WEDDING INVITATION

“Hey, Bren, do we have any good news about your boss?” Aaron asked as he entered the Gamma’s hospital suite.

Ma’Heron’s blond personal assistant rubbed his half-closed grey eyes as he sat up from the couch where he was sleeping. “Not really. He’s been dreaming, and it’s probably the weirdest of dreams, judging by his body’s reactions these past few hours. His blanket tented several times at some point, and then he started mumbling, almost yelling, and then he sat up and threw a punch or two in the air. After that, he seemed to just collapse into another deep sleep. The doctor came and checked on him and assured me that M’s health is still all right, at the very least.”

“Damn it, Ma’Heron, you need to be ok for this one. Your mate will need you,” worriedly whispered the Beta under his breath.

“Have you guys found out anything about her status, Beta A?” Bren asked.

“Yeah, but its anything but good news, I’m afraid. V called the HR Department and asked why Alex’s absence wasn’t reported to him. They said they usually didn’t report things like that to him since it’s an issue that was not that problematic. He yelled at them, telling them that the Gamma’s wife wasn’t just any employee, and her work record showed that her behavior back then was not at all like her usual habits. So, since she didn’t show up for work or called in sick, they should have reported it to him immediately.”

“So, it’s true then? That she was kidnapped?”

“It seems so. V ordered all security recordings in the Silvercrest building checked and whatever video showed her to be sent to him as soon as possible. We know who has her and why, but we want to know when and where was she taken, for how long has she been missing, and other pertinent details about her disappearance. As we speak, Myron and Raquel are going to the Crescent Moon packhouse with our best Delta warriors to attempt a rescue mission. Hopefully, they will find a way to bring her back home soon enough so we can reject the challenge request of Alpha Abner.”

“But, why was the Gamma Female taken? Why not any other? If they wanted our Alpha to react, they could have taken the Luna instead, right?”

Aaron took a seat beside Bren before replying, “The intention is not only to try to get our pack to be his. This story comes from three years back, and this is an old enemy of M and Alexia. One that we in the higher ranks know well enough, unfortunately.”

The former rogue wolf looked at the Beta in awed amazement, “Would you mind telling me the whole story, Beta? I mean, I know too little of the pack and what has happened before M helped me to get into Silvercrest. I might be able to help him somehow if I knew more.”

“Yeah, I don’t see why not, Bren. I can tell you everything while we wait for him to wake up. My bro has told me their story so many times I practically know all of it by heart…”

* * *

"I keep telling you, Lyon, I don’t know what she wants, where she is, or where to find her, and the only one desperate to see her is you!"

How is it so easy for you to lie to yourself?

"I’m not lying, I’m just… Wait, what’s that?"

Uh… a package? Is your vision failing too, Ma’He?

"I’ve told you a thousand times, don’t call me by that nickname, wolf!"

Why not? Because of that old superstition of yours?

"Shut up, Lyon!"

M bent and took the small square package that was in front of his apartment’s front door. He distractedly walked back into his suite while leaving his primary entryway open.

I’ve known you as a genius since I became part of your life, but seriously, you believing in that weird superstition about your childhood nickname, and then not believing in mates is the most absurd thing I’ve heard.

"It’s really none of your business, Lyon."

Well, you can say whatever, but she is MY MATE TOO! I think you keep forgetting that part! I’ve been trying to be nice and all, but you being an ass with everything about her is not making me happy anymore!

"What will you do? Leave me?"

I can do much worse, M. Don’t tempt me…

Ma’Heron immediately stopped the friction-filled conversation in his head, which definitely was not going anywhere at this rate. He focused on the package in his hands, and checked inside,

“Asselmo Bastardo,” M read on the envelope inside the package.

She knows you better than you or I imagined, I see, Lyon said, in between hard and long bouts of highly entertained laughter.

“I thought you were supposed to be on my side, wolf!”

Not with this one, no…

“The invitation had to have a fake name, but she had to play a joke on me, of course,” M whispered to himself, as he forced himself to hide the small smile that was forming on his lips. “Very clever, ‘mate’… very clever.”

Not even you can deny that she’s clever… and oh-so funny! Affirmed his wolf, his laughter now slowly regressing.

“Funny huh, Lyon? I don’t think it’s acceptable that she plays such childish and disrespectful pranks on someone that she asked help from.”

“What are you two fighting about now?”

M looked up and saw his Alpha, steadily approaching him. V was on his way to his apartment and heard the argument between M and his wolf. Of course, this meant that V walked by Ma’Heron’s open door and heard M yell, then silence, then yell, and then silence again. One could easily conclude that was an ongoing convo between the Gamma and his wolf, Lyon inside the logical and level-headed lawyer’s mind.

“Oh, not much, V. Apparently, I have found my mate…”

“WHAT!? And you told me nothing about this?! When? How?”