Chapter 5

Five years later

Spencer

Whoever said it's better to have loved and lost than never have loved at all, is a fucking wanker. Even five years later, there was still a hole in my heart. I had boyfriends in the past five years and had some flings and one-night stands. With humans and werewolves alike. Not any werewolves from my pack, I haven't been there in two years. I went by once when I knew the Alpha and his family were out of town. I met my friends and parents and left after three days when I knew they were coming back. I almost ran into them. If I would have left five minutes later, I would have come face to face with them. And that was the last thing I wanted.

I was still in England, living in London as a Software Engineer and working freelance as a hacker for some high-profile companies. I missed my pack, my friends and family, but I couldn't go back. Even though I have moved on, and had a fiancé who knew exactly what I was, I had a life here. I was busy hacking into a company's database to find the weak spots when a knock came on my door. I glanced at my phone. I frowned; I wasn't expecting anyone. The scent that drifted from the door was vaguely familiar.

"Give me a second." I quickly halted my processes before I went to the door. I stilled as my hand touched the door handle. I recognised the scent.

"Spencer, please open the door."

I took in a breath and opened the door. I lowered my head. "Alpha Andrew."

Axel's father, the Alpha tilted my chin with his finger. He smiled softly. "Just Andrew, Spencer. Like always."

"Right, come in." I stepped away and went to the kitchen. "Would you like a cup of tea, Andrew?"

"That would be nice." He said as he sat down at the kitchen island. "You look well."

The teapot was on the stove, so I turned to him. Andrew seemed tense and worried. "Is being Alpha turning into heavy labour? You look tired."

"Wouldn't know, I'm not the Alpha anymore."

My hand slipped from the counter. "What?"

"I got sick two years ago. That's why we weren't at the reserve when you visited, but I can only presume that was the exact reason why you chose to visit at that time?" I lifted a shoulder. "At the time, it was best to let Axel take over. He's been doing an amazing job, so I had some time to spare."

"And you chose that time to visit me?"

"Yes. I'm here for a few reasons." The tea kettle whistled, and I busied myself with making us tea. I slid on the stool in front of him. "He misses you."

"I doubt it." I snorted, and my heart ached. "He has his Luna, his Mate, he doesn't need me."

"You're his best friend."

"Was. I was his best friend." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He looked so much like Axel, it hurt to look at him. "I never even heard from him after I left."

"You changed your number." I raised an eyebrow at him. Pathetic excuse and he knew it because my friends had my number, and he managed to track me down. "He is not happy with her."

"I don't see why that is any of my concerns," I said stirring my tea.

"I don't believe Marianne is his Mate. I believe he was tricked."

"That's not possible."

"That's what I thought, but since the moment Marianne arrived, things have been off. When Axel took over as Alpha, I finally had the time to look into it all. And I believe Eveline is behind it." I blinked at him. "I've seen text messages between her and an unknown wolf of another pack that suggest her involvement. And I need your help to uncover it."

"Why me?"

"Because I know your skills, you can hack into anything."

"Bring me her phone and I'll see what I can do."

He sipped his tea slowly. "Have you found your Mate?"

"I have not." I lifted my hand. "But I do have a fiancé."

He didn't seem fazed by the engagement ring. "I believe you are his Mate. I always had an inkling but when I saw you race into the garden when he first transformed, I knew." Those were words I wished I would hear for years. And something in me brightened at the thought, but that couldn't be. I can't be his Mate, not after everything. "How was your first transformation? I hoped you would have done it back home."

"I travelled to the woods and stayed there for the night. Everything went okay. I didn't maim or kill anything." I shrugged. I didn't want to think too long about that long cold, painful and lonely night. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to come home."

"I don't know if I can," I said quietly. "I have a life here. I have my own flat, a job, friends, a fiancé."

"I'll make you a deal." He leaned forward. His green eyes were on me. Axel looked a lot like his father, except for his eyes, they were his mother's. "You help me unravel the scheme Eveline cocked up and then you can come back here if you want to. And I'll never ask you to come back home again."

I stirred my tea again, frowning down at my cup. I should face my past one day, why not now? Get it over with and help the man who has always been kind to me. Andrew didn't say anything as he patiently waited for my answer.

"Alright," I said. "But I can't leave right now, I have to move some things, take some vacation days. Friday at the earliest."

His features remained stoic, but I could see his lips twitch as he tried to hold in a grin. "That is fine. I'll get you a ticket. I have a flight tomorrow night. I can't be gone for too long otherwise they get suspicious."

"Where do they think you are?"

The smile breached through. "At Cavanaugh's."

I laughed. I couldn't help myself. Cavanaugh was one of Andrew's oldest friends. And whenever the two spent time together it was with drinking and poker. It was the best excuse to be gone for a couple of days without a word.

"Where are you staying?"

"Not sure yet." He glanced at his phone. "I'll probably just book the Hilton for the night."

"You haven't booked a room yet?" I asked surprised. The former Alpha was always the one who planned everything to the smallest detail.

He chuckled. "No, when I found the new messages, I knew I needed to do something. I came up with an excuse, booked a ticket on my way to the airport and came right to your doorstep."

"Oh." I drained my teacup. "You can stay here if you want."

He glanced around my spacious flat. "Won't your fiancé mind? He doesn't know me."

"But he knows of you," I said, I chuckled a little at his raised eyebrows. "Yes, he's human," I said, he had probably smelled it already. "But he knows who I am, what I am and where I came from. But you can stay here, I'll text him to let him know. But he's in Dublin for the next few days, so he won't be here anyway."

"Then I would like to take you up on your offer."

I smiled at him. He was always so easy to talk to. "I'll show you to your room." We stood up and he followed me through the hallway.

"You've done quite well for yourself." He whistled.

"Thank you. I've worked very hard to get here."

"I don't doubt that." He said.

I loved my two-bedroom flat. It had a view of the Seine and was only built two years ago. It was spacious and modern with Scandinavian accents.

"Here we are." I pushed open the door to the guest bedroom. "You take a nap, it looks like you need it." I grinned.

He huffed. "I may be a former Alpha, but you still can't talk to me like that."

"I've talked to you like that when you were an Alpha." I pointed out.

He opened and closed his mouth without a sound, then. "Fair point. You go back to your coding thingy while I sleep. And we'll discuss everything I know at dinner." He suddenly pulled me in a tight bear hug. "I have missed you, little Spence."

"I have missed you too, big Andy." He set me down on the ground and kissed the top of my head in a fatherly way before he retired for the afternoon.

Axel

Father has been off for a while now. And I was worried he was sick again. I couldn't smell any sickness on him, but I knew he was hiding something. I tapped my nail on the desk, a claw coming out to scratch the wood. Marianne has been droning on about something. What was it? A broken vase or something. Whatever it was, it was something stupid. My Beta, Idris was standing on my right, glancing at his phone now and again. Maybe he was waiting for Deacon to text, but his back was stiff. Unusual. Could be because of the fact that he was in the same room as Marianne, he never liked her. None of my friends did. I couldn't blame them, they probably hated her for driving Spencer away. Just thinking about her made my heart ache for the briefest of moments before the scent of roses and cinnamon hit me, making me smile at my Mate, making a restless Astrix calm down in my head.

Astrix, like me, has been restless for years now. We didn't know what it was or why, but we'd both been pacing for a long time. In our heads and with our bodies. We just couldn't find why we were so restless. I retracted my claw and looked up at Marianne. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail, diamond earrings and necklace decorated her face. That was all she seemed to care about, money and power.

I grew up with stories that once you find your Mate, you would be insatiable. It would calm down after five years, but we haven't been together for that long. My father had sent me away to college, stating even though she was my Mate, college came first, and I needed to get to know her before I would Mark her. So, that's what I did. You don't say no to your Alpha, not even if he's your father. Marianne and Eveline weren't pleased with that at all but just like me, they couldn't disobey his order. So, for the first three years, we barely saw each other. Mostly only hearing each other on the phone or through text. Because every time I came home from college, my father had sent Marianne away to let her get to know her duties as future Luna. But to be honest, I didn't mind that much. It seemed like I didn't have that bond with my Mate like my friends had, or like my father had with my mother. Maybe it's because my human part still ached for Spencer. Even Astrix has been vocal about missing her.

So, I marked Marianne as my Mate two years ago, the sex was good. Not amazing, not like with – I shook my head clearing my thoughts and focussed back on Marianne. She was still going on about some fucking vase.

I sighed loudly. "Marianne, I'm not in the mood for your stupid drama." She whirled on me, but I didn't care. "Leave." She opened her mouth to protest but I shot her glare. She bared her teeth before she walked out. I slumped in my chair. "Why isn't it this hard with you and Deacon? Or Lore and Miles?"

"Oh, believe me, we have our hard times too. But nothing like you and Marianne." He turned to me, tilting his head. "Do you even love her?"

"She's my Mate."

"That's not an answer."

I closed my eyes thinking it over. Did I love her? She's my Mate, shouldn't it come naturally? It was so messed up. I'm not sure I even liked her. Idris barked out a laugh. I guess I said that last part through the mind-link because he answered the same way.

I think the only one who likes her is Evil Eveline.

I hummed. Speaking of evil stepmothers. "Do you know when my father gets back?"

"Should be the day after tomorrow. If he doesn't drink too much." He grinned. I didn't return it.

"Have you – have you noticed anything off about him?"

He looked away, glancing at a photo of me, my dad and Benjamin. Avoiding my eyes. Interesting. "I haven't, but I can look into it for you if you want."

"No," I waved it off. "I'll talk to him when he gets back. So, what now?" I asked.

"Budgets." He said, sliding over a big folder.

I groaned, letting my head fall on the folder. But when I started to flip through the pages, my free hand went into my pocket to twirl the opal necklace between my fingers. Idris noticed the movement, he noticed everything but didn't say a word about it.