Page 79 of The Alpha's Fated Bond

He arranges the other rabbit over the fire, and then he looks at me. “Noah discovered your mother’s existence a couple of years ago. When Robert found out, he relocated her. But he was suspicious that Noah knew about the second location, as well, so about a year ago, Robert told me that he had hidden her somewhere in the North, where no one would look for her.”

My mouth is dry as I let Drew’s words sink in. This means Alex was on the right track.

“Could she be in the Black Alder Wolf Pack territory?” I ask abruptly, my heart pounding in anticipation.

Drew’s brows knit together, and he asks, “How do you know that name?”

“I’ve been looking for her, too. That is, Alex thinks she’s somewhere around there. Is he right?”

“I believe she may be. I don’t know the exact location, but I have an idea. I was going to go check it out.”

A thought strikes me, and while nothing will surprise me at this point, I still have to ask. “Was Robert responsible for the annihilation of the Black Alder Wolf Pack?”

A shutter falls over Drew’s face, and that’s all the answer I need.

I feel sick to my stomach. “Why? What possible reason could he have had?”

“Their territory,” Drew responds quietly. “He wanted free access to their land. When you see it, you’ll understand why he wanted to hide your mother there. Not even the Queen of the North Alliance will go someplace that’s covered with poisonous plants.” He turns the rabbits on their spits, looking pensive. “The leaders of all three Alliances know what Karina has done to the children of the Northern packs. Robert befriended the Alpha of the Black Alder Wolf Pack during an Alliance meeting, and then he convinced her that Karina was bluffing. Robert told him what Karina claimed was impossible, that lives couldn’t be linked like that, even using dark magic. The man must’ve been very distressed about the pups to trust him. Robert also promised to send backup if Black Alder defied Karina and she retaliated. Instead, he simply watched as the entire pack was killed off.”

I remember the devastation in Alex’s voice when he told me about this wolf pack and how they had grieved their children. To know that Robert had orchestrated the events simply to get access to the land makes me want to throw up. I’m glad I killed him. I wish I had tortured him first.

My hands are shaking now, and I dig my fingers in my thighs. “Do you think my mother is alive?”

“I hope so. The truth is, Sophia, Robert didn’t trust anybody with this secret. At least, not till you were sixteen and were sent away. But even then, only the pack security knew about you. We weren’t told much about Silver Wolves aside from the fact that you were one, and that you were meant to be our Alpha’s mate. The rest of the pack in Oakrest was only told that their Alpha wanted you to be isolated but not physically harmed. As for yourmother, right after she gave birth to you, Robert took you from her. She wasn’t even allowed to nurse you.”

I remember Noah once telling me that he saw my mother a few times, with me in her arms. My eyes flutter shut at the stab of pain. It was a lie. My mother never got to hold me.

“Robert told her that he would let you live in exchange for her giving him power. Of course she agreed, out of love for her child, but I don’t think she knew what he actually had planned for you. I never met her, but I do know that while Robert provided her with food, she barely ate enough to stay alive. I don’t know what her condition will be like now. We can only hope for the best.”

“What were you going to do after you found her?” A seed of doubt has formed in my head. After all, everyone wants to use the Silver Wolf.

Drew gives me a small smile. “I thought you would like to meet your mother. I was going to bring her to you.” He hands me one of the cooked rabbits. “Eat. You’re fading away.”

We sit in silence for a while, and I chew on the meat. Each mouthful gives me some of my energy back, but I’m still exhausted. By the end of my meal, I’m on the verge of falling asleep. I still have so much to ask Drew, though.

Forcing my eyes to remain open, I notice the state he is in. His clothes are torn, and he looks like he’s been living rough for a while now. Sitting here with him reminds me of another friend from Oakrest. “What about Elsa? How is she?”

“Elsa disappeared the same night you did,” Drew says heavily. “A lot of things have changed, Sophia. You can never go back to the South Alliance; Noah has declared you a fugitive. He was furiouswhen he found me half dead near his father’s body. He tried to get answers out of me, but I pretended not to have witnessed anything. As soon as I recovered, I took Tim and fled. I heard Noah say he sent soldiers after you, but I guess they didn’t have any luck tracking you down.”

“Oh, they found us,” I tell him, “but Alex and the others took care of them.”

Drew looks satisfied. “Good. Make sure you never cross paths with Noah, Sophia. He’s not much different from his father. He’s been up to something ever since you disappeared, and whatever it is, I don’t have a good feeling about it. Besides, not only have you been accused of the murder of his father, but also of the witch.”

“Witch?” I blink in surprise. “What witch?”

“Eve,” Drew explains. “She was a witch, Sophia. She was working for Robert. I found that out when Robert arrived in town.”

So, Eve was a witch! That explains the strange, tingling sensation I remember having in my wolf body when I killed her.

I think about all the other things I have just learned from Drew. “I was never planning to go back to the South,” I tell him. “But I do want to look for my mother.”

He hesitates. “Would you like to come with me? It’ll take us a few days to get to the Black Alder territory.”

I swallow hard, seriously considering his offer. I told Alex’s soldiers I would meet them back at the cabin; they’ll be concerned if I don’t show up. But this is a chance to go look for my mother right away. Lily is with the pack; she’ll keep themsafe. Alex has already arranged everything, anyway. If I’m not there, it won’t be a problem.

I let out a gust of air and give Drew a firm look. “I do. I want to go with you. I want to find my mother.”

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