The Alpha's love slave

CHAPTER ONE: GONE MATE!

Blood Rose Pack territory, TWO DAYS AGO…

“What did you say?” Dastan Acker exclaimed in stunned disbelief as he struggled to process the shocking news. He blinked stupidly. Surely, he must have misheard his beta Eaton?

“I’m sorry, Alpha,” his best friend and beta replied with his head bent in apology even though he was not responsible for what happened. Eaton Miller and himself went a long way back, in fact Dastan couldn’t remember a time when Eaton hadn’t been part of his life. “It’s confirmed. Shirley said she saw Eden fleeing in the night,” the man repeated in a grim voice.

Fury, unlike anything Dastan had experienced before rolled through him, the hot quick lava burning his insides with outrage and anger. “Where was she heading to? Has Shirley followed her to find more?”

“I don’t know, Alpha. Shirley wants to speak with you alone.”

“Then bring her in!” Dastan roared with impatience. His mate Eden Santana had been seen last night escaping the territories of the Blood Rose pack, his pack. It was unacceptable. The Santanas came from the Golden Summit pack, a faraway territory. It had been sheer coincidence that he’d come across his mate after four years of longing for her.

During one of the wolf treaties he’d attended months ago, he’d been pleasantly surprised when a burst of pure jasmine had invaded his nostrils. After so many years of not bonding with a mate, Alpha Dastan Acker had given up looking for her.

Meeting her had been a delightful coincidence. Dastan’s wolf Meir had been over the moon to be finally united with its mate. After obtaining her father’s permission, Dastan had brought Eden to his home.

Unfortunately, the latest developments in his pack had taken most of his time and attention. It had been regrettable, but nothing was more important to him than performing his Alpha duty. Maybe he should have taken the time to talk to her and make her feel more comfortable.

But to have her escape from his home was unforgivable. Not to mention disgraceful. He was the leader of a very powerful pack. Being so openly rejected was a matter of great offense and disgrace to him.

Eden should have at least given him a chance to explain himself, not that he was bound to give any sort of justifications. But he would have loved to speak to her about the troubles that his pack was enduring.

Vowing to himself to make it up to Eden when she came back, his piercing gaze landed on the plump woman who lived near the boundaries of the territory. Shirley Jones was one of their most ancient wolves who had lost her family in a wretched accident. Left alone, she chose to live on the borders rather than with the rest of them.

“Speak, Shirley. What is it you want to tell me that is so particular?” he questioned lightly, but his body was rigid with tension and worry. What if a rogue werewolf found Eden and hurt her? What if she met with their lethal enemies, the vampires?

Meir was miserable and losing his mind with worry, and it was the first time that the black beast was beyond his control. Dastan could feel the wolf’s unspent energy to spring into action, and he was doing his best to calm him down.

“Alpha…,” she began hesitantly, pursing her lips in worry. I’m afraid I have bad news,” she eventually said in a rush of breath. He frowned. What could be worse than his mate escaping during the night like a filthy thief? How could Eden leave without having a word with him first? He would have told her that he was currently busy and would have given her time in a matter of days.

It's been only what? - weeks since she’d joined his pack. In alarm, Dastan mentally corrected himself. Seven months! Seven months Eden had been in his pack. How time had flied! He hadn’t even realized that it’s been so long that his mate had been brought to an alien territory and left to fend for herself.

He berated himself for his negligence. Meir stirred inside him.

It’s all your fault! the wolf reproached dejectedly. We should find her and bring her back home.

Let’s hear the bad news first, Dastan inferred calmly to his wolf, but lost his endurance with the woman facing him. “What is it?” he snapped impatiently. He was not in the mood to accommodate someone else’s anxiety. He was beyond himself imagining the worst that could happen to his fiancée.

“Alpha, last night your fiancée met with some other man. She escaped with another werewolf,” the woman supplied with great humility.

The air gushed out of his chest in one single surge. There was no pain, but his mind blacked out. The anger which engulfed him was so potent that his breath hitched in abruptly blinding him to everything in his surroundings. Another man?!

“Are you sure?” he croaked in disbelief, hating the way his voice caught over the question. Showing weakness to his pack was not a very good idea, but he was currently beyond himself. “Are you one hundred percent sure of what you’re saying?” his voice contained a note of steel which warned that he would not tolerate any room for errors in the accusation.

Shirley bent her head in humility. “I saw them. I’m sorry, Alpha.”

“Who?” he asked, tongue darting out to moisten his parched lips. Humiliation roared inside him like an uncomfortable cloak making him cringe inside. Shame – that was a feeling he’d experienced only once in his life. And he’d vowed never to allow anyone enough power to make him suffer through it again. What did that say about him? What kind of example was he setting for his people?

“I didn’t see his face. It was dark,” the woman interjected quickly, too quickly. Dastan picked up the lie easily.

“Shirley,” he began warningly. “I’m asking you as a favor. If you know who he is, please give me the name. I have many enemies who want to harm me, and Eden might be in greater danger than you can imagine.”

There was a loaded silence before the woman sighed deeply. “Alpha…”

“I am not going to repeat myself,” he said with a steely determination in his tone. “You either tell me the name now or I will find out the culprit by myself. It won’t be good for you if I discover that you’re in cahoots with him.”

“I am not involved with that man or any member of that pack!!!” she protested so violently that Dastan’s eyebrows raised in alarm.

“The Crystal Blood Pack?” he rasped viscerally. “Xander Henderson?!”

“Yes, Alpha. Xander Henderson took Eden away!!!”

Dastan thundered loudly; the rumble of revolt so vivid that he reigned in his rage with difficulty. His wolf Meir could not be so easily controlled. He howled in fury and started to pound Dastan’s chest without inhibitions.

That bastard! That low-level bastard! How dare he? Wasn’t the last lesson enough for him? Didn’t he had enough when we rejected his foolish sister and humiliated her in front of the whole world?

Meir, will you please calm down? Dastan cried desperately, trying to put a leash on his wolf with much effort. We got this!

How dare he?! Meir screamed in outrage beyond consolation. How dare that bastard Henderson kidnap our mate? And we’re going to sit back and do nothing in return?!!

I promise I will find out what’s going on, Dastan tried to rationalize the beast who was threatening to arise from his body. His mind was whirling with the possibilities in the meantime. Why had Xander escaped with his mate? Was revenge on his agenda?

“Was Eden being dragged? Or did she appear to be willing?” he asked with a heart full of trepidation. It was dishonorable enough for Xander to leave with his mate, but if Eden was also part of that humiliation would be unforgivable.

Shirley seemed to ponder over the question before she shook her head. “I am not sure. It’s hard to tell since I couldn’t hear their conversations. But they did seem to know each other.”

Dastan felt his heart constrict over the information. Now, he understood why the trusted ancient Shirley had insisted on speaking with him alone. If there was the slightest possibility that Eden was involved with Henderson, his whole pack would rebel against him.

There was bad blood between the two packs – the enmity between them ancient and religious. However, the latest attack had been an unexpected invasion of the Crystal Blood Pack on their territories had caused the death of some of their pack members. Although it had been an unfortunate accident, Dastan was not ready to forgive or forget the incident.

He could remember the sadistic joy he’d experienced upon discovering that his beta Eaton Miller was the mate of Henderson’s sister. They’d taken exceptional pleasure to humiliate and reject the girl to avenge their lost families.

He'd lost precious pack members, the Jones family included during the attack of the enemies. All because of that Henderson! And to now hear that he’d had the audacity to take away his mate! It was unforgivable. His mind revolted when he thought of how terrified Eden would be right now. That poor soul must have already been traumatized to leave her family and pack behind, but now to be under the captivity of their enemy.

Dastan’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he allowed the rage to take over – it was far far better than the shame he’d just experienced. He now had a reason to fight back. How cowardly of Xander Henderson to avenge his sister’s humiliation by using another helpless woman.

A devilish grin slanted across his face as Dastan contemplated his plan. He would use that spineless i***t’s action against him. For now, he had to look for Eden before any harm befell her.

I don’t want to know what’s happening!!! Meir screamed in outrage, his nostrils flaring in anger. Dastan had never felt his wolf so out of control before. I want this pain and humiliation to go away. This can only be done through revenge. I want blood for blood.

What do you mean? Dastan asked, a feeling of trepidation filling him at how desperate and irascible Meir sounded. Premonition grabbed him. His wolf had a dark side which had the tendency to go out of control, and he had to tamper him down a few times now. It was proving to be more and more difficult as Meir grew stronger every day.

I want retaliation, Meir echoed firmly. If he took our mate, we need to pick up someone from his pack, someone close to him! Let’s take his sister for revenge!

It was a fair demand, and Dastan weighed the pros and cons inside his head. Maera Henderson was no match for him, she was a weak demure girl who was an easy target. It was not like him to prey on weaklings, but he had to admit that Meir was right this time.

He couldn’t let Xander Henderson’s actions go unpunished like the previous time– there was bound to be retaliation on his side. Hadn’t his pack members already asked him to be fairer towards them against the injustice caused by the Crystal Blood pack? This was the golden opportunity he’d been waiting for too long to let it pass.

Maera Henderson, the Crystal Blood Alpha’s daughter was going to regret the day she was born.