The Beta's Missing Mate (Book 16 Of The Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 21

It was chilly, standing out there on the beach, but the day had been warmer than normal, and Bianca was glad for it. Winter hadn't been overly harsh this year. Not that she'd really gone anywhere or had any desire to.

She'd felt cold inside for so long already. She hadn't felt warm in quite some time. Part of her had died along with her mate, Brian. Part of her would always remain cold and buried in the sea with him. No matter what happened.

Bianca's mother had mentioned her taking another mate more than once, though Bianca wasn't really sure that she wanted to. She would never wish to take another werewolf away from their fated mate. After experiencing how wonderful it was to have a relationship with hers, she would never want to take that from someone. Plus, she really just wasn't ready. It had only been eight months since she'd been devastated by Brian's loss, and the thought of being with anyone else caused her pain.

Her wolf, Nissa, didn't like the idea either, but Bianca was worried about her. Nissa had become incredibly quiet after Brian's death. She used to enjoy getting out almost daily, but she'd barely been out since the death of her mate. Her heart was broken, her spirit crushed, under the weight of the loss of her other half. The she-wolf had no interest in much of anything.

Bianca's brother, Baz, occasionally asked her to go on a run, but most of the time, Nissa refused. She could see the worry in both his and her father's eyes, but Bianca couldn't force Nissa to do anything she didn't want to. And her wolf had become a recluse. But surprisingly, Nissa was curious about both of the two members of the Royal Pack.

Her gaze darted up to the man walking beside her. He was wearing a long-sleeved blue Henley and jeans. He was tall, and well built, just like most other werewolves. His hair was a dark brown, and his eyes blue. He had a bit of stubble on his jaw. He was rather good looking. He wasn't mated as far as she knew. For a brief second, she thought about how it would be to be mated to him. What would it be like? What was he like?

She wasn't even sure why she was even thinking about it. It didn't matter. The Beta wasn't her mate, and never would be. He must have a fated mate out there somewhere. One he hadn't come across yet. She wasn't sure how old he was, but she knew the members of his pack didn't age like normal werewolves. She wondered what their life expectancy was. Not that he would probably tell her if she asked.

Bianca had no idea why he'd asked to speak to her alone either. For the life of her, she couldn't think of one good reason. But it was a welcome distraction. Something else to think about besides the fact that her heart had been broken. She welcomed distractions. Otherwise, she was alone with her thoughts, self-destructing. She knew she spent too much time alone.

But sometimes, carrying on a conversation with people was painful. Especially when they wanted to talk about Brian. She didn't want to tell them how she was feeling, how badly she was hurting or anything else. She'd almost rather go somewhere where people didn't know what had happened. How her life had been shattered. How it had ended before it had really begun.

Aidan Asgrim didn't seem to really want to talk either. He was quiet as he trudged along beside her. He sighed heavily after a bit and she got the impression he didn't want to have this conversation with her. He seemed so uncomfortable with all of this. She wondered if she was the one making him uncomfortable, which was sort of laughable. Aidan Asgrim would one day be the Royal Beta, and he was very powerful. Why was she making him uncomfortable?

At one point in her life, Bianca had been good at this type of thing. She could talk to people and make them comfortable. She could start conversations with perfect strangers. She'd been outgoing and had a personality that was bright and warm. Now though she wasn't quite sure how to, but at the same time, she didn't want to be wandering around the beach with a man she barely knew, waiting for him to strike up a conversation with her that he didn't seem to want to have. They needed an ice breaker. "So how come the Alpha Prince didn't come with you?" It was the only thing she could think of. Xavier Remington always came with him. It was odd that he wasn't there.

Aidan glanced at her, and she saw his shoulders relax a bit. Was he tense? Because of her? She almost laughed at that, but she hadn't laughed in a long time, and it did seem rather inappropriate. But maybe he'd needed that ice breaker, something to get him talking. After all, he'd wanted to speak to her. Not the other way around.

"He's recovering from surgery." He said it rather nonchalantly.

"Surgery?" What did that mean? What kind of surgery?

"It's complicated," Aidan said.

"Oh."

"He'll be fine," he said quietly, as he stopped to pick up a seashell.

It was interesting to her because she never thought of the Royal Pack as being normal every day werewolves living their lives. She didn't even know why either. But watching him pick up a pretty pink seashell and clean it off was so normal. "Is that why your brother came instead?"

He looked at her, and she watched his brow crease. "Yeah."

That made sense, she supposed. But she also needed to find out what he wanted. "But you didn't call me out here to talk to me about the Alpha Prince," she stated. Why would he?

"No," he agreed. He sighed deeply, then stopped and turned to her. "Five months ago, I was in Saint Louis on business. I was with my brother and Xavier. We.." he sighed and his blue eyes turned to her. "Don't judge."

She lifted a brow at him. "I would never judge a member of the Royal Pack." Liar. She did think it was sort of funny that he asked her not to though.

A faint smile touched his lips. "I'm sure. Anyway, we went to a bar that night, and my mate walked in."

She watched his gaze move out over the water, a sad faraway look in his eyes. She was sure she carried that look herself. She frowned. Was his mate dead? Was that why he'd come here to talk to her? It didn't make any sense. She didn't know him.

She was a bit shocked he was being this vulnerable with her. Aidan Asgrim was one of the most powerful werewolves in the world and at the moment, she was seeing a side of him that she doubted many saw. Why her? She remained quiet, waiting for him to speak.

It took him a few moments before he spoke again. "I ended up having sex with her. I told her I wanted to talk to her the next morning, but when I woke up, she was gone." He squeezed his eyes shut.

"She didn't want to be mated to you?" Bianca felt her heart drop for him at the pain that appeared on his face for a brief moment before he masked it. This wasn't sounding good, though she still wasn't sure why he was choosing to share this with her.

Why would his mate leave him like that? Bianca mentally shook her head. She knew what it was like to be mated, the amazing way it made you feel when you first saw them. How good the sex was. She'd craved it daily, that intimate connection with him. Why would you leave your soulmate?

"She didn't know. She was human," he explained, his gaze traveling back out over the water.

Oh. Now she could understand why his mate left him. She didn't fully understand werewolf/human matings. She knew it happened, but not often. She knew there were two werewolf/human couples in her pack, though she didn't know either of them personally. She was amazed to hear that a werewolf as powerful as Aidan Asgrim had been mated to a human.

"I've been searching for her, but I can't find her." Pain flashed across his face again. "I don't know her last name, and I'm honestly not sure she gave me her full first name."

How the heck had a Royal Beta lost his mate, she thought, though she would never say that out loud. Especially to him. It was obvious he was hurting. She couldn't imagine how hard that had to be on him. "I'm not exactly sure why you're telling me all of this, Beta. I'm not anyone important."

His gaze darted back to her. "I'm running out of time."

Time? Then it clicked. If he went months without marking his mate, the need to do so would consume him. Her lips parted. After being unable to find his mate for the last five months, the man in front of her was probably completely miserable. She understood that feeling all too well. "You have to take a Chosen," she murmured, her gaze darting down to his chest. It seemed like the safest place to look at the moment.

He didn't reply to that, and she heard a deep sigh escape him.

Bianca glanced up at him. It still didn't explain why... And then It clicked. "Me?"
No! Her mind screamed. She could not be this man's chosen mate. Was he crazy?