Chapter 81

Trishanna still felt uneasy, even though everything went well with Bradley's discharge and getting him settled in his room, she could not shake the feeling deep within, the feeling that her mate was in pain. She fussed over Bradley ensuring that he was comfortable, but her mate knew something was up. Pulling her to sit beside him on the sofa, he'd had enough of lying down, he gently squeezed her hands. Bringing them to his lips, he could feel that they were colder than usual. "My love, tell me what's wrong?" he asked, looking in her worried gaze. Trishanna sighed, unsure if what she was feeling even made sense. Not wanting to upset him, she shrugged one shoulder. "I'm worried about James."

Bradley slowly inhaled, the niggling thought that something was going on surfacing once again. "Is it the pup?" he asked as calmly as possible. Trishanna grabbed onto the flimsy excuse as a lifeline. "Yes, at least I think so. I mean, he hasn't checked in on me, not even a call or text." She huffed, "It's just a bit strange." Bradley gently brushed a strand of her brown curl behind one ear. "Maybe, he's giving us time to connect?", man, he hoped that was the reason, although he couldn't be sure. "I don't know. He usually checks to be sure that I ate and," she held up her hand to stop Bradley's input, "I tried calling earlier but his phone just rang. I left a few texts, but it's still unread." Trishanna pulled her hands away and stood, needing to do something to tame the restless worry building inside her. Even the pup seemed to know something was wrong as he wasn't moving much. She rested her hand on her stomach, the fear of giving birth without James flashing through her mind causing tears to well up. 

Bradley stood and walked towards her wrapping her in his arms. "Okay, let's try calling him again and we'll take it from there." Trishanna nodded, tiptoeing to kiss him on his cheek. "Now woman, get me my phone." He playfully swatted her on the ass and she giggled, heading to the bedroom for the phone. He linked Sam for any details. What he got back, made him cringe, not only from the info but also from the tone of his Beta's voice sharing his second-hand embarrassment. He knew this was just the beginning and looked up seeking divine assistance to deal with him. Knowing that James heard their earlier lovemaking had him wondering what the hell the bastard went off to do.

Hours passed and their calls went from being unanswered to going straight to voicemail. Trishanna began panicking, but Bradley calmed her down by saying that maybe his phone simply died. He asked Sam to check James' room and sure enough, his charger was found next to his bed. Trishanna sank to the chair, not sure if to feel relieved or more concerned. After all, there was an attacker on the loose and who knows if James could become a target. Bradley stood and decided to look for him. He ordered his men and some of the members from Bloodmoon to canvas the area and look for clues. He bribed Sam with the promise of a month-long vacation after everything was settled, to get him to go back to the nursing home asking to review their security tapes. Trishanna breathed a bit better as Bradley took charge and she rubbed her belly, whispering to her pup that everything would be fine.

It only took two hours for Bradley's discharge to be made known in the werewolf arena and he was now bombarded with calls and tele-conferences. He could not avoid the ones from Council members so he excused himself and went into the second bedroom he turned into an office for the time being. Martha came in a few minutes later, arms filled with documents. The door closed behind them and Sam informed her that it meant his Alpha would be busy for a while.

It was past dinner and Trishanna ordered room service, nibbling at the meal she had no appetite for. It was nearing midnight and there was still no news. She showered and got ready for bed, sneaking back into Bradley's room, but the quick knock at his office door only revealed a harried-looking Martha and a frustrated Bradley. He walked over to give her a light kiss on her forehead, the phone still to his ear. She couldn't make out the words, but the voice seemed pretty pissed off. She mouthed goodnight and left, heading back to her room. She was sure that she wouldn't sleep, but today's earlier activities still affected her.

She was woken up by Sam around five in the morning. "Luna, wake up, we think we've found Alpha James." Hearing his name, Trishanna quickly wiped the sleep from her eyes. "Where is Bradley?" she asked, looking around, wondering if he slipped into the bed while she slept, but no, the pillow next to her was untouched. A pang of sadness filled her at his absence. "He had to go out of town to meet with another pack. This meeting couldn't be avoided any longer." Trishanna nodded and pulled herself together. 

"Alright, where is James?" Sam hedged, not sure how much he should say. "We followed his movements last night and he is currently downtown in a not-so-nice part of the neighborhood. I'm gathering some of the men and then we're heading over to check it out." Trishanna flung the covers off, wriggling herself off the bed. "Give me a few minutes and I'll be ready." Sam cleared his throat, "No offense, but I don't think Bradley would like that.

 Trishanna spun around to glare at him. "James is my m..." she paused, stopping herself from saying something she wasn't even sure of. "The father of my child," she continued, "and I will not stand by while he might be in danger. Now, as your Luna, I declare that I will be going so you better wait on me, or else I will go by myself and I'm sure your Alpha would like that even less." Sam backed down, knowing that whatever was happening between Trishanna and James was enough to make her threat a possibility. "Fine," he succumbed, "we'll wait for you downstairs." He exited the room, mumbling regrets for waking her and his damned Alpha for always leaving him in awkward situations.

Trishanns smiled as she made her way to the bathroom. A quick shower and teeth cleaning followed by dressing in a dark grey jersey and some sweat pants in a darker color. She struggled to put on her socks and running shoes, glad that she brought them along. She rocked herself to standing and headed downstairs.