Evelyn

Chapter 28: Maximus

My stomach sank as I watched the black SUV fade from view, blending into the forestry terrain.

It was only four days.

Four days.

No matter how many times I told myself that fact it didn't hurt any less. My sweet mate who smelled like roses and lavender, who had honey eyes and a smile like the sunshine was gone.

My precious light stolen for four miserable days.

I tried to console myself that her being hours away would be beneficial. She would be safer and I could hopefully put a stop to this looming threat. Yet, no matter how many times I told myself that, it didn't make me feel better. I was entirely uneasy at the distance. The last time we had been separated...

Horrifying images of her frigid skin and limp body in my arms looking like death itself came to mind.

No.

I shook my head. I couldn't let myself think like that. Evelyn would be fine. She had Gamma Xerxes there for extra protection. All would be well.

I turned back towards the packhouse resolved to get to the bottom of this mess.

Entering through the doors, the building which had felt rather empty the last few days was buzzing to life. Every pack member with an inclining of ability tracking, tracing, hacking, or fighting had filled the building. The room was so full it felt like a hive. Usually, members parted like the sea when I entered a room and yet today not a single person seemed focused on me as I dodged my way through the crowd.

A young wolf with brown hair that was lanky ran past me and I put out a hand to stop him.

"You," I spoke to him.

He cast his eyes to the ground, a vague uttering of "Yes, Alpha?" passing from his lips.

"What's your name?"

"Jacob, sir," his eyes remained fixated on the floor.

"Jacob, please look me in the eye."

He slowly lifted his head, gaze wincingly meeting mine. I felt an internal agitation grow at his actions but my mates sweet voice seemed to ring in my head. "You are not a monster, Max. Show them who you really are." Taking a deep breath, I placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Could you please tell me where Alpha Oak is?" I asked him softly.

The young wolf looked surprised by my gentleness and nodded with a soft smile. "He is in the fitness center, Alpha."

"Thank you," I told him with a smile and nod.

Looking up, I noticed I had caught a few pack members' attention. To my surprise, as I passed they gave me a bow of the head, an almost reverent look on their faces. The respect they showed me was striking and it took everything in me not to stop and gape.

With a small smile, I turned away from the crowd and walked down the hall, straight to the back of the building. Just outside of the Pack House was a training center where warriors and pack members alike trained.

I exited through two large brown doors and walked across the grass. A large glass building with two black doors stood only a hundred yards away and immediately came into view. Striding towards it, I could see the outline of a multitude of pack members training. A few wolves practiced fighting on black mats while others practiced boxing and hand-to-hand combat. I smiled to myself, relieved that they were getting prepared.

Pushing the door open, I noticed as pack members all whiffed the air and then turned to me wide-eyed. They all momentarily froze before bowing my way, a multitude of "Alpha" acknowledgments ringing out in hushed whispers. Yet again, to my surprise, a few wolves in the crowd held soft smiles on their faces while they did so. Despite being a minority of my pack members, a strange sense of pride filled me.