Mated To The Alpha Of The North
Chapter 9

Jax

I awoke slowly, hearing the sounds of the forest surrounding me. I rolled over in bed, noticing the sun was just beginning to shine through the slits in the fabric of the curtains.

The sight did not surprise me. It did not matter where I was or how late I had stayed up the night before, I always rose with the sun. Some days, I wished I could sleep in just a little longer, but today was not one of those days.

I must admit, we were shocked when Zeke informed us, we would not be staying in the pack house, as tradition demanded for visiting alphas. He rushed to assure us that he had acquired us private dwellings so that we could relax and conduct any business we may need while we stayed in the South.

He said he thought we would prefer it this way after the turmoil of the war. We definitely questioned his choice, but I knew I was grateful for it last night after my first experience meeting the guy.

Even so, I did enjoy the sound of nature all around me while waking up, and it was nice not spending all my waking hours with my men; though Ryker was staying here as well, he did not really count. Zeke had placed us each in our own little cabin, nestled in the woods not too far from the pack house.

The scenery and quietness provided a nice little escape. However, the more I thought about Zeke’s decisions and what we heard from his men the day before, the more I began to suspect he was up to something.

With that in mind, I rose to start my day. First thing on the agenda was meeting up with Asher so we could do some recon on the situation with Zeke’s “mate,” and I could reconnect with my sister, Veronica. I quickly dressed, glancing around to see if I forgot anything.

I do not know what it was, but ever since yesterday and going to that house, something had been off. I pushed the thought aside as I walked out the door, shutting it behind me.

My skin was itching. I would have to make time to shift later today. It had been a few days with everything going on, and I could definitely feel the difference.

I noticed Ryker out of the corner of my eye. It looked like he was getting ready to shift, shrugging out of his shirt and reaching down to the button on his jeans. I paused for a moment.

He had been in contact with the warriors here at least a few times during the war to check on my sister, maybe he would know something about this girl Zeke was supposedly mated to, I thought to myself. With that in mind, I called out, “Hey, Ryker!” to get his attention.

He immediately stopped what he was doing and strode toward me. “What’s up, Jax? Did you need something?” He responded once he was closer.

I noticed he seemed a little antsy, shifting from foot to foot, but I brushed the thought aside for now, making a note to myself to talk with him later. Ryker may be my second in command, but he was also my best friend.

He has had my back through thick and thin, so I was going to be there for him too if he needed me. Right now, though, I felt in my gut that someone else needed me more.

“Just a few quick questions for now, and then we’ll talk more later.” I replied.

“Zeke’s guards could not shut up about his mate yesterday, and Zeke confirmed her existence, albeit reluctantly at dinner last night, but we saw no sign of her or a claiming bite. Have you seen or heard of a girl hanging around Zeke during any of your trips here in the past?” I finished, noticing that Ryker seemed to settle a little.

Seeming puzzled, Ryker answered, “I did not think Zeke had a mate. There’s never been any females with him when we’ve met to discuss your sister’s safety…”

Ryker paused for a moment, then continued, “Hmm, I think the guards did mention something about a girl Zeke was obsessed with, but I don’t really remember much. I think that was toward the beginning of the war, and I did not think anything had come out of it. They definitely have not mentioned any females, besides the girl that cooks their meals for them, in quite some time. Apparently, she is quite the looker, though I got the impression she did not get out much.” Ryker finished.

I considered his words. Some things were beginning to fall into place, but I still needed to take a look around that house, without Zeke’s prying eyes on me. Good thing Asher was coming along this morning.

Speaking of him, I needed to get going. “Thanks for your help! Let’s get together for dinner tonight to catch up. I am going to pick my sister up. See you later.”

Waving as I finished my sentence, I turned around, starting to walk toward the path that would take me toward the pack house. If he had any objections, he did not voice them.

I walked in silence for a few moments until I reached the point where the path splits off in different directions. Asher was already waiting for me. “Hey man,” he greeted me when I walked into sight.

“Hey, sorry I am late. I had to speak with Ryker this morning. He has been back here a few times during the war.” I replied. “He confirmed my suspicions about Zeke. There is no way he has a mate, but there is a female that cooks for the unmated warriors that is scarcely seen apparently.”

I watched as Asher’s brows rose in surprise. “She cooks for all the unmated warriors?” he asked.

“That’s quite a feat.” Asher continued.

“Yeah, that is what Ryker said. He also mentioned the guards would not shut up about her either during any of his visits in the past. I am thinking they are one and the same.” I glanced around, ensuring we were still alone.

I continued, “You do have a plan for this morning, right? We need to replace this girl and make sure she is safe. It does not sound like she is with him willingly, and Zeke hiding her definitely does not help assuage those fears. I know this sounds a little crazy, but I just have this feeling. She needs help.”

Asher looked even more surprised, if that was possible, at my pronouncement, but he did not interrupt me. I noticed he took on a contemplative look as I finished my mini dialogue, but he just shook his head and stated, “Yeah, don’t worry about this morning. I have got it covered. Find out as much as you can, and we will make a plan after we meet with Reese later. Don’t worry man, we’ll get her out of there.” Asher soothed, as he reached out and playfully punched my shoulder.

For some reason, he looked like a lightbulb had just went off over his head, but whatever it was, he did not say. Instead, he started walking toward the main house as he stated, “Let’s get this show on the road. The sooner we know where she is, the quicker we can get her out of there.”

I followed Asher’s lead and strode down the path after him, quickly catching up. I stayed even with him as we continued to walk. I finally answered, “Once we get her to safety, we need to go to the elders. Zeke’s days as alpha here are numbered,” I finished with an ominous tone. I did not even know anything for sure yet, but something inside me already knew Zeke was guilty.

As we finished walking to the pack house in silence, I could not ignore the feeling that I was being drawn toward something, though I had no clue what it might be.

I pounded on the door a few times after we arrived, allowing my senses to scan my surroundings for danger, as well as any clue as to where the girl may be.

I noticed that there were a lot more people here today, just based on all the noise I heard within. That might make it difficult to snoop around. Hopefully, Asher’s distraction was as good as he claimed. I also picked up a faint trace of that same intoxicating scent from last night.

“Mmm…smells like she cooked breakfast. Our girl is definitely here.” Asher rubbed his stomach, looking all dreamy-eyed while he interrupted my musing.

I did smell a variety of delectable smelling breakfast items now that he pointed it out, but his last statement made me irrationally angry. He quickly took on a smirk when I growled low and spit out through gritted teeth, “She’s not our girl. She…” I cut off when I heard Zeke walking towards the door.

Asher did not speak again, but he maintained this smug expression, like he knew something I did not. It really pissed me the hell off, but now was not the time to question him. I looked forward, waiting for Zeke to open the door, as I took deep breaths, attempting to calm myself.