The Alpha's Property

*** Preston ***

Alpha orders us all out of the cells and I feel so bad for him. His mate will never trust any of us now. I know Aiden, this will be fucking killing him. He would have tried to be patient with his tiny mate and, as much as it would have tormented him, he would have taken it slow for her. Now he has met her and felt the bond, like I have, he would have done whatever it took to win her over.

He would have wanted to get to know Eva and allow her time to get to know him but Gamma Ellis has fucked that up royally. And the sacred trust and relationship between Luna and Gamma will never be there now; well, not while he is still Gamma. Both myself and Aiden told the elders Ellis was not ready but because his father had been the Gamma and had died in service, they had been insistent that he take his father’s place. Now look at what that sentimentality has caused.

“Amber, I am just going to change my clothes so I am ready if Aiden needs me.” She smiles at me, and my heartbeat increases. Was there something more in her eyes then when she looked at me? A tenderness, maybe?

“Hurry up then, douchebag, I am trying to get clean clothes and stuff for Eva, though she is so short, I think everything is going to be massive on her.” And there you go, no tenderness, motormouth is back.

I rush to my room and quickly throw my ripped clothes in the bin and replace them with clean ones from my wardrobe. I have just put on my shoes when Aiden mindlinks me, asking me to arrange to have his car brought around to the front of the pack house.

As I do that, I also order the Pack Healer to report to the cells to check Eva over. I get back to Amber and she shows me an array of clothing that may fit the tiny mate of Aiden.

“Can you believe after all this time he has finally found her, Preston, and she already has a child, so she is more than capable of giving him the sons he wants to carry on his legacy.”

I give her a hard stare. I cannot believe this woman at times. “What if she doesn’t want to be his mate, or be a baby factory or wants to stay with her chosen mate?” I like the look of shock on her face, I like that I can pull her up on her unrealistic notions and try and make her see how unreasonable she can be.

“I want sons to pass my legacy on to… are you just going to give them to me because you are my fated mate?” I can hear the anger in my voice. I do not know how or when I got angry, but I am.

“Preston, don’t! Not here, not now.” Her voice is soft, she never uses that tone with me, and it makes me so much more furious. Why is it ok for her to presume that Eva will give Aiden everything his heart desires, but I cannot presume that of her?

“You are a fucking hypocrite, Amber. A two-faced hypocrite and I am sick of it.”

I walk off to see if Aiden’s car has arrived. I cannot keep doing this, she is slowly killing my soul and it’s only a matter of time before my love for her turns to hate. It's already on a knife's edge.

*** Amber ***

The lump in my throat threatens to make me cry. I can feel him slipping away from me just like I always knew he would, but now that the time for it to actually happen is upon me I feel so alone and bereft.

I have never submitted to Preston; I have never given him an inch when it comes to us being mates because I knew he would eventually leave, just like everyone else. He said he wouldn’t, of course he said he wouldn’t leave but they all say that and eventually I am left alone by myself, and I just can't do it.

I cannot give him my all for him to walk away. Preston would have the power to completely destroy me and so I will not give it to him. If he wants to walk away, fine, but at least without having been marked it will be less pain to deal with.

I shake myself out of my brooding; my brother needs me. I walk back into the cells and watch from afar as my brother, the hardest man I have ever known cleans the cuts and scrapes of his fated mate.

I have never, ever seen the look that is currently on his face. He is infatuated with her. It makes me smile because Aiden deserves a happy ending, he has been waiting for her, waiting for his mate for a long time. I just hope that Preston’s outburst does not ring true; I hope Eva accepts my brother. I hope she is more yielding than I am.

I watch as Aiden kisses Eva’s wrists and I am in awe of how powerful the bond between them is already. She looks at him like a doe caught in headlights and despite being human, I believe she feels a connection between them. I smile when my brother wipes the blood off her face ever so gently and she blushes as she gives her thanks to him for treating her wounds.

The truth is the pack healer is in the same cell as them, but I know from my own feelings for Preston that Aiden would not be happy with anyone else touching Eva at the moment. She belongs to him and no one else will be permitted to get near to her until he has her marked.

“Alpha, I have some clean clothes and toiletries for your mate.” I sense Aiden’s annoyance that I have interrupted this moment between them but I want him to introduce me, I am dying to meet Eva properly.

“Come in, then. Eva, this is my little sister Amber. Amber, this is Eva.”

She looks at me with caution and says hello. She is going to have to be tougher than this if she is to be a good Luna.

“I am going to take Eva up to our apartment so she can shower and change. I need you to help locate her daughter. Her name is Summer Jefferson, and she is two years old, brown hair in curls and blue eyes. She should have been picked up from Sunny Days nursery yesterday. Find where she is. And Amber… no knives! I mean it!”

Involuntarily, I start to growl, but I do not want to embarrass Aiden or scare Eva, so I push it down. “Yes, Alpha. I will contact you with information as soon as possible.” I nod to them both and as I get to the door, I hear Eva shout my name.

“Amber… thank you, thank you for helping me to find my baby.” Aww she is so sweet; she will have us all in love with her in no time.

*** Salma ***

Something bad has happened. I am not sure what it is, but Eva hasn’t shown up for work and Eva is never late without a text beforehand. I usually speak to her most nights but last night when she did not answer I just thought she must have fallen asleep.

I have tried ringing several times, on both her mobile and house phone but there’s no response. I start to get that horrible sinking feeling in my stomach and decide I have to go and check she is alright. I still haven’t picked up my car from the Western Car Showroom, so I get my driver to take me to Eva’s instead.

When we arrive, everything seems normal at Eva’s house; however, there is no car parked outside and no answer at the door.

I have two options. I can call the day care centre and see if Summer is there, or I can call Ryan the knobhead and see if he knows where his wife and daughter are.

I call Ryan. “What?”

Oh, how I would love to smash his stupid little face in, the arrogant rat! “Ryan, it's Salma, any idea where Eva is?”

The line goes silent. “She is either at work or at home with her kid. Why are you asking me? You have more dealings with her royal highness than I do.”

I feel physically sick; both his wife and child could be in danger here and he is so flippant and derogatory about her.

“When did you last speak to her or see her, Ryan? I am being deadly serious; I think something bad has happened.” I hear a female voice in the background and I swear I am going to slaughter that two-timing rat as soon as I have secured his wife and child and convinced her to finally throw him out.

“Salma, it's Melanie Storey. I am here with Ryan. Yesterday Summer’s nursery called and said Eva hadn’t picked her up and she was really late.”

First off, why is Melanie Storey with Ryan? “So, is Summer with you?” I feel a bit relieved knowing Summer is ok. Now I just have to find Eva.

“Erm… no, we don’t have Summer, Ryan didn’t go and get her. He said she has nothing to do with him.”

“Is he for fucking real? Melanie, tell him to get to Eva’s right now with the house keys, his wife and child are missing and I will rain holy hell on him if he doesn’t listen to me. Tell him I will send the boys again.”

“Ok, ok Salma, I’ll be there in ten minutes. This is just Eva trying to get attention, you know; she is needy like that.”

I am going to kill him anyway. I am going to get Eva and Summer home safe and then I am going to fucking kill Ryan Jefferson.

When Ryan gets to Eva’s house with Melanie in tow, I keep my anger controlled. I need to find my friend and then I will deal with him.

“How long has this been going on then?” I ask them. It’s blatantly obvious that they have been fucking behind Eva’s back.

“Oh Salma, don’t pretend that you didn’t know. We’ve been together since before Ryan and Eva were even a thing.” Melanie smiles at me and I cannot help but feel disgusted that she would think so little of herself that she would carry on seeing a man after he married someone else.

Ryan the wastrel shifts uncomfortably in the background. “Why didn’t you collect Summer? Or at least contact me and tell me what was happening. I am going to waste you Ryan if anything happens to the two of them.”

Ryan’s face pales as he steps past me and opens the front door.