“He’s going to get himself killed. You have to stop him, Ben.” Simon said.
“You don’t even know where he’s gone and why should we bother anyway?” Paul said.
Sarah scowled at the beta, leaning against Ben's living room.
“He’s gone to Dawn,” Simon said.
Sarah noticed the atmosphere in the room go from bad, to worse, as Paul and Ben stared at Simon.
“What? Don’t look at me like that. It wasn’t my idea. He was coming to you guys for help but you royally fucked that up, didn’t you?” Simon said.
Sarah watched with folded arms as Simon stood and began pacing the floor.
“What did you want me to do? He comes here and starts accusing us of having some woman that I've never heard of, then shifts. Obviously, I'm not going to let that go unchallenged, but then a rogue like you wouldn’t understand, would you?” Paul said, pushing himself off the wall and squaring his shoulders at Simon.
Ben, seemingly oblivious to what was about to happen, stared at the floor while rubbing his chin with his thumb. “He can shift. I have a son who can shift. I can’t believe it.”
“Wake up and smell the coffee, Ben. You can’t just go presuming this woman is telling the truth. She’s probably just some fur grabber looking for a rough time and hoping she’ll be marked. I mean…”
Sarah jumped as Ben dove out of his chair and all but flew to Paul, grabbing him by the throat. “Sarah is and always has been, my mate and you will do well to remember that and give her the same respect you give me. Understand?”
Sarah watched as Paul nodded his head and from the corner of her eye, she saw Simon smirk as he turned his face away from the beta and said, “So, we know where he is going. We know why he’s going. Now we need to figure out how we’re going to help him.”
“Why is he going there? Sarah, you told me a friend of yours had gotten herself in some shit with Dawn. Is it related?”
Sarah sighed and nodded, “Charlie. Someone is after killing her and Aiden has heard that this Dawn, whoever they are, have taken on the contract. She’s been missing for hours now and he must think they have her.”
“They do. Thunder was seen throwing her into a van with a blanket over her head,” Simon said. “I was bringing Aiden here so he could ask Ben for help, but again, that all royally fucked up, didn’t it?” Simon said, shooting Paul a look.
“Enough! That’s my son out there and he’s about to get himself killed and all I see in this room is a pair of bullheaded idiots trying to square up to each other. If you can't control your wolves, get out and let the adults sort things out,” Sarah said. Everything was going wrong and the last thing she needed was two wolves trying to challenge each other.
“Ben, we have to go get him and Charlie, too. He won’t stop until he has her." Her voice was calmer as she looked at Ben.
“We can’t. It doesn’t work like that, Sarah. You know that. It will cause an all-out pack war,” Ben said. “I want to help, but.”
“So do it,” Simon said, cutting him up. “You have a bigger and stronger pack. You know what will happen to both of them if we don’t go.”
“Simon is right. I don’t know who these wolves are but I know Aiden can’t handle them on his own. No wolf, especially a new shifter, could take on an entire pack by themselves," Sarah said.
“Why is this girl, Charlie, so important?” Paul asked.
“She's his mate,” Sarah said, quietly.
Ben turned to her, his eyes showing nothing but sorrow as he nodded his head in understanding. “Paul, call a meeting. Have everyone in the village hall in fifteen minutes.”
*
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*
*
*
Aiden pulled a leaf from a tree as he walked along the side of the stream. He couldn’t help thinking how quiet and peaceful the forest was, as he listened to the sound of the water running over its rocky bed. He had already found the pack village, hidden away in the centre of the woods but he had yet to locate the cabin that Simon had mentioned. He had thought it would be close to the village but a quick search of the inner forest area had revealed nothing but a few sentries.
He would probably get himself killed before he even got to her, he knew that, but what choice did he have?
Might have been different if Sarah hadn't kept everything back like she always does. All those years he’s been just there and she never said a word. Letting me think he didn’t exist when he did. He could have taught me to shift and helped me find my wolf earlier. Things could have been different to what they are now. I could have been different. No, I couldn’t have been different. I was always meant to be what I am.
Aiden heard a blood-curdling scream coming from his right. The way his stomach fell to the centre of the earth, told him it was Charlie.
“I'm coming, Charlie. Hang on, baby.”
Aiden ran as fast as he could, but instead of going to the right, towards the scream, he ran straight for the village. He would spend the entire night searching the forest for the cabin when instead, he could make one of those wolves take him directly to it and it would be a hell of a lot faster. He just needed to push the right buttons and he knew exactly how to do that.
Slowing to a halt, Aiden pictured Rafael in his mind, then smoothed out his charcoal suit and began walking the rest of the way to the village. It wouldn’t be fitting for Rafael Hernandez, feared mafia Don, to be seen running around looking for Charlie when all he would need to do would be to ask to see her. After all, he would have to make sure it’s her.
Aiden couldn’t help smiling at the genius of his plan.
Nobody would be able to tell that he was Rafael.
They never could.