Saving the Alpha's Dream Mate

Everything

Alpha Walker looked completely different now that he had emerged from the room.

He seemed calm, and sure of himself; a lot of the Pack members were feeling uneasy and he had to put his own grief aside to comfort them.

"I'm sorry I didn't address your fears sooner," Alpha Walker was still looking at the young woman whose eyes were brimming with tears, but he seemed to be addressing the group rather than her alone.

The woman nodded quickly and sniffed, then wiped her eyes.

"No, Alpha; I should be sorry," she took a deep breath to calm herself before she continued, "I just can't bear to think of you hurting like this - I know you loved her. She would have been perfect for us; she was kind, honest, and strong.... she was the perfect Mate for you."

"I appreciate that," Alpha Walker put his hand on the woman's shoulder, "but you don't have to be sorry for me. It was my honor to call her my Mate, and I will hold her in my heart for the rest of my life. That's why it's so important we stay strong - we will mourn her loss, but whoever murdered will pay for what they did."

"I'm sure of that, Alpha. Her death will not go unavenged."

"Thank you, Cecilia," he pulled his hand back from her, and smiled sadly before he cleared his throat and his beautiful crystal blue eyes glazed over. "I'm going to look at the body..." Alpha Walker spoke in a voice that was firm and steady, and he was clearly addressing the group now. "I will not be taking any risks. I need to know what happened to my Mate, and I will find out who is responsible and why they did this to her. I will track them down alone if I have to."

He stepped past the young woman and the rest of the group parted to let him through.

I wasn't sure whether I wanted to follow him when he was going to see Lady Katelyn's body, but I needed to know what my Pack had done to her, so I walked slowly behind him and focussed on his scent and the sounds of the bustling Packhouse.

I didn't pay much attention to what the place looked like; I didn't really care what it looked like. It was nicer than the Packhouse I had lived in, but that wasn't surprising. Most Packhouses were nicer than ours.

Alpha Walker stopped a few times on his way through the corridors to talk to other Pack members - he knew what every last member of his Pack was called, and they were not afraid to talk to him. His Pack adored him, and that made him a far stronger leader than Alpha Lincoln could ever hope to be.

I could see his eyes welling up as we neared the room Lady Katelyn's body had been taken to, but he wasn't going to break down where the Pack could see him and he dismissed the guards who were stationed outside of the room before he went in to see his Mate.

I stood back and watched as he approached her - I probably should have waited outside of the room, but I needed to see her.

She was lying on a dark blue satin sheet which was draped over some sort of platform and her body was surrounded by fragrant white flowers- the room was apparently a place of reflection, designed to lay out lost Pack members so they could be mourned by their loved ones.

There were flickering candles around the room and their warm glow gave Lady Katelyn's skin a tone that was almost lifelike. She was beautiful, and she looked so fragile in the wispy pale green dress she had been dressed in that her death seemed particularly cruel.

"You didn't deserve this," he said in shaky, uncertain words as he approached her.

When he reached her side, he leaned down to kiss her - it was as if he couldn't bear to face her if he didn't tell himself she was only sleeping.

They were both beautiful, and she really had been perfect for him, but now...now they would never have the chance they deserved to live a happy life.

"You were everything to me, Katelyn..."

"You were everything to her, too," I tried to comfort him, even though he couldn't hear me.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you."

My heart raced and I felt a rush of overwhelming guilt.

"You couldn't have known..."

He carried on talking to Lady Katelyn, sharing intimate words about the future he had hoped they would share.

They were words intended for her alone, but I listened, and I answered despite the fact he would never know it.

He bowed his head and kneeled beside her, and I walked up behind him and rested my hand on his shoulder.

I couldn't feel anything, and he didn't respond, but it felt like the right thing to do and I decided that I wouldn't try to run from him if I ever found myself in the same dreamworld as him again - I would try to help him avenge her, and I would make sure he knew her death was not his fault.

If I ever got the chance to talk to him again, I would tell him that Alpha Lincoln had been the one to order Lady Katelyn's murder.