Chapter 406
+15 8gnus
Four hundred and eight
Alexander POV
The cold in my chest spread the moment my mate crossed back over the concrete divide to her father’s side. It was more than emptiness. It felt like claws tearing through my ribs, pulling the heat from my body.
Inside my head, my wolf raged. He fought against my chest, furious that I stood still, calling me a coward for letting her walk away without a fight.
When I made it back to the main compound, I was shivering. Cherry and Kamala took one look at my face, stepped in front of me, and made me lie down. I was an Alpha, built to lead and endure, but my legs felt weak and every breath burned. I didn’t have the strength to argue, so I let them lead me onto my bed.
That night was the longest of my life. I couldn’t sleep. Sadness and loneliness settled over me, deeper than anything I’d felt in all my years as an outcast.
When morning light came through the window slats, my hands were shaking and my teeth chattered from the
cold.
Cherry walked in carrying a black hoodie. She tossed it onto my bed and told me to put it on. I pulled the sweater over my head and lowered the hood over my forehead to hide my shaking.
Kamala came in behind her with a steaming mug. She handed me her herbal tea, the same spicy brew she always made when I showed signs of strain.
I drank it in fast gulps. The herbs helped settle my stomach, but the ache in my chest remained. It was worse than any physical wound I’d taken.
My mate was gone. I refused to let myself mope about it, knowing that if I did, whatever control I had left would break.
I wasn’t going to lie on my back like a broken mess, since it only made the pain worse.
I got off the bed and walked to my study cabin. I needed work. I needed ledgers and logistics to keep my mind busy before the bond drove me out of my head.
I pulled out the record books and opened our inventory files to check our finances and update our food and fuel supplies. I had a feeling that hard times were coming.
We could pack up our trucks and move to another territory, but I refused to leave this region. I wasn’t a rogue by choice. I hadn’t gathered these people and built this syndicate just to live in the dirt forever. My roots were here, and I intended to reclaim my place in the regional hierarchy, no matter how long it took.
A knock sounded at the cabin door. Marcus and Eli, two of my main scouts, stepped inside. They looked worried.
“We have bad news from the outer perimeter, my Lord,” Marcus said, resting his hands on the table. “The fallout from the abduction is hitting us faster than we expected p>
Eli nodded. “The neighboring pack settlements are shutting us out. We went to our usual contact at the valley border station to buy gasoline for our generator trucks, but they turned us away. They’re afraid of the Regional Council p>
“It’s not just fuel,” Marcus said. “The main trade routes through the lower valley are locked down. The Alpha Council has guards along every paved highway. They’re not coming here with silver bullets to start a war, but they’re choking our borders p>
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I slammed my palm against the oak desk. “Dammit p>
Ris was exactly what I’d been trying to prevent. The Alpha system was showing its power without firing a shot. They were cutting off our supplies until we had nothing left.
Lucas always looked at me like I was slow or weak because I refused to attack the Alpha packs. But Lucas was a fool. He didn’t understand our situation.
What would happen to the elderly rogues in our midst? What about the young orphans and the injured who couldn’t ride motorbikes into town or hunt in the woods? How would they survive if our trade permits were revoked and every border was sealed?
I stood and walked down the back hallway to the storage room attached to the cabin.
We called it the Gleanings. It was where we kept trade goods, medical crates, and non-perishables.
The shelves were nearly bare. There were only a few cartons of vegetables left, and the drums near the back wall were almost empty.
Seeing our reserves sent rage through me. Lucas had put our entire community in danger just to feed his ego. Now my people faced starvation, my mate was back with the Alpha Council, and I was falling apart inside.
The roar of a motorcycle cut through the compound. Lucas pulled up on his dirt bike, revved the engine a few times, then turned it off. He swung off the seat, cursing about how the Alphas and their spoiled brats had outsmarted them.
I stood near the window, glaring at him.
Kamala walked up beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Please, son. Take it easy on him. You two are like brothers p>
“If he hadn’t run off on a kidnapping spree without checking with me, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” I snapped, and Lucas lifted his head. “We could have planned this properly p>
Lucas scoffed, lighting a cigarette. “You’re turning this on me? You showed weakness the second those girls got here. You fucked one, separated them from the other captives, gave them special treatment, and let them walk out without a scratch p>
“If you think you’re so much wiser than me, take your men and leave,” I said. “Go form your own group p>
Lucas stared at me, his mouth falling open. “You can’t be serious, Alexander p>
“I’m completely serious. You already have followers who do whatever you say without asking me. Go do your own thing. I don’t need a crowd. I’ll fight on my own p>
Kamala stepped between us. “Alexander, stop it! And Lucas, shut up right now!” She turned to Lucas. “You’re wrong p>
“Your choices brought the Alpha Council down on our entire settlement,” I told Lucas, looking past Kamala. “If you operate under my banner, you accept that your actions affect everyone here. If you’re too big to listen to me, take your followers and get out p>
Kamala raised her hands. “Splitting up won’t work! You two have been through everything together p>
Cherry walked out from behind the storage cabin. She raised her hands and signed quickly to Lucas: I warned you about this, and you refused to listen to me.
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Lucas shut his mouth, muttering curses.
new Lucas wasn’t going to leave. He was obsessed with Cherry and wanted to marry her. Cherry couldn’t stand his temper when he lost control, but I’d caught them having sex occasionally. She’d told me many times that she was her own person and was inaking her own choices, so I stayed out of it.
“We’re done talking,” Lucas grunted, grabbing Cherry’s arm.
Cherry pulled her arm free but followed him toward the outer tents.
I was left alone with Kamala outside my study cabin.
I reached out and pressed my palm to her forehead. “How are you feeling p>
“I’m fine,” Kamala said, sitting on the wooden bench near the door. “Honestly, I received better medical care at that Alpha House than we have here p>
I scoffed. “Those bastards just wanted to show off their healthcare p>
Kamala smiled. “You don’t have to be jealous, Alexander. Come sit beside me p>
I sat beside her, pulling my sweater tighter around my neck.
“So what do we do now about your mate?” Kamala asked.
I said nothing, staring at the dirt path.
“I know you’re a proud fool,” Kamala continued. “But a mate bond will destroy you if you ignore it. It’ll distract you and wear you down. You think you can function without her, but you can’t. And now you’re thinking about severance? I won’t let you do that to yourself p>
I stared into the distance, refusing to answer.
Kamala shook her head. “I hate it when you do this. I’m talking to you, and you act like a brick wall p>
“What do you want me to say?” I looked at her, my jaw tightening. “Am I supposed to run after her and beg on my knees? Didn’t you hear her father on that road, calling me every filthy name he could think of? And I heard she’s already spending time with some Alpha heir p>
“You still have to try,” Kamala said. “You can’t just give up. You have Alpha blood running through your veins. You have a mission and a place to reclaim in this territory. You need support, strength, and love right now, not a severed bond tearing you apart.
She sighed and leaned her head against the cabin wall.
“If it takes being the fool who goes on his knees, do it before it’s too late,” she said. “You’re on the losing side here, Alexander, not her. She has a family that loves her and a whole pack around her. During the short time I spent in their house, I saw their facilities. They have resources that can help her heal from a severance. She lives in safety and comfort. She’ll survive it. But what about you p>
She looked at my pale skin and shaking hands. “What happens when these bouts of cold hit you again p>
“I’m fine,” I muttered, looking away. “It’s just allergies or a chill p>
“Don’t do this to yourself,” Kamala pleaded, gripping my wrist. “Do whatever you can. Whatever she asks, as long as it doesn’t harm our people, do it. I wish I hadn’t been sick in that hospital bed back then. I should have been here to stop you from making stupid decisions, like hiding your feelings from that girl. Now look at you. You look like a sad sock p>
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Lucia Morh
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.