Page 44 of Alpha's Hated Mate

Chapter Nineteen—Aydan

My eyes open to harsh fluorescent lights and the sterile scent of antiseptic. Every muscle in my body screams in protest as I try to move. White walls, metal instruments, monitoring equipment — I’m in the infirmary.

Professor Robertson’s concerned face hovers above me. “How are you feeling, Aydan?”

Before I can answer, Dean Fowler’s stern voice cuts through the air. “You are fortunate campus security found you when they did. What were you thinking, going into those woods alone at night?”

My mind snaps into focus.Alone?“Where are Nadia and Saffron?” I bolt upright, ignoring the searing pain in my ribs. “We went into the woods together. Saffron and I were attacked—”

“Lie back down this instant.” Professor Robertson’s firm hands press against my shoulders. “Your injuries are severe, even for an Alpha’s healing abilities.”

“Threeof you went in the woods?” The dean scowls and fumbles with his radio. “This is not good. You kids are going to put me in an early grave.”

“I need to go.” In my weakened state, I struggle against her grip. “There was this massive wolf — unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The security team you sent . . . we found torn uniforms. Saffron and my sister could be—”

“We’ll handle this, Mr. Vaultmore.” Dean Fowler’s voice is firm. “I’ll triple the security guards to search for them, as well as the missing Scarlets. But you need to stay put and heal.”

He moves toward the door, muttering under his breath, “We can’t afford another missing Vaultmore . . . “

“Dean, wait!” I call out, but he’s already leaving to mobilize the search.

My chest constricts with panic. The last thing I remember is that creature throwing me through the air like a rag doll, then going after Saffron. I can’t just lie here while she’s out there somewhere. She’s probably hurt . . . or worse.

“Professor, please.” I meet her eyes. “You have to let me help find them.”

Professor Robertson pats one of my hands, her expression softening. “I promise you that everyone who can be spared is searching the woods. Dean Fowler has called in reinforcements from Silver Crest.”

“That thing in the woods . . . “ My voice cracks. “It wasn’t natural.”

She leans forward and smiles, her silver-streaked hair catching the harsh light. “You seem to . . .carea lot about Saffron. Your father would have been fascinated by his own son having a relationship with a Scarlet wolf. Did you know we taught together here at Moonhelm before you were born?”

“Yeah, but he never talked much about it.”

“Alton was brilliant. Revolutionary, even. He sat on the Table — a council of the most influential shifters who helped shape this academy’s future. He was among the first to speak out against discrimination against other Lycans, such as Scarlets and hybrids.” She pauses, as if lost in her memories. “But his research on wolf biology . . . it changed him.”

My stomach churns, remembering Saffron’s visions. “Changed him how?”

“It started with missing a few classes. Some of us tried to check on him but he refused to leave his quarters. After a week went by, the dean at the time summoned your mother to Moonhelm. When she finally got inside, she found stacks and stacks of notebooks and papers, all of his research, as high as the ceiling.”

Professor Robertson’s face dips into a deep frown. “He hadn’t showered, barely eaten. When she tried to talk to him, he just babbled incoherently. His mind just . . . snapped. Your mother managed to get Alton to a healer, but after he recovered, he decided it would be best for him to resign from Moonhelm and return to his pack. Not long after, you and your sister came along. Your family continued to donate generously to Moonhelm financially but I often wonder what good your father might have accomplished for all of wolf-kind if things had turned out differently.”

The gears in my mind began turning. “All that research found in his quarters . . . do you know what specifically it was about?”

“Interestingly enough, Scarlet wolves. Their biology, their abilities.” She wrings her hands. “It appeared he believed they held the key to unlocking extraordinary power.”

Scarlet wolves.This image that she painted of my father, I don’t recognize it. He was always in control of his emotions. Always level with his temper. I can’t even fathom him losing control.

And then, I start to think about Saffron’s reaction to his photo at the dinner party. She said that he was in her vision, torturing Natasha even though she was pregnant. If Saffron’s vision was true and if what Professor Robertson is saying is true, then it’s possible that my father’s obsession grew into something tangible. Maybe he started experimenting on Scarlets himself in secret.

Is this why my father was in Saffron’s vision? Is it possible that my father’s obsession with his research grew into secret experiments when he left Moonhelm?

My heart is pounding in my ears. Everything that Professor Robertson has told me about my father and Saffron’s vision of him . . . none of it sounds like the father I knew. I can’t even fathom the man they describe.

She smiles at me with a delicate, motherly kind of smile and pats my hand gently. “Anyway, I’m glad he was able to find peace again when he returned to your pack. He raised two fine wolves, and you have inherited a strong pack — that is his legacy now.”

The infirmary doors open, and Chad and Yarra rush in. Professor Robertson stands up.

“Thank the Moon Goddess,” Yarra says, coming to my side. “We heard you were awake.”

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