Chapter 112: Chapter 6

COLE

I debate whether to leave or not, but I need answers and I won’t find them here. The drive only takes seven hours; I can be back on Friday to intercept her at the club. Alexis.

I give Rosalie my number and tell her to call me if their plans change. I wish her luck on her finals, then grab my stuff and go.

I don’t think I’ll need to return to the Smith Pack. I want to be closer to her friend, Ethan’s sister Alexis.

I make it back home in time for dinner. Everyone is shocked to see me, but even more shocked that I’ve returned alone. I wasn’t planning on coming back without a mate and I’m sure they all know that.

“Cole!” My mother jumps to her feet, knocking her chair back.

I open my arms and she hugs me the way only a mother can.

“Hi Mom. I’m not back to stay. I’ll be leaving again on Friday. I need to do some research.”

My dad stands beside us and waits his turn. As soon as my mom lets go of me, I’m pulled into my dad’s embrace.

“Although I can feel you, I still worry. I’m glad you’re better. I almost came after you the other night.”

I hug my dad tighter.

“Thanks for letting me do this on my own. I’m better now.”

My mom raises a brow as she looks at my dad. I guess he didn’t tell her about my emotional rollercoaster two nights ago. It’s probably a good thing; she definitely would’ve made the trip up.

I let go then tell him why I’m here.

“I need to talk to Ethan. Is he on duty tonight?”

“At least stay for dinner. It’s late. You can talk to him tomorrow. I’ll help you with your research in any way I can,” my mom offers, and I agree. I’ve really missed my mom’s cooking.

She and Dad are usually very busy flying all over the world to attend the Alpha Summits. Mom makes a plate for me and sets it on the table.

“So, where have you been?”

“Smith Pack, New Jersey,” I answer between bites.

“How are they?” Dad asks, leaning back in his chair. I immediately get his meaning.

“They train their females, but they’re still treated as garbage. I had to get in Jackson’s face about letting them in the guard. Gregory gives Jackson a hard time. Ethan’s mate can fill you in better. She’ll be here Thursday night.”

“Around 2 a.m., actually.” I smirk at my mom.

“Sorry.” I can’t hold back my chuckle. Goddess, I’ve missed her.

“Beta Kevin is on board. Dara blessed his daughter, Sophie, with the gift of water,” I continue explaining to my parents.

“And how is Dara?” my mom asks, and I give her a pointed look.

“She’s lonely, Mom. Unlike us, she’s not blessed with a mate. She’s been around for over thirty years and I was her first kiss.” My mom becomes solemn as she thinks, or rather sees. Her forehead minutely glows in a crescent moon shape when she’s seeing for someone specific. My dad always smiles when her jewel glows, as he calls it.

Mom cocks her brow at me. I just smirk. I guess she saw the other night. I don’t regret my offer to Dara. I am an adult. My parents were eighteen and twenty when they mated.

“Ian,” my mom whispers. Dad and I both look at her in question. She looks up at both of us.

“Kya’s cousin, Ian. His mate rejected him for a human she was in love with, but really she knew he controls fire. The poor guy went rogue. His sister and your dad went after him to keep him from going feral. He was already depressed after being blessed; everyone was afraid of him. It’s ridiculous, he has complete control.”

“Where is he now?” I ask.

“He lives in the woods between the Redd and Ramirez packs,” my dad answers. I can tell he’s feeling him out.

“I think I’ll check in on him. Maybe invite him over. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him. He’s a good guy, I’ve always liked him.” I give my dad a nod. I imagine Ian is just as lonely as Dara. I wish Dara well and I hope it works out for her… and him.

“Just don’t mention the Starlight Sisters. He’s a little bitter,” Mom tells my dad.

We finish dinner and I head home. I get my clothes into the wash then start trying to figure out the wolfless wolf. Alexis. Her name rolls off my tongue so easily. Rosalie calls her Lex. Ethan has dark hair; I wonder if she does too. I stop my thoughts before I get carried away.

How can a wolf lose her wolf? Would the Goddess remove a wolf? That seems almost blasphemous. How can a wolf not know she’s a wolf? Ethan can hopefully answer that question.

My mind wanders to Realta. How did Realta gain a wolf? I don’t think my mom even knows what happened. I would have to ask Realta. The Starlight Sisters, could they have removed her wolf? Dara is the only earthbound Starlight Sister, so she would be the one that did it, unless it’s not a Starlight Sister.

Dara. I would’ve given myself to her. She thinks I would regret it, but I wouldn’t. I remember the softness of her pearly skin and the way she glowed in the darkness. Her breasts filled my hands perfectly. The flaming curls leading to her wet, shimmering pussy looked so soft. That’s one thing I regret; I wasn’t able to touch her there. Goddess, I was so ready to bury myself inside of her.

She may not be my mate nor smell of magnolia, but I desire her. She has her own heavenly scent like ice and spring combined. It’s just as heady as the magnolia smell that made my mouth water.

My washing machine buzzes, pulling me from my sensual stupor. I move my clothes to the dryer then turn in. Hopefully tomorrow I can get some answers.

I find Ethan and Emmett at the diner. Emmett waves me over.

“Hey, brother. How was your vacation?” he jokes.

“I’m not finished yet. I’m going back on Friday. I just need to find out a few things.” I look to Ethan. “Congratulations. Rosalie is pretty great.”

“You know Rosalie?” Ethan asks, surprised.

I nod then give my order to Dorothy, who runs the diner.

“Yep. She told me you have a sister.”

“You have a sister?” Emmett throws out. I just roll my eyes.

Ethan sips his coffee. “Yeah, well… She doesn’t have a wolf. She knows nothing of our world.”

Emmett stops eating and looks between the two of us.

“How did that happen?”

“That’s what I would like to know.”

Dorothy brings my order and I dig right in. Her food is seriously the best.

Ethan shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know what my mom did. She’s fucking nuts. I left because of it. My sister was twelve and her wolf never came. My mom made me keep wolves a secret. I paid for Lex to go to Princeton so she could get away from my mom.”

“I’m looking into this. You’re welcome to come along, but I know you just found your mate,” I offer, although I still want to do this alone.

If she’s my mate, it’s not going to be like a regular mating. I’ll probably have to court her.

“Cole. My mom won’t tell you anything. She hates our kind, especially males. I tried to question her and we got into an argument. She’s more stubborn than a castrated donkey.”

“I’ll look at other avenues. I don’t want to scare your mom. Hate is usually the response to fear. What’s her name, and what pack did she come from?” I ask. Maybe my mom has some insight.

“Danielle Richardson. It was the Grey Pack at the time, now it’s…?”

He scratches his chin as he thinks.

“Castleton. I have friends there. They’re a good pack.”

I throw more butter on my pancake then take a bite. Dorothy stops to refill my coffee.

Ethan nods. “I think I’ll stay here with my mate. It sounds like you’re going to be doing some traveling. Just don’t scare my sister. She’s the only real family I have.”

“Where’s your dad?”

Emmet asks the question I was about to ask, then fills his mouth with pancake.

“I have no idea. He’s a rogue. He only came around when he wanted sex. His name is Wyatt Drake. My mom didn’t even give us his name. Last I heard he was somewhere around Montana.”

“I’ll look after your sister, you have my word,” I promise him.

Even if she’s not my mate, I would still protect her for Ethan’s sake and her own. Something was done to her without her consent and she still had no idea.

“Thanks, Cole. Let me know if you need anything. I’ll be there in a moment’s notice.”

I nod and continue eating as Ethan starts talking about how incredible Rosalie is.

My mom is in the study pouring over some paperwork. “What’s all that?” I ask as I take a seat.

“A new pack has developed in Greenland, but there’s not a real alpha in charge of it. Your dad and I will be leaving on Saturday to check things out. They feel like a group of nomads, kind of like the camp we grew up in.”

She starts typing on her laptop. “Who do you need me to see?” she asks without even looking at me.

“Ethan’s sister Alexis and his mom, Danielle Richardson. She originated from the Grey Pack.”

Mom stops her typing to actually look at me. “The Grey Pack? I haven’t heard that name in a really long time. And since when does Ethan have a sister?”

She leans back in her chair and her forehead begins to glow. It’s so minute a human wouldn’t see it.

Mom starts to whimper then closes her eyes as she rubs her temples. “I lost her… what the hell? That has never happened before. Even her thread disappeared… wait…”

Mom lets me in on what she sees.

She pictures Alexis as a pup tied to a gold thread. She’s described the threads to me before; it’s her connection to every wolf ever born.

Let me tell you, there are a lot of threads. I can see how she misses things every now and then.

I watch as Alexis’s thread disappears. Wait, it’s still there, just not gold anymore, it’s more like a fishing line; clear, thin, and extremely hard to see.

“Do you see it, Mom?”

“I do now. She’s still connected to us. I guess that’s a good thing?”

The vision fades then she looks up at me. “I’m not sharing what I saw regarding their mother, it was horrendous. Erwin Grey was a horrible bastard, not worthy of the Alpha title. He did terrible things to her. I had to skip through most of her life. She’s a mess now. I can’t see what she did to Alexis to take away her wolf, it’s just blank. This is weird.”

“Ethan said she’s nuts,” I comment.

“Well, I honestly don’t blame her. She’s been through hell and back. You’re not to set foot anywhere near her.”

My mom warns, and knowing her, I’m listening to her warning. Bad things happen when you ignore a warning from the Oracle.

“What about their dad? Ethan says he’s only around for sex. He’s a rogue named Wyatt Drake.”

Mom’s head glows as she searches for him. “He’s in Kalispell, Montana, but he’s not a rogue. He has pack ties.”

“Hmm. Ethan may be one-sided when it comes to his dad. You’ll find him among the humans at a mechanics shop on the outskirts of town. You can take the jet today and be back by tomorrow. By the way, Ian is coming to dinner tomorrow night. Your dad appealed to his need for a pack without actually joining a pack. The benefits of being a pack of rogues.” She blasts an ironic laugh. “He’s not ready to meet Dara yet.”

“Do you think they’ll work out, or do you know?” I ask. I would hate to give either of them false hope.

My mom looks at me and grins. Ugh, I hate it when she does that. It usually means that things have to happen in order for the outcome she wants to work out. It also means she’s not telling me a damned thing unless there’s something I need to know.

“Fine. I’m going to get a workout in. The Smith wolves aren’t even close to being a challenge. Should I be at dinner tomorrow?”

“Seven sharp.”

I kiss my mom on the cheek then head out.