Wrongfully Claimed [ MxM ]

Chapter 3

APOLLO ||

Today was a hard one for me. While it was my 32nd birthday, it was also the very day that I'd barely laid eyes on my mate and felt him taken away from me in such a gutting way.

For the first three years, I'd spent this day trying to find him to the best of my abilities and when I couldn't, I'd spent the rest of the time wallowing in my misery. But for the last six years, I've decided to keep myself busy instead of harping on the fact that I still didn't have him in my grasp.

Everytime I closed my eyes I could see him though. I could hear his cries, I could feel his pain and his sadness. I could feel how defeated he'd felt and how he never thought help was coming.

I didn't know who was hurting my baby but I was going to find out, find him and bring him home. Soon. I'm sure of it.

King Sloane held an Alpha meeting about a month ago and because of my pack's wealth, he's already granted me permission to travel to each pack in Stone Valley.

I have a meeting in a few weeks with this Alpha, Killian is his name, I believe. His pack was one of the ones that needed help in the finance department. King Sloane mentioned Killian wasn't good with money and because of his greed, he'd damned his pack to a life of poverty.

It was shameful to think about. An Alpha putting himself above the greater good of the pack that looked to him for guidance, support and protection.

"He doesn't sound like an Alpha if you ask me." — My wolf, Slade comments and I can't help but agree with him.

"You know King Sloane said if need be, I would be taking over Killian's lands and his pack because he's under scrutiny with the Council." — I fill him in and he's huffing at that.

"Was I sleeping when this happened?" — Slade asks, perking up and almost feeling offended.

But the truth was the big lazy bastard was sleep when the conversation took place. He slept through the entire meeting with King Sloane and the Council, claiming it boring.

"It is." — He defends and I find myself smiling.

"Well that's how you ended up missing the conversation. So to fill you in, we're supposed to have a meeting with this Alpha Killian in two weeks under Sloane's ruling and if we see any forms of abuse or madness under Killian's ruling in his pack, we're to report it to the King and then take over his pack and lands."

"That's alot to deal with. I mean that on top of running our own pack and trying to find our love. Just try not to do too much. You know how you get." — Slade tells me and I sigh, knowing he's right.

About four months ago, I'd worked myself so much and pushed myself so hard that I'd ended up in the pack hospital. It was the first time in my life that I'd felt that way and it took over a week before I felt good enough to leave my bed.

A knock on my office door pulls my attention and the scents of two wolves, one being my Beta and the other being pack wafts in.

"It's open." I call out. Only a few moments later, my Beta and the best man I know enters, along with one of our pack members.

"Alpha." My Beta, Lorenzo greets me with a small nod of his head. I nod back and then he gestures towards our timid pack member who was slowly walking into my office behind him. "Mason, here, needs to talk to you about his mate."

It was unusual for one to come forward about something with their mate, so I close my laptop and give Mason my undivided attention.

Mason nervously fidgets with the bottom of his shirt, biting his lip and looking back at the door as if he was afraid someone would hear or come in. It alarmed everything in me that told me to protect.