Fated To My Lycan Stepbrothers
Chapter 176

Kyle's POV

"Mother..." Zeke whispered as he sighted the stone in which our mother names weeds written. "How could father have been so cruel to hide her resting place from us..." Why would Father act this way?

Shadow suddenly began to sniff. It was making me lose concentration because I was the one sniffing.

"Hey, stop that." I snapped at him, also trying to hold Zeke from going berserk. Beta Brooke was majorly silent. He knew that we had questions for him.

"Beta Brooke, didn't our father tell you anything?" I asked harshly, expecting him to tell us that Renee was right. "Did he not at least tell you this?"

When Beta Brooke looked up at me with confusion and tears in his eyes, I knew he didn't know too. What was father thinking, doing this to us?

"He told me she died trying to birth you. He said he buried her at the manor." Beta Brooke shook his head, audibly gulping. "I mean, I saw him lay down her bones." Zeke tensed immediately. "You saw it with your eyes?"

Beta Brooke nodded. "But it's a bit confusing to see her with her name written on it." He shook his head in disbelief. "I am so confused right now."

Zeke glared at me with urgency. "Can you call Naya for me?" His eyes clearly told me something was wrong.

"Renée, when did you hear this news?"

"This morning. It took me a lot to leave my pack and get here. I called you before I was allowed in. We both agreed Naya shouldn't... wait, is she in danger?"

I was a bit confused about what was happening. Then it dawned on me that Renee might have been used for the purpose of distracting us away from our mate. "g**t!" I brought out my phone, dialing Nayas number. It was only ringing... no one was picking up. "She may be sleeping."

Zeke shook his head. "Let's head back. Now that we know the place, we can come back."

"But your mother... Don't you want to know everything?

Naya is a heavy sleeper so she may just be sleeping." Renée was frantically looking between me and Zeke now. It made me wonder if she was just trying so hard to keep us from leaving.

"I said we will come back!" Zeke roared in anger, halting our movements. "Beta Brooke, can you run back to the manor?

You can send a message if she is truly missing. We will be right behind you."

My brother was really worried and pissed at the same time.

"Something isn't just right. I wonder why I can't sense mother here." Shadow said lowly. "Could this be a decoy?"

I shook my head. "Renée is Naya's best friend, I mean we have encountered everything together."

"But we do not know anything about her."

"We know that her father is Baron diego... that's probably how she got to hear about this important information." I was trying hard to stop Shadow from saying those words. I knew what he was trying to do.

"Kyle, we need to be cautious. I don't trust Renée." Shadow's voice echoed in my mind, the tone laced with suspicion.

"What are you talking about? She's been Naya's friend for years," I countered, feeling the tug of doubt.

"That's precisely the point. How well do we really know her?

She just drops this bombshell about our mother out of nowhere, and suddenly, Zeke is ready to believe her without question."

"She knew about the location, about the stone. How would she know if she wasn't telling the truth?"

Shadow snorted. "Anyone could have given her that information. She could be a pawn in a larger game."

My eyes narrowed as I glanced at Renée, who was now talking earnestly with Zeke. "You think she's involved in something evil?"

"I'm not saying she is, but we can't rule it out. We need to be vigilant. Our priority is Naya."

I frowned, torn between trusting Naya's friend and heeding Shadow's warning. "Let's keep an eye on her, but we can't ignore the possibility that she might be genuine."

As we walked back to the manor, the tension hung thick in the air. Zeke seemed determined to get back to Naya, and Renée tagged along, occasionally glancing at me with concern. I couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't right. I was glad Beta Brooke went before us, faster in order to understand the situation.

Shadow persisted, "Kyle, remember our instincts. We've survived this long by being cautious. Don't let emotions cloud your judgment."

I nodded inwardly, acknowledging the truth in Shadow's words. It took minutes before we got to the manor, because beta Brooke has refused to give us information about my mate. When we reached the manor, Beta Brooke was scolding the guards, including Scar about something.

"You were supposed to be guarding the front gate! How could you make the same mistake we both made the first time?" He yelled. It was the first time I have seen Beta Brooke so angry. About what exactly?

"What's going on here?" Zeke quickly intercepted the drama with searching eyes. Scar quickly did a salutation with sad eyes. Oh, he was in trouble...

"Alpha, I couldn't get any response from Naya. I left a message, but she should have been up by now, considering the commotions." he reported.

Zeke's jaw clenched. "What commotions?"

Scar swallowed. "We have been knocking at her door for over thirty minutes now. She hasn't responded."

I frowned. "You didn't try to break in?"

"We were waiting for your command." Beta Brooke said.

"Well, do it right at this minute and do it discreetly. We do not want to disturb the pack's sleep." Zeke was torn. He was holding back from lashing out and acting all crazy.

"We're going to replace her. Kyle, let's look for her." he seemed so tired. He must be blaming himself for this happening under his nose.

Renée chimed in, "ll help in any way I can. We need to replace Naya and get to the bottom of this."

"We can't afford to trust anyone completely, especially in times like these."

Shadow's voice whispered in my mind "And Renee... she isn't all that innocent."

I nodded internally, the conflict within me intensifying. I walked closer to Scar. "Since you were foolish enough to be forgetful, you might as well keep an eye on Renee. Don't dare let her out of sight." He nodded immediately.

As the search party rushed to Naya's room, Zeke's footsteps weighed with worry. I had to pull him aside before he could enter her room looking like that. He was the Alpha. If he was worried, others would be too. Naya could have gone out for a stroll or something. We both knew how spontaneous she was.

"Zeke, you need to get a grip on yourself. Panicking won't help. We'll replace her, I urged, trying to inject some reassurance into his spiraling emotions. "She could be out on a stroll or spying on someone or something. You know who she is."

He ran a hand through his hair, frustration etched on his face. "Kyle, this is my fault. I should never have left her alone. I listened to Renée, and now Naya's missing."

"We all trusted Renée, and if she's involved, we'll deal with it." I implored, knowing that guilt could be a crippling weight.

Zeke's eyes held a mix of anger and despair. "What if I've put Naya in danger? What if something happens to her?"

Damn, he was right... I too was at the edge of the rope. I was just as worried. "Blaming yourself won't help. Let's focus on the task at hand," I reasoned, gripping his shoulders in an attempt to ground him.

His gaze hardened. "I won't rest until I replace her."

"That's the spirit. Now, let's join the search." I guided him back toward the commotion, where the guards were trying to open Nayas door. It seemed locked. As the door creaked open, the room revealed itself in disarray. Sheets thrown about, and a sense of emptiness that sent shivers down my spine. She had fought... She had fought for her life. What made me calm was that there wasn't a sign of blood. Other than that, I couldn't smell anything else.

"I knew it! I knew Renée was up to something," Zeke seethed, his eyes scanning the room for any clue.

"Zeke, we can't jump to conclusions. Let's gather information before accusing anyone," I cautioned, understanding his need to place blame.

But Zeke was past the point of patience. "No more waiting.

Renée is behind this. I can feel it. She led us away, created this and now Naya is gone."

"Listen, Zeke, I know you're hurting, but we need evidence.

Accusing someone without proof could create more problems," I reasoned, attempting to temper his anger. It would only lead us nowhere. What if Shadow and Zeke were wrong? We would lose Naya forever too. Renee was Naya's best friend regardless. I have to be the voice of reason. Not seeing Naya too was wearing me out...

He clenched his fists with frustration evident in every muscle of his body. "Fine, but I won't let her get away with this."

Before we could discuss further, Scar and Beta Brooke approached, their expressions grave.

"What did you replace?" I asked, hoping for a breakthrough.

Scar exchanged a glance with Beta Brooke before Scar spoke, "Someone came through the front door."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "The front door? How is that possible?"

Beta Brooke continued, "Scar means that the person had access to the pack's entrance. It's as if they knew the pack well enough to walk through the front door undetected." Realization hit me like a punch to the gut. "An insider.

Someone from the pack took Naya."

Zeke's eyes narrowed with anger. "We trusted everyone. How could someone betray us like this?"

Scar added, "Whoever it was, they were familiar enough with the pack to know our routines. Naya's disappearance was planned."

As the gravity of the situation sank in, Zeke's Alpha mode returned. It scares the rest who stood close to him. "Find out who it is. I want them in chains by morning."

Scar and Beta Brooke nodded, disappearing into the room to investigate. When I turned to ask Renee what she thought about the situation, she was no longer with us. She was gone.

That was when my patience snapped.

"Find her!" I thundered before howling to the red moon, telling the pack of my anguish.