Rogue Queen

Chapter 26

I shift around in my seat still delightfully sore from last night, but based on Jasper and Brooks's grim expressions it's going to be a very short moment of peace. Brooks's wrings his hands together, eyebrows furrowed as he shifts his gaze between the floor and Jasper. I raise a questioning brow and turn towards Jasper.

"About a month after you disappeared we kept getting calls from another Alpha pleading for a meeting and for us to help him." Jasper sighs, watching my confused expression grow deeper. "I was too distraught to even consider listening to anything he had to say, and wouldn't answer the phone unless he knew any information to help locate you." I don't understand why he's beating around the bush.

"Who?" I cut in before he can continue rambling nervously. For Jasper not to just blurt out a name is concerning, and leads me to believe it's someone I either don't get along with or have a terrible opinion of.

"Alpha Benji." Jasper sighs, taking a step back but still keeping his arms gripped on the back of his chair. Momentarily too stunned to speak all I can do is watch him lower his head and stretch his arms with his chair.

"What?!" Adrenaline and anger burn through my veins as I jump up sending my chair flying back. "That fucker has the audacity to come to us for 'help' after the despicable way he hurt our family, our pack." I snarl, my heart pounding furiously in my chest. Jasper walks around his desk, instinctively coming to me because of the anger flaming through our bond.

"I wouldn't meet with him. I couldn't." I let out a shaky breath, grabbing onto Jasper's shirt and pulling him to me. "You were the only thing on my mind day and night, and since he wouldn't tell Brooks what the situation was he never got more than a few words from us." I want to let out a sigh of relief, but I can see Brooks still sitting tense in his seat. "He got desperate," My fingers curl around the fabric of Jasper's shirt. "And showed up one night about two weeks before the attacks." He finishes, voice barely above a whisper. I flatten my hands against his chest and push myself away, spinning to hide my pissed off expression. Rage builds in my chest slowly suffocating me and clouding my mind. A wave of comfort washes over me, a sense of security wrapping around me from our mate bond reminding me that we agreed just last night to not shut each other out anymore.

"What did he want?" I turn back around facing Jasper, breathing in and out slowly attempting to smother the fury flowing through my veins.

"His Beta, Kian, has been blackmailing him and holding his mate hostage." Jasper's tone softens, a tinge of understanding hidden within his voice. I truly hope he didn't take Benji's word for it because I wouldn't put it past him to manipulate Jasper when he was reeling from my disappearance. "I told him to fuck off." A small smile tugs at my lips. "But he refused to leave." I let out a defeated sigh. "He provided proof that Kian was the one who sent Zachary here." Jasper reaches for my hand giving it a comforting squeeze as the confusion swirling around my brain seeps into our bond.

"Why?" I mummer, almost scared to know the answer. Jasper's sympathetic gazes has my stomach twisting in knots.

"Kian is working for Raven, and Benji's mate is trapped in Raven's army. Benji tried to execute a rescue mission but unfortunately Kian caught wind of it and immediately stripped Benji of his power. However he still needs Benji to continue portraying his Alpha status to the rest of the packs as well as most of his own pack." I plop back down in my seat, defeat seeping into my heart and weighing it down. Where do we go from here without losing sight of the big picture. "I would have done the same if it were you." Jasper's confident tone slices through the room.

"Me too." I lift my gaze to his golden eyes managing a small smile. There is no one in this world who has a mate that wouldn't agree with Benji's decision to do whatever he could to protect her. It's nearly physically impossible to allowing something or even worse someone to harm your mate, yet there are still a very rare few who have. I don't doubt Jasper thoughts lead him to the same name mine did, and although similar to his parents the motives are completely switched. It's clear now why Benji choose to come to Jasper for help before anyone else. "Are you ok with helping him?" I shift my attention to Brooks's. Kian's actions nearly physically harmed him and his family not to mention the emotional scars that will take years to fade even a little if at all.