Invisible Mate ( Mate Series Book 1)
Whom to trust? - Part1

For the next few days, Alpha Smith continuously pestered Liam to come to his pack for the training, and finally, Liam agreed to go for a week. Chris was not willing to let him go, but Liam convinced him, saying it was only for a week.

Even Adele was unhappy as she had just developed a bond with Liam, and him leaving for a week did not sit well with her. Also, Chris seemed to be annoyed with Adele for the past few days, and she didn’t know what she had done wrong for him to behave so cold towards her.

After Liam left, Adele tried to approach Chris, but he either ignored or just replied in single words as if he was not interested in talking. Adele was so irritated by his arrogant personality; she didn’t want to go near him, but Alexa always persisted in reconciling with her mate.

In her frustration, Adele spats at Alexa, ” Don’t ask me to go again; he’s so rude. What does he think of himself? ”

" Ahhh... Cool down, Ade; if we want this relationship to work, we have to take the initiative,” Alexa says, trying to appease her.

" Why does it always have to be us? Why can’t he take the initiative?”

" You know he won’t do it,” Alexa responds sadly while Adele huffs and gets back to her room.

On the other hand, Liam reached his mother’s old pack named Sunflower Pack and met his grandmother after 15 years. As soon as he arrived at the Sunflower pack, she was delighted to meet him and couldn’t stop asking about how he had been for the past 15 years.

At the mention of Chris, Liam’s grandmother turned sour. She made a grim expression and said, ” I don’t have any problem with Chris, but everything happened because of the Black’s bloodline and especially his mother, Clara. We took her in when her parents died, and what did we get in return? She manipulated my daughter and led her to her death.”

" It was all in the past. We shouldn’t mention about it now,” Liam said, keeping a straight face.

" How can I not? That incident changed our lives so much so that even now, it is affecting us,” Liam’s grandmother blurted out.

Liam was confused at her words. ” How come it is affecting us now?”

Grandmother’s face looked as if she was caught with her hand inside a cookie jar. She was lost for words for a few seconds, and Liam stared at her waiting for her answer.

Finally, grandmother stuttered out a response, ” I-I meant if it had not happened at all, your parents would have been alive.”

Liam nodded and did not pressurize her more.

The following few days, Liam was busy training his cousin, who always seemed to be on edge around him. Not only his cousin, everyone in this pack seemed weird. They observed Liam’s movements keenly and asked him many questions about Blackwood Pack, especially Chris. Liam was not pleased with their attitude and wanted to get back to his pack as soon as possible.

At the Blackwood pack, Adele was sulking, thinking about Chris, when she got a call from some unknown number. Adele picked up the call, and before she could say anything, she heard Sera’s panicked voice, ” Ade...”

Adele was soon on alert. ” What’s wrong, Sera? Why do you sound so scared.”

" Help me, Ade, I-I...” Sera suddenly stopped speaking, and Adele continuously called for her, ” Sera are you there? Sera...”

After a few seconds of silence, Sera spoke again, but it was almost a whisper, ” Please save me, Ade; they are after me.”

" Who is after you?” Adele asked and heard someone shouting. She stood up and asked, ” Tell me where you are. I will come to you.”

" I-I am outside your pack border.”

Adele was shocked. ” My pack? Do you mean the Blackwood pack?”

" Yes, Ade. Please come soon,” Sera pleaded.

Adele considered asking her how Sera knew the way to the Blackwood pack, but she thought first she needed to help her friend. She jumped out of the window and sprinted towards the direction of the pack border when Alexa interrupted her, " I think we could run faster in wolf form.”

" Sera has never seen us in wolf form; she might get scared, and moreover, we don’t know who is chasing her; what if they are humans?”

“Yeah, you are right, but mind you, if someone tries to harm you, I will bite his neck off. I won’t care whether he is a human or anybody else,” Alexa warns.

" Yes, Mom,” Adele mocks Alexa.

" I am not your Mom; I am a part of you, and always remember one thing, even though our opinions regarding our mates are different, you will always be my priority,” says Alexa.

“Aww... You are being so emotional,” Adele chirps as they reach the pack border.

" Shh... Be alert,” Alexa says, and they try to sniff out Sera’s scent.

After moving a bit further, Adele hears a scream and runs in the direction of the sound, and she is shocked to see Archer dragging Sera away.

" What the f**k are you doing, Archer?” Adele screamed, and Archer jumped in fear. He loses the grip he had on Sera, and she soon rushes towards Adele.

Adele was horrified at Sera’s condition. She was scratched and bruised all over, and even her dress was torn in multiple places.

" What the hell is going on?” Adele asked, looking from Sera to Archer.

Archer looked very tense and didn’t know how to respond.

Sera pointed at Archer and said, ” He kidnapped me. I managed to escape with great difficulty.”

Adele looked at Archer accusingly, who replied, ” She’s lying. I did not kidnap her.”

" Then where were you dragging her to?” Adele asked, raising her eyebrow.

" She is a witch. She came here to harm you, so I was trying to stop her,” Archer said, trying to convince Adele.

Sera looked at Archer in disgust. ” You bastard. How can you lie so blatantly?”

She faced Adele and pleaded, ” Don’t believe him, Ade. Why will I try to kill you? You are my best friend. It’s him who wants to kill you.”

" No, she’s lying. I...” Archer starts when Adele stops him. ” Stop it! Both of you! Tell me what’s going on and tell me the truth.”

" I am telling the truth, Ade. Don’t you trust me?” Sera asked, almost in tears.

" Don’t believe her, Adele. She is a witch, and her mother Sybil destroyed Chris’s family,” Archer exclaimed.

Adele had an inkling that Sera was Sybil’s daughter, and her doubts are cleared when she sees Sera fidgeting in her spot, trying to avoid looking at Adele. Finally, Sera looked up and whispered, ” She had no choice, Ade. Just allow me to explain; I will tell you everything.”

Adele was confused about whether to trust Sera or not as she did not want to repeat the mistake that Chris’s mother had made. Amidst her confusion, Alexa suggested, " I know it is hard to decide, but we can at least listen to her once. She has been our friend for four years, so we can give her the benefit of the doubt. And this Archer guy, I hate his guts, and I don’t trust him at all.”

Archer saw Sera trying to convince Adele, and he was sure it would not be easy to trick Adele, but he knew someone who could be. He took out his phone and dialed Chris’s number.

Chris picked up the call, and Archer said hurriedly, ” I am outside your pack. Come here soon.”

" What are you doing here at this time? ” Chris asked, not bothering to move.

" I will tell you everything. Please come; it’s important, Chris.”

" Ok, I will be there, ” Chris said tiredly and got up to go. Once he reached the border, he was surprised to see Adele and her friend standing there near Archer.

Sera was scared the moment she saw Chris and looked at Archer, who smirked at her.

Adele noticed Archer and was convinced there was definitely something fishy about him, ” So you called Chris?” she inquired.

Archer nodded, and Chris asked Adele, ” What are you doing here?”

" I was saving my friend from him,” she said, pointing at Archer.

Chris glanced at Sera, and then he faced Archer and asked, ” What is this about?”

" She is the witch I had told you about the day we saw her with Adele at the cafe,” said Archer.

Adele was stunned and looked at Archer accusingly. She recalled the day she met Sera at the cafe while Alexa scoffed. " No wonder Chris was asking so many questions. This vile person poisoned his mind.”

Chris looked at Sera, who avoided his gaze and recognized seeing her before. Archer further continued, ” And that’s not it; she is Sybil’s daughter.”

Chris’s expression instantly changed, and he clenched his fist in anger. ” What the f**k are you doing here?” he growled, and Sera flinched at his tone. She was so scared she couldn’t summon the courage to reply.

When Chris did not get any response, he screamed again, ” Why did you come here?”

Sera trembled in fear and held Adele’s arms. This act annoyed Chris even more. Images of his mother being friends with Sybil and the events following that ran through his mind and increased his temper. ” Get away from her, Adele,” he said, looking straight at her.

Adele understood what Archer was trying to do here. She said, ” Calm down, Chris. We can discuss this quietly.”

" Get away from the witch and go back inside, ” Chris shouted, pointing towards the Packhouse, but Adele did not budge.

She tried to persuade Chris again. ” You must control your anger. Archer is trying to instigate you...”

" I don’t have to learn that from you. Don’t interfere in my matters and get back inside,” Chris growled a bit too loudly.

Adele held her ground and declared, ” No, I won’t.”