He’s My Alpha by Cassandra M (Jake & Clair)
Chapter 68
Jake.
Her connection with my pack was severed.
It was either because she was a lone wolf now or because she had pledged loyalty to a new pack. I couldn’t describe the pain in my chest when it hit me. It was torturous. Not because it was
unbearable, but because I knew it was her. My only consolation up until the moment she denounced the pack was that she was alive. But it was no longer guaranteed after this point.
This was all my fault. I should have claimed her. She ’s f*uc*king mine, but because of my stupidity and cowardice, I let all this happen to her.
The pain I felt right now was tenfold more than what I had felt when she left the first time when I thought she had found her mate. At least then, I believed she was happy. All the pain was just for me. But now I knew she was in danger, and this made the pain more unbearable.
I had poured whisky into my glass, but it stayed untouched for Goddess knows how long. I couldn’t bring myself to drink it. I wanted to just back out, not function at all, and forget everything, but my desire to have her back was stronger. I needed to sober up and find my mate. She needed me more than ever.
Everything was clearer now.
Alpha Argon, Aeon’s father, was the Alpha who was supposed to claim Camilla if David hadn’t shown up at Camilla’s Claiming.
They might have taken my mate for revenge or for Aeon to mate with her.
Every piece of information I had at the moment pointed to Aeon. I couldn’t believe I was friends with this f*uc*ker.
I was all set to focus on Aeon and his father when a new set of leads came in. My trackers handed me the data they’d gathered based on the information provided by my Beta. The black van was hired from the City of Asphere. The identity used by the person who hired the van was falsified. But this city was neutral territory, just beside the Night Howlers Pack.
Night Howlers Pack belonged to Alpha Noah, Camilla’s brother.
Their families were known for marrying off their daughters and nieces to Alphas for alliances for many generations now. This was the main reason David had decided to hide Clair’s identity for as long as he could. He didn’t want them to come after her.
The Claiming was due to happen in four days. I was running out of time.
I had sent a request to visit Aeon’s territory under the guise that I wanted to talk more about our joint investment and help my warriors find a mate before the Blue Moon next week.
Packs had the tradition of allowing males to visit another pack to scent the unmated females to find their mates. He would not be able to decline this unless he had a good reason. It would be an opportunity for me and my men to scent Clair in their territory.
I would do the same for Noah’s pack. I would offer him a business deal. I knew his pack wasn’t doing well from the monetary aspect, and I would take that as an advantage to scan his place.
There were also spies sent to both packs. I had no other option but to go this way. I could not start a war with no evidence of any breach and put all my men in danger. And war was the last thing I wanted. But I was losing time already. Every hour pained me more than the last. We needed to move fast.
At the first sign of daylight, I opened my window and jumped out. Echo wanted to run. And after this, I needed to face my pack.
It was now or never. They had the right to know.
I was in my office in the training building, thinking about how I would talk to my pack about the situation we were in when my Beta informed me through our mind links that everyone who could come quickly was already at the quadrangle near the training grounds.
I stepped out of my office and made my way to the grounds. I could hear whispers and uneasiness all around. I couldn’t blame them. It wasn’t an everyday thing that, as an Alpha, I asked for their presence unless it was a pressing matter that needed to be addressed right away.
Once I stepped on stage, the voices turned down.
Everyone’s eyes were on me. And I didn’t make them wait any longer.
I took a deep breath and pulled myself to stand straight, despite the heaviness I felt inside.
“You might wonder why I called out for a meeting on such short notice. We didn’t have time to spare, but I know that as your Alpha, I owe all of you an explanation and an apology. All questions will be entertained later after I speak.” I began, my eyes shifting from one member to another.
“I found you, your Luna.” And the murmurs began.
My Beta, standing by the end of the stage, raised his palm and coiled it into a fist, signaling everyone to stay quiet, which they followed right away. It was my cue to continue.
“She’s Clair Montrell, and she’s my fated mate. It is known to most of you, especially the older generations, that this pack seemed to never thrive under the rule of a fated Alpha and Luna, thus the reason I was hesitant to claim her.”
The crowd started to mumble and whisper again, but it was faint. This time I didn’t stop talking.
“But she’s all I wanted for my Luna. I have fears… I have doubts, and I’m sure you all have your doubts as well. I cannot guarantee you that by claiming her, the same fate will not happen to our pack. But what I can guarantee you is that I will do my best, and together with my Beta and my Gamma, we will hold the pack together for us to continue to thrive as we do now.”
I took a deep breath before I continued. “
Unfortunately, she’s not here.”
I closed my eyes for a brief second and placed my hands in my pocket, hiding the will to coil my hands into fists.
“She was taken yesterday. By whom, I have no idea, but we are determined to find out and take her back. I!
One of the members in the crowd, Alex, a former warrior probably around 60-65 years old, raised his hand and began speaking.
“I’m sorry to cut you off, Alpha, but my question can’t wait. You haven’t claimed her yet, but it looks like we are already geared toward doom. You will start a war in her name, and what will happen to us if your life is taken or we lose our warriors?”
“I understand your point, and I know some of you share the same sentiments. I would avoid war at any cost, as much as I could. I will do my best to take her back in a peaceful way; however, she’s my Luna, your Luna. I will not stand and watch while someone destroys her… I will go to war if I need to.”
The whispers and murmurs heightened, and with the werewolf hearing, I caught words I’d been dreading to hear, but it was something I could not avoid.
Cursed. My people talked about her being my curse.
I looked down at my feet for a brief second before shifting my eyes to meet Alex. “If the Goddess gave her to me as my curse, I will still gladly take her back. She was given to me for a reason.” I paused and cleared my throat. “But I will not impose on my warriors to come with me and fight for her unless they want to. And if the inevitable happens and I lose my life, I know you’ll be left in good hands.”
My eyes darted to my Beta, his hands on his sides were coiled into fists.
“Beta Gavin will take over.”
Everyone fell silent. All eyes were on my Beta right now, but he wasn’t taking his gaze off the floor.
“I’ve spent the last ten years of my life making sure this pack grows. And we did. You were all great and I don’t have any doubt this pack will continue to be great. Back then, I thought I didn’t need a Luna to rule beside me. But everything changed when she came. Those of you who are mated would understand, so I only ask you one thing today…”
I smiled weakly, my eyes scanning the crowd — the familiar faces I grew up with, the mothers and fathers I never had, the people who embraced me and nurtured me. The people who believed in me. “Bless me… and ask the Moon Goddess on my behalf to bless me so I can bring home your Luna, where she belongs. Maybe the Goddess will listen to your pleas more than mine because I was never a good son others.”
I closed my eyes to keep my tears from falling. I have always been strong, whether on the battlefield or in front of my pack, not showing any emotions at all but I could feel it — I was slowly breaking.
I opened my eyes to see my warriors on their knees with coiled fists on their chests and the rest of my members followed suit.
They accepted my decision. They wanted their Luna back.
Timothy, Aaron’s second-in-command, rose to his feet and spoke the words I’d been waiting desperately to hear. “I and my warriors are with you, Alpha. We will do our best to take our Luna back!”
The rest of the warriors raised their fists into the air as they chanted in unison. “We will take our Luna back!”
I nodded at them and threw a glance at Aaron. He was still on his knees as tears trickled down his face but his face was showing relief.
Aaron was the Commander of the warriors, but he didn’t command his warriors to come to his sister’s aid. They decided on their own.
My heart soared with pride. I couldn’t be more proud of my people than I am right now.