Chapter 25

Beta Zander Perez - POV

"True, but the warrior who is in the hospital right now is suffering from some serious injuries, Zander." 

"What do you want me to do about that now?" I snapped, but Alpha Lopez did not flinch. We have been together since we were in diapers, and Adam and Adrian were the only two people who stood by my side when that bitch left me. 

It was not easy to lose your mate, and I ended up drowning my misery in alcohol and street fights. I was gradually losing control of my wolf, but these two guys still stuck by my side and helped me come out of that hole. 

Even though I show them that I am all right, that I have moved on, I have never moved on from that heartbreak. "Mate would not do that." Ares reasoned.

"All women are the same. I don't want to open my heart to another woman again, Ares." I told him in a dismissive tone, which made him retreat to the back of my mind. 

"I want you to step back a little. Take a few weeks off, and then when you are calm again, I think it would be best if you start your beta duties." Adam suggested, and this made me raise an eyebrow at him. 

"Are you telling me to give up my beta title, Adam?" 

"No, I am telling you to take it slow. I think all this stress is getting onto you. Let Adrian handle all the training sessions. You can handle the paperwork and this investigation till then." Adam told me. 

I know he was right. I needed to sort out my feelings first, and only then could I think straight again. "Okay," I told him. And he nodded his head as he took out some pictures from the file that was in front of him and spread it out on the table. 

I was there at the crime scene, and I saw how the woman died, but I was still not able to decipher why she was killed. "Did you find out who she was?" Adam asked me, and I nodded my head. I got up from my place walked to my filing cabinet, and grabbed the black file that had her name on it. 

I placed it on the desk, opened the file, and showed him her biodata. "She is part of our pack, but she found her human mate two years ago and decided to move to the human town and live with him. She also has a daughter who is one right now." 

"If she is not part of the pack, then why did the rogue kill her?" 

"Well, her husband is a lawyer, and I thought maybe it might have been due to some sort of a dispute. But after speaking to him, I found out that he was a divorce lawyer, and he does not deal with werewolves at all." 

"Any suspicious activities on her side for the past year?" Adam asked me, but I shook my head. 

"She was a stay-at-home mom. But I don't know what's her connection with this rogue." I told him, and he nodded his head. 

"Her CCTV footage shows that she was taken from her home," Adam asked me, and I looked at Adrian. He was the person who went to her place yesterday. 

"Nothing was stolen from her house. And we did a thorough examination as well. A few things were broken, and that must be due to struggle, but other than that, he didn't steal any valuables." 

"Dig deeper. We might find something." Adam instructed, and Adrian and I nodded our heads. I collected the photos from the desk and placed them inside her file. I got up from my place placed the file in my filing cabinet, and took a seat on my chair. 

"I want you to investigate something else as well, Zander." 

"What is it?" 

"I spoke with Doctor Jenkins yesterday. And she told me that there was no way Aurora could have survived. Someone must have done something, and Alpha Alonso insisted that we find out what went wrong that day." 

"What do you want me to do about that?"

"Just check the CCTV cameras at the hospital and see what happened that day." He said, and I nodded my head. 

"Are you sure Alpha Alonso is her mate, Adam? It looks like there is something off about this." 

"Unless, Aurora says otherwise, we can't do anything about it, Zander. Just check out the cameras and let me know, okay?" He asked me, and I nodded my head. 

I walked out of my office and went straight to the training ground. I was so focused on seeing the fight when a cold breeze blew my way, bringing with it the scent of gardenia and lemons. "What is Aurora doing out here?" I followed her scent into the forest when I arrived at the river.

She was speaking with Alpha Alonso, and this made my blood boil. They were too close to my liking, and I saw a smirk on Alpha Alonso's face. "I will get what I want." I heard him tell her as he walked towards the pathway as I hid behind the forest. 

Aurora stood there for a few minutes before she walked towards the pack house as well. They were too close to my liking, and I felt Ares try to gain control as I pushed him back. "Mate is ours." He growled in my head. 

"That is your mate. I haven't decided if Aurora is my mate or not." I told him.

"You are an idiot! Can't you see she is perfect for us?" 

"Isn't that what you thought about her as well?" I mocked. 

"I did, but I have a feeling that she is different, Zander. Why can't you see?" Ares insisted. 

"When you get betrayed by the mate that the moon goddess has chosen for you. It's a little difficult to trust her choice for the second time, Ares."