The Forgotten Mate and The Alpha Prince

Chapter Twelve – The Alpha Prince and his Forgotten Mate.

Chapter Twelve – The Alpha Prince and his Forgotten Mate.

Asher sat in Alpha Pinewood’s office, looking through the pack accounts. They looked perfect, everything adding up where it should, but he had seen many accounting books before, and the ones he was currently examining were just too perfect. Something was not right. Even the royal pack would have amendments included or the odd missed receipt. It was par for the course when allocating the pack funds to people. At least once or twice, you will have someone lose or forget to get a receipt, or have a shop not provide one, the till roll having run out, or something like that. To have every last penny accounted for was highly unusual. It was almost as if the accounts were not real.

Dealing with numbers was not Asher’s forte, and as he was trained by his father, to know his strengths and his weaknesses, to make himself a better leader, he recognised he needed some help. His sister Phoenix had found accountancy errors when she first became Luna of Montseny pack and was able to find out where and how money was going missing, quickly. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he called Phoenix in Spain.

“Hey Asher, how is it going?” Phoenix asked, her voice sounding a little bit too happy, and Asher understood totally that whatever their mother knew, she had shared with his sister.

“It is going… the damned Luna is wanting me to choose her annoying daughter as my mate, yadda, yadda, yadda. However, more importantly, there is something off here. The alpha is lying through his back teeth, about two missing girls, Alpha Alisha Wilson of the Edensor pack, and her young sister Iesha,” Asher sighed out in frustration, running his hand through his hair.

“So… use your royal voice and demand where they are,” Phoenix said, her tone matter of fact.

“Not yet, I feel there is something else. I need to get to the bottom of it all before I do that. But trust me, if I do not catch him red-handed doing something illegal, I will go royal on his ass. But for now, because you know I am your favourite brother, I really need your help, please. I have their accounts in front of me in a spreadsheet, with photocopies of the receipts, and the books are just too perfect. Not a single error, anywhere, or lost receipt. If I email them over to you, could you take a look please, see what I am missing?” Asher sighed.

“I love all my brothers equally,” Phoenix giggled at Asher, although he was clearly stressed about things, it made her heart glad that he still found time to claim her favouritism, as normal.

“It sounds like a fake ledger, send it over and I will have a look. However, it may be worth giving dad or Hamish a call, as I would like to bet there is another file hidden on the system somewhere, or on a private computer,” Phoenix continued.

“He mentioned that he had a private laptop that has the girls’ Alpha training teaching plans on and what they have done when I questioned why he did not send them to the academy. He is lying, I know that, beyond a shadow of a doubt. Maybe I should give him a chance to cobble something together so I can get my hands on the laptop, and see if the real accounts are held on there,” Asher pondered out loud.

“Sounds like a plan. But, seriously, ask Hamish how to find out if there are any hidden files on the computer you are working on or even let him hack it and take a look through,” Phoenix gave her advice.

“Yes, will do, thanks Phoenix, sending this one to you now,” Asher said, then began to type the email, before saying his goodbyes and ringing his brother to ask for his help as well.

Asher made the call to Hamish, explaining his dilemma, and just as he knew he would, his brother instantly began to look at ways of hacking the system to see if anything was hidden.

“It may take me a few hours to go through everything. I will send you a text when I am in, and what I have found,” Hamish declared.

Asher smiled, his brother would now hyper-focus, loving the challenge this would bring, and he understood all too well. Hamish would not stop until he solved the puzzle.

Unable to proceed any further with the Matlock Pack accounts, Asher decided to leave it for now, and start his interviews with the Omegas. Walking out of the office, he felt Max become active in his mind once more, spinning around, excitement coming off him in waves, his tail wagging furiously.

“Hey, buddy, what is going on?” Asher asked his wolf, not for the first time.

“I don’t know, but I can sense something, and whatever it is, makes me really happy,” Max replied.

“Max, what do you think it might be?” Asher asked, already having a thought in his mind.

“I don’t know yet. Whatever it is, the power from it is strong,” Max commented, lolloping his tongue out the side of his mouth and looking like he was smiling.

“Max, could this be our mate?” Asher asked the question that was on his mind since his Wolf’s mixed-up emotions began to manifest, along with the strange conversation with his mother, plus with Phoenix’s knowing smile and overly happy voice when he called as if she was waiting for some fantastic news.

“Not sure, I need to scent my mate to know. Don’t get your hopes up just yet, Asher.”

Asher felt a wave of his own excitement wash over him, at the thought of meeting his mate. He fantasized about building their future together. Not for the first time he wondered what type of person she would be, would she be strong, or lean on him? He didn’t really care and would love his mate irrespective. But if he had to be forced to give a preference, he would prefer a strong mate who could hold her own. His mind wandered to what she would look like. He knew she would be the most beautiful person in the world to him once he met her, but he still found his mind wandering to what her hair would be like, her eyes, her body. Taking a breath, Asher fought his wandering thoughts and the effect it was having on his body. He had things to sort, puzzles to solve, and omegas to speak with, and having a raging hard bulge in his black ripped jeans was not going to help him achieve his goals for the day. Asher was concerned they might think he was some kind of pervert, and that would not be helpful at all.

~ ~ ~

Jabez paced the floor, he needed to dig himself out of this hole, and have at least an hour or so of access to his laptop to build a training log for the Wilson girls. He could have kicked himself for not thinking things through properly.

“Calm down Jabez, he will guess something is wrong if you don’t.” Qamar tried to calm her mate down.

Taking a breath, Jabez halted.

“We have to find a way to get those two out of here, so I can have my rogue connections end them for us,” Jabez sighed.

“Okay, well, we are at the hospital, with that doctor he brought with him. David and Mike are off with the omega, who is posing as a warrior, while he talks to the omegas with the human. But Honey is free. Why not send her down and have that Eamon who is very loyal to that stupid girl, take them into the woods, and get rid of all three of them that way? Make out they were returning from the cottage,” Qamar said, placing her hand on his back and rubbing it up and down.

“You are brilliant. Yes, let’s do that,” Jabez agreed.

~ ~ ~

“Alisha, I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to, and now they will punish you!” Iesha’s voice shouted through to the sitting room from Honey’s safehouse bedroom.

Alisha stood up, she had taken a nap on the sofa after connecting with her wolf for the first time and eating as much chicken as her stomach could handle. Hearing the fear in her sister’s voice, she wondered what had happened, and walked into the bedroom. As she entered, the distinct smell of acetone filled the room, and on the bed was a full bottle of sky-blue nail polish that Honey loved to wear, spilled all over the covers.

Alisha sighed, there was no use getting upset over it, they were going to punish her anyway, so what are one or two more whips in the grand scheme of things? Plus, she hoped beyond hope her wolf would speak with her again soon, and she would be able to get both of them and their pack members out of this god-forsaken pack. After eating the packet of cooked chicken, her wolf had gone back to sleep, without her even finding out her name. Alisha was eager to find out more about her, to see what she looked like, but other than feelings, and the soft voice she heard, and the bright beautiful emerald eyes, she had not a lot to go on.

Alisha looked at Iesha as the little girl’s eyes filled with tears, her bottom lip trembling. Walking over to her sister, Alisha gathered Iesha in her arms and held her close.

“Shh, don’t cry, it is okay. It was an accident. I am going to get punished no matter what, so I may as well give them something to punish me for. Don’t worry, please, it is really going to be okay,” Alisha soothed her heartbroken sister.

The sound of the door to the safe room creaking and groaning as it opened filled the room. Alisha inhaled a deep breath, bracing herself for what she knew was going to happen.

“What the hell, that is my favourite nail polish you little b***h!” Honey screeched.

Then the spoilt, girl lost control of her temper. Completely, Honey grabbed Iesha by her hair, dragged her out of Alisha’s protective arms, and slapped her across her little face.

Alisha let out a loud growl and instantly grabbed Honey by the throat, pinning her to the wall. As she stood she began to feel immense pain in her body, her jaw felt like it was breaking, and her face painfully began to elongate, forming a partial snout. Where her hands and nails grabbed Honey’s neck, were long claws, as she let out a massive scream. Desperate for the shift to complete, Alisha was left in a state of limbo, as she stopped mid-shift, nothing else happening. Excruciating pain washed through her body, and as fear began to rise, that she was stuck mid-shift, and if her wolf was not strong enough to complete it, she understood, she would probably die. Her fear was not for herself, but for her sister, and her loyal pack members. Their fate hung in the balance, and using every last bit of her energy and willpower, she turned her head to Iesha and Eamon.

“RUN!” Alisha groaned out urgently, as she felt darkness beginning to descend in front of her eyes.