Chapter 14 - Cyrus

“I've got it!” I announce as soon as I enter the boardroom. With the Alphas who form the Council of Oklahoma werewolf packs gathered in Alpha Theodore's office in Tulsa, I waste no time informing them that I now have the location of the rogues' headquarters.

“This is great, Alpha Cyrus,” Simon, the leader of Misty Creek, commends as he reads the address on the page. “We need to move fast.”

“We can't just rush in there,” I warn them, going on to explain how secure the compound is, with too many rogues surrounding the area.

From what I've gathered with the recent attack on my pack, the rogues have a good formation that seems to work. We have to work strategically to get Dorian out safely.

“How many soldiers do you have, Damian?” Theodore asks Dorian's brother. “Does Nightclaw have enough soldiers?”

“My brother's pack is very small,” Damian reveals about Nightclaw. “His pack wasn't prepared for the attack. That's why he was captured in the first place.”

“We're gonna have to round up everyone,” Simon says. “So far, Moon Shine, Blood Moon, and Blackmaw have the most experience fighting the rogues.”

Alpha Flynn nods his agreement. “With our special ops training and recruiting the younger wolves, Blood Moon is prepared for war,” Flynn says. “We're gonna have to come together and form a strategy to fight them.”

With all the Alphas in agreement, we decide to put our forces together and form a battalion of all our fighters to go to war with the rogues and extract Dorian from the warehouse in Wichita Falls.

The night drags on as we put our heads together, forging a plan of action and deciding on a schedule to come together for training. The soldiers in Dorian's pack are to be informed of our plans, and we decide to move in during the next full moon in two weeks.

It's when our inner wolves are the strongest, following the Moon Goddess's cycle of strength. Tensions are high, with Damian concerned about the time frame and worried that it's too long of a wait.

“Simon is right,” I tell Damian, who, for the first time, is really involved in getting his brother back.

I can only imagine that whatever beef they had before is long forgotten ever since Dorian was kidnapped. After all, they're brothers. Blood . A connection I don't fully understand because I have no siblings.

“... We can't afford to rush in without a proper plan of action,” I continue, glancing around the room and noting that everyone nods in agreement. “I fought those things, and they're no ordinary wolves. Barbaric and fast. A recipe for disaster.”

When all the Alphas are finally in agreement on our forthcoming plan, the meeting is dismissed, with each of us shouldering the weight of our responsibilities.

We're doing something that hasn't been done before. Up until a few months ago, the werewolf packs of the region could barely see eye to eye. Alpha Flynn's late older brother tried to rally the packs by making friends outside of his own.

Dorian Walker was his closest ally at the time, nine years ago when Finch was in line to become Blood Moon's Alpha. A freak accident involving rogue wolves took Finch's life and forced Flynn into stepping in as the leader of the pack.

Now, it seems that those rogues are back, almost a decade later, picking up where they left off by abducting Dorian.

But it's not like they're stopping with Nightclaw. Last night's attack on both Moon Shine and Blackmaw proves that the rogues have a more extensive agenda. We just don't know what it is yet.

Soon, we'll find out. Until then, we have a lot to prepare.

I make my way back home with that heaviness looming over me, knowing that my only consolation awaits me in the small town. For years, that town had been empty, void of any kind of solace, when the only one I ever anticipated seeing left Mysthaven.

Going back and forth between the town and city became a necessary routine. Between being the owner and CEO of Rudolph Inc. and the Alpha of the Moon Shine Pack, I'd adjusted to my duties. Yet, something was always amiss in my life.

That “something” came back and showed me that she was everything. For years, I dismissed the idea of being attracted to a she-wolf like Cassandra. I was in denial of the inevitable, pushing her away when all I wanted was to be near her.

Good Goddess! How wrong I was to think that those curves, that luscious body, couldn't induce the most thrilling experience of my life.

It's more than that, I realize as I pull into town and the tires crush over the gravel road leading toward Cassandra's cottage. The peace and tranquility I find whenever I'm around her has me forgetting about all my troubles and being present in the moment where I can be free from the worldly qualms that plague me.

A gentle smile lifts my lips as I hop out and make my way toward her porch. A moment of regret passes when a thought crosses my mind—I should have brought flowers to extend my gratitude to her. Quickly slipping off to her backyard, I pluck a few daisies from the garden and pray that the gesture alone will suffice.

I don't know what's come over me except that I'm not who I was before. A changed man, perhaps, but the details don't matter right now. All that matters is getting to her. Even if it's almost the stroke of midnight, my inner wolf needs soothing. So does my heart.

“Cassie…?” I call out when the first round of knocks on her front door isn't answered. Frowning, I try the handle, surprised when I find it unlocked.

Of course it is, I chuckle bemusedly, stepping into the cozy cottage with a self-assured smirk. She must have been expecting my return, just as she did last night when I returned from the fight with the rogues, only to discover that the door was unlocked.

Flicking the light switch, the room becomes shrouded in soft, warm light, but an unwarranted cold shiver passes through my spine. The empty expanse of the living room is anything but warm, and panic sets in.

Did something happen to her? With a worried frown setting in like a permanent fixture on my face, I wander off toward Cassandra’s bedroom.

Only to find her bed empty.

“Cassie?” I call out, a last-ditch attempt to find her despite the smoothness of the bed covers indicating that she hasn’t slept in her bed tonight. That’s when I close my eyes and focus on the mind link to call out to her.

Maybe she hasn’t left my house. It’s a stretch, I know since it’s too late for her to wait there for me.

“ Cassie? Where are you?” I sent out the mental communication, which was reserved only for Cassandra’s mind. But when it comes back to my eardrums, echoing with dreaded emptiness, my eyelids fly open, and I set off like a madman around the cottage.

“Cassie? Cassandra?” my voice calls out in short bursts of worry, my mind racing between my human voice and the one belonging to my inner wolf. But when I find myself back in her bedroom, I’ve lost all hope that she’s here.

I have to go outside and find her, but something innate, almost like my instincts, tells me that I’ll be wasting my time.

Why? What’s going on? I mentally panic until I spot a crisp piece of folded paper beside her bedside lamp.

My pounding heart obliterates my eardrums as I set forward with calculated steps, reaching for the note with trembling fingers.

I’m sorry, Dakota. I had to leave without telling you. I’ll explain everything some other time. I’m okay.

I read the neat handwriting, over and over again, as if it’ll magically change the message on the note. As the daunting truth sets in stone, I sink to the bed, my eyes remaining glued to the words.

Again, I try sending a telepathic plea for her to answer me, but it doesn’t go anywhere. Instead, my inner voice bounces around in my skull, only confirming what I already know to be true.

No. No. No…

She's done it again.

She's cut off her ties to the mind link that connects all the wolves of the Moon Shine Pack.

She did it before—nine years ago when she abruptly left without a word. I tried my best to call out to her the moment I heard that she left the pack just as I’m trying right now and failing dismally at it again.

This time, it was different, only that we’d shared something special. She’d gifted me her virtue and helped me with that brilliant mind of hers. Yet, the words on the note she left behind aren’t directed at me.

She didn’t leave me a note. Again, she left without saying goodbye.

I frown as the realization comes speeding toward me like a truck without brakes, knocking into my gut and knocking the wind out of me.

Was I the reason she left back then?

Was all of this some kind of revenge plot to get back at me for all the times I treated her cruelly in the past?

Did I do something this time?

I shake my head. It’s impossible to have been cruel to her when I’d finally given in to my baser desires.

What went wrong?

Hanging my head, feeling shame and hurt coil in the pit of my belly, I know what I need to do.

I have to find her.

***

Two Weeks Later

“Are we all set for tomorrow night?” Alpha Simon asks, crossing his arms over his chest as he gazes out at the training arena.

With the battalion we’d formed from handpicked werewolves of each of our packs, the Alpha Council has been preparing to go to war with the rogues. Our attack will be unsuspected, and we’ll finally be able to extract Alpha Dorian from where he’s being held captive.

Our final night of training is taking place in Moon Shine’s training arena tonight. Brushing up on the finer details of our new fighting strategy, Alpha Flynn leads training.

“Flynn seems to think so,” I tell Simon.

“What do you think, Cyrus?” He raises a brow at me, and I know it’s because he really trusts me.

“I think we’re ready,” I reply, even if I’m not being entirely honest. With the loss of Cassandra, I haven’t been able to put my head in the game entirely.

The warrior werewolves from all six of the Oklahoma packs are ready, but the Alpha of the Moon Shine Pack hasn’t been able to kick himself into gear.

It’s something I can’t admit to the other leaders. I refuse to appear as an incapable Alpha who can’t get himself together. What’s worse is working so closely with the others and seeing both Flynn and Simon with their Lunas.

“My love…” Alpha Simon’s Luna, Emberly, slides her arm through his, then presses a kiss on his cheek. “It’s getting late. We should gather our wolves and head back home.”

Simon nods with a warm smile as he gazes at his mate. “We have a big night to prepare for,” he concedes. “You’re right.”

He turns to me and excuses himself to prepare his wolves for the journey back home. Watching the two together, a pang of longing seizes my heart. It has me going through the motions of bidding everyone farewell without paying much interest to anyone in particular.

Tomorrow is a big night for us, but I end up dragging my feet back home with sluggish steps.

Why am I thinking so much about Cassandra? Why can’t I stand to see the others with their mates, while I’ve never considered myself an Alpha destined for a Luna of my own?

Shivering inwardly, I find my way to the bar beside the kitchen, pouring myself a stiff drink laced with enough wolfsbane to knock me out for the night. I can’t stand another restless night, tossing and turning and wondering why Cassandra hasn’t shown up in Mysthaven.

It’s been two weeks, and she’s gone off the radar. Her phone’s off, and I haven’t been able to trace her. I’ve tried and failed.

Just as I’ve failed at making sense of her leaving again.

“How are things going with training?” Mother asks, surprising me when she appears at the doorway, tying the strap of her gown as she yawns and pads toward the bar.

I give my mother an update on things only because I owe her an explanation. As the Luna of this pack, she’s the only she-wolf who’s been aware of the impending threat of the rogues and Dorian’s capture since the very beginning. Since we decided to join forces with the Alpha Council, all members of the Moon Shine Pack have been made aware of the dangers that lurk outside. We’ve all collectively been on high alert.

With everyone in the pack on board, I should be feeling better. Yet, I’m victim to the clutches of one particular she-wolf who has decided to abandon us again, mourning her loss each night at the bottom of a liquor bottle.

“I’m happy to hear this,” Mother says, taking a seat behind the bar. “Your father would be proud of the decisions you’re making.”

That statement lingers cruelly, weighing as heavily on my shoulders as the responsibilities I’ve had to bear ever since my father died.

“I wish he was here to see it…” I murmur disheartened, tipping my drink to my lips.

“Sometimes I wish for the same,” Mother admits. “But you’re quite capable of leading this pack on your own.”

“On my own…” I echo her words reproachfully, a snide chuckle leaving my lips. For many years, I thought that being on my own would be sufficient for this pack.

I’ve come to realize that it’s not the case anymore.

“I thought that’s what you wanted, Cyrus.”

I lift my head to find my mother watching me through thoughtfully narrowed eyes. It’s almost as if she can see right through me, and the need for more alcohol dissipates as I’m filled with shame.

“I thought it was what I wanted, too,” I admit tersely, staring down into the empty glass that seems to mimic my current disposition.

“There’s no point in punishing yourself, Cyrus,” Mother continues. “I would very much like to retire as the Luna. Your pack will have more faith in you with a mate by your side.”

“They…” I look up, gulping hard. “They don’t have faith in me right now?”

Mother purses her lips apologetically, and I can see in her eyes that she didn’t mean to dishearten me. “You should have seen the look on her face when I told her. It was like she’d seen a ghost. Perhaps that’s why she left us again. A pack without a Luna isn’t as strong as its leader might believe.”

I frown. “Who are you talking about?”

“Cassandra, of course.”

Just like that, my heart sinks all over again. Only this time, I’m really listening to my mother when she goes on to explain what she means.

“You told her that I will never take a mate?” My jaw drops, and more realizations come to light.

“Yes,” Mother nods. “By now, it’s common knowledge that you won’t be taking a mate. You’re already three decades old, Cyrus.”

“Mother…” I shake my head in disbelief. “... Why did you tell her that?”

“It’s true, is it not?” Mother defends with a shrug.

Dropping my head into my hand, I wallow in the light of the truth.

Cassandra believes that I won’t ever take a mate. She must have thought that I’d only used her and that I was only planning on using her for bodily pleasures.

Up until I lost her again, it was something I hadn’t even considered. Yet, it feels like the most natural thing to do.

It’s the only way I can make amends for losing her a second time.

I look up again to find my mother staring at me contemplatively as if she could see right through me. She has no idea what occurred between Cassandra and me, yet, she seems to read me like an open book as expected from the Luna of the pack, who has an innate knowledge of everything.

“It was the disappointment I saw, wasn’t it?”

I nod in response to Mother’s question.

“Hm,” she huffs, pulling the brandy bottle toward her. “I knew something was going on between you two when you dropped her off here that day.”

“So why did you tell her?” I ask with a sigh.

“I was hoping she’d talk some sense into you,” Mother chuckles dryly. “It was obviously a very sensitive topic.”

“I only have myself to blame for that…” I mutter with a heavy heart. “It was all fairly new. We didn’t discuss…” My voice breaks off, the remnants of my past behavior stirred up like debris from a cataclysmic explosion. It lingers, and it needs to be cleared up if I’m ever going to move forward in life.

“Then that’s exactly what you need to do, Cyrus,” my mother advises. “You need to find her and speak to her.”

“I don’t know how—” I’m just about to admit that I’ve tried searching for her to no avail when my mind seemingly clears up. Whatever intoxicants I’ve consumed burn out in a split second, the clarity I’d been seeking finally coming to light.

My intuition kicks in, my inner wolf speaking up for the first time in two weeks.

“ Asuka…” it whispers, as if speaking to my mother has allowed me to think clearly.

“I know how to find her!” I exclaim, jumping to my feet and startling my mother when she shrieks. I wrap an arm around her shoulders and press a kiss at the top of her head. “Thank you, Mother.”

Mother giggles lightly, nudging me in the ribs. “See? There’s a reason why I’m still alive. It’s to make sure you give this pack the Luna it deserves.”