Chapter 9

Lachlan

When I came to, we were all on the plane and back in the air.

"What happened?" I asked, feeling groggy.

Then it all came rushing back to me and I jumped up with a menacing growl.

"Where is she?"

Michael cringed, and the rest of the guys wouldn't even look my way.

"Pretty sure we found her, and she's already spoken for, Lachlan. If you were to pursue her, it could cause massive trouble for all of us."

"What the hell are you talking about? She's my mate. I have every right to pursue her."

"If we're right, she's in line to be she-Alpha of Campbell Tribe."

I knew the importance and power that came with that role far better than they did. But it didn't matter. She had to be the one to make that choice as far as I was concerned.

"I'm sorry, man. I was given orders to keep you away from Campbell territory. Patrick is having a shit-fit thinking we're going to blow the whole mission over this."

"You reported me to Patrick?"

"I had to. After the last few incidents mating has caused. . ."

"Yeah, for you arseholes."

"Probably. And we aren't proud of it, but orders are orders. Bravo is going to go in and finish security there. We're taking over their schedule instead and heading to King Tribe."

There was a smirk on his face when he said it and all I wanted to do was smack it off him.

"This is wrong, and you all fucking know it."

I was beyond pissed. I had supported each and every one of them through their own mating and beyond, and now that it was my turn, they drug me and take me away from my mate? I couldn't even put into words just how disgusted I was with all of them right now. Not one of my Delta brothers looked willing to stand up for me. It had me reconsidering my place on the team and whether Westin Force was really where I should be.

"Are you sure we're doing the right thing?" Walker whispered.

"Let's just hope we have the right girl," Linc whispered.

"It's going to be fine," Colin insisted.

"What else could we do?" Tucker asked.

I put in my noise-canceling earbuds and sat as far away from them as the plane allowed. As long as we were in the air, there was nothing I could do. I may have been feeling a bit irrational, but not enough to put on a parachute and jump out in the middle of the bush. Hell, I didn't even know how long I'd been out or how long we'd been in the air.

My best bet to getting back to my mate was to keep a cool head and allocate my own transportation when we landed. I would do whatever it took to get back to my mate before it was too late.

I tried to block it all out and not think about it, but it was hard. I never dreamed I could be so disappointed in my team. They were like family to me and now they were stabbing me in the back. I couldn't believe they weren't helping me.

The physical pain their betrayal caused was almost as sharp as the pain from the reality that I may never find my mate again. And now that I'd met her, I knew there was no way in hell that I could ever take another mate. My biggest fear was that she wouldn't be able to now either.

I knew she was promised to another. I heard her words, but I wasn't sure how she could go through with it and yet, if I wasn't able to find her again, then I supposed I should be praying she would.

Right now, we had an unresolved bond in the making. I'd kissed her. Even without meeting her dingo, mine was ready to accept her. We'd nearly marked her right there in the street and I didn't even know her name. But I did know her scent, and her lips.

Mine , my dingo howled.

"You know, of all people, you guys know how important a true mate is."

"What was that?" Tucker asked.

I took out my earbuds and turned to look at them.

"Walker blew an undercover mission years in the making for his mate."

He nodded. "I did."

"Was she worth it?"

"Absolutely."

"Colin, you brought a Collector right to us with your mate. Was that worth it?"

"Yeah, it was."

"Tucker and Linc, you guys just had drama, but still."

"Worth it."

"A hundred percent."

"And Michael, you kidnapped a cop and drove cross-country with her. It nearly broke alliances with one of our strongest allies."

"And I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"You all risked everything for your true mates. So why are you going to just stand there and deny me mine now?"

They all hung their heads in shame, but no one would say anything.

"Answer me, damn it. Am I somehow less on this team because I'm not a wolf?"

"What? No! Of course not," Michael insisted.

"Then explain to me why my mate is less important than any of yours. Why is my chance at happiness so unimportant to you all? I would have done absolutely anything to help any one of you. Hell, I like to think I did help each of you, most of your mates, even some of your kids. And this is how you repay me?"

"Didn't know you were looking to collect on that," Tucker said, irritated.

That only seemed to piss me off more.

"You know what I mean. You know what? Forget it."

I put my earbuds back in, crossed my arms over my chest, closed my eyes, and at least pretended to sleep.

"I hope this doesn't bite us in the ass," Walker said.

I successfully ignored them and kept my thoughts to myself for the rest of the flight.

Once we landed, I grabbed my bag and was the first one off the plane. I didn't have a clue where we were and I supposed it didn't matter. I'd be saying goodbye soon and off on my own. Maybe I wouldn't even bother saying goodbye. It wasn't like they cared anyway.

Michael put an arm around my neck and pulled me along with him.

"Welcome to King Tribe."

I knew this one. I wasn't that far from home in the big scheme of things.

While my Tribe lived in what was now considered part of Sydney, the Kings were the next closest.

My Tribe functioned a bit different. We were scattered throughout the city living in our small Packs, which usually just consisted of a family unit, but united together in our Tribe made up of many Packs. Many of the Tribes further out, like the Kings and the Campbells lived all together more like a wolf Pack.

From what I had heard, human civilization was quickly encroaching on King territory. I didn't know what that felt like, because it had happened to us before I was born, but I had heard the stories from my ancestors and knew how hard it had been for them. Adapt, move on, or die out. Those were the options.

At least from here I could find my way home, reset, and make my plans to get back to Campbell. I just had to wait for the right moment to make my move, and that certainly wasn't now.

Michael was going to be keeping a close eye on me for fear I'd do something stupid. After all our sessions, I knew him well, and I knew how his inner mind worked. Hell, I knew them all probably better than they knew themselves. I could use that to my advantage. I'd do what was necessary and use whatever advantage I could find to get back to my mate.

Psychology worked in more ways than one.

"You're going to stay with me for the time being."

"Great."

He gave me a skeptical look and right he should.

As we went to meet the Alpha and she-Alpha, I was on my best behavior. I knew it was creeping them all out. Tucker kept eyeing me suspiciously. Good.

I didn't mind screwing with them until I found my exit. It would serve them right. Not a single one of them stood up for me and my mate. I didn't give a shit that she was meant to be she-Alpha. I knew what a huge role that was, and maybe that meant more to her than a true mate bond, but she should at least give me the opportunity to plead my case with her and try.

And my team should be encouraging that.

They'd all made boneheaded mistakes during mating and some caused significant damage to missions and alliances. Logically, I understood that was the biggest concern here. We were trying to save my kind and here I was ready to alienate an entire Tribe.

But no one had ever said mating was logical.

I'd seen it firsthand on so many occasions, but now I truly understood it. Logically I understood what they were doing and even why, but none of that mattered when my heart and inner animal were united in our desire to find this girl and make her mine.

I didn't even have to close my eyes to see her beautiful face. It was a constant image overshadowing everything else around me.

I made a quick vow to myself and to her, whoever she was. I would find her. I would find a way back to her. And I was ready to get down on my hands and knees and beg, pledging my full allegiance to her. I would do whatever it took to have her for myself. She was my mate. I deserved nothing less, and neither did she.

With that settled, I put on a smile and did exactly as I was told.

Listening to the story of how the Alpha's daughter was kidnapped right under their noses would normally have appealed to my need to help. I would have offered to counsel anyone struggling through this hard time. But not this time.

I kept my head down and my mouth shut, offering nothing more than what Michael asked of me.

"Both my daughters remain here in the Alpha house. I know they are more than of age. It just never felt right to me to have them move out before mating," he explained.

I shuddered at the thought. He sounded overbearing to me. I already knew these weren't kids. The oldest, Michelle, was in her thirties and the other one, Matilda, was only a few years younger.

"Would it be okay if we search through Michelle's things? Just to rule out any chance she staged this or went willingly with the kidnapper," Michael said.

"She would never!" the father barked.

His mate reached out and soothed him with a simple hand on his arm. That simple gesture nearly broke me. It was a visual sign of the bond I craved with my own mate.

"Let them do their job, Danner. Please?"

The fight left him, and he nodded.

"Down the main hall, last door on the left."

They didn't follow or lead the way as we excused ourselves and headed down the hall.

The closer we got, the more excited my dingo got.

When we reached the end of the hall, my team went to the left into Michelle's room, but I couldn't seem to stop myself from turning right and walking into the younger sister's room.

Matilda .

There was something so familiar and comforting about her room. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but for some reason, my dingo calmed.

I couldn't help it. I laid down on the neatly made bed and just breathed, probably for the first time since my mate's haunting brown eyes had stared up into mine before turning and running away.

In that moment, in that room, I was entirely at peace despite everything that was happening.