The Beta's Broken Mate (Book 3 Of The Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 26

The plane taxied to a stop a few hours later and Ragnar glanced at his phone one last time. He still hadn't heard back from Talia but it was early. Even if she didn't look at her own phone, Caleb would tell her where he was.

He slipped his phone in his pocket and left the plane, then climbed in the SUV that was waiting for him.

"Morning Beta!" Eric, Gamma of the Lone Star Pack greeted him cheerily.

Ragnar raised an eyebrow at him. Morning person. Something he had never been. "Morning."

"We ended up conducting the raid last night," Eric informed him, handing him a cup of coffee.

At least he'd come with a gift, Ragnar thought, taking a sip of the coffee. It was still hot and made just the way he liked it. "Thanks. I thought you were waiting till after Shelby went to see her mate." Well that explained why they'd called him in the middle of the night.

"That was the original plan until she disappeared yesterday evening," Eric explained.

"I thought she was under guard." Ragnar wondered if someone had helped her escape.

"She was supposed to be. We have no idea how she got out," Eric admitted.

Ragnar started him incredulously. Sometimes he wanted to shake people. What kind of ill-trained guards did Trent have?

"It just hasn't been our focus. As soon as we found out she was gone, Alpha Trent ordered the raid. He didn't want to lose the element of surprise," Eric explained.

"Shelby probably had enough time to think that setting up this trap with her mate would put his life in danger. She probably realized she'd rather live life as a rogue than to lose him, and more than likely he would have been killed in the raid," Ragnar said practically.

'Idiots,' Rollo growled. He was salty that they'd had to leave Talia when everything between them was in limbo.

"That's true. There were no rogue survivors that we're aware of." Eric turned down the road towards the pack house.

"So she wasn't there when you raided the place." No surprise.

"No. It's possible her mate may have been since none of us are aware of what he looks like." Eric said.

'Not likely,' Rollo muttered.

"Well if her mate is still alive you probably will never see her again. But if he's dead she will probably either come home or you'll find her dead too. Losing a mate is not easy to get through by yourself." Ragnar could give him two prime examples.

"You speak as though you know all too well the pain of losing a mate." Eric glanced at him.

"Not me personally. But two people that I'm very close to," Ragnar admitted.

"That's not something I'd ever wish to go through." Eric shuddered. He couldn't imagine losing his mate, or how devastating it would be for both him and his wolf.

Ragnar's thoughts drifted to Talia. If he ever lost her.. He never wanted to go through that either. "No. It's not pleasant."

"Are you mated, Beta?" Eric asked.

"I just found my mate. Haven't even had a chance to mark her yet." If she even wants me.

'She wants us,' Rollo spoke up. 'Lila wants me.'

"And we pulled you away. I apologize, Beta." Eric looked away sheepishly.

"Tell me what's going on now that you've conducted the raid." And why you pulled me away from my mate.