19 Lucas: Realization (II)
19 Lucas: Realization (II)
<i>LUCAS</i>
His spine straightens in an instant, and his face goes. nk. “Of course not, Alpha. I only worry that this obsession with the ckwood girl is distracting you from what really matters.”
I stand in a swift motion, my chair scraping against the floor. Inexplicable rage fans the mes of months of irritation and frustration. “What matters is the safety and security of our pack. If the alpha of ckwood is plotting against us, if they’re using Ava as a pawn in their twisted game, then it is my duty to uncover the truth. Don’t you agree?”
He takes a step back, his head bowed in submission. “I understand, Alpha. Forgive me for overstepping.”
I take a deep breath, trying to rein in my temper. “Your concern is noted, Delta. But I need you to trust me on this. I know what I’m doing.”
He nods, his expression still nk. “Of course, Alpha. I’ll leave you to your work.”
178
With that, he turns and leaves the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click. I sink back into my chair, rubbing a hand over my face. The letter from the scout lies on my desk, taunting me with the promise of new information.
I close my eyes<b>, </b>taking a deep breath as I try to quell the maelstrom of emotions raging within me. I know I need to approach this situation with a clear head, to separate my personal feelings from the cold, hard facts. But it’s easier said than done when ites to
Ava.
With a heavy sigh, I unfold the missive, my eyes scanning the contents. Each word is like a punch to the gut, and I feel my heart sinking lower and lower with every line. The letter shakes in my hands as I read, a cold fury seeping into my bones with every damning word
To: [email protected]</a>
From: [email protected]</a>
Subject: URGENT: <i>For </i>Alpha’s Eyes Only
Attachment: Report.docx
19 Lucas: Realization (II)
<i>My </i><i>source </i><i>within </i>the <i>ckwood </i>Pack has <i>provided </i>crucial information <i>regarding </i>Ava’s circumstances. She has <i>been </i><i>enduring </i>severe mistreatment and <i>neglect </i>from her own <i>family</i><i>, </i><i>with </i>Beta Alexander <i>Grey </i>being <i>the </i>primary <i>perpetrator </i>of cruelty. Furthermore<i>, </i>her <i>mother </i>and siblings <i>have </i><i>disyed </i><i>little </i><i>regard </i>for her <i>well</i>–<i>being</i><i>, </i><i>demonstrating </i>indifference <i>or </i><i>outright </i>disdain<i>. </i>Ava is <i>consistently </i><i>subjected </i>to assault <i>by </i>numerous pack members and <i>is </i>treated as an outcast <i>within </i>the <imunity</i><i>.</i>
It’s worth noting that Beta Grey’s decision to <i>permit </i>Ava’s attendance <i>at </i>college has raised eyebrows among <i>the </i><i>pack</i><i>. </i>However, <i>rumors </i>suggest that this allowance was <i>motivated </i><i>by </i>a <i>desire </i><i>to </i>remove her from his <i>immediate </i>vicinity. <i>Notably</i><i>, </i>Ava has <i>been </i><i>working </i><i>independently </i><i>to </i><i>finance </i>her education, <i>receiving </i>no <i>support </i><i>from </i><i>her </i>parents<i>.</i>
<i>Furthermore</i><i>, </i><i>it </i>has <ie </i><i>to </i><i>our </i>attention <i>that </i>Ava has been <i>missing </i><i>since </i>the <i>night </i>of <i>the </i>Lunar G, where she wasst seen leaving the <i>building </i>shortly <i>before </i>midnight<i>. </i><i>Surprisingly</i><i>, </i>the <i>ckwood </i><i>Pack </i><i>has </i><i>made </i><i>no </i>effort <i>to </i><i>locate </i>her or ensure her safety. <i>It </i><i>appears </i><i>they </i><i>have </i><i>simply </i>washed their hands of her, as if she
never existed.
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19 Lucas: Realization (II)
As <i>troubling </i>as <i>these </i>revtions are<i>, </i><i>there </i><i>is </i>more <i>to </i>the <i>story</i>. <i>My </i><i>source </i>within the <i>ckwood </i>Pack has <i>confided </i><i>in </i><i>me </i>that Ava <i>is </i>a wolfless <i>shifter</i><i>–</i>she is basically human. <i>It </i>seems that Alpha ckwood and his inner circle had ns <i>to </i><i>use </i>her as a breeder <i>to </i>several <i>strong </i>males within the pack. They <i>believed </i><i>that </i><i>her </i><i>family’s </i>genes <i>would </i><i>be </i>passed down to her <i>offspring</i>, <i>potentially </i>increasing theirbat power <i>in </i><i>the </i>next generation. They do <i>not </i>believe her defect would <i>be </i>passed <i>down</i>. <i>My </i><i>source </i>believes that <i>once </i>she <i>proved </i>her ability <i>to </i>bear children<i>, </i><i>Alpha </i><i>ckwood </i><i>intended </i><i>to </i>use <i>her </i>to <i>breed </i>his next heir.
With regard <i>to </i>the ambitions <i>of </i><i>Alpha </i>ckwood<i>, </i><i>there </i><i>is </i><i>rumor </i><i>that </i>he <i>wishes </i><i>to </i><i>create </i><i>an </i><i>alliance </i><i>via </i>mating <i>with </i>another <i>pack</i>, <i>in </i><i>hopes </i>of increasing his <i>power </i>in <i>the </i><i>Council</i><i>. </i><i>It </i><i>is </i><i>uncertain </i><i>if </i>this alliance <i>is </i>friendly <i>or </i><i>with </i>darker designs <i>in </i><i>mind</i><i>. </i>Whatever ns <i>he </i>has, <i>he </i>holds close to his vest. Jessa Grey has <i>been </i>seen attending Luna training<i>, </i><i>but </i>Alpha
ckwood has no intention of mating her.
<i>All </i>of this information came at a great cost. <i>The </i><i>source </i><i>who </i>provided these details was one <i>of </i><i>Alpha </i><i>ckwood’s </i>former lovers. <i>He </i>has seven lovers <i>at </i><i>this</i>
time trving <i>to </i>breed proper <i>alpha </i>heirs <i>Shortly </i>after
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19 Lucas: Realization (II)
<i>our </i><i>meeting</i><i>, </i><i>my </i><i>source </i>was found dead under suspicious circumstances. <i>I </i>fear that <i>my </i><i>own </i>position <i>may </i><i>be </i><ipromised</i><i>, </i>and <i>I </i>n to <i>return </i><i>to </i>the <i>Westwood </i>Pack as soon as <i>possible </i><i>to </i>ensure <i>my </i><i>own </i><i>safety </i><i>and </i>share any <i>further </i><i>intelligence </i>I have <i>gathered</i><i>.</i>
<i>Alpha </i><i>Westwood</i>, I <i>urge </i><i>you </i>to consider <i>this</i>
<i>information </i>carefully. The <i>ckwood </i>Pack’s treatment <i>of </i><i>Ava </i>and their apparent disregard for her <i>well</i>–<i>being </i>raise serious concerns <i>about </i><i>the </i>morality of their pack <i>leadership</i>, and <i>what </i>they <i>might </i>do to further <i>their </i><i>agenda</i><i>.</i>
<i>I </i>trust that <i>you </i><i>will </i>use this <i>knowledge </i>wisely <i>to </i><i>protect </i><i>not </i><i>only </i><i>Ava </i><i>but </i>also the interests of <i>our </i><i>own </i><i>pack</i>.
Your loyal <i>scout</i>,
<i>Ethan </i>Hawke
I set the letter down, my mind reeling from the implications of its contents. Ava is a wolfless shifter. My mind focused on that, remembering her delicate face behind those thick–framed sses. So, the sses were real. She has no wolf. Probably no enhanced
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19 Lucas: Realization (II)
strength, or sight, or ability to scent the things around her.
She is our <i>fated</i><i>, </i>my wolf insists, snarling and snapping at the air. <i>We </i><i>would </i>normally know once <i>her </i>wolf appears, but <i>she </i>has <i>no </i><i>wolf</i><i>. </i><i>That </i>is why the <i>connection </i><i>is </i><i>only </i>to one <i>piece </i>of <i>her</i>.
The revtion yanks the breath out of my lungs. Fuck. Fuck. <i>Fuck</i><i>.</i>
If Ava is wolfless, the odd connection would make sense, The ckwood Pack never <i>did </i>anything to her. And if I were to be fully honest, the connection had begun on sight, before I had ever scented her.
It had to be fate.
<i>It </i><i>is</i><i>, </i>my wolf growls. <i>And </i><i>you </i><i>threw </i><i>our </i>mate <i>away</i><i>.</i>
Shit.
I blow out a shaky breath and try to shove all that to the side for a moment. If I don’t, I might just throw my fucking desk through the window. Son of a fucking bitch. My mate<i>. </i>And I let her go.
Let her disappear.
<i>Fuck</i><i>!</i>
19 Lucas: Realization (II)
My wolf howled incessantly in my head as I picked up the letter again, re–reading it and letting every word stab into my heart. Mistreated. Neglected. Assaulted.
<i>My </i>Ava. My sweet, perfect mate.
Fuck.
And to know the ns Alpha ckwood had made for that sweet girl?
The pieces of the puzzle are falling into ce, painting a picture far more disturbing than I could have
imagined. My wolf stirs within me, a low growl
rumbling in my chest as the urge to protect Ava surges through my veins.
But I can’t let my emotions cloud my judgment. I need to approach this situation with a level head, to gather more information and devise a n of action. The safety of my pack, and now Ava’s as well, depends on
<ol>
<li>it.</li>
</ol>
I crush the letter in my fist, a growl building in my throat. How could they treat her like this? Their own daughter, their own blood? The thought of Ava suffering at the hands of her so–called family makes my stomach churn with revulsion and rage.
14:44
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19 Lucas: Realization (II)
And now she’s missing, disappeared into the night like a ghost. The memory of her in my arms, the feel of her soft skin against mine, the taste of her lips… it alles rushing back, tainted by the knowledge of her pain.
I should have known something was wrong that night. The way she trembled in my embrace, the desperate hunger in her kisses, was more than just desire. It was the actions of a woman starved for affection, for the simple warmth of human touch.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!
And I pushed her away. I let my own fears and suspicions cloud my judgment, let my anger at the ckwood Pack blind me to the truth of the woman in
front of me.
I need to find her, to make things right. But where do I even begin?
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