Justice had a fitful night of sleep. The Mother came to him, but he fought the need to rest. All she’d done was continually whisper, “Trust your wolf.” The link between him and the Vampire King was eerily silent suddenly. Justice didn’t like that feeling, but at least it was a break from the pain and stress he felt when his mate was vocally upset, calling out to him. The thought was crippling. Justice got up and trudged exhaustedly to the bathroom. He had to somehow make himself reasonably presentable for the pack. It was already after eight a.m. He’d missed the pack’s sunrise run, and most likely breakfast.
“Justice. I brought you some food,” his sister said through the bedroom door.
He knew he looked like hell, but he pulled on a pair of sweats and opened the door. Farica gasped, clutching her hand over her mouth. “Oh, Justice.”
He reached out and took the large tray loaded with sausages, bacon, and a heaping pile of a fried potato dish with eggs and more meat. It looked great but his stomach revolted like it was shit on a platter. What the hell? Justice swallowed hard and put the tray down on the small coffee table in the sitting room. Maybe it was his stress causing him to lose his appetite.
“Why would you ever deny a true mate, Justice? It’s all any of us want.” She tucked her legs under her and settled into the corner of the couch. “I was doing some research last night. And do you know that the last reported statistic on found mates was compiled in 2012? It showed that only three vampires found their mates that year, and only one was reported in 2011. Well, not mate, Beloveds… how pretty does that sound?” Farica cooed.
Justice finally lifted his head from resting in his hands. He’d dropped down in the chair across from her, still feeling drained. Farica mentioning the word – beloved – a word that had echoed in his head for the last six hours made his stomach flop. “Are you for real?”
“I’m dead fuckin’ serious,” Farica growled, standing so fast her amazing strength pushed the couch back several feet until it hit the wall. His sister’s eyes flashed a brighter blue as she loomed over him. “You will condemn us all if you deny your mate. You won’t even be able to function… look at you now. Don’t be a goddamn fool.”
Justice tried to flex his AZ muscles, but his wolf was silent while another one berated him. Like Justice deserved a good tongue lashing from his intelligent sister and his wolf would not intervene to defend him. “Careful.” Justice scowled with little heat behind it.
His sister reared back. “See!”
“Farica leave me in peace, please.”
Farica’s eyes bugged. She rarely got rattled and she definitely never cursed. If she was already being pushed to the limit, then a lot more of his pack were probably beside themselves. His pack and shifters all over the country needed to feel his strength. Right now, Justice didn’t know what the wolves were feeling.
“My wolf just damn near challenged yours and you did nothing. I’m not the least bit intimidated by you right now, Justice.”
“Do you forget that you’re also an alpha from a long, dominant bloodline? You shouldn’t be easily intimidated,” Justice mumbled like he didn’t care.
“Justice, please. Listen to reason. The Mother doesn’t make mistakes.”
“I will not be forced into this!” Justice roared, sending Farica cowering away.
Alek and Mac burst through the door and hurried Farica from the room. Justice tried to call out a weak apology to her but Alek cut him off.
“Justice. You can’t keep going like this. You do realize that, right? It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours and already this is driving you insane,” Mac told him.
“Where’s Taleb?” Justice sighed.
“He went to Mystic.” Alek’s look was serious.
Justice groaned. “I didn’t give permission for anyone in my pack, especially my brother, to visit a Shaman.”
“When has Taleb ever waited for permission to seek out information? When has any of us ever waited for permission to help each other? We obviously don’t understand how the Vampire King’s been fated to be your mate, but there has to be a very big ass cosmic explanation. One that’s way beyond our scope of understanding. None of us know how you’re already semi-linked and able to communicate with him. But Just, you’re smart enough to know that with the vampire and shifter feud threatening our way of life, it has to be more than just a freak of nature that the Vampire fucking King is your true, destined mate. The King! Winchester Bentley’s first born son and successor. I mean, come on. The Mother didn’t exactly sell you short, bro. Why are you stalling?”
“Figures you’d think that, Mac. You’ve always failed to see the bigger picture. How will anyone follow me when I’ve mated with the enemy? Mated with a person who kills his own kind unapologetically. How could I allow a man like that – with that kind of power and ability – around my shifters? We have young pups to protect, Macauley. I have to be absolutely sure of the vampire’s intentions or I’d be endangering them, and that’s something I will never, ever, do as long as I have breath,” Justice argued, that incessant pounding starting in his head again.
“AZ! AZ, I have news.” The Humboldt pack Alpha, Mikel, didn’t wait for Justice or his brothers to invite him in.
Mikel already knew what was going on with Justice. “What is it, Mikel?”
“One of my pack members works at the Henderson Executive Airport and he called and reported that he saw the Vampire King’s escort boarding their jet. The flight plan was one-way to London City Airport. He didn’t—”
“Ugggh, Alek, help,” Justice cried out, crouching on the floor. No wonder he could hardly feel Wick. The thought that his mate was so far out of his reach drove his wolf into a psychotic frenzy. Justice’s back bowed and his fists balled up hard enough to dig his nails into his palms. His mate was gone and Justice had run him off, now his wolf would torture him until he made it right.
“He’s still here, Justice.” Alpha Mikel hurried to finish his report while Justice’s brother tried to calm him down. “Seven members of the escort were missing, including Chadwick Bentley and his captain. He didn’t leave… not yet.
“My pack is afraid, Alpha. Call to your mate and ease your wolf. There may be some shifters that won’t stand behind you immediately, but you have me and one hundred fifty-two of my pack members standing with you now. That’s a damn good start. We’ll go all the way with you AZ. All the way to the council if we have to. But my pack is in complete panic and uproar.