Tatum

The packs were in an uproar.

I say packs because Rick's pack was devastated and furious at the loss of their Alpha's family member who was entrusted to us, therefore a spiral of fury fell downhill to their allies; Reid and David.

I had Alpha's howling on our borders every other minute, Petricia like a rabid wolf clawing for my blood and pack betas staring me down whenever we'd go on a group patrol for any more clues to the whereabouts of my mate.

Most of my time was spent in my new favourite room where I could beat, cut and electrocute my frustrations out on the filth that took my angel from me but once I was done I could never bring myself to stay in my room where he had once slept, the smell I could remember made him nauseous I couldn't coat that room in this stench. He'd be back any minute.

''Let me go! I'll kill him!'' Growls travelled the halls of the cave as Petricia tried once again to gain entrance to my home.

Dustin turned the corner into our interrogation room looking like all hell had smacked him around for a while. Charlie had gone missing the second we had reached back onto our land, never saying a word he was just gone with the wind without a scent.

I could tell it was taking a toll on Dustin. The first few days he was unmanagable, one second sad, the next angry and then downright psychotic. Now he was trying to play indifferent, but he was the only one who believed it.

A bond that was not yet affirmed was like a broken and frayed piece of rope. When you placed your mark upon your mate, those tiny fibers came together and wound themselves in a strong impenetrable bond between the two; a sturdy rope connecting them. I knew Jaidan was at least alive, I could tell he was in pain, but at least he was alive. I could manage myself knowing that. Dustin however, didn't have that bond yet with Charlie. He didn't know if he was in pain, or hungry, or worse.

''The Alpha's are having a meeting and they've asked you to be there.''

''Of course they have.'' I rubbed my face, feeling the scratchiness of the beard that was forming.

''Don't throw a fit alright?'' My brows creased at his words but I shook my head and ignored him as I made my way towards our dining hall.

Throwing a fit was an understatement. I was breaking lose all hell. If there were fragile objects they would have been smashed, if there was a loud mouth no good idiot in the room he would have been long dead. I was throwing a royal fit.

''Bullshit!'' I growled as my fist slammed down on the table in front of me.

The entirety of my pack, including some members of the other three surrounding packs were present in our dining hall crowding around ready to attack anyone who made a threatening move as my father sat high in his elevated chair above us all looking down on the woman in front of him. I stood to his side along with his most trusted war wolves and my uncle.

''It's not unheard of.''

''And it won't be happening!'' my wolf was at the forefront of my body ready to attack anyone who agreed with the bored woman in front of me.

''Our Alpha assures us there are plenty of female wolves you may choose from, but this one, he wants. He has also stated if you want to take a male we only have one that would suit your tastes. He can assure you though that he is from an old pure line considering his dying breed and perfectly able to satisfy you.''

I would have struck the woman had Dustin not grabbed for my fist first. I had never been one to take a she-wolf's life unnecessarily but shooting the messenger sounded pleasant right about now.

The only reason this woman has survived this long was because my father was a man of the old ways and tried to at least abide by the rules and laws of combat and warfare. She had waved a white flag and came as a ransom not, a messenger pigeon if you will. But they had no intention to return my mate or negotiate his release and return.

''To remove a bonded mark is blasphemous!'' Petricia screeched across the room and looked about ready to join me in my crusade contrary to her earlier task of gutting me.

Everyone in the room twitched uncomfortably, a ghost of a burn torturing their mating marks at the thought of them being branded off, cut and branded again until there was barely even flesh there before it was remarked painfully so the mark shone through the scars.

It was a barbaric process, not even a traditional pack practiced something so medieval and we were thought to be heartless, ruthless medieval barbarians.

I couldn't help but notice the way Alpha Reid shuffled and moved his jumper further over a scar on his left shoulder, I didn't want to imagine if he had experienced something similar.

I had never seen it happen. I had never planned to see such a painful torture, not even I, a torturer; an enforcer subjected to perform the cruelest of pains wanted to see it.

''Our Alpha can assure you he will make the removal process as painless as possible, whether you choose to remove your mark is up to you but it will be nothing but a scar once the omega has been bonded within our pack.'' Her eyes twitched as she looked at the blood speckles on my shirt that I had worn for the past few days firmly coated in the blood of her brothers if rogues even had that familial attachment to each other like we did.

''You can tell your Alpha to shove it right up his-!''

''Tatum.''

My words stopped immediately as my father stood from his chair and made his way over to the woman.

''Our Alpha can assure you the boy's new mate will-'' Her body fell to the floor, gagging, gasping for breath as she tore at the blood spilling from her neck where my father's claws had just been.

''There are no need to ask questions when answers are given.'' The Alpha stooped down to her gasping face and sniffed at her clothes as he wiped the blood from his hand back on to her before he left back to his room.

''What?'' Dustin broke the silence as we all watched the Alpha leave without a care in the world.

''Track her scent she was careless.'' I quickly left the room and rushed towards our bedroom.

This rogue being so careless was our first clue to finding Jaidan we had discovered. Our pack had followed all signs of struggle, all slightest whiffs of even the faintest scents that were out of place, we even traveled across borders and into neighbouring pack lands but we had come up with nothing to show for our desperation.

As I entered my room there was the ever-present lump under the covers whimpering in his sleep, it tugged at my heart but I didn't dare touch him with my hands as I gathered a bag with a change of clothes, knives and some food I always stashed in multiple places within the den and surrounding areas.

Taking in a long whiff of Jaidan's scent within the large room had my wolf howling in pain at the slow loss of it. It was no longer comfortable. Everything seemed so large and foreign, so far away from each other, even the little one curled up on the bed looked like he was being engulfed and drowned by the furs.

Before leaving, my body halted beside him, just starring at the small thing crying for all kinds of reasons. He had just been exiled from his pack brutally, brought into a new pack and then the only person he had boned so strongly with so early was torn from him causing a painful early shift, no doubt adding fuel to his innocent tears spilling from his eyes.

My fingers twitched at my side itching to rest my hand on his dirty blonde hair that was sticking out of the blankets but I couldn't bring myself to do it. It wasn't me he was crying for, it was my mate and I'd be damned if I had to listen to his broken sobs one more night. I didn't have the same connection with children as my angel did.

I couldn't comfort him and tell him everything was going to be alright with a smile and pinkie promise him that I would bring back his savior and everything would be back to normal and fine because chances were they weren't going to be fine. My heart tore as I thought about the fact I may not bring my mate back in one piece, mentally or physically. If they tore his bond with me he could go insane, he could turn rogue or he could die. I didn't want to think about it but I couldn't stop the disaster cogs from turning in my mind.

Exiting the room felt like a small string was fraying between the young pup and I but I quietened my wolf back to sleep as a soft voice whispered us a goodbye that sounded more like a mournful whimper.

My babies Reid and David are life. You guys don't know their back story yet so you aren't as attached as I am but soon you will all feel my attachment! I hope I can do their story justice for how I've imagined them, though sadly their story isn't next I'll just keep popping them in here and there.

Don't forget to follow me and vote my lovely people we're so close to breaking more of my goals for how many votes and followers I have!