him. I know and he knows it too that he has a part to blame for this. Obviously, he was born to be my mate's so-called 'Protector' and yet, with that one task he had, he still failed. First, I forgave him for claiming my mate. After Ash convinced me with all the reasons why he actually did it in the first place, I finally gave in. Although in my opinion, what he did was utterly stupid. Then second, I let him enter my pack. I gave him his own space and privacy just so he can start fresh. And third, I gave him the chance to prove himself worthy to become one of my pack's leading warriors. And fourth; which is what I regret giving him the most, my slowly growing trust in him. I let him do his duty as my mate's supposed 'protector' and yet all he did was fail and let someone as worse as the death angel take my mate.
So I think it will take time until I fully forgave him again, and give him my trust of being the 'soul protector' of my mate.
I was snapped out of my thoughts when Ben nudged me on the shoulder.
"Do you think Ash is in that place?" He asked when we were 10 minutes into the drive
I turned my gaze to him and sighed. "With all those suspicious guards surrounding the mansion, I know my mate is in there."
"But what if he's not?"
"Then we'll continue the search, simple as that." I paused as I glanced at him. "No one can stop me from finding and getting my mate back, Ben. Even if it's the devil I had to go through then so be it. I'll kill every devil I see if they even try to stand in my way, I will kill anyone who stands in my way. I will have Ash with me in no time and no one can stop me from doing so."
And even if Azrael is obviously much more powerful than me, that doesn't scare me enough to not make me want to kill him to shreds.
My mate has been taken away from me the last time. Now that someone took him away from me again, I'll make sure there will be blood spilled. Even if I'm clashing against a death angel who can easily take me down, I will never let it be the cause why I'm not going to fight.
If my mate's safety is on the line, I will gladly fight till death for him.
God or no God. Death angel or not. I will get my mate back.
Winter's POV
It has been a few hours after the little incident that happened. And until now, I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I literally saw how Ash turned the liquid water to solid ice in less than a second. It was such a bizarre, shocking, and astonishing thing to witness. And even though I did think from the beginning that Ash might have some powerful traits he got from his Godly parent, I still wasn't ready to see such power to be shown right in front of me.
Now, Ash had fallen asleep on his bed after I told him to get some needed rest since only a few more hours from now, the escape that the both of us have been planning will be put to action. And hopefully, it will go well.
In all honesty, I am beyond scared. Not because I am not confident about the plan Ash and I made, but because of Ash's safety. I know he's about to go into heat, and so am I, which made this whole mission a lot more complicated and dangerous. But I can't let that one single problem get in the way of our escape, even if it obviously gave us a huge red flag.
I know once someone is about to go into heat, their scent will be much stronger, and much more alluring; especially to the werewolf kind. With both my scent, as well as Ash's being too strong, it will cause for those werewolf guards to sense us a lot easier, which is a huge problem. And even if I have a strong perfume with me, our original scent will still be detected. Hopefully, once we make it to the sewer, it will hide our scents and confuse whoever detected us.
"Have you heard of the spreading rumors?" A faint manly voice that was unfamiliar to me rang outside our room accompanied by a few audible footsteps.
"There's a lot of rumors spreading around here, dude. Be more specific." Another manly voice spoke up with a light chuckle.
"Well, I heard Azrael changed his plans." The first voice responded back as they continued to walk closer to our room.
After picking up Azrael's name from their conversation, I instantly tipped toed out of my bed and went to the door, careful not to make any noise from the chains around my ankle. I placed my right ear into the cold wooden door to try and eavesdrop better.
"Oh, about that. Yeah, I heard he's not going to impregnate that guy..... I forgot his name." The second voice spoke.
"The guys' name is Ash. And yes, he is not going to impregnate Ash. Instead, I heard that he's going to kill him and drink his blood which was believed to be pure and immortal. Although I'm not sure if that is supposed to work but it does sound sensible."
And after the guy had spoken the sentence out of his mouth, it instantaneously caused all the blood to drain out of my body.
Now things did get a lot worse.
"I highly doubt it will work. I mean, it's not only Ash's blood that is immortal, but also his body. So if Azrael does decide to kill him and consume his blood, how will he transfer Ash's immortal flesh to him? Is he going to cannibalize Ash and eat his raw flesh?"
"I don't know dude. If that's what he wants to do then let him be. I don't give a damn as long as he gives me my family back." The first guy stated.
"I know, but don't you think going for the option of impregnating Ash is the best idea? I mean, what if consuming Ash's blood didn't work and end up killing his only chance to immortality? Then it will just be a complete waste. He had to find another way or another person that carries pure blood to fulfill his desire to be immortal again," Said the other guy.
"Well, we do know that Ash isn't a pure God, since his father is a werewolf. So there is also a chance that his body or flesh isn't immortal. But like I said, either way how Azrael wanted to do his wishes, I don't care, as long as I'll get my family back."
"Yeah. F*ck it then. As long as I get what I want, I also don't give a damn."
And as they continued their conversation, their voice also started to fade as they walked farther from the room Ash and I are currently locked in.
I pulled away from the door and turned to Ash's sleeping form on his bed.
'He really is in huge danger' I thought as I turned to Ash's sleeping form.
If it is true that Azrael decided to just kill Ash and basically act like a goddamn vampire, then we should really get going. The longer we stay here, the higher the chances of both of us not getting out successfully and getting Ash endangered in the process. And I can't risk it.
We really have to escape tonight, or else it will all be too late.
Sighing, I slowly walked towards Ashley's bed and sat at the edge while watching him sleep peacefully. He looks so cute especially when he's sleeping. I watched how his chest moves as he breathes and how he casually pouts his lips. Then my eyes landed on his face. His face showed nothing but peacefulness. His tan skin looked flawless under the soft lighting of the room. But as I continued to appreciate his beauty, I came across one of the things I envy the most, and that is his eyelashes. For me, they are just real perfection. However, with all his physical appeal, the one thing that shines the most about him is his genuine personality. He's a person that is gifted with a heart of gold and an attitude that everyone will surely love. And with all those wonderful traits he has, I won't let a death angel get a hold of such beauty. Only his mate deserves him and no one else.
I placed a hand on his arm and started shaking him softly.
"Ash, wakey-wakey," I spoke as I felt him stir and slowly peeled his eyes open giving me a good view of his hypnotizing orbs.
"I'm sorry to wake you up, but we have to start getting ready. In just a few hours from now, a guard will come in and give us our dinner." I told him as he rubbed his eyes off of sleep.
He covered his mouth as he yawned. "It's fine. I had a good nap anyway, so it's all good." He replied sleepily while sitting up on his bed.
"How are you feeling?" I asked as I took a glance out the window only to see the moon's rays shining brightly down on to the trees, which means it is now way high up on the horizon.
"I'm okay. Why?" He asked scratching his cheeks.
"Oh nothing, just wanna know if you're fine." I lied even though my real intention is to see if his heat is starting to kick in.
He smiled. "Stop worrying, Winter. We will be fine." He assured.
I smiled back. "Yeah. I know we will."
He then turned to look out the window. "What time do you think it is?" He asked.
I pursed my lips trying to give him an accurate answer.
"I think it's almost ten in the evening."
He turned his head to look at me and gave me a small smile.
"An hour before we escape, huh." He stated with his voice laced with slight nervousness.
"Yeah. An hour away and we'll be free."
"Or dead." He joked which I only responded with a 'really' look on my face. "Sorry, not a good joke."
"We can, and we will make it out, Ash. Nothing will happen." I assured him and myself.
He nodded his head as he gave me a short reply. "I know." And although his voice sounded like he himself wasn't convinced of what he had said, I know he's still trying his very best to stay strong.
I gave his hand a squeeze and a grateful smile. "I know this is hard for you, and I know you're doing your best to stay strong, and I thank you for that. But at this time, I just want you to trust me." I told him gently.
He looked down with a look of apology on his face. "I do trust you, Winter. It's just... I can't help myself sometimes. I know It was an immature way of thinking that spilling a joke like that was a good idea, though clearly, it wasn't. So I'm really sorry."
I sighed and gave him a smile. "I'm not mad at all. I know you're just trying to lighten up the situation we are in. So, you don't have to worry about it. It's all well."
He looked at me with an unsure expression on his face.
I chuckled. "I'm not mad Ash. I promise."
He nodded as he looked away from me and into his hands. "Okay. So uh, what are we gonna do now?"
I sighed.
"We wait." I paused as I turned to the door. "Once the guard comes in at exactly 11: 30 pm, we wait till the clock hits 11:45 before we execute the plan," I stated.
He nodded once again and took a huge intake of air.
"I'm ready." He said courageously which in return made me smile.
"So am I," I replied.
As we waited patiently, Ash decided to change to his original clothes when he was taken captive. And as he was putting his pants on, he suddenly stopped.
He gasped loudly as he stumbled back a little, losing his balance, causing me to look at him questioningly.
"What's wrong?" I asked with furrowed brows as I stared at him holding the front right pocket of his jeans.
"I can feel my phone in my pocket." He breathed out making my eyebrows rise dramatically.
"Your what?" I asked trying to confirm what I heard was right.
He then fetched something out of his pocket and there I saw what he's trying to mean.
"I totally forgot about this." He stated as he held the device in front of him.
I frowned. "How come I didn't notice that when I changed you with my pants?"
"Maybe because it's too small inside my pocket that it's hardly noticeable." He replied. And I admit, it was really hard to notice since he wasn't wearing tight fitted jeans. If it was one of those modern skin-tight pants that I have no idea how some people are able to wear them without their little ones screaming bloody murder, then the dent made by the phone will be very visible.
"Can you turn it on?" I asked expectantly.
"I can try." He said as he placed a finger on top of the power button and pressing it firmly, waiting for the device to boot up. We both waited in silence hoping that the battery still has any juice left in it.
And once the phone vibrated, both of us looked into each other's eyes with a new found hope.
"It turned on." He said as his breathing suddenly picked up a pace.
I stood up from the edge of the bed and went to him.
"Relax, this may be the last electricity left in the battery before it dies so we should make most out of it," I told him and he nodded.
He exhaled deeply. "Okay." He said, steadying himself. "I'm gonna call him."
"Go for it."
I looked down at the phone in his hand as the apple logo showed up. And once the phone had fully booted up, he quickly typed in his password. But once he pressed 'OK', the phone stated that the password was incorrect.
"Oh no." He breathed out nervously.
"Crap." I cursed under my breath as I glance up at the battery percentage, 3%.
"You should hurry Ash. It's gonna die anytime soon." I said which urged him to ransack his brain with all his passwords.
"I'm trying." He said sounding panicked.
"Screw the password, try using the fingerprint scanner instead," I told him as I saw a circle sapphire button located at the bottom of the phone.
"It will not work at first bootup, Winter. You have to put in the password before the fingerprint works in the next unlocking process."
"God damn it." I cursed.
"Okay. Remember, remember, remember." Ash said more to himself as he bit his bottom lip in hopes of getting hold of his password located somewhere in his memory. "Okay let's try this." He said as he quickly typed in another password.
Once he pressed the 'OK' button, it said password incorrect again.
He groaned. "Why of all times it had to be now that I forgot my password."
I sighed and thought of a way I can help him remember. "Okay. Is it something about your mate?"
He furrowed his brows. "No. I know it was something else."
"Well, then something about your family?" I asked.
He shook his head. "No."
I flailed my arms around. "I don't know, it could be bunny rabbits for God's sake," I stated in frustration.
How infuriating it is to have hope suddenly come in and how fast it was gone.
"Wait," Ash said as he furrowed his brows as he stared into the phone screen and hurriedly typed another password. He gasped loudly. "I think I got it."
I raised a brow at him. "Did you just get your password inspired by a bunny?"
"You don't want to know." He replied.
"Okay. No comment. Just get on with it."
"Exactly what I'm trying to do right now." He said as he pressed the dialer and speed-dialed his mate. He placed the device into his ears and waited for him to pick it up.
"Come on, pick up." He mumbled, tapping his foot impatiently on the hard floor.
He groaned. "Why is he not picking up at the most important time?" Ash said, clearly infuriated.
Once he was sent to voicemail, groaned once more before he hangs up and tried again. He waited impatiently for his mate to pick it up, but he never did. He was always being sent to voicemail.
After Ash hangs up, he sighed in frustration and sadness. I placed a hand on his shoulder once seeing his state.
"Maybe he doesn't have any reception or something," I said.
He sighed once again. "Maybe."
I bit my lip. "Why don't you just send him a text? So when he gets to check his phone he'll notice it as well as the missed calls right away." I suggested which had him nodding his head.
After he opened the messaging app, he immediately typed in a message towards his mate. Once he pressed the send button, an idea popped into my mind.
"Hold on, I have an idea," I stated. Ash turned to look at me with mild confusion etched on his face.
"What?"
"Can I borrow your phone for a sec?" I asked in which he gladly handed me his smartphone.
I quickly went to work and scrolled his app drawer for the maps. After finding it, I pressed the logo and waited for the app to fully load.
"What are you doing?" Ash questioned as he watched my fingers moved through his phone screen.
"I'm trying to find out where we are. The maps on the phone Jordan gave me doesn't work. It seems like it was purposely blocked." I said.
Once the app fully loaded and showed our current location, I quickly zoomed out to have a better perspective of where we are. I continued to inspect it just so I can have an idea where to go once we finally escaped.
When I was done, I quickly went back to the messaging app and decided to send his mate our precise location just in case.
"Done," I said before handing the phone back to Ash.
"That was genius." He commented, sending me a grateful smile. "Now, one last thing I have to do before this phone dies on me." He mumbled as he pressed the messaging app and send the same location I sent to his mate towards multiple people, including his parents and some that I don't know.
And once he pressed the send button, his phone finally died.
"I hope that text was sent," I told him.
"Well I saw below it was a word delivered. So I'm guessing it went through."
"Let's just hope that it did," I replied.
He sighed and held his phone tightly in his hand as he closed his eyes and bowed his head as he silently send a prayer to the Gods - probably to his Godly mother herself - to help us in our current situation.
When he opened his eyes, I decided to comfort him a little and tell him everything will be fine.
I placed a hand on his tense shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile. "Everything will work out fine, Ash. We'll get out of here and you will be reunited with your mate."
He smiled feeling grateful as my words helped him relax a little.
"I know. I trust the plan and I trust you." He sighed. "But...." He trailed off as he looked down into my left hand where the promise ring that Jordan gave me was residing. "Are you really willing to leave your mate in the hands of Azrael just to save me?" He asked as his eyes reconnected with mine.
Without hesitation, I nodded my head with pure determination. "I love my mate with all my being, but I know this is the right thing to do. I know he knows it too. And I'm not just doing this for you or me, I'm also doing this for him. I know there will be a day that someone will stop Azrael from wreaking havoc, and I know once he's defeated and killed, I will finally have my mate back."
"And I'm guessing I will be that someone that will stop Azrael, huh? Do you really think I can do it? I mean, what if I can't control my abilities? How will I be able to defeat him?" He asked lowly as he furrowed his brows in thought.
I shook my head. "Stop stressing yourself about that matter for now, Ash. We'll figure it out on the way. But for now, we have to think about our escape from this place."
He sighed shakily, making his nervousness obvious. "I know, I know. I just can't help myself from thinking about it."
"Just relax. There will be time for that to be brought up. For now, prepare yourself. In less than two minutes, a guard will come in to give us our dinner. And you know what will happen next after that." I told him calmly even with my own nerves going all over the place.
He nodded as he sighed out loud. "The plan will be put into action, got it."
"Freedom is just right at the corner, Ash. So let's get this over with." I stated determinedly with my game face on.
Let's just hope and pray to every God and Goddesses that this plan works.
Connor's POV
Hang in there Ash, I'm coming. I will make sure this time that you'll get home safe in your mate's arms.
I still can't get my head around that word, 'His mate's arms' who happens to be not me. But I'll get to move on soon. I may not be able to accept the fact that I am indeed mateless right now, but I know with time I will.
But I can't worry about myself at the moment, I have to help save Ash to prove myself to his mate that I deserve to be a part of his pack. If the chances that they may not grant me a rank, just being one of his warriors is enough. I already gave enough dishonor to my family's name and the least I could do is prove to them that I am not worthless.
So no matter what, if this mission ends up taking my life, I will accept it if the reward is Ash's safety. And I know even with only my body being sent back to my hometown, I know Arthur will tell the tale of what I did to bring back honor to my family. I just hope it's enough to accept me back as their son and not the disappointment that I am right now.
"Wait!" A warrior that remained in his human form said while riding on another warrior in their wolf form.
We all went to a full stop as we waited to hear what he have something to say.
"Alpha Arthur is calling you," Walter said as he showed me my phone's screen, displaying Arthur's name.
I quickly shifted back to my human form to answer the call.
"Yes Alpha?" I answered sounding a bit breathless from running.
"Where are you and your group right now?" He asked.
"I believe we are 50 miles away from the state of North Carolina Alpha, why?"
"That's good. I want you to head straight to Topton, North Carolina. A pack gave me a piece of information that they spotted a mysterious mansion guarded by both rouges and hunters. I have a feeling Ash is in there." He stated over the phone, making me perk up at the news. Finally.
"What are your instructions, Alpha?" I asked still trying to catch my breathing.
"Head straight to Eastern Forest pack. They are the ones who gave me the information and they are now expecting you and your group to arrive. We are on our way and we'll arrive after 6 hours or so of drive."
"Copy that," I said with a nod.
"Also, once you and your group arrive, I want you to join the pack's assigned troupe to spy on the mansion. I want you to report everything to me when you get there."
"Yes, Alpha. We'll be on our way to the Eastern Forest pack right away after we speak." I said, now even more determined to find my little Ash.
"Thank you." And with that, he hangs up.
I gave my phone back to Walter so he can place it safely inside the backpack.
I turned to the group of men. "Arthur gave me new instructions," I spoke. "He received a piece of information about his mate's possible whereabouts. I was told to head straight to a pack in North Carolina. There, we will regroup once he arrives, and then we'll come up with a new plan on how we'll be able to retrieve his mate."
With that, all of them nodded their heads.
"But how can he be so sure if it's where his mate being held captive?" Walter asked with curiosity.
"Well, the whole vicinity is heavily guarded by hunters and rouges. If that doesn't spell suspicious then I don't know what." I stated, causing a few of them to raise brows and earn some huffs from the ones in wolf form.
"Hunters and rouges teaming up? That's a first." Walter commented, in which I nodded.
"Whoever they're guarding must be highly important. And since Ash is the mate of Arthur who is the Alpha of the second largest pack in the world, I say this could be the place where they're hiding him, and keeping him captive." I spoke and they all nodded in agreement.
And with that, we decided to head out so we'll be able to arrive faster than expected.
After I shifted back into my wolf form, we didn't waste a second and quickly headed straight to North Carolina.
"Hey." A voice spoke behind me, making me turn to look who it was.
"It's Connor, right?" He asked, in which I nodded in confirmation.
"And you're Jackson, if I'm not mistaken?" I asked back, which he also nodded.
"That's me." He said before he proceeded on the reason why he called me. "Anyway, a couple of my men are about to head out to go spy on the mansion. I was wondering if you or anyone of your troupes wanted to join?" He asked.
"Our Alpha instructed me to tag along. He wanted me to see it for myself and report it to him before we construct any plans for future attacks." I stated with a single nod.
He smiled. "Alright, feel free to take some of your men as well if it makes you comfortable." He said before walking away, probably to go prepare.
"Sure thing," I said. "We'll meet you guys outside."
"Sounds good. We'll leave in 15 minutes." He said as he looked over his shoulder before turning the corner towards the back yard.
And with that, I made a move of looking for my troupe so we can also go get ourselves prepared. I walked to the front yard where I easily spotted some of them relaxing after the look travel all the way here.
I saw Walter among the others and I decided to go approach him.
"Hey," I called, turning his attention to me.
He looked up after seeing me towering over him as he remained seated on the bench. I smiled at his confused look.
Walter's only a few months younger than me. He's also about the same height as I was, but our build somehow different. I'm just a tad bit bulkier than him. But other than that, he's still a very intimidating guy if you look at him. Perks of being a war wolf, I guess.
I also found out he has a huge attraction towards my friend, Daniel. Actually, if I'm being honest, with the way he looks at Danny, I would say they're mates. It's just that Daniel won't feel the bond yet seeing as he still hasn't turned 18. However, it won't be much of a wait for Walter since Daniel's birthday is in a few months.
"What's up?" He said.
"Linux's Beta, along with some guys are going to go on a spying mission. I decided to tag along, so now I'm here to see who wanted to join."
He raised a brow before smiling. "Well then count me in." He declared, making me shake my head at him.
"I figured," I commented before turning to the rest of the guys. "Anyone else?"
With that, Alec and two more guys raised their hands.
I nodded satisfied.
"Alright, I guess the four of you is enough. The fewer the better since the purpose of this is to spy on that suspicious place." I announced in which they all agreed. "The rest of you, stay put in here. Rest up and stay out of everybody's way. We don't want to cause trouble on a pack that isn't ours." I told the rest of them and they all nodded.
I turned to the four guys standing there and ushered them to follow me to the backyard where everybody is preparing.
After arriving, I introduced the guys to Jackson. Then, he told us a couple of things on what and what not to do while we're at it. Once I, along with my guys fully understood, we also went to prepare.
"Here," Jackson said as he handed me a pistol. "It's essential that we bring weapons, just in case." He stated before he handed me another gun. This time, it's a rifle with a strap. "Everyone gets their own guns for protection. But we're only allowed to use it unless necessary. We're only doing this to spy on them, nothing more. We're not told to engage whatsoever, so if anyone uses their gun carelessly when not needed, they'll be punished ." He instructed and I nodded my head understandingly.
"Got it."
He gave me a nod before he went to join the others. But he stopped mid-step before turning back to face me once again.
"Just want to ask out of curiosity, are you a Beta?" He questioned.
"Yeah, I am," I answered which had him frowning.
"But isn't it Brandon who is Arthur's Beta?" He questioned once again out of confusion.
"He is. I'm a Beta from a pack"I paused as I shrugged. "Well, once." Was all I said, not intending to tell him further.
He hummed. "I see." He said, and with that, he proceeded to join his guys.
Once we're all geared and prepped, we finally moved out.
Hopefully, this is where Ash is located so we can finally rescue him and end this madness and go back to our separate, normal lives.
Right after the mission began, both my men as well as Reagan's went on with the mission almost nonstop. We only made a few quick stops just to give our warriors a bit of rest and then we are back on to searching again.
Now, it's almost midnight and Reagan next to me said that we are now near the borders of Northern Pines Pack; a small Pack also hidden inside the dense forest.
Reagan immediately ran ahead of us just like what he has been doing since we started. According to him, it would be a lot better if he moved way ahead since he's the one who knows the borders located in each area we pass through. Which in that case, I have no problem.
As Reagan went to a stop, we saw two fully grown men standing right in front of him.
Once we neared Reagan, we all went to a complete stop as well.
I shifted to my human form after Reagan. We both stood in front of the two men in front of us, not fazed of the fact that we are both naked. We are all men here anyway, so why bother.
"Arthur, this is Luis Saldivar, Alpha of the Northern Pines Pack. And Luis, this is Arthur, Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack. These guys are already expecting our arrival." Reagan introduced and I simply greeted them with a curt nod.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet the Alpha of the famous Pack," Luis stated which almost made me roll my eyes.
Here we go with the famous chatter again.
"We are kind of in a hurry right now, Luis. So if you don't mind us crossing your land then it would be greatly appreciated." I stated clearly no time for useless chit chat.
"Of course. But before you go, please do accept our little help." Luis said as three guys appeared from behind him. "These are food supplies that might be useful in your journey as you search for your lost mate. Hopefully, this is enough to accommodate all of you." He continued.
I looked down at the supplies he was offering and I accepted it wholeheartedly.
"Thank you for this Luis. This is surely a big help for us."
He nodded. "It's an honor that we are able to help even in the smallest, Arthur. Now, as you said you are all in a hurry, I gave you permission to pass through my pack." Luis said and I gratefully gave him a nod and a smile.
"Thank you, Luis."
As I was about to shift back to my wolf form, my phone started ringing inside the backpack Ben was holding.
He quickly fetched it out and throw it directly at me. After catching it in my hands, I answered the call immediately without checking the caller I.D.
"Hello?"
"Is this Arthur Trevino? Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack?" The voice on the other line asked.
"This is me speaking, Who is this and how can I help you?" I asked sternly using my Alpha tone.
"This is Linux, Alpha of the Eastern Forest Pack. Reagan told me that you're in search of your mate that was being kidnapped?" He inquired.
I hummed. "Yes, we are indeed on a mission of locating my mate," I spoke.
"Well, I have very important news for you."
With that, my ears instantly perked up.
"What is it?" I asked eagerly.
"So I conducted a search mission myself inside my territory as well as the unoccupied lands, and my men found a heavily guarded mansion just 10 miles out of our borders. And we also noticed that most of those who are guarding the place are werewolves; specifically rouges, and we also spotted a large number of hunters with deadly weapons with them. I instantly assume, whoever is inside, must be very important to be that heavily guarded, and I remembered your situation. Although we are unsure and we didn't know who exactly took your mate but this place just gave us the feeling that your mate is in there." He explained which instantly gave me the sense that my mate is indeed in there.
"What is your location?" I asked more eagerly.
"Topton, North Carolina." He replied back and I made a mental note to immediately contact Connor to head there as soon as possible.
"Okay. I have a scout heading towards the east at the moment and I will immediately instruct them to head to your location right away. Me and my troupe will be there soon after." I told him in the other line.
"Copy that, Arthur. We'll wait for them to arrive. For now, we will keep an eye on that suspicious place."
"Thank you for telling me, Linux. My pack and I really appreciate the help." I stated thankful for the information.
"Don't mention it. The least we can do is give a little help."
"Thank you again, and we'll see you there soon." With that, we hang up the call.
I turned to my group and Reagan who are watching me expectantly.
"Change of plans. We're heading to North Carolina." I stated, causing multiple eyebrows to rise.
"North Carolina? That's another state!." Reagan exclaimed.
"I know. But a pack residing at Topton, North Carolina gave me intel that his men found a very suspicious mansion that is heavily guarded by rouge werewolves as well as hunters."
After my sentence was spoken up, multiple chatters quickly erupted.
"Rouges and hunters teaming up? How did that happen?" Luis exclaimed visibly appalled of the news he just heard.
I turned to look at Reagan as well as Ashley's Dad.
I know they're thinking the same thing as I do. If rouges and hunter all of a sudden teamed up mysteriously, then that just means there is a higher being behind this who rules all of them. And I'm guessing the only one who is capable of putting all the evil beings in one team is none other than Azrael. The f*cker who took my mate, and the same f*cker who I'll give a slow and painfully agonizing death.
"That is very odd, indeed," Reagan stated as he took a glance at my mate's father, Ben.
"So what is your decision, son?" Ben asked.
I sighed. "Let's change course to North Carolina."
"That's a 6-hour drive from here." Luis chirped up turning my gaze to him. "But If you travel the way you guys are traveling now, it will take you at least day and a half."
"What do you think?" Reagan asked.
I turned to my Ben with my group standing behind him. "What do you guys think?"
They then started looking at each other trying to come up with a final decision.
"No matter your decision Alpha, we'll be with you." Jackson; a very well trained warrior of mine spoke up and the rest of the group agreed.
I smiled, feeling thankful for having such supportive pack members. But knowing it will be very exhausting for all of them if we traveled using our wolf form, I decided to drive up there instead. I also figured it will be the best decision I could go since if we did travel by paw, we will all be utterly exhausted once we make it there. And just in case something happens, my men won't be in the best shape to defend themselves and fight.
"I think using a vehicle will be the best decision. It will be much faster and we'll get to our destination in no time." I stated.
"Are you sure, Arthur?" Reagan asked for confirmation and I quickly nodded.
"Yeah. I can't risk having my men being so exhausted when an obvious threat is just right ahead." I explained and he nodded.
"That is a wise decision." He spoke. "Well then, if we want to be on the road in no time, we should probably head back to the packhouse," Reagan said but I stopped him.
"Wait." He halted and looked at me with questioning eyes.
"What is it."
"Maybe it's best if you continue the route we are currently going. You know, just in case the one Linux reported isn't the one we are looking for." I offered which had him thinking.
"Yeah. Maybe that is a good idea." He paused as he thought about it deeper. "Okay. I'll continue this route until the state borders before I go back to the packhouse."
I smiled. "Thank you, Rey. And if something happens, or you noticed something mysterious, don't hesitate to call me."
"And I will send five of my men to accompany Alpha Reagan, Arthur. Just to be safe." Luis offered and I didn't decline.
"That is much appreciated. Thank you."
"I will be fine, Art. If ever I came across trouble, I will kick them hard in the ass." He stated confidently causing me to chuckle.
"Okay. If you say so. But we really have to head out."
"No problem. A time wasted is another time your mate is closer to danger. So go!" He ushered and we immediately shifted to our wolves. As for Ben, He rides on one of my warriors.
Once we all made it back to Reagan's packhouse, we immediately went to the Van parked at the front.
But before that, we had to tell Reagan's Pack that he's alright. Since they noticed we came back without him, they instantly thought something happened to their Alpha. But I made sure to let them know that he is indeed fine and unharmed. After they all calmed down, we all piled inside the two 12 seater Van and drove down the road heading to the highway and head straight to North Carolina.
5 minutes into the drive, I picked up my phone and dialed Connor's number. After it rang three times, he finally picked it up.
"Yes Alpha?" He answered sounding a bit breathless.
"Where are you and your group right now?" I asked
"I believe we are 50 miles away from the state of North Carolina Alpha, why?"
"That's good. I want you to head straight to Topton, North Carolina. A pack gave me a piece of information that they spotted a mysterious mansion guarded by both rouges and hunters. I have a feeling Ash is in there." I stated on the phone.
"What are your instructions, Alpha?" He asked still trying to catch his breath.
"Head straight to Eastern Forest pack. They are the ones who gave me the information and they are now expecting you and your group to arrive. We are on our way and we'll arrive after 6 hours or so of drive."
"Copy that." He said still breathless.
"Also, once you and your group arrive, I want you to join the pack's assigned troupe to spy on the mansion. I want you to report everything to me when you get there."
"Yes, Alpha. We'll be on our way to the Eastern Forest pack right away after we speak." He said with obvious determination lacing his voice.
I smiled. "Thank you."
And with that, we hang up.
I know he's trying to do his best to make it up for what has happened and I appreciate every bit of effort he's doing. But at the moment, my wolf and I still can't find the will to forgive him. I know and he knows it too that he has a part to blame for this. Obviously, he was born to be my mate's so-called 'Protector' and yet, with that one task he had, he still failed. First, I forgave him for claiming my mate. After Ash convinced me with all the reasons why he actually did it in the first place, I finally gave in. Although in my opinion, what he did was utterly stupid. Then second, I let him enter my pack. I gave him his own space and privacy just so he can start fresh. And third, I gave him the chance to prove himself worthy to become one of my pack's leading warriors. And fourth; which is what I regret giving him the most, my slowly growing trust in him. I let him do his duty as my mate's supposed 'protector' and yet all he did was fail and let someone as worse as the death angel take my mate.
So I think it will take time until I fully forgave him again, and give him my trust of being the 'soul protector' of my mate.
I was snapped out of my thoughts when Ben nudged me on the shoulder.
"Do you think Ash is in that place?" He asked when we were 10 minutes into the drive
I turned my gaze to him and sighed. "With all those suspicious guards surrounding the mansion, I know my mate is in there."
"But what if he's not?"
"Then we'll continue the search, simple as that." I paused as I glanced at him. "No one can stop me from finding and getting my mate back, Ben. Even if it's the devil I had to go through then so be it. I'll kill every devil I see if they even try to stand in my way, I will kill anyone who stands in my way. I will have Ash with me in no time and no one can stop me from doing so."
And even if Azrael is obviously much more powerful than me, that doesn't scare me enough to not make me want to kill him to shreds.
My mate has been taken away from me the last time. Now that someone took him away from me again, I'll make sure there will be blood spilled. Even if I'm clashing against a death angel who can easily take me down, I will never let it be the cause why I'm not going to fight.
If my mate's safety is on the line, I will gladly fight till death for him.
God or no God. Death angel or not. I will get my mate back.
Winter's POV
It has been a few hours after the little incident that happened. And until now, I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I literally saw how Ash turned the liquid water to solid ice in less than a second. It was such a bizarre, shocking, and astonishing thing to witness. And even though I did think from the beginning that Ash might have some powerful traits he got from his Godly parent, I still wasn't ready to see such power to be shown right in front of me.
Now, Ash had fallen asleep on his bed after I told him to get some needed rest since only a few more hours from now, the escape that the both of us have been planning will be put to action. And hopefully, it will go well.
In all honesty, I am beyond scared. Not because I am not confident about the plan Ash and I made, but because of Ash's safety. I know he's about to go into heat, and so am I, which made this whole mission a lot more complicated and dangerous. But I can't let that one single problem get in the way of our escape, even if it obviously gave us a huge red flag.
I know once someone is about to go into heat, their scent will be much stronger, and much more alluring; especially to the werewolf kind. With both my scent, as well as Ash's being too strong, it will cause for those werewolf guards to sense us a lot easier, which is a huge problem. And even if I have a strong perfume with me, our original scent will still be detected. Hopefully, once we make it to the sewer, it will hide our scents and confuse whoever detected us.
"Have you heard of the spreading rumors?" A faint manly voice that was unfamiliar to me rang outside our room accompanied by a few audible footsteps.
"There's a lot of rumors spreading around here, dude. Be more specific." Another manly voice spoke up with a light chuckle.
"Well, I heard Azrael changed his plans." The first voice responded back as they continued to walk closer to our room.
After picking up Azrael's name from their conversation, I instantly tipped toed out of my bed and went to the door, careful not to make any noise from the chains around my ankle. I placed my right ear into the cold wooden door to try and eavesdrop better.
"Oh, about that. Yeah, I heard he's not going to impregnate that guy..... I forgot his name." The second voice spoke.
"The guys' name is Ash. And yes, he is not going to impregnate Ash. Instead, I heard that he's going to kill him and drink his blood which was believed to be pure and immortal. Although I'm not sure if that is supposed to work but it does sound sensible."
And after the guy had spoken the sentence out of his mouth, it instantaneously caused all the blood to drain out of my body.
Now things did get a lot worse.
"I highly doubt it will work. I mean, it's not only Ash's blood that is immortal, but also his body. So if Azrael does decide to kill him and consume his blood, how will he transfer Ash's immortal flesh to him? Is he going to cannibalize Ash and eat his raw flesh?"
"I don't know dude. If that's what he wants to do then let him be. I don't give a damn as long as he gives me my family back." The first guy stated.
"I know, but don't you think going for the option of impregnating Ash is the best idea? I mean, what if consuming Ash's blood didn't work and end up killing his only chance to immortality? Then it will just be a complete waste. He had to find another way or another person that carries pure blood to fulfill his desire to be immortal again," Said the other guy.
"Well, we do know that Ash isn't a pure God, since his father is a werewolf. So there is also a chance that his body or flesh isn't immortal. But like I said, either way how Azrael wanted to do his wishes, I don't care, as long as I'll get my family back."
"Yeah. F*ck it then. As long as I get what I want, I also don't give a damn."
And as they continued their conversation, their voice also started to fade as they walked farther from the room Ash and I are currently locked in.
I pulled away from the door and turned to Ash's sleeping form on his bed.
'He really is in huge danger' I thought as I turned to Ash's sleeping form.
If it is true that Azrael decided to just kill Ash and basically act like a goddamn vampire, then we should really get going. The longer we stay here, the higher the chances of both of us not getting out successfully and getting Ash endangered in the process. And I can't risk it.
We really have to escape tonight, or else it will all be too late.
Sighing, I slowly walked towards Ashley's bed and sat at the edge while watching him sleep peacefully. He looks so cute especially when he's sleeping. I watched how his chest moves as he breathes and how he casually pouts his lips. Then my eyes landed on his face. His face showed nothing but peacefulness. His tan skin looked flawless under the soft lighting of the room. But as I continued to appreciate his beauty, I came across one of the things I envy the most, and that is his eyelashes. For me, they are just real perfection. However, with all his physical appeal, the one thing that shines the most about him is his genuine personality. He's a person that is gifted with a heart of gold and an attitude that everyone will surely love. And with all those wonderful traits he has, I won't let a death angel get a hold of such beauty. Only his mate deserves him and no one else.
I placed a hand on his arm and started shaking him softly.
"Ash, wakey-wakey," I spoke as I felt him stir and slowly peeled his eyes open giving me a good view of his hypnotizing orbs.
"I'm sorry to wake you up, but we have to start getting ready. In just a few hours from now, a guard will come in and give us our dinner." I told him as he rubbed his eyes off of sleep.
He covered his mouth as he yawned. "It's fine. I had a good nap anyway, so it's all good." He replied sleepily while sitting up on his bed.
"How are you feeling?" I asked as I took a glance out the window only to see the moon's rays shining brightly down on to the trees, which means it is now way high up on the horizon.
"I'm okay. Why?" He asked scratching his cheeks.
"Oh nothing, just wanna know if you're fine." I lied even though my real intention is to see if his heat is starting to kick in.
He smiled. "Stop worrying, Winter. We will be fine." He assured.
I smiled back. "Yeah. I know we will."
He then turned to look out the window. "What time do you think it is?" He asked.
I pursed my lips trying to give him an accurate answer.
"I think it's almost ten in the evening."
He turned his head to look at me and gave me a small smile.
"An hour before we escape, huh." He stated with his voice laced with slight nervousness.
"Yeah. An hour away and we'll be free."
"Or dead." He joked which I only responded with a 'really' look on my face. "Sorry, not a good joke."
"We can, and we will make it out, Ash. Nothing will happen." I assured him and myself.
He nodded his head as he gave me a short reply. "I know." And although his voice sounded like he himself wasn't convinced of what he had said, I know he's still trying his very best to stay strong.
I gave his hand a squeeze and a grateful smile. "I know this is hard for you, and I know you're doing your best to stay strong, and I thank you for that. But at this time, I just want you to trust me." I told him gently.
He looked down with a look of apology on his face. "I do trust you, Winter. It's just... I can't help myself sometimes. I know It was an immature way of thinking that spilling a joke like that was a good idea, though clearly, it wasn't. So I'm really sorry."
I sighed and gave him a smile. "I'm not mad at all. I know you're just trying to lighten up the situation we are in. So, you don't have to worry about it. It's all well."
He looked at me with an unsure expression on his face.
I chuckled. "I'm not mad Ash. I promise."
He nodded as he looked away from me and into his hands. "Okay. So uh, what are we gonna do now?"
I sighed.
"We wait." I paused as I turned to the door. "Once the guard comes in at exactly 11: 30 pm, we wait till the clock hits 11:45 before we execute the plan," I stated.
He nodded once again and took a huge intake of air.
"I'm ready." He said courageously which in return made me smile.
"So am I," I replied.
As we waited patiently, Ash decided to change to his original clothes when he was taken captive. And as he was putting his pants on, he suddenly stopped.
He gasped loudly as he stumbled back a little, losing his balance, causing me to look at him questioningly.
"What's wrong?" I asked with furrowed brows as I stared at him holding the front right pocket of his jeans.
"I can feel my phone in my pocket." He breathed out making my eyebrows rise dramatically.
"Your what?" I asked trying to confirm what I heard was right.
He then fetched something out of his pocket and there I saw what he's trying to mean.
"I totally forgot about this." He stated as he held the device in front of him.
I frowned. "How come I didn't notice that when I changed you with my pants?"
"Maybe because it's too small inside my pocket that it's hardly noticeable." He replied. And I admit, it was really hard to notice since he wasn't wearing tight fitted jeans. If it was one of those modern skin-tight pants that I have no idea how some people are able to wear them without their little ones screaming bloody murder, then the dent made by the phone will be very visible.
"Can you turn it on?" I asked expectantly.
"I can try." He said as he placed a finger on top of the power button and pressing it firmly, waiting for the device to boot up. We both waited in silence hoping that the battery still has any juice left in it.
And once the phone vibrated, both of us looked into each other's eyes with a new found hope.
"It turned on." He said as his breathing suddenly picked up a pace.
I stood up from the edge of the bed and went to him.
"Relax, this may be the last electricity left in the battery before it dies so we should make most out of it," I told him and he nodded.
He exhaled deeply. "Okay." He said, steadying himself. "I'm gonna call him."
"Go for it."
I looked down at the phone in his hand as the apple logo showed up. And once the phone had fully booted up, he quickly typed in his password. But once he pressed 'OK', the phone stated that the password was incorrect.
"Oh no." He breathed out nervously.
"Crap." I cursed under my breath as I glance up at the battery percentage, 3%.
"You should hurry Ash. It's gonna die anytime soon." I said which urged him to ransack his brain with all his passwords.
"I'm trying." He said sounding panicked.
"Screw the password, try using the fingerprint scanner instead," I told him as I saw a circle sapphire button located at the bottom of the phone.
"It will not work at first bootup, Winter. You have to put in the password before the fingerprint works in the next unlocking process."
"God damn it." I cursed.
"Okay. Remember, remember, remember." Ash said more to himself as he bit his bottom lip in hopes of getting hold of his password located somewhere in his memory. "Okay let's try this." He said as he quickly typed in another password.
Once he pressed the 'OK' button, it said password incorrect again.
He groaned. "Why of all times it had to be now that I forgot my password."
I sighed and thought of a way I can help him remember. "Okay. Is it something about your mate?"
He furrowed his brows. "No. I know it was something else."
"Well, then something about your family?" I asked.
He shook his head. "No."
I flailed my arms around. "I don't know, it could be bunny rabbits for God's sake," I stated in frustration.
How infuriating it is to have hope suddenly come in and how fast it was gone.
"Wait," Ash said as he furrowed his brows as he stared into the phone screen and hurriedly typed another password. He gasped loudly. "I think I got it."
I raised a brow at him. "Did you just get your password inspired by a bunny?"
"You don't want to know." He replied.
"Okay. No comment. Just get on with it."
"Exactly what I'm trying to do right now." He said as he pressed the dialer and speed-dialed his mate. He placed the device into his ears and waited for him to pick it up.
"Come on, pick up." He mumbled, tapping his foot impatiently on the hard floor.
He groaned. "Why is he not picking up at the most important time?" Ash said, clearly infuriated.
Once he was sent to voicemail, groaned once more before he hangs up and tried again. He waited impatiently for his mate to pick it up, but he never did. He was always being sent to voicemail.
After Ash hangs up, he sighed in frustration and sadness. I placed a hand on his shoulder once seeing his state.
"Maybe he doesn't have any reception or something," I said.
He sighed once again. "Maybe."
I bit my lip. "Why don't you just send him a text? So when he gets to check his phone he'll notice it as well as the missed calls right away." I suggested which had him nodding his head.
After he opened the messaging app, he immediately typed in a message towards his mate. Once he pressed the send button, an idea popped into my mind.
"Hold on, I have an idea," I stated. Ash turned to look at me with mild confusion etched on his face.
"What?"
"Can I borrow your phone for a sec?" I asked in which he gladly handed me his smartphone.
I quickly went to work and scrolled his app drawer for the maps. After finding it, I pressed the logo and waited for the app to fully load.
"What are you doing?" Ash questioned as he watched my fingers moved through his phone screen.
"I'm trying to find out where we are. The maps on the phone Jordan gave me doesn't work. It seems like it was purposely blocked." I said.
Once the app fully loaded and showed our current location, I quickly zoomed out to have a better perspective of where we are. I continued to inspect it just so I can have an idea where to go once we finally escaped.
When I was done, I quickly went back to the messaging app and decided to send his mate our precise location just in case.
"Done," I said before handing the phone back to Ash.
"That was genius." He commented, sending me a grateful smile. "Now, one last thing I have to do before this phone dies on me." He mumbled as he pressed the messaging app and send the same location I sent to his mate towards multiple people, including his parents and some that I don't know.
And once he pressed the send button, his phone finally died.
"I hope that text was sent," I told him.
"Well I saw below it was a word delivered. So I'm guessing it went through."
"Let's just hope that it did," I replied.
He sighed and held his phone tightly in his hand as he closed his eyes and bowed his head as he silently send a prayer to the Gods - probably to his Godly mother herself - to help us in our current situation.
When he opened his eyes, I decided to comfort him a little and tell him everything will be fine.
I placed a hand on his tense shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile. "Everything will work out fine, Ash. We'll get out of here and you will be reunited with your mate."
He smiled feeling grateful as my words helped him relax a little.
"I know. I trust the plan and I trust you." He sighed. "But...." He trailed off as he looked down into my left hand where the promise ring that Jordan gave me was residing. "Are you really willing to leave your mate in the hands of Azrael just to save me?" He asked as his eyes reconnected with mine.
Without hesitation, I nodded my head with pure determination. "I love my mate with all my being, but I know this is the right thing to do. I know he knows it too. And I'm not just doing this for you or me, I'm also doing this for him. I know there will be a day that someone will stop Azrael from wreaking havoc, and I know once he's defeated and killed, I will finally have my mate back."
"And I'm guessing I will be that someone that will stop Azrael, huh? Do you really think I can do it? I mean, what if I can't control my abilities? How will I be able to defeat him?" He asked lowly as he furrowed his brows in thought.
I shook my head. "Stop stressing yourself about that matter for now, Ash. We'll figure it out on the way. But for now, we have to think about our escape from this place."
He sighed shakily, making his nervousness obvious. "I know, I know. I just can't help myself from thinking about it."
"Just relax. There will be time for that to be brought up. For now, prepare yourself. In less than two minutes, a guard will come in to give us our dinner. And you know what will happen next after that." I told him calmly even with my own nerves going all over the place.
He nodded as he sighed out loud. "The plan will be put into action, got it."
"Freedom is just right at the corner, Ash. So let's get this over with." I stated determinedly with my game face on.
Let's just hope and pray to every God and Goddesses that this plan works.
Connor's POV
Hang in there Ash, I'm coming. I will make sure this time that you'll get home safe in your mate's arms.
I still can't get my head around that word, 'His mate's arms' who happens to be not me. But I'll get to move on soon. I may not be able to accept the fact that I am indeed mateless right now, but I know with time I will.
But I can't worry about myself at the moment, I have to help save Ash to prove myself to his mate that I deserve to be a part of his pack. If the chances that they may not grant me a rank, just being one of his warriors is enough. I already gave enough dishonor to my family's name and the least I could do is prove to them that I am not worthless.
So no matter what, if this mission ends up taking my life, I will accept it if the reward is Ash's safety. And I know even with only my body being sent back to my hometown, I know Arthur will tell the tale of what I did to bring back honor to my family. I just hope it's enough to accept me back as their son and not the disappointment that I am right now.
"Wait!" A warrior that remained in his human form said while riding on another warrior in their wolf form.
We all went to a full stop as we waited to hear what he have something to say.
"Alpha Arthur is calling you," Walter said as he showed me my phone's screen, displaying Arthur's name.
I quickly shifted back to my human form to answer the call.
"Yes Alpha?" I answered sounding a bit breathless from running.
"Where are you and your group right now?" He asked.
"I believe we are 50 miles away from the state of North Carolina Alpha, why?"
"That's good. I want you to head straight to Topton, North Carolina. A pack gave me a piece of information that they spotted a mysterious mansion guarded by both rouges and hunters. I have a feeling Ash is in there." He stated over the phone, making me perk up at the news. Finally.
"What are your instructions, Alpha?" I asked still trying to catch my breathing.
"Head straight to Eastern Forest pack. They are the ones who gave me the information and they are now expecting you and your group to arrive. We are on our way and we'll arrive after 6 hours or so of drive."
"Copy that," I said with a nod.
"Also, once you and your group arrive, I want you to join the pack's assigned troupe to spy on the mansion. I want you to report everything to me when you get there."
"Yes, Alpha. We'll be on our way to the Eastern Forest pack right away after we speak." I said, now even more determined to find my little Ash.
"Thank you." And with that, he hangs up.
I gave my phone back to Walter so he can place it safely inside the backpack.
I turned to the group of men. "Arthur gave me new instructions," I spoke. "He received a piece of information about his mate's possible whereabouts. I was told to head straight to a pack in North Carolina. There, we will regroup once he arrives, and then we'll come up with a new plan on how we'll be able to retrieve his mate."
With that, all of them nodded their heads.
"But how can he be so sure if it's where his mate being held captive?" Walter asked with curiosity.
"Well, the whole vicinity is heavily guarded by hunters and rouges. If that doesn't spell suspicious then I don't know what." I stated, causing a few of them to raise brows and earn some huffs from the ones in wolf form.
"Hunters and rouges teaming up? That's a first." Walter commented, in which I nodded.
"Whoever they're guarding must be highly important. And since Ash is the mate of Arthur who is the Alpha of the second largest pack in the world, I say this could be the place where they're hiding him, and keeping him captive." I spoke and they all nodded in agreement.
And with that, we decided to head out so we'll be able to arrive faster than expected.
After I shifted back into my wolf form, we didn't waste a second and quickly headed straight to North Carolina.
"Hey." A voice spoke behind me, making me turn to look who it was.
"It's Connor, right?" He asked, in which I nodded in confirmation.
"And you're Jackson, if I'm not mistaken?" I asked back, which he also nodded.
"That's me." He said before he proceeded on the reason why he called me. "Anyway, a couple of my men are about to head out to go spy on the mansion. I was wondering if you or anyone of your troupes wanted to join?" He asked.
"Our Alpha instructed me to tag along. He wanted me to see it for myself and report it to him before we construct any plans for future attacks." I stated with a single nod.
He smiled. "Alright, feel free to take some of your men as well if it makes you comfortable." He said before walking away, probably to go prepare.
"Sure thing," I said. "We'll meet you guys outside."
"Sounds good. We'll leave in 15 minutes." He said as he looked over his shoulder before turning the corner towards the back yard.
And with that, I made a move of looking for my troupe so we can also go get ourselves prepared. I walked to the front yard where I easily spotted some of them relaxing after the look travel all the way here.
I saw Walter among the others and I decided to go approach him.
"Hey," I called, turning his attention to me.
He looked up after seeing me towering over him as he remained seated on the bench. I smiled at his confused look.
Walter's only a few months younger than me. He's also about the same height as I was, but our build somehow different. I'm just a tad bit bulkier than him. But other than that, he's still a very intimidating guy if you look at him. Perks of being a war wolf, I guess.
I also found out he has a huge attraction towards my friend, Daniel. Actually, if I'm being honest, with the way he looks at Danny, I would say they're mates. It's just that Daniel won't feel the bond yet seeing as he still hasn't turned 18. However, it won't be much of a wait for Walter since Daniel's birthday is in a few months.
"What's up?" He said.
"Linux's Beta, along with some guys are going to go on a spying mission. I decided to tag along, so now I'm here to see who wanted to join."
He raised a brow before smiling. "Well then count me in." He declared, making me shake my head at him.
"I figured," I commented before turning to the rest of the guys. "Anyone else?"
With that, Alec and two more guys raised their hands.
I nodded satisfied.
"Alright, I guess the four of you is enough. The fewer the better since the purpose of this is to spy on that suspicious place." I announced in which they all agreed. "The rest of you, stay put in here. Rest up and stay out of everybody's way. We don't want to cause trouble on a pack that isn't ours." I told the rest of them and they all nodded.
I turned to the four guys standing there and ushered them to follow me to the backyard where everybody is preparing.
After arriving, I introduced the guys to Jackson. Then, he told us a couple of things on what and what not to do while we're at it. Once I, along with my guys fully understood, we also went to prepare.
"Here," Jackson said as he handed me a pistol. "It's essential that we bring weapons, just in case." He stated before he handed me another gun. This time, it's a rifle with a strap. "Everyone gets their own guns for protection. But we're only allowed to use it unless necessary. We're only doing this to spy on them, nothing more. We're not told to engage whatsoever, so if anyone uses their gun carelessly when not needed, they'll be punished ." He instructed and I nodded my head understandingly.
"Got it."
He gave me a nod before he went to join the others. But he stopped mid-step before turning back to face me once again.
"Just want to ask out of curiosity, are you a Beta?" He questioned.
"Yeah, I am," I answered which had him frowning.
"But isn't it Brandon who is Arthur's Beta?" He questioned once again out of confusion.
"He is. I'm a Beta from a pack"I paused as I shrugged. "Well, once." Was all I said, not intending to tell him further.
He hummed. "I see." He said, and with that, he proceeded to join his guys.
Once we're all geared and prepped, we finally moved out.
Hopefully, this is where Ash is located so we can finally rescue him and end this madness and go back to our separate, normal lives.
End of Choosing Mr. Destiny Chapter 38. Continue reading Chapter 39 or return to Choosing Mr. Destiny book page.