*** Salma ***
I watch in disbelief as my best friend walks into the café holding hands with Alpha Aiden Goldrick. What the actual fuck is going on? I also groan internally as I see the Alpha has brought his obnoxiously rude sister, I cannot be bothered sparring with her today, she is like a chihuahua constantly ankle biting and retorting and yapping.
Alejandro converses with them with ease, he quickly addresses Alpha Aiden and Lieutenant Amber before hugging Eva and inviting them all to sit. I notice the protective way the Alpha looks at Eva especially when Alejandro hugs her. I wonder!
“Eve, what happened? You finished work and then there was no sign of you after you left to get into your car.” I look at her with concern, especially when her eyes fill with tears.
“I was kidnapped, Sal. Just before I got to my car someone grabbed me and stuck a sack over me and took me away somewhere. I was bound and gagged and locked in a cage. I missed Summer’s pick up. Ryan the piece of shit refused to collect her and so the day care manager called Children’s Services and she was taken into care.” She ends it on a sob, and I watch as Alpha Aiden wraps his arm around her and she moves closer to him too. This is weird, very weird, my friend is acting very strange. I feel like I have missed a massive piece of information here.
“Who kidnapped you? Why did they kidnap you, Eva?” I ask her and the atmosphere shifts as Alpha Aiden answers me.
“This is my fault, my responsibility. The culprit is currently in my cells and will face trial for bringing harm, hurt and pain to the fated mate of the Alpha.”
My eyes widen in astonishment as I look back at Eva. “You’re his mate? How can that be? And what about Ryan? I know he’s a tool, Eva, but you’ve always been adamant about the importance of your vows.”
As I finish my ramble the cold hard voice of the normally mellow Alejandro permeates the room. “So, who kidnapped and harmed Eva? This is now our business too, Alpha, with all due respect she has not accepted you and neither of you bear a mark. That makes this Mafia business, Eva is under our care and protection.”
The stupid great oaf, I kick him hard in the leg and he lets out a loud protest.
“Salma, for fucks sake, why are you kicking me? You know we can’t have one of ours getting hurt and not do nothing about it!”
I look at Eva, what will she think of me now she knows the truth of my family business? I feel almost ashamed, and yet I fully embrace who I am and where I have come from. Her expression hasn’t changed, he may well have said he is an alien from Pluto, for all the difference it makes to her.
“Alejandro, please listen to me. I believe I am the fated mate of Aiden. I do feel a connection to him. It was his Gamma and his friends who kidnapped me. As soon as Aiden found me, he took care of me and imprisoned the three responsible. He sent his sister to track down Summer and has just helped me finally get my house keys and bank cards off Ryan- who, might I add, is a lying, cheating bastard!”
She’ll get no argument from me there.
“I don’t know about wolf and Mafia etiquette, a few hours ago I wasn’t even sure those things existed. What I do know is that right now we have a common goal: my daughter, I need to find my daughter, so I need you all to work together please. I trust Aiden when he says he will punish those responsible. I have found no reason to doubt him so far. Sal, what do you say?”
Awe fills me as I look at her, it’s like the Eva from before is back, the Eva before she married Ryan and lived in Germany. She is gutsy and strong and vocal.
I hug Eva again. “It's so good to have you back, Eve.” She gives me a radiant smile.
“Ale, I am happy for the Alpha to deal with this, I trust Eva’s word. The important thing now is finding Summer, so let's get something to eat and share what information we have.” I feel warm inside when he winks at me and clamps his hand over mine.
“As you wish, Chula.” I used to think he called me cutie to annoy me, but as he rubs his thumb backwards and forwards over the back of my hand, I almost believe that he thinks it. He thinks I’m a cutie!
Amber's voice breaks our little love in, she is so annoying! “Summer was taken into care by a woman called Carole Berkley, who has now gone off work sick. I have her home address and her work history and even though she has worked in children’s services for over twenty years she has never lasted long at each job she has had, most of her placements are around six months long. We need to go to her home address and find out what she has done with Summer.”
Amber might be annoying, but she is a step ahead of us. “We spoke to one of our moles and there is no record of Summer being placed into a home, just of the initial call, it's almost like she vanishes,” I add to the group but stop when I hear Eva’s yelp of fright. I look to Ale; we need to do something.
“Let’s pay Mrs. Carole Berkley a visit then,” Ale says as he extends his hand to Aiden. I smile at him after they shake on their temporary alliance, and I start to see how having Ale on my side could be a positive thing.
If only he wanted a loudmouth wife who will not stay at home, we could have been happy.
*** Aiden ***
I tell Amber to leave her motorbike and travel with Eva and me, and despite her moans, she does as she is asked. It's nice having Eva here. Amber seems to want to make a good impression and isn’t half as annoying and outspoken as she usually is. I could get used to this.
We decided in the café before we left that Alejandro, and I would knock and pose as businessmen since we both have a shirt and tie on. We will make enquiries and try and listen out for signs of a child. When we give the signal, Eva will approach with Amber and Salma and demand that this Carole woman tells her where Summer is.
“I will mindlink Amber when the time is right for you to come to the door, okay, Shortie?” She nods at me and then frowns.
“When you say mindlink, do you mean you can talk to each other in your heads, like telepathy?” My sister laughs and I growl at her. She had best not mock my mate, I will kill her if she does.
“Sorry, Alpha,” Amber says and she sounds contrite, so I let it go this time.
“It’s a bit more complex than that, Shortie, but I suppose essentially yes. I can pass and receive messages with everyone in my pack, as long as we are close enough.” I chance a quick glance at her and smile when I see her nodding her head as she thinks about the information I have just given her.
As we get closer to the address, the more withdrawn and agitated Eva seems. She has practically bitten her nails down to the quick and she keeps tapping her foot and jiggling her leg about.
We park a short distance away and as I walk up to the house with Alejandro, I feel Eva’s desperation filling my chest through our bond. I ring the bell and after a few moments a middle-aged woman, portly and round and badly dressed, answers the door.
“Can I help you?” she asks us, almost absent-mindedly. A soap opera plays in the background and the woman is reluctant to take her eyes away from the screen. I listen to see if I can hear or sense a child in the house but I don’t sense a child here and frustration builds up inside me.
Alejandro is keeping the show going, asking about her life insurance cover and how her dependents will cope if she were to suddenly die.
“I don’t have dependents, just a cousin who has my prepaid funeral plan details, so I don’t need any life insurance, thank you.”
“Well, we have a full catalogue of products, madam. How about pet insurance or home and contents insurance?”
I quickly mindlink Amber to get here as soon as possible and within seconds Eva is up at the door.
“Where is my baby? What have you done with my daughter, you old hag?” There is terror in her voice, she is barely holding on to her composure.
“What is this? Who are you?” the old hag asks defensively.
“I am Eva Jefferson; I am Summer’s mum and I want my daughter back now!” Eva is shouting now so I go to her to try and calm her. “I want my daughter back; I want her back now!” she screeches.
“Oh yes, Mrs Jefferson, Summer had to be placed in protective custody after you abandoned her. That is protocol for abandoned children of unfit parents, because they are very rarely returned in case you feel like just abandoning her again. It’s what is in Summer’s best interest, she needs stability and love, and you clearly cannot give her that.”
“I will kill you; I want my baby back.” Eva tries to charge at the woman, she is furious and wound up. I try to wrap my arms around her to comfort her, to tell her we wouldn’t give up, we will get her daughter back, but she dodges and evades me.
“Making threats against authority figures. All you are proving, Mrs Jefferson, is that I was right to remove your poor child from your heartless care. Now go, I don’t know how you got my address, but I am calling the police right now. This is harassment and threatening behaviour.” She goads Eva by smiling at her as she takes her phone from her pocket.
As we drag Eva away from the house, she screams, and I have never ever in all my life heard or felt such heartrending pain. We arrive at my car and I try to hold her, but she lashes out at me.
“This is all because of you and that stupid mate’s bond. Well, I don’t want a mate, I want my baby back. This is your fault, Aiden; I wish I had never clapped eyes on you and then I would still have my sweet little girl with me.”
My little mate is overcome with grief and hurt and I feel responsible for her pain. I am going to kill Ellis for this.
“Go away, Aiden, go back to your pack and stay the hell away from me.” Without a backwards glance, she walks away from me and gets into the other car with Salma. I hear her crying and feel the wretched heartache of my mate filling my chest.
Alejandro claps me on my shoulder. “I will make sure she gets home safe, just give her some time and space to calm down, she’s overwrought. I will call you tomorrow and plan what to do next. Alpha, Lieutenant.”
I watch the car pull away in a daze. I am gobsmacked, even. It all went pear shaped within the blink of an eye and now, I know what heartbreak feels like!