Mated To The Alpha Of The North
Chapter 21

Jax

I watched my mate as she fought to stay awake. My wolf and I felt relief when we saw the trust shining out through her eyes. I knew she would still worry until I got rid of Zeke permanently, and make no mistake I would, but I also knew that she would trust me to protect her until that time came.

I could hear Ronnie coming down the hall now. Willow’s chocolate colored eyes had been waging a losing war against the weight dragging her eyelids down.

They had just closed for what appeared to be the last time when Ronnie walked through the door.

Noticing Willow’s drowsy state, she kept her voice down when she spoke, “Hey, I see she is getting some rest. I was a little worried she would be anxious, but I guess there is something to be said about the mate bond after all.”

My wolf rejoiced at her words, feeling ecstatic that we had been able to help our mate to feel secure enough to succumb to the sleep she so clearly needed.

“I am happy she is resting, though I do wish she had eaten more.” I also could not help but add hopefully, “I also think she has decided to accept me as her mate, or she is at least going along with it for now.” I finished a bit gloomily, despite my optimistic start.

“For Luna’s sake, Jax! Give the girl a chance to adjust.” She stated in an exasperated manner, going on, “One minute she was being imprisoned by a madman who claimed to be her mate for who knows how long, and the next her actual mate was swooping in to save the day after her attempted escape from the aforementioned madman. What did you expect her to do less than twenty-four hours after she woke up still healing from the whole ordeal? Throw herself in your arms and declare her undying love?”

Ronnie had gradually been getting louder as she went on with her tirade. I would have interrupted her, despite the threat to my balls, for the sake of my mate, but I noticed, to my relief, that the increased noise level had no impact on Willow’s slumber.

I had to admit, I was also shocked at the depth of emotion I sensed coming from Ronnie through our mind link as she defended her new friend and sudden sister.

I had a sinking feeling that the two of them would be a lot of trouble together.

I rushed to replace words that would quiet Ronnie, though I found I meant them too, “No, of course not. I know she needs time, and I am not pressuring her. My wolf is just riding me to claim her already. The mate bond keeps pulling us together. I noticed even she struggled with it earlier. Anyway, how was the male? Was the wolfsbane out of his system yet?”

I finished, not so subtly, by changing the subject. I watched as Ronnie processed my words and decided whether she wanted to take the bait to change the topic.

I sighed in relief when she spoke, “His name is Theo, and yes the wolfsbane is out of his system completely now. The rest of his wounds are healing up nicely, though he is still a bit weak.”

As she spoke, she moved over to where I was sitting and shooed me out the chair. I wanted to protest, but Willow was sleeping, and I did have answers to acquire.

I allowed Ronnie to take my seat, pausing to say before I left, “Take care of her. I will not be long but try to get her to eat more if she wakes up.”

I could not help but worry about my mate. I knew Ronnie was more than capable of taking care of Willow. However, our unfulfilled mate bond urged me to stay near her side until my claim was cemented.

Then, everyone would know that she was mine, when our scents combined to signal that we were mated.

Nevertheless, work was never done for an alpha, and it was calling. I bent down to press a soft k**s against Willow’s head, pausing to take a deep inhale at the crook of her neck and savoring her unique scent, while Ronnie took her sweet time responding.

I noticed her tone was much softer when she finally answered, “I can see how much she already means to you, big brother. Of course, I will take care of her. Now go kick some a*s and take names.”

I rolled my eyes at Ronnie’s cheesy words, but I could not help but let a small chuckle escape.

Luna, I had missed her.

I did not say anything else as I turned and left the room, leaving with a long, lingering look at Willow’s sleeping form. I would be back soon enough, but first I needed answers.

I strolled down the hallway and out the front door, that, fortunately, someone had already replaced.

Instead of following the paths that snaked out from the front of the property, I followed a less traveled trail that led around the side of the massive pack house.

The males were being held in cells Zeke had constructed in an underground bunker behind the big house, at the back of the property. Theo had been particularly helpful with unmasking this hidden location.

I was sure Zeke’s men were not as happy to be on the other side of the bars, but they had made their own beds.

I veered off the path after a few minutes, looking for the subtle signs of the opening to the shelter that I had been told to look for. I had not left Willow’s side, other than to get her food while she bathed, so I had not been there when Reese and his warriors escorted the males to their cell.

After a few more moments of searching, I finally found the hatch that led down. I had to admit, it was a clever setup. Even the most astute observer might miss the opening if they were not sure it was there to begin with.

Before descending, I paused to reign in my anger. My wolf was chomping at the bit to get justice for our mate. These males may not be Zeke, but they helped him escape and contributed in some fashion to her suffering.

I would get the details from Willow when she was ready to talk, but, for now, I needed to calm down enough to get the answers I needed.

I made a visible effort to slow my breathing, taking deep breaths in through my nose and out through my mouth, unclenching and clenching my hands into fists. I urged my wolf to take a back seat while I interrogated the males, though he, of course, was not a fan of this idea, surging forward and attempting to take control.

He wanted nothing more than to rip apart the bastards who had wronged our mate. I wanted the same, but I had to remind myself that I did not have the full story yet.

Thank Luna that Willow was not around. I had no doubt that my wolf would have succeeded in gaining the upper hand, at least temporarily. I lost all sense of control when she turned those big, sad eyes on me.

However, as it was, I did have more control over my wolf’s violent desires than I had previously believed. Okay, maybe a little of my own as well, I begrudgingly admitted to myself as I bent down to open the door.

I could hear one or two of the males speaking in a low voice as I descended into the bunker, securely shutting the door behind me. But I could not make out what they were saying, and they stopped talking once they realized they were no longer alone.

I walked the remaining distance to the cells that were placed in the far corner of the large room, keeping a firm hold on my wolf as I shrewdly appraised the males before me.

There were three of Zeke’s men imprisoned behind the reinforced bars of the first cell, but, even then, only the silver infused into the metal kept the werewolves confined.

It looked as though they had been arguing among themselves before I arrived, with two of the wolves posturing over the remaining male, though he looked just as irate and not bothered at all by the aggression rolling off his so called pack mates.

They immediately straightened out of their stances, smoothing over their expressions when they noticed me.

However, I observed the strange looks that quickly moved over their faces, their noses scrunching up as they took in my scent and the aura of dominance that rolled off of me in spades.

Their quickly pasted on facades faded as their faces morphed into a range of emotions, varying from shock to anger to confusion.

One of the males, the one who reeked of confusion, reluctantly asked, despite the aggression I could sense quickly building, “Why do you smell like her? Zeke’s woman?”

My wolf surged forward, and I only just managed to reign him in, but I allowed the terrifying growl to ring out in the confined space, letting the males know exactly how I felt about that last comment.

“She is mine.” My voice rang with finality as I advanced towards the males.

I watched their faces morph into fear, but the two that had ganged up on the other male instantly attempted to harden their faces. That was okay. They would talk.

One way or another, and my wolf was particularly pleased with their determination to make this difficult.

However, the last male spoke, his words somehow breaking through my violent thoughts, “Theo was right. Shit! I knew we shouldn’t have followed Zeke. Do you know who that is you idiots?”

He raged at his pack mates, seeming like a completely different male than he had when I had first arrived. I made no move to intervene as the men fought amongst themselves; the lone male was surprisingly able to hold his own against his counterparts.

I mind linked with Reese and Asher while I took in the scene before me.

It seems Theo is not the only defector. But a couple of the others may have some information they are hesitant to share about Zeke’s whereabouts. Care to join me and have some fun?

I grinned to myself as I watched the scene in front of me unfold.

Asher and Reese quickly agreed so I settled in to see what I could learn while I waited.

My wolf was practically salivating for b***d, knowing exactly what I had in mind to get my answers, but he was content to wait, knowing he would get his fill of retribution soon.

I was known as one of the most fearsome alphas alive for a reason after all.