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“She doesn’t want me. Mariam rejected me.” His voice shook, this time with a more vulnerable emotion.
Randy looked around the room, confused. “Is she here?”
“No, she isn’t,” Trace answered, pouring them each aglass of scotch. He offered one to Randy, and it was accepted without a word. “I could hear her in my head. I could see what she saw, and she could do the same with me.”
The beta let out a low whistle. “That seems odd, given that you two haven’t… you know….”
Trace glared at him. His inability to mate and claim Mariam was a sore spot, now more than ever. “No, we haven’t. But apparently, that hasn’t stopped her from fucking every damn wolf in the Dark Claw pack.”
Randy’s eyes widened. He was with Trace when Jeremy had provided some background information on Mariam. He had mentioned that she’d become close with some of the other young male wolves. That’s the way he put it… she had becomeclosewith them. Both Randy and Trace knew what that had meant, and it had taken every ounce of restraint for them not to attack her former alpha for implying such things about her.
But if the image she sent to Trace was an actual memory, Jeremy’s word choice had been as tactful as possible.
“Do you want to reconsider pursuing her? You are well within your right to choose a different mate.”
Randy didn’t need to tell him that. Trace knew werewolf law backward and forward. But this was the she-wolf that the goddess had created for him, no matter what was in her past. He had to reach her, convince her to accept our bond, and then she would become his perfect mate.
“No,” he said, his resolve more potent than ever. “Mariam is mine, the only one worthy of standing by my side. I just need to find her and remind her of her place.”
Trace threw back the last of the alcohol, enjoying the smooth flavor of the expensive drink. “The first thing I everpromised her was that I would meet any challenge she gave me, and I will not fail her now with weakness.” Randy grinned his approval and slapped his alpha on the back. He would help Trace find her and ensure he kept my word.
__________
After taking a few moments to compose himself, Trace returned to discuss the next course of action with the rest of his men. He felt a twinge of guilt when he entered the room and saw them all sitting there, waiting for their new orders.
He had reassigned the entire leadership team, requiring them to forgo their typical pack duties to help search for Mariam, but none of them seemed to mind the change. They were all very invested in recovering the she-wolf who would help their alpha lead our pack.
Despite their willingness to help, the younger, unmated men had been particularly alarmed by Trace’s recent change in demeanor. He was the first to admit that the last few days were filled with more snarls and outbursts than the rest of his five years as alpha all put together. It was a pretty stark contrast to his typical laid-back attitude.
On the other hand, the bonded wolves just regarded him with humor and pity, knowing firsthand what a strong force a true mating call was for a male werewolf.
Of course, the difference for most of them was that their women had welcomed them with open arms and had cemented their bond in a matter of hours. They never experienced the strain Trace was under with Mariam, nor did any of them envy him for it.
Even Randy’s struggle with Justine was more mental than a literal game of cat and mouse. While it was happening,Trace felt bad for him, but now he’d give anything to argue with Mariam face-to-face over their mating bond.
Strain might be an understatement. One look in the mirror told him that his body was simply breaking down under the pressure. Since losing her at the hotel, he hadn’t been sleeping, and had no appetite at all. He was losing a lot of weight, most of it probably muscle mass since he wasn’t hitting the gym like he usually would, but none of that mattered. All Trace wanted to do was find Mariam.
“What’s the word, Trace?” Justin was the youngest member of the team, always eager to prove himself worthy of his place in the pack. The alpha gave him a grim look and pulled up a list of nearby packs on the screen. Another click crossed out the ones that they had already searched, leaving only a small amount on this side of the United States.
“We have searched for my mate at thirteen of the seventeen packs across the states of California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Arizona. Mariam’s former alpha, Jeremy, informed me that she may have ties to a small pack in Massachusetts. Her mother was originally from there, but she never visited after joining Dark Claw. Mariam’s sister is concerned because she has not heard from her since the night she slept in a motel, but I can promise without a doubt that she is alive and well somewhere.”
The room of shifters gave him curious looks, each wondering how he could guarantee that she was alive without knowing her location.
He didn’t feel like recapping or explaining himself, so Trace clicked to the next slide. It listed the remaining three packs within driving distance of Dark Claw, not counting their own.
His wolf urged him to return home so they could run free in the trees, but Trace reminded him that they needed to wait for their mate. Their runs would be exponentially better with her by their side, and the animal couldn’t argue with that.
“We will send three of our men to each pack. Look around without drawing a lot of attention to yourself and remember to provide them with my contact information in case she turns up after you leave.”
The men nodded their understanding. He clicked the remote again, and several motels popped up. “Motels are less likely because she will probably run out of money soon. She has no driver’s license or phone, just a friend’s truck and whatever extra money she had on her.”
Trace said the last part through my teeth, intentionally avoiding mentioning the gender of her friend. That little bitch had come between him and his mate for the last time. He couldn’t be sure that Mariam had slept with him, which had been the only reason he had spared the boy’s life, but Trace definitely wasn’t a fan of whatever their friendship entailed. It was just one more thing that would change when she became his in every way.
Jared, another newly appointed wolf, raised a hand in the front row, and Trace nodded at him to speak. “So far, none of the motels have helped a girl who meets your mate’s description, but we have given them her photo in case she checks in. Maybe circulating her photo with the other packs might help, too.”
His wolf growled his discomfort at the idea, and Trace had to agree with him. His pride had taken a big hit when he had to form a team to search for his mate. It was evenmore challenging to humble himself to the point of asking other packs for help in finding her. The fact that he had to chase my female across the countryside was demeaning.
Randy stepped in, clearing his throat, and putting a hand on Trace’s shoulder. “That won’t be necessary, Jared. Giving her picture to humans is one thing, but we don’t want to start posting pictures of our alpha’s mate on foreign pack lands. This needs to be taken care of as discreetly as possible for the good of our pack.”
