Page 62 of The Alpha's Fated Bond

“Before Karina massacred the adults, I had reached out to the Alpha of the Black Alder Pack, offering assistance if he needed it,” Alex explains. “The man was half mad with heartache. His own newborn son had been one of the victims. I got nowhere with him, but something really stood out to me. He kept saying, ‘I never should have trusted him. I never should have trusted him.’ He was delirious, grief-stricken, and at the time, I wrote it off as a madman’s rambling. I assumed he was referring to one of his advisers who had perhaps convinced him to go ahead and attack the soldiers and the nannies.”

“Alex—” I begin, not having the faintest idea where he’s going with this.

“Sophia, Robert Black began visiting Black Alder’s Alpha around the same time the pack went after Karina’s soldiers and nannies.”

For a moment, I forget how to breathe. “What are you saying? How would Robert even get into North Alliance territory?”

“Ever since Karina took over the North, the packs that usually oversee the border with the South are next to nonexistent. It’s not hard to slip into the North Alliance anymore. Also, I remembered that the Alpha of the Black Alder Pack and Robert were getting along surprisingly well during the last Winter Banquet. I saw the two of them together on more than one occasion. It was odd because North and South leaders rarely mix. Sophia, I believe Robert got into the Black Alder Alpha’s head and convinced him to defy Karina.”

“But why?” I’m having a tough time following him.

“I wish I could give you a confident answer,” Alex says gently. “I do know that after Karina destroyed the pack, she claimed theterritory, but it is still untouched. And according to my sources, after the Black Alder pack was annihilated, Robert’s visits to the North increased. To be more specific, he used the free zones to travel to former Black Alder territory with alarming frequency.”

I jump to my feet, something akin to hope filling me. “You think he hid my mother there?”

“It’s a possibility. If someone in the South figured out his secret—that he’s had your mother, the Silver Wolf, imprisoned all these years—he might have been forced to stash her somewhere else, somewhere nobody could find her. Somewhere in the North would have been perfect.”

I can barely contain my excitement. “If you’re right, then we should go right now—”

“Slow down, there.” Alex stands up and takes me by the arms, stopping me. “These are just assumptions, Sophia. I promised you that my people would look into the matter, and they are doing so. Besides, getting into Black Alder’s former territory is not going to be that easy.”

“How hard could it be? If Robert—”

“We don’t actually know if Robert has been entering the territory. Maybe he has a place near it. Also, the area we’re talking about is massive. We will need several teams searching at once. It’s going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. I have units of soldiers located in different regions, and they will be arriving here soon, once Nathan is able to make contact with them. I’m going to be sending them to start the search. The two of us leaving right now to do that may not be the wisest idea.”

“But she could die of starvation!” I pull away from Alex. “Robert has been dead for weeks, Alex. He was probably the only one who knew where she is. She hasn’t had any food or water—”

“Julia has escaped from the South, Sophia,” Alex cuts me off, his gaze heavy. “I need to stay put for now. We believe she’s making her way here, and we have to stop her first. There’s another problem, too. The Winter Banquet I just mentioned? It only happens every three years. It’s taking place two weeks from now, and I just received an invitation.”

I stare at him. “I don’t understand. You’re telling me to forget about my mother so you can go to a party?”

“No!” Alex insists. “I’ll explain more about the banquet later. For now, just know that the journey alone to Black Alder territory takes a few days. I will send my men to start searching the area. With Julia on her way here, we cannot leave the pack here unprotected. You have to put your trust in me, Sophia. I told you I would look for your mother, and I meant it. But we’re talking about a quest that may take weeks or months. I’m waiting for more information before you and I go; we may be able to narrow down the search area.”

“My mother—”

“She won’t starve,” Alex assures me. “Robert would have left some rations for her. He needed her alive, remember? If she is in the North, we will find her. But we cannot go just yet. We have to prevent Julia from finding out about you and reporting to Karina. Right now, the entire fate of the North rests on keeping your identity as the Silver Wolf a secret from everyone, even my own pack.”

His words make sense, but my heart disagrees. I want to drop everything and go running to look for my mother. Goddess knows how long she’s been left alone. Who knows what her condition is at this point? All these thoughts are eating me alive.

Sensing my distress, Alex takes me in his arms. “I’m not abandoning your mother. She’s your family. We’re going to find her, Sophia. I promise you. I will send people who are specialized in tracking to search for her, a team who knows what they’re doing. A general area is not enough for you and me to go on. The Black Alder territory used to be the largest in the North after my father’s. It will take months for the two of us to find anything. We need trackers, and I’m trying to contact my best ones. I’m asking you to be patient and to trust me.”

I search his gaze, and as hard as it is, I can understand his point of view. Leaving the pack to go look for my mother when we don’t even know where she is would be foolish. At least we have somewhere to start now.

Besides, Alex has a point. Trackers will be our best bet in this scenario. Trackers are wolf shifters born with sharper senses than normal and a greater drive to hunt. If anyone has a hope of finding my mother in such a vast territory, it will be them. Drew, my neighbor back in Oakrest and somebody I once considered my friend, was a tracker. Of course, now I don’t know where he is. The last time I saw him, Robert tried to kill him, and I saved his life despite uncovering the terrible lies he had been telling me.

I shake my head, trying to stop the ache in my heart. Drew and his young son, Tim, were like family to me. I don’t want to remember them because when I do, it hurts.

“Alright.” I look away, not knowing what else to say. It’s not easy to be patient, but I’m not left with a choice.

Alex smiles with relief. “Come on. I’ll make you some coffee. I still need to tell you about tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” I feel his hand wrap around mine as he guides me to the kitchen. “What’s tomorrow?”

“It’s the start of a two-day festival,” he tells me. “There’s going to be music, dancing, and food. I thought it would be the best time to officially introduce you to the pack.”

His words make me blink. “I thought you weren’t intending to tell the pack about me just yet.”

Alex takes two mugs from the cupboard. “That was the plan, but I haven’t exactly been very discreet, now, have I? They already have their suspicions. I want to confirm them.”

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