Chapter 31: Chapter 3

DAMON

I watch Natalie all the way into the house. ~“You got a thing for little Nat?”~ Finn asks through the link.

I shrug my jacket back on. ~“She’s beautiful and she smells amazing, but obviously she’s not my mate.”~

~“You never know. She’s only sixteen.”~

I snap my head to look at my beta in question. He just nods. ~“Sixteen? Holy shit, I had no idea.”~ She’s about the same height as B and she seems pretty mature. I’m only nineteen, so that’s not too bad. Hell, Finn is twenty-two and B is eighteen. What am I thinking? She’s not my mate. Stop getting worked up, Damon.

“Damon.” I look up to Dec. “Did you want to check out the tomes?”

“Yeah. Finn, you and B head back to the pack. Stewart was causing trouble when I left.”

Finn and B both grunt but get to their feet. They give hugs as I follow Dec to the pack house.

“Thanks for helping me out, Dec.”

He claps my shoulder. “No problem. I need to have a chat with some of my pack, but I’ll join you when I’m finished. I’ll send my dad in to help.”

I nod then head toward the tome room. I’ve poured over so many of these books the first few months of being an alpha. My pack has nothing like this. We have a few books, but they only contain common facts. I have no idea where to begin looking. Goddess, this sucks.

A beam of blue light shines through the window, landing on a tome tucked away on the shelf. I knit my brows having never seen anything like this.

~“Your mate will need to learn to control her gifts. Be patient with her, my child.”~ A soft feminine voice enters my mind.

I look around the empty room then decide to follow the beam to the tome. Once I touch the leather bindings, the light fades away and the room returns the way it was. Okay…? That was crazy weird. I look through the window, but there is nothing but woods and a bright moon overhead.

My mate? I haven’t found her yet. Her gifts? I shake my thoughts away and sit on the sofa to begin pouring through the tome. The information isn’t making any sense, but if that was the Moon Goddess, I’m not about to doubt her. Does the Moon Goddess talk to her wolves?

Alpha Troy knocks at the door. I get to my feet to shake his hand. I have the utmost respect for this guy. He taught me the ins and outs of being an alpha.

“Declan said you requested assistance.”

“Yes, sir.” I explain what has been happening and he nods along.

He finds three more tomes and we begin pouring through them. Dec joins us after about an hour. The information we collect is pretty random, but some of it fits. At least I have a starting point. I just wish someone else could feel what I do. I had Finn and B check it out, but they just looked at me like I was crazy.

“Dec. Do you think Kya would be willing to check out the woods, just to see if she feels the same thing I do?”

“You mean because she’s a healer?” I nod as I scratch my beard.

He leans back in his chair, contemplating whether it’s safe to send his mate into potential danger. “If you allow me and a few more of my pack, I’ll agree to your plan.”

“How many is a few?” I trust Dec, but I still need to protect my pack.

“My truck full, that’s all. I’ll leave Chase here.”

Dec, Kya and potentially four more outsiders. He allows me and my beta on his territory no questions asked. I let go of a breath and hold out my hand. “Agreed.” Dec grips my hand and we plan a visit for tomorrow.

“I have to get back to my territory. Dec, this tome here. Can I borrow it?” He and Troy have let me take a few tomes back to my pack, but some they’re very picky about.

He looks it over. “Yeah, that one’s fine.”

I say my goodbyes then hop up into my jeep. I crank my radio and sip some old coffee to keep myself awake. Just as I’m about to cross out of their territory, the blue beam of light catches the corner of my eye. I pull over and watch the beam as it moves up a ridge. I squint my eyes to see the white wolf that the light is shining on.

~“You have found your mate. She is not yet ready for you.”~ That soft feminine voice whispers in my mind. This time I know I’m not crazy as the light fades from the wolf and she continues to scamper until she’s joined by two more wolves.

The whole drive back to my territory I replay the words spoken by, I can only assume, the Moon Goddess. I wonder if other wolves have experienced communication with her. I’ve never heard of it happening before, but it’s not something I really want to share.

One, people would think I’m crazy, and two, the messages were personal to me. That was my mate. My mate! My mate is in Dec’s pack. My mate’s wolf is incredibly beautiful, I wonder why she’s not ready for me yet. I thought about going to her, but it didn’t feel right.

I stop in no-man’s land at a convenience store to grab another coffee and fill up my tank. ~“Damon. Something is wrong with Charlotte.”~ Finn contacts me. I feel for my pack then single out Charlotte’s essence.

~“Get her to the hospital. She’s fading fast.”~ I push the pedal and get back to my pack as fast as I can. The whole time my focus is on Charlotte and her weakening state. I pull up to the hospital, slamming on my brakes and rush inside. Our hospital is pathetically small and only one doctor is worth the license she carries. I follow Charlotte’s essence to her room.

“What happened to her?” I ask of anyone willing to say anything.

“I’m not sure, Alpha. I have her hooked up to IVs, but I don’t know what is going on with her. She’s comatose. I’m running bloodwork now, but so far everything is coming up clean,” my one good doctor, Marlena answers.

I hold onto Charlotte’s hand. ~“Charlotte?”~

~“Alpha? I don’t know where I am. It’s all darkness. I don’t feel right. I’m so tired.”~

~“We have you in the hospital. What happened?”

~“I don’t know… I’m so tired…”~

~“Charlotte, stay with me!”~

~“So tired…”~

The monitors sound and the staff rushes in, I step back to give them room. Marlena starts chest compressions and a nurse shoves medication into Charlotte’s tubing. The monitor’s flat line continues to buzz and Marlena, dripping in sweat and out of breath continues the fight. Charlotte’s life snaps from me. I grip Marlena’s wrist.

“She’s gone. Her lifeline is gone.”

Marlena lets out a defeated breath then calls, “Time of death, 02:42.” A nurse covers Charlotte’s body with the sheet and the somber mood of the room is felt by all within.

This is the first death I’ve ever experienced as an alpha. I wipe my eyes and leave the room. Finn looks up and I don’t have to say anything. He already knows. He silently walks with me back to my jeep. Once outside I’m able to pull a breath of air into my lungs.

“What happened to her?”

Finn shakes his head. “I was checking up on patrol when I found her. Morgan took her place.”

“Take me.” Finn jumps into the driver’s seat. I place the tome in the backseat and lean back against the headrest. I’ve had to banish a few wolves but this, this is different. The ones I banished felt like a string being untied, sent to float away like a helium balloon. It’s uncomfortable, but necessary. This? This was a rubber band snapping back to hit me straight in the heart with a dart attached to the end.

Morgan is standing back from his patrol, looking around. I step up to him and immediately feel that same energy as before, the one that no one else can feel. Finn comes up beside me with his arms crossed.

“There’s nothing here.”

I strip out of my clothes. “Hang back. I’m going to look around.”

“Be careful, Damon. We have no clue what we’re dealing with.”

I give Finn a nod then shift. With nose in the air, I focus all of my senses and follow that eerie energy to a group of fallen trees.

I leap on top of them, but other than the energy, everything is quiet and calm. I scratch at the trees and all around, but still find nothing. Stepping away from the trees, the eeriness fades and I’m left scratching my head. What the fuck is going on?

Finn tosses my clothes to me, and I slip them on. My jacket still smells of Natalie, and I find her scent calming. I need it after everything that’s happened tonight.

“Morgan, let me know if anything else happens. I’m going to have two more guards set up here.”

Morgan nods, and I contact Bryce and Frankie. They’re both asleep, but they follow orders and quickly show up. Finn and I leave the patrol in their capable hands.

“I found more fallen trees but nothing else. I’m going to inform Charlotte’s family.”

“I’ll come along.” I give Finn a nod, and he tosses me my keys.

Charlotte’s father answers the door even though it’s about four a.m. When he realizes it’s his alpha and beta, he quickly opens up for us.

“Charlotte is dead, isn’t she?” I give him a nod, and he falls into his chair sobbing.

“We don’t know what happened to her. I have help from another pack coming tomorrow. We’ll find out what’s going on. I’m sorry, Richard. She was an incredible person.”

Finn and I leave the family to mourn their loss. He goes to his place, and I walk into my empty house. This house is where the alphas have lived since the beginning of this pack. I felt awkward accepting it, but it’s what the pack expected. I got rid of everything from Owen and Harold Roberts. That means everything, down to the dish rags. The place is pretty bare, but I have the luxuries of any other bachelor pad: a bed, a recliner, a coffee maker, and an old television set. I take a hot shower and pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow.