Set Aside

Prologue

Lex entered his mate's room cautiously.

She had been living within the pack for two years now, however he had barely spoken to her. He did not want her, he had chosen another and did not wish to upset his chosen Alpha Female, however he had a burning need deep within his soul caused by the bond. As such he was unable to leave his mate behind once he found her, but that did not mean he had to give up Lola for her. The first six months had been tough for him to resist his animalistic urges and his mate had caused issues but he had learned to deal with them and forged ahead with Lola. Lola had been a sought after female amongst the pack; her beauty evident along with her naturally sunny disposition. She had caught Lex's attention and he had been determined to have her as she was clearly the best female. When he discovered his mate during peace talks with another pack he was angry at the desire that instantly filled him. He made an instant decision that his mate must become part of his pack to satisfy his possessiveness, but would never become Alpha Female. That role belonged to Lola.

After those initial turbulent months they had settled into a routine; he was happy enough, Lola was ecstatic and his mate was finally accepting her situation. His mate had taken on a new role within the pack, acting as peacekeeper and brokering treaties with surrounding packs. It had benefitted him and Lola greatly. He was happy she finally understood her place and had created herself a role to fill.

However, the last six months he had noticed his mate's presence less and less, and now her scent was so faded she must have been absent for at least a month. He knew her role kept her busy, but this was unusual even for her and he wondered if he should be worried or carefree about the situation. Whilst his mate was absent and that set a part of him on edge, things with Lola were fine and Lola relished her role as Alpha Female, and she was all he really cared about.

Carefully closing her door behind him to make as little noise as possible he inspected the room, casting his eye over her choice of furnishings and embellishments to make the space hers. He frowned. The room seemed sparse for someone that had lived there for two years, however he had never entered her room before so she may just prefer a minimalist approach. He wandered through the room; a small amount of clothes stored neatly within the closet and chest of drawers, a toothbrush, toothpaste and soap in the bathroom, and the laundry basket was empty. Approaching her desk, he noticed her work papers were all neat and clearly referenced, nothing out of place. Clearly she was a neat and tidy person, maybe that was the reason for the lack of personalisation. Giving the room one last glance before sneaking out he noticed a journal on the bottom shelf of her bedside table. Although he knew he shouldn't snoop, curiosity got the better of him and he sat on the bed, bending down and reaching for it. He opened the journal and began to read.

Cassie had been pack hopping without returning home for six weeks now. She was well known throughout the packs and as long as she maintained her role as peacekeeper few questions were asked about where she had been or where she was going. Her movements were only known to her. Everyone assumed that she spent several days between visits returning home. It was a lonely existence and she wondered how long she could truly keep this up, but as long as it was working she would not stop. She had come far too far to return home and be ignored for another.