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

Chapter 50

Zane's gaze darted around the dining hall as he walked into breakfast the morning after his conversation with Aidan regarding Bianca. He didn't see her in there at all. Of course, he probably would have caught her scent the moment he walked in. That amazing scent of hers called to him like a siren's song. 

The moment she'd walked into the Alpha's office back at Great Lakes, Zane had known he was screwed. Bianca Simmons was absolutely beautiful and the woman fated to be his, except for two things. First, she had no idea, and second, his brother desperately needed to take a Chosen Mate, and she was it. 

Aidan hadn't picked her. Zane knew that. He'd actually spoken to Daniel before the Alpha had talked to Aidan. He'd walked into his office earlier that morning, not at all surprised to find his great great grandfather in there with Daniel. Ragnar had been Daniel's Beta. 

Zane had nodded to them both, then sat down in a chair.

"You here about your brother?" Ragnar asked, concern in his eyes. 

Zane had frowned at him. It was like Ragnar could read his mind. "Yeah."

"Ragnar and I are working on a list of potential mates for him," Daniel said, his eyes on his laptop. He looked up. "We know how bad he is."

Zane's shoulders slumped. Aidan had changed so much over the last five months. He'd become restless and on edge. He almost looked like he could jump out of his skin at any moment. Zane hated it for him.

"Doesn't help that his wolf is pissed and he hasn't shifted since before he met her," Ragnar muttered. 

Zane glanced at the old wolf and frowned. "I didn't know that."

Ragnar nodded. "Daniel and I have been keeping an eye on him and we know it's almost time. He has no choice on this, for his own sanity."

Zane grimaced and ran a hand over his face. He hated this for Aidan, hated that his brother was forced to mate with a woman who was not his fated. He could never be with a fated mate. He knew that was Aidan's first choice. His only choice, really. But Ana had taken that away from him. 

"We've been going through the pack files, and I've been compiling a list of she-wolves who have lost their mate," Daniel said. "There's not many, but I think I've found someone for him."

Zane nodded. "I'm glad something is being done. Aidan is so off." 

Of course, he hadn't expected Daniel's first choice to be Bianca Simmons. Zane had never met her before, but the moment she walked into that room, he was smitten. It was the hardest thing he'd ever done, to stand there and not react. He'd been waiting for her for eight years, and while that wasn't that long, it was long enough. 

He'd watched Aidan on the flight there, noticing how restless and miserable his brother was. Aidan was so lost in thought that he barely paid any attention at all to much of anything. If this kept up, he'd be cut off from his liaison duties, as him being too distracted to sense any possible threat was a danger to both him and whoever he was working with. Zane knew that wouldn't be good for him. Aidan liked to stay busy. 

And so, Zane had kept his mouth shut while his wolf had whimpered in his mind, upset that he was allowing someone else to claim his mate. It had been hard though. She was so perfectly beautiful, and he could see the sadness that lurked in her eyes and it made his heart ache for her. He hated it, knowing his brother would be the one to mark her. Aidan didn't even care about her. 

The message from the Gamma of The Vail Pack had been sort of a relief and Zane took it as his opportunity to get away. He knew it wouldn't go over well with anyone and he would probably get in trouble for it, but he was doing it for Aidan. He could not ride on a plane back to Regal Eclipse with the woman he was fated to, knowing he couldn't have her. He'd prefer to avoid them all together and hopefully Aidan would mark her soon and break the bond between them. 

But the longer he was away, the more he realized he couldn't give her up. She was his fated. She was mourning the loss of her first mate, and she needed someone who would be kind to her and who would love her the way she deserved to be loved. He knew his brother would be good to her, but Aidan didn't have a bond with her. She was sort of a means to an end for him. An end to the bond he currently had with Ana. 

And so once he learned that the shit going on with Vail Pack was nothing, Zane had flown home and decided to tell Aidan the truth. Perhaps he was being selfish, but he didn't care. He wanted Bianca. He wanted to be the one to mate her, to mark her, and to love her. He wanted to earn her love. Plus he could be patient. He had time to make her fall for him. 

He knew it wasn't going to be an easy mating. Bianca had lost her first mate, and given the fact that she wasn't a member of Regal Eclipse, she wouldn't get a second chance. She had no idea that Zane was her mate. If she had, she would have never agreed to the mating with Aidan. 

At least he'd arrived home before Aidan had marked her. He hadn't expected his brother to move that fast, though why he hadn't, he wasn't sure. Aidan was suffering and so was Bianca. Them marking each other would help to ease it. But Ana had arrived, and now Aidan had his hands full with her. The woman he actually loved. Zane knew Aidan loved Ana, though he wasn't sure if his brother realized it. 

And Bianca was stuck in the middle of it. He wondered if she was sad or relieved about the entire thing. Aidan had said she was thinking about joining the pack. But besides Aidan, she really didn't know anyone here. 

"What are you doing? Blocking the door?" 

Zane glanced up to see Xavier standing there with a red headed woman. Given that he was holding her hand, Zane guessed she was probably his mate. He remembered Xavier saying he had a thing for redheads. "Waiting for someone." 

Xavier rolled his eyes at Zane good naturedly. "Maddie, this is Aidan's brother, Zane. Zane, Madeline Landry, my mate."

The woman who would one day be the future Luna Queen. He smiled at her. "Nice to meet you Madeline."

She smiled back. "And you Zane."

"So really, who are you waiting on?" Xavier asked him. 

"Bianca." My Mate. 

Xavier's eyes widened. "She is?"

Zane nodded. "Aidan invited her yesterday to stay at Regal Eclipse. She didn't come down to dinner, though. I'm sort of debating if I want to go knock on her door or not." 

"Does she know about ..." 

Zane shook his head. "I don't want to tell her unless she decides she doesn't want to stay."

"I talked to her yesterday some. She seems really nice, just sad," Maddie said softly. 

Zane nodded. "She's been through a lot."

"Wait a minute. When did you figure this all out?" Xavier asked him. 

"When we met her in Michigan." Zane crossed his arms. 

Xavier's eyebrows shot up. "And you were going to ..." let him mate her? Are you insane?

"No mind linking," Maddie muttered at him. 

Zane watched Xavier's face soften as he looked at Maddie. Xavier, the one who was a bit of control freak was whipped by this little wisp of a woman. Zane could fully understand now and he barely even knew Bianca. He rolled his eyes at himself. He didn't know her at all. He'd only spent maybe five minutes in her presence. 

"I'll tell you later, Princess," Xavier murmured, wrapping an arm around her and pressing a kiss to her forehead. He looked back at Zane. "She wasn't at dinner yesterday. If she doesn't show up, you might want to go knock on her door."

Zane nodded. "I just might do that."